Population estimates are collected for the bowhead whale population living in Alaskan coastal waters. Satellite tagging started in 2005.
Population size and trends estimated from a number of studies of the western Arctic bowhead whales (Balaena mysticetus) are critical information needed by the Alaska Eskimo Whaling Commission (AEWC) and NOAA to maintain the Bowhead Whale Subsistence Harvest and to provide scientific support for the periodic quota requests from the IWC. Other key management information includes ice-based census, aerial surveys, photo identification, age estimation, stock structure/genetics, and movements via satellite tagging.
The NSB conducted another ice-based census and aerial abundance survey in the spring of 2011 to provide updated information for the AEWC to bring to the International Whale Commission (IWC). Harvest samples are collected regularly and include genetic samples for stock structure studies and tissue samples for aging and reproductive studies. The satellite tagging efforts to study the movements of the BCB bowheads, in collaboration with ADFG, AEWC, and others, began in 2005 and are continuing. Harvest examinations to date also indicate that bowhead whales are healthy, with low contaminant levels.
Publications:
George, J.C., et al. 1988. Preliminary report on bowhead whale, Balaena mysticetus, census-related field activities during spring 1987 off Point Barrow, Alaska. Presented to the 39th International Whaling Commission. SC/39/PS13.
George, J.C., et al. 2002. Population size of the Bering-Chukchi-Beaufort Seas stock of bowhead whales, Balaena mysticetus, based on the 2001 census off Point Barrow, Alaska. Presented to the 54th International Whaling Commission. SC/54/BRG5.
George, J.C. et al. 2004. Abundance and population trend (1978-2001) of western arctic bowhead whales surveyed near Barrow, Alaska. Marine Mammal Science 20(4):755-773.
Taylor, B.L., et al. 2007. Synthesis of lines of evidence for population structure for bowhead whales in the Bering-Chukchi-Beaufort region. Presented to the 59th International Whaling Commission. SC/59/BRG35.
George, J.C., and R. Suydam. 2009. Preliminary report of the spring 2009 ice-based bowhead whale census activities near Barrow, Alaska. Presented to the 61st International Whaling Commission. SC/61/BRG23.
George, J.C., R. Suydam, and J. Herreman. 2010. Preliminary results of the 2010 ice-based whale census at Barrow, Alaska. Presented to the 62nd International Whaling Commission. SC/62/BRGWP.
Givens, G.H., S.L. Edmondson, J.C. George, B. Tudor, R.A. DeLong and R. Suydam. 2011. Estimation of detection probabilities from the 2010 ice-based independent observer survey of bowhead whales near Barrow, Alaska. Presented to the 63rd International Whaling Commission. SC/63/BRG1.
J.C. George, G.H. Givens, J. Herreman, R.A. DeLong, B. Tudor, R. Suydam, and L. Kendall. 2011. Report of the 2010 bowhead whale survey at Barrow with emphasis on methods for matching sightings from paired independent observations. Presented to the 63rd International Whaling Commission. SC/63/BRG3.
Clark, C.W., W.T. Ellison, and K. Beeman. 1986. An acoustic study of bowhead whales, Balaena mysticetus, off Point Barrow, Alaska during the 1984 spring migration. Report to the North Slope Borough, Dept. of Wildlife Management, Barrow, Alaska. 145 pp.
Clark, C.W., and W.T.Ellison. 1989. Numbers and distributions of bowhead whales, Balaena mysticetus, based on the 1986 acoustic study off Pt. Barrow, Alaska. Report of the International Whaling Commission 39:297-303.
Clark, C.W., R. Charif, S. Mitchell, and J. Colby. 1996. Distribution and behavior of the bowhead whale, Balaena mysticetus, based on analysis of acoustic data collected during the 1993 spring migration off Point Barrow, Alaska. Report to the International Whaling Commission 46:541-552.
Clark, C.W., and W.T. Ellison. 2000. Calibration and comparison of the acoustic location methods used during the spring migration of the bowhead whale, Balaena mysticetus, off Pt. Barrow, Alaska, 1984-1993. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America 107(6):3509-17.
Clark, C.W., R. Suydam, and C. George. 2010. Acoustic monitoring of the bowhead spring migration off Pt. Barrow, Alaska: Results from 2009 and status of 2010 field effort. Presented to the 62nd International Whaling Commission. SC/62/BRG17.
DaSilva, C.Q. et al. 2000. Capture-recapture estimation of bowhead whale population size using photoidentification data. Journal of Cetacean Research and Management 2(1):45-61.
Koski, W.R. et al. 2005. An update of aerial photography of bowhead whales conducted during the 2003-2005 spring migrations. Presented to the 57th International Whaling Commission. SC/57/BRG16.
Koski, W.R. et al. 2007. Review of bowhead whale aerial photographic studies in 2003-06. Presented to the 59th International Whaling Commission. SC/59/BRG6.
Rugh, D.J., et al. 2008. Interyear re-identifications of bowhead whales during their spring migration past Point Barrow, Alaska, 1984-1994. Journal of Cetacean Research and Management 10(3):195-200.
