Transcript Laboratory work Stock structure

A PROGRAMME FOR A TWO
YEAR FEASIBILITY STUDY ON
CETACEANS IN ICELANDIC
WATERS
Marine Research Institute
Reykjavík, Iceland
Importance of marine research in
Iceland
Increased internationalemphasis on
ecosystem approach to management •
•
•
•
•
ICES-NAFO?
FAO
NAMMCO
IWC
+?
Multispecies approach in Iceland
– Increased emphasis on multispecies management
of fisheries in Iceland
– MRI’s multispecies research programme
– Use of multispecies approach in management in
Iceland
– Cetaceans not included
Cetacean research programme 1986-1989
– 10 separate research areas
– Greatly increased the knowledge of the state of the
exploited whale stocks off Iceland
– Still important gaps in knowledge
– 14 years without research on basic biological parameters
– Increase in population size of fin whales
– Density dependent response?
Overview
– Present knowledge and research needs
– Objectives
– Methodology
– Effect of the catches on the stocks
Research needs
– Feeding ecology and multispecies models
– Population structure
– Population dynamics
– Applicability of alternative research methods
Research needs
• Multispecies models
Increased knowledge on the role of cetaceans in the marine ecosystem in
Icelandic waters is needed for improved multi-species management of
fisheries in the area
• Cetacean research needed for modelling:
– Diet composition - (including length distribution of
some prey species)
– Energetics - consumption rates
– Seasonal distribution and abundance
GADGET
– Globally applicable Area Disaggregated
General Ecosystem Toolbox
– Modelling framework based on Bormicon
– Fish species included in model: capelin, cod
– Data requirements: From none to enormous
Research needs
• Population dynamics
– Density dependence of biological parameters
– Reproductive parameters v/s energetic condition
– Health status of populations
Research needs
• Stock structure
– Genetics
– Satellite telemetry
– Other methods
Research needs
• Alternative research methods
– Applicability of biopsies
• Feeding studies
– Fatty acid profiles
– Stable isotope ratios
• Pollutants
– Outer blubber layers
– Acid racemisation
• Age determination -Eye lens
Overall Objectives
• Feasibility study - Create basis for a future full scale study
• Increase the understanding of the feeding ecology and
biology (including potential density dependence) of
important cetacean species in Icelandic waters for improved
management of living resources based on an ecosystem
approach
• Increase the understanding of 1) stock structure on macroand microgeographic scale 2) Health issues, including age
and sex dependent aspects of pollutant levels in different
organs and tissues and possible disease induced mortality in
Icelandic whale populations.
• Testing the applicability of alternative research methods.
Minke whale
Objectives - Minke whale
1
2
3
4
5
6
Feeding ecology
Stock structure
Parasites and Pathology
Biological parameters
Pollutants
Applicability of alternative research methods
Objectives - Minke whale
1 Feeding ecology
– Diet composition
•
•
•
•
Stomach contents
Spatial and temporal variation
Prey availability
non-lethal methods (fatty acids and stable isotope ratios)
– Energetics
• Body condition
• Field metabolic rate
Objectives - Minke whale
1 Feeding ecology
– Seasonal and geographical variation in
minke whale abundance
• Aerial and shipboard surveys
• Satellite tagging
– Multispecies model
Objectives - Minke whale
2 Stock structure
– Genetics
• Macrogeography - Comparison to Greenland and Norway
• Temporal variation and heterogeneity with respect to
possible mixing at the feeding grounds
• Effects of 18 years of protection on genetic composition
(stock expansion or decline)
• Individual identification registry
Objectives - Minke whale
2 Stock structure
– Telemetry
• Autumn migration - wintering
grounds
• Movements within summer
feeding season
Objectives - Minke whale
2 Stock structure
– Analysis of other potential indicators of
stock structure
• Pollutants
• Morphology
• Parasites
• Biological parameters
Objectives - Minke whale
3 Parasites and Pathology
– Examination of potential
harmful or lethal pathogens
– Attempts to evaluate disease induced
mortality rate
– Minke whale´s role in Anisakis simplex life
cycle
Objectives - Minke whale
4 Biological parameters
– Temporal changes in growth and
reproductive parameters
– Age determination
• Ear plugs
• Amino acid racemization (eye lens)
Objectives - Minke whale
5 Pollutants
– Organochlorines and trace elements in respect to:
• Biological parameters (age, sex, maturity, feeding
ecology)
• Trophic status (  15N and  13C)
• Health status and pathological observations
• Geographical variation on small and large scale
• Various tissues and locations in the blubber core
Objectives - Minke whale
6 Applicability of alternative research methods
– Applicability of biopsies
• Feeding studies
– Fatty acid profiles and stable isotope ratios v.s.
stomach contents
• Pollutants
– Skin and outer layers of blubber v.s. inner layers and
various tissues
– Acid racemisation
• Age determination -Eye lens
Research Methods
Whale sampling - Minke whale
– 100 animals per year
– Temporally and spatially stratified sampling
scheme
• Overlap in distribution of cod and minke whale
• Whale abundance
– Geographical scale
– Temporal scale
– Area division applied from Icelandic multispecies
model (Bormicon)
Distribution of minke
whale sightings
during NASS-2001
Subdivision of the Icelandic continental shelf area into
sampling areas (small numbers) and the estimated abundance
of minke whales in each subarea (large numbers).
