Assessing Stress Responses in Beaked and Sperm Whales in the Bahamas

Abstract

This project is developing the use of fecal steroid hormone assays to assess stress responses in Blainville s beaked whales (Mesoplodon densirostris, BBW) and sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) residing in the northern Bahamas. These species were chosen to include a particularly acoustically-sensitive cetacean (beaked whales) and a co-occurring species (sperm whales) for comparison. The goal is to determine baseline fecal hormone levels for reference populations of these two deep-diving whale species, characterizing the natural variations in stress-related hormones according to life history stage (age, sex, reproductive status). The results of this project will set the stage for future research comparing levels of the same stress-related hormones in beaked and sperm whales inhabiting the nearby U.S. Navy Atlantic Undersea Test and Evaluation Center (AUTEC) or other habitats with known acoustic exposures from man-made sounds. This approach uses quantifiable alterations in stress-related fecal hormones to determine whether anthropogenic noise is causing measurable physiological changes that can potentially lead to biologically significant effects on individuals and populations.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Sep 30, 2011
Accession Number
ADA598731

Entities

People

  • Diane E. Claridge
  • Rosalind M. Rolland

Organizations

  • New England Aquarium

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Ground and Sea Platforms

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Animals
  • Cetaceans
  • Data Analysis
  • Deep Diving
  • Descriptive Analytics
  • Fish
  • Habitats
  • Hormones
  • Liquid Chromatography
  • Mammals
  • Marine Mammals
  • New England
  • Odontocetes
  • Surveys
  • Test And Evaluation
  • Test Methods
  • Thyroid Hormones

Fields of Study

  • Environmental science

Readers

  • Marine Mammal Biology