New publication Baird, R.W., G.S. Schorr, D.L. Webster, D.J. McSweeney, M.B. Hanson and R.D. Andrews. 2011. Movements of two satellite-tagged pygmy killer whales (Feresa attenuata) off the island of Hawai'i. Marine Mammal Science doi: 10.1111/j.1748-7692.2010.00458.x
No abstract is available but a summary is below. Pygmy killer whales are one of the rarest and least-known delphinids. Although they are only rarely encountered (an average of once every 35 days on the water in Hawai'i), long-term photo-identification efforts have suggested that there is a resident population off the island of Hawai'i (see McSweeney et al. 2009). In December 2008 and April 2009 we remotely-deployed dorsal-fin attached satellite tags on two individuals off the island of Hawai'i. Locations were received over 10 days and 22 days, greatly increasing what was known about habitat use and providing the first movement data for this species. Both individuals remained strongly associated with the island of Hawai'i for the duration of the tag attachments. Median distances from shore were 4.07 km and 4.66 km, and median depths were 1,093 m and 977 m. Although the sample size is small, the results provide further evidence that individuals are resident to the island of Hawai'i and there may be multiple stocks of pygmy killer whales within the Hawaiian EEZ, as there are for many other species of odontocetes. For a pdf copy and more information on pygmy killer whales in Hawai'i see www.cascadiaresearch.org/hawaii/pygmykillerwhales.htm<http://www.cascadiaresearch.org/hawaii/pygmykillerwhales.htm> and for general information on our Hawai'i research program see www.cascadiaresearch.org/hawaii/hawaii.htm<http://www.cascadiaresearch.org/hawaii/hawaii.htm> Robin ============================================================================= Robin W. Baird, Ph.D. Research Biologist Cascadia Research Collective 218 1/2 W. 4th Avenue Olympia, WA 98501 USA www.cascadiaresearch.org<http://www.cascadiaresearch.org/> Follow Cascadia on facebook<http://www.facebook.com/pages/Cascadia-Research-Collective/110495958982184>
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