Visual health assessment of North Atlantic right whales (Eubalaena glacialis) using photographs

• Published in: Canadian journal of zoology Vol. 82; no. 1; pp. 8 - 19
• Main Authors: Pettis, Heather M, Rolland, Rosalind M, Hamilton, Philip K, Brault, Solange, Knowlton, Amy R, Kraus, Scott D
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Ottawa, Canada NRC Research Press 01.01.2004; National Research Council of Canada; Canadian Science Publishing NRC Research Press
• Subjects: Animal and plant ecology; Animal populations; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Animals; Aquatic mammals; Autoecology; Biological and medical sciences; Females; Fishing gear; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Mammalia; Mortality; Population levels; Reproductive cycle; Statistical analysis; Vertebrata; Whales; Whales & whaling; Atlantic Ocean; North Atlantic; North Atlantic region; Marine environment; Physiological condition; Photography; Injury; Scar; Estimation; Body weight; Visual observation; Reproductive cycle
• ISSN: 0008-4301; 1480-3283; 1480-3283; 0008-4301
• DOI: 10.1139/z03-207

Although trends in reproduction, mortality, and entanglement events have been analyzed for the endangered North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis) population, no method has been available to assess individual right whale health. Here, we describe a technique for assessing health based on evaluation of selected physical parameters from archived photographs of right whales. A scoring system was developed to assess body and skin condition, blowhole cyamids, and rake marks in over 200 000 photographs. Comparison of body condition scores of females during calving and noncalving years found that females were significantly thinner in calving years and in the year after calving compared with the year before calving, showing that changes in body condition known to occur during the reproductive cycle can be successfully evaluated from photographs. Comparison of scores for all parameters between living whales and whales with more than a 5-year gap in sighting history ("presumed dead") found that presumed dead whales received health assessment scores indicating compromised health with body condition emerging as a key visual indicator. This health assessment method provides a new tool to monitor health trends in right whales at individual and population levels and may provide a model for assessments of other well-photographed cetaceans.