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- First humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) re-sighting between Azorean waters and the Barents Sea (Murman coast, northwestern Russia)Publication . Santos, Rui; Martins, Rafael; Chaiko, Anton; Cheeseman, Ted; Jones, Lindsey S.; Wenzel, Frederick W.Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) are one of the most well studied baleen whales worldwide and one of the species targeted during the historic North Atlantic whaling period. Northwestern Russia (Barents Sea), a poorly studied region for humpbacks, is recognized as an important fshing area for their prey capelin (Mallotus villosus). In the last century, this fsh species collapsed, possibly due to overfshing both in Russian and Norwegian waters, which led to these governments imposing strict fshing restrictions. In past decades the southern part of the Barents Sea has faced warming ocean temperatures and less sea ice. Here, we present the frst humpback photographic match between the Azores and northwestern Russia (Murmansk, Barents Sea). A humpback whale sighted on 14 March 2019 in the Azorean waters, was resighted opportunistically on 21 June, 2019 of the Murman coast, Russia. The estimated distance between the two sites is approximately 6778 km, representing a migratory speed of 2.88 km·h−1. Strict regulations on the summer capelin fsheries in the Murman coastline and Barents Sea, along with global warming may lead to new habitats for both fsh prey and predators (i.e., humpback whales) to return to this region.
- Tour operators as a tool to improve information on data‐deficient cetacean speciesPublication . Peres dos Santos, Rui Pedro; Rodríguez, Yasmina; Sears, Richard; Magno, Ramiro; Castilho, RitaUnderstanding the distribution and behaviour of species is crucial for ecosystem assessment and economic evaluations. Despite global research efforts, some cetacean species or populations remain data deficient. False killer whales (Pseudorca crassidens) are among these species, possibly due to their pelagic behaviour and high mobility. This study focused on the Azorean Archipelago, an ecologically rich region influenced by the Gulf Stream and North Atlantic Current, where false killer whales have been regularly observed over the last decade by the whale watching operators. Using opportunistic data collection from tourist operators, we established the first long-term study of false killer whales in the NE Atlantic Ocean. Results revealed sightings between April and October, with a peak from July to September. False killer whale groups were observed interacting with other species, particularly bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). The photo-identification analysis produced an individual catalogue and identified associations between individuals and groups. Four of these animals presented dorsal fin injury patterns suggestive of interactions with fishing gear. Open population capture-recapture (openCR) models estimated a population of 198 individuals in the research area. This study demonstrates the importance of opportunistic data collection in understanding poorly studied species. The findings contribute insights into false killer whale presence, behaviour and potential threats in the studied region. Future research should expand to winter data collection, comprehensive fishery interaction studies and population dynamics assessments for effective conservation efforts.