Site fidelity and external health of two distinct fin whale populations from the Northeast and Southeast Pacific Ocean

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dc.contributor.authorGuevara, Consuelo
dc.contributor.authorArriagada, Aracelli
dc.contributor.authorFishbach, Michael
dc.contributor.authorVan Bressem, Marie-Francoise
dc.contributor.authorVan Waerebeek, Koen
dc.contributor.authorGarcia-Cegarra, Ana M
dc.date.accessioned2026-08-28T02:20:34Z
dc.date.available2026-08-28T02:20:34Z
dc.date.issued2025
dc.description.abstractHuman activities such as marine traffic, fishing, and pollution are the main threats to large cetaceans, especially to resident whale populations inhabiting heavily exploited enclosed seas or gulfs. Skin is indicative of whale health status because it can display wounds and scars from interactions with fishing gear, boat strikes and natural predators as well as infectious diseases. We evaluated the residence time of two fin whale, Balaenoptera physalus (Linnaeus, 1758) populations: one resident in the Gulf of California (GC), Mexico, and another potentially migratory found at Mejillones Peninsula (MP), Chile. We also compared skin conditions by analyzing photographs for the period 2016–2022. The results show that the GC population is closed while the MP population has a low residence time (5–6 months). The GC population has a significantly higher prevalence of the mesoparasite Pennella sp., commensal Xenobalanus globicipitis and scars from collision with vessels than its MP counterpart. The MP population has a significantly higher prevalence of skin conditions of natural origin such as cookie-cutter shark (Isistius sp.) bites, predation by killer whales, Orcinus orca (Linnaeus, 1758), and orange-brown and green–brown diatom patches than the GC population. These results show that a fin whale population residing year-round in an area with high industrial, fishing, and marine traffic presents more skin conditions related to anthropogenic origin than an oceanic migratory population, which mainly presents scars of natural origins (predation). It is recommended to review the conservation status of the GC resident fin whale population and propose management strategies to guarantee their long-term conservation and welfare.
dc.description.sponsorshipPADI Foundation [47595-2020]; ENAEX; Porpoise Conservation Society; ANID FONDECYT Iniciacion [11251002]
dc.identifier.doi10.1016/j.jnc.2025.127045
dc.identifier.issn1617-1381
dc.identifier.urihttps://repositorioabierto.uantof.cl/handle/uantof/746
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherElsevier GmbH
dc.relation.urihttps://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1617138125002225?pes=vor&utm_source=clarivate&getft_integrator=clarivate
dc.rights© 2025 Elsevier GmbH. All rights are reserved, including those for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies.
dc.sourceJournal for Nature Conservation
dc.subjectBalaenoptera physalus
dc.subjectChile
dc.subjectEntanglement
dc.subjectExternal skin condition
dc.subjectLagged Identification Rate
dc.subjectMaritime traffic
dc.subjectMexico
dc.subjectPhoto-identification
dc.titleSite fidelity and external health of two distinct fin whale populations from the Northeast and Southeast Pacific Ocean
dc.typeArticle
oaire.citation.volume88
organization.identifier.rorhttps://ror.org/04eyc6d95
organization.legalNameUniversidad de Antofagasta
uantof.identificator.facultyFacultad de Ciencias del Mar y Recursos Biológicos
uantof.identificator.instituteInstituto de Ciencias Naturales Alexander von Humboldt
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