Temporal and spatial distribution of the proposed catch of
minke whales in the two study years.
Area
May
June
Year 1
1
2
3
4
5
6
8
9
10
Total in year 1
July
August
September/
October
Total
11
4
4
2
3
5
1
9
3
42
11
4
4
1
3
5
2
8
2
40
5
1
1
1
1
3
1
4
1
18
27
9
9
4
7
13
4
21
6
100
4
1
1
Year 2
1
2
3
4
5
6
8
9
10
Total in year 2
5
1
1
1
1
3
1
4
1
18
15
6
6
2
4
6
2
11
3
55
3
1
1
1
1
2
1
3
1
14
3
1
13
Grand total
18
55
56
53
27
9
9
4
7
13
4
21
6
100
1
2
18
200
Dissection
– Blood and eyeballs immediately after death
– Photographs
– Weight of gonads
– Standard morphometric measurements
– Girth measured (6 sites)
– Blubber thickness measured (18 sites)
– Blubber and skin samples (18 sites)
Sites of measurements of
blubber thickness (D1-V6) and girth (G1-G6)
Dissection
–
–
–
–
–
Photographs
Standard morphometric measurements
Girth measured (6 sites)
Blubber thickness measured (18 sites)
Blubber and skin samples (18 sites)
– External parasites
– Bacterial and viral samples
taken from lesions
Dissection - samples
Ovaries (weighed and sampled whole) - (reproduction)
Mammary gland (section) - (milk production)
Testes (weighed whole and two samples taken) (reproduction)
Ear plugs - (age)
Skin - (genetics, pollutants)
Muscle - (energetics, genetics, pollutants)
Liver, heart, kidney, lung (sections) (energetics, genetics, pollutants)
Dissection - pathology
Minke whale
• Detailed necropsy of 50 individuals in first year:
– Visual identification of external lesions and in all major organs
– Samples from lesions for microscopic histopathology and
microbiology
– Blood samples for blood chemistry, hematology and serology
– Urea for renal function
– Representative parasite specimens for identification
Laboratory work
Feeding ecology
– Stomach contents
– Fatty acid profiles
– Stable isotope ratios
– Energetics
Laboratory work
Feeding ecology - Fatty acid profiles
– Samples analysed
• Blubber - inner, mid and outer region of the core
• Blood
• Prey species - krill (spring/autumn),
capelin, sandeel, cod, redfish
– Lipid extraction
– Fatty acid analysis
Laboratory work
Feeding ecology - Stable isotope ratio
– Samples analysed (30 minke, 30 fin and 15 sei whale)
• Skin
• Blood
• Prey species - krill (spring/autumn), capelin, sandeel, cod,
redfish
– Analyses of the 15N/14N and 13C/12C ratios
Laboratory work
Biological parameters
– Reproduction
• Corpora counts; histological examination of testes
– Age determination
• Ear plugs
• Eye lens (racemization)
Laboratory work
Stock structure
– Genetics
– Satellite monitoring
– Other methods
Laboratory work
Pathology
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Blood chemistry
Hematology
Serology
Urinalysis
Microbiology
Histology
Electron microscopy
Parasitology
Laboratory work
Pollutants
–
–
–
–
–
Trace elements
PCBs and pesticides
PBDEs
Dioxins and dioxinlike PCBs
PAHs
Seasonal variation in whale abundance
– Aerial surveys three times each year
– Shipboard surveys in conjunction with fish
and oceanographic surveys
Prey availability
– Combined fish/oceanographic/whale surveys
– Analysis of existing data on distribution of
whales and potential prey species
– Testing different sampling methods for
estimating krill abundance
Effects of Catches on the stock
– Abundance estimate for Icelandic coastal
waters in 2001: 43.663 (CV 0.19)
– Assessments in 1990 (IWC) and 1998
(NAMMCO)
Fin whales
Objectives - Fin whale
1 Biological parameters
2 Feeding ecology
3 Parasites and Pathology (follow up study)
• Crassicauda infections
4 Stock structure
5 Pollutants
6 Applicability of non-lethal research methods
Objectives - Fin whale
1 Biological parameters
– Temporal changes in growth and
reproduction simultaneous to apparent
changes in abundance
– Age determination
• Ear plugs
• Amino acid racemisation (eye lens)
Objectives - Fin whale
2 Feeding ecology
– Diet composition
•
•
•
•
Stomach contents
Prey availability
Geographical variation
Non-lethal methods (fatty acids and stable isotope ratios)
– Energetics
– Seasonal and geographical variation in fin
whale abundance
• Aerial and shipboard surveys
• Satellite tagging
– Multispecies modeling
Objectives - Fin whale
3 Parasites and Pathology
– Crassicauda infections (follow up study)
•
•
•
•
Immunity
Pathogenesis
Morbidity
Attempts to evaluate Crassicauda induced mortality rate
Objectives - Fin whale
4 Stock structure
– Genetics
• Macrogeography - Comparison to Greenland, Norway
and Faroes
• Temporal variation and heterogeneity with respect to
possible mixing at the feeding grounds
• Effects of 14 years of protection on genetic composition
(stock expansion or decline)
• Individual identification registry
Objectives - Fin whale
4 Stock structure
– Telemetry
• Autumn migration - wintering grounds
• Movements within summer feeding season
• Respiratory frequency
– calculation on metabolic rate (energetics)
– abundance estimation
Objectives - Fin whale
4 Stock structure
– Analysis of potential indicators of stock
structure
•
•
•
•
Pollutants
Morphology
Parasites
Biological parameters
Objectives - Fin whale
5 Pollutants
– Organochlorines and trace elements with
respect to:
• Biological parameters (age, sex, maturity, feeding
ecology)
• Trophic status (  15N and  13C)
• Health status and pathological observations
• Geographical variation on small and large scale
• Various tissues and locations in the blubber core
Objectives - Fin whale
6 Applicability of non-lethal research methods
– Diet analyses
• Stomach contents v.s. fatty acid profiles and stable
isotope ratios
– Pollutants
• Skin and outer layers of blubber v.s. inner layers and
various tissues
Research Methods
Whale sampling - Fin whale
– 100 animals per year
– Stratified sampling scheme.