Koski, W.R. et al. 2009. Abundance of Bering-Chukchi-Beaufort bowhead whales (Balaena mysticetus) in 2004 estimated from photo-identification data. Presented to the 61st International Whaling Commission. SC/61.
Koski, W.R. et al. 2010. Abundance of Bering-Chukchi-Beaufort bowhead whales (Balaena mysticetus) in 2004 estimated from photo-identification data. Journal of Cetacean Research and Management 11(2):89-99.
George, J.C., et al. 1999. Age and growth estimates of bowhead whales (Balaena mysticetus) via aspartic acid racemization. Canadian Journal of Zoology 77:571-580. Rosa, C. et al. 2004. Update on age estimation of bowhead whales (Balaena mysticetus) using aspartic acid racemization. Presented to the 56th International Whaling Commission SC/56/BRG6.
Tarpley, R.J. and D.J. Hillmann. 1999. Observations on ovary morphology, fetal size and functional correlates in the bowhead whale Balaena mysticetus. Final Report to the Department of Wildlife Management, North Slope Borough, Barrow, AK.
George, J.C. et al. 2004. Inferences from bowhead whale ovarian and pregnancy data: age estimates, length at sexual maturity and ovulation rates. Presented to the 56th International Whaling Commission SC/56/BRG8.
Morita, J.G., and J.C. George. 2007. Age classification of bowhead whales using recursive partitioning. Presented to the 59th International Whaling Commission. SC/59/AWMP1.
Rooney, A.P. et al. 2001. Historical population size change of bowhead whales inferred from DNA sequence polymorphism data. Evolution 55(8):1678-1685.
LeDuc, R.G., et al. 2005. Genetic analyses (mtDNA and microsatellites) of Okhotsk and Bering/Chukchi/Beaufort Seas populations of bowhead whales. Journal of Cetacean Research and Management 7(2):107-111.
George, J.C., S.E. Moore., and R. Suydam. 2007. Summary of stock structure research on the Bering-Chukchi-Beaufort Seas stock of bowhead whales 2003-2007. Presented to the 59th International Whaling Commission. SC/59/BRG3.
George, J.C., et al. 2007. Preliminary estimates of bowhead whale body mass and length from Yankee commercial oil yield records. Presented to the 59th International Whaling Commission. SC/59/BRG5.
Givens, G.H., et al. 2007. Patterns of genetic differentiation in bowhead whales (Balaena mysticetus) from the western Arctic. Presented to the 59th International Whaling Commission. SC/59/BRG14.
Givens, G.H. and I. Ozaksoy. 2007. Population structure and covariate analysis based on pairwise microsatellite allele matching frequencies. Statistical Applications in Genetics and Molecular Biology 6(1): Article 31.
Koski, W.R., J.C. George, and J. Zeh. 2007. A calf index for monitoring reproductive success in the Bering-Chukchi-Beaufort Seas bowhead whale (Balaena mysticetus) population. Presented to the 59th International Whaling Commission. SC/59/BRG7.
Morin, P.A., B.L. Hancock, and J.C. George. 2007. Development and application of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) for bowhead whale population structure analysis. Presented to the 59th International Whaling Commission. SC/59/BRG8.
Morin, P.A., et al. 2007. Estimated genotype error rates from bowhead whale microsatellite data. Presented to the 59th International Whaling Commission. SC/59/BRG15.
Skaug, H.J., and G.H. Givens. 2007. Relatedness among individuals in BCB bowhead microsatellite samples. Presented to the 59th International Whaling Commission. SC/59/BRG20.
Taylor, B.L., et al. 2007. Synthesis of lines of evidence for population structure for bowhead whales in the Bering-Chukchi-Beaufort region. Presented to the 59th International Whaling Commission. SC/59/BRG35.
Huebinger, R.M., et al. 2008. Characterization of 25 microsatellite loci in bowhead whales (Balaena mysticetus). Molecular Ecology Resources 8:612-615.
LeDuc, R.G. et al. 2008. Mitochondrial genetic variation in bowhead whales in the western Arctic. Journal of Cetacean Research and Management 10(2):93-97.
Bickham, J.W., et al. 2009. Assessing molecular substitution patterns in the mitochondrial control region compared to protein coding genes in two marine mammals. Presented to the 61st International Whaling Commission.SC/61/BRG7.
Morin, P.A., et al. 2009. Significant deviations from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium caused by low levels of microsatellite genotyping errors. Molecular Ecology Resources 9:498-504.
Heide-Jørgensen, M.P., et al. 2011. The Northwest Passage opens for bowhead whales. Biology Letters. Retrieved from http://rsbl.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/early/2011/09/14/rsbl.2011.0731 on 22 September, 2011.
Quakenbush, L. 2007. Preliminary satellite telemetry results for Bering-Chukchi-Beaufort bowhead whales. Presented to the 59th International Whaling Commission. SC/59/BRG12.
Quakenbush, L.T., J.J. Citta, J.C. George, R.J. Small, and M.P Heide-Jørgensen. 2010. Fall and winter movements of bowhead whales (Balaena mysticetus) in the Chukchi Sea and within a potential petroleum development area. Arctic 63(3):289-307.