• Traditional whaling grounds off W-Iceland
– Comparison of biological parameters from previous catch
• Eastern area
– Feeding ecology
– Stock structure
75.00
Distribution of fin
whale sightings
during NASS-2001
70.00
65.00
60.00
55.00
4.00
-6.00
-16.00
-26.00
-46.00
50.00
-36.00
-1
- 2 to 3
- 4 to 12
Research Methods
Whale sampling - Fin whale
– 100 animals per year
– Stratified sampling scheme.
• Traditional whaling grounds off W-Iceland
– Comparison of biological parameters from previous catch
• Eastern area
– Feeding ecology
– Stock structure
Subdivision of the Icelandic EEZ with respect to fin whale
sampling areas.
Dissection - pathology
Fin whale
– Gross inspection of total 200 individuals:
• Giant kidney worm (Crassicauda)
• Samples from lesions for microscopic histopathology
• Blood samples for blood chemistry, hematology and
serology
• Urea for renal function
• Representative parasite specimens for identification
Effects of Catches on the stock
• Abundance estimate in 2001: 24.887 (c.v. 0.13)
• Assessments in 1991 (IWC) and 1999
(NAMMCO)
Sei whale
Objectives - Sei whale
1 Biological parameters
2 Parasites and Pathology (follow up study)
• Bolbosoma spp in colon
• Viral and bacterial infections in lungs
• External lesions
3
4
5
6
Stock structure
Pollutants
Feeding ecology
Applicability of non-lethal research methods
Research Methods
Whale sampling - Sei whales
– 50 animals per year
– Opportunistic sampling
Dissection - pathology
Sei whale
– Gross inspection of total 100 individuals:
•
•
•
•
Bolbosoma spp infections in colon
External lesions
Samples from lesions for microscopic histopathology
Blood samples for blood chemistry, hematology and
serology
• Urea for renal function
• Representative parasite specimens for identification
Effects of Catches on the stock
– No formal assessment
– Abundance estimate in 1989: 10.300 (CV 0.268)
- negatively biased
– Mean annual catch since 1948: 68
(corresponding to 0.7% of the above stock size)
Participation by foreign scientists
in research on caught whales will be welcome,
provided their research does not interfere with, or
duplicates research planned in the present project.
This could be either by direct involvement of
foreign scientists in data collection at the
dissection sites for their own research projects, or
that the MRI arranges for data/samples to be
collected upon request.
.Trophic interactions
SEOP
Relative Catch Rate
Relative seasonal abundance
80
60
40
20
0
12
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
10
Fin Whale
8
6
4
2
0
5
4
SEOP
Minke Whale
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Sei Whale
3
2
1
0
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Estimated amount of prey consumed by cetaceans in
Icelandic waters
Harbour porpoise
Unident. dolphins
Total consumption by cetaceans around
Iceland (thousands of tons)
Fish
White-sided dolphin
Crustaceans
White-beaked dolphin
Cephalopods
Cephalopods
1.313
Fish
2.032
Killer whale
Crustaceans
2.913
Pilot whale
N-Bottlenose whale
Sperm whale
Humpback whale
Minke whale
Sei whale
Fin whale
Blue whale
0
200
400
600
800
1000
Thousands of tons consumed
1200
1400
1600
Total consumption by
cetaceans around Iceland
(thousands of tons)
Cephalopods
1.313
Crustaceans
2.913
Fish
2.032
Estimated amount of prey consumed by cetaceans in
Icelandic waters
Harbour porpoise
Unident. dolphins
Fish
White-sided dolphin
Crustaceans
White-beaked dolphin
Cephalopods
Killer whale
Pilot whale
N-Bottlenose whale
Sperm whale
Humpback whale
Minke whale
Sei whale
Fin whale
Blue whale
0
200
400
600
800
1000
Thousands of tons consumed
1200
1400
1600