Research & Reports

MARS is committed to unlocking the transformational power of scientific research. Our research aims to generate evidence that directly improves the heath of marine animals and ocean ecosystems, while also influencing policy and practice. The studies we lead and participate in give rise to solutions that are scalable and transferrable to settings where marine animals face challenges around the world.

FEATURED RESEARCH

INCIDENT REPORT: NORTH ATLANTIC RIGHT WHALE MORTALITY EVENT – Eastern Canada – 2019

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Sightings and identification of individual North Atlantic right whales (here after referred to as right whales) in the Gulf of St. Lawrence (GoSL) have been increasing. In 2017, an unprecedented right whale mortality event occurred in the GoSL where 12 right whales were found dead with the primary causes of death for seven whales determined to be due to vessel strike and entanglement in fishing gear. Another right whale mortality event occurred during the summer of 2019 where 9 right whales were found dead in and around the GoSL. The current incident report focuses on the necropsy results for the five right whales which received necropsy investigation in 2019, and also provides context on the other 2019 incidents, right whale conservation, mitigation efforts, and marine animal stranding networks in Canada.

Read the full report HERE.

RESEARCH COLLABORATIONS

MARS actively contributes and seeks to collaborate on ongoing research projects.

To request marine animal samples from ongoing response efforts:

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For more information about data requests, sample collection and other areas of interest, please email mars@marineanimals.ca

DIVE DEEPER

PUBLICATIONS

CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS

DATA CONTRIBUTIONS

MEDIA RELEASES

PUBLICATIONS

Serious Injury and Mortality Determinations for Baleen Whale Stocks along the Gulf of Mexico, United States East Coast, and Atlantic Canadian Provinces, 2013-2017

2020. AG Henry, M Garron, D Morin, A Reid, W Ledwell, TVN Cole. US Dept Commer, Northeast Fish Sci Cent Ref Doc. 20-06; 53 p.

Incident Report: North Atlantic Right Whale Mortality Event in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, 2017

2017. Daoust, P.-Y., Couture, E.L., Wimmer, T., and Bourque, L. Collaborative Report Produced by: Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative, Marine Animal Response Society, and Fisheries and Oceans Canada. 256 pp.

A timely opportunity to protect North Atlantic right whales in Canada

2017. Brillant, S.W., Wimmer, T., Rangeley, R.W. and Taggart, C.T. Marine Policy 81: 160-166.

Serious injury and mortality determinations for baleen whale stocks along the Gulf of Mexico, United States East Coast, and Atlantic Canadian Provinces, 2011-2015

2017. Henry, A.G., Cole, T.V.N., Garron, M., Ledwell, W., Morin, D., Reid, A. 2017. US Dept Commer, Northeast Fish Sci Cent Ref Doc. 17-19; 57p.

Serious injury and mortality determinations for baleen whale stocks along the Gulf of Mexico, United States East Coast and Atlantic Canadian Provinces, 2010-2014

2016. Henry, A.G., Cole, T.V.N., Hall, L., Ledwell, W., Morin, D., Reid, A. US Dept Commer, Northeast Fish Sci Cent Ref Doc. 16-10; 51 p.

Mortality and Serious Injury Determinations for Baleen Whale Stocks along the Gulf of Mexico, United States East Coast and Atlantic Canadian Provinces, 2009-2013

2015. Henry, A.G., Cole, T.V.N., Hall, L., Ledwell, W., Morin, D., and Reid, A. US Dept Commer, Northeast Fish Sci Cent Ref Doc. 15-10; 45p.

Vessel strikes to large whales before and after the 2008 Ship Strike Rule

2014. van der Hoop, J. M., Vanderlaan, A. S. M. , Cole, T. V. N., Henry, A. G., Hall, L., Mase-Guthrie, B., Wimmer, T. and Moore, M.J. Conservation Letters. doi: 10.111/conl.12105.

Errata: Erratum to “Vessel Strikes to Large Whales Before and After the 2008 Ship Strike Rule”

Volume 9, Issue 3, 236, Article first published online: May 2016.

Mortality determinations for baleen whale stocks along the Gulf of Mexico, United States east coast, and Atlantic Canadian provinces, 2008 – 2012

2014. Henry A.G., Cole, T.V.N., Hall, L., Ledwell, W., Morin, D., Reid, A. US Dept Commer, Northeast Fish Sci Cent Ref Doc. 14-10; 17 p.

Mortality Determinations for Baleen Whale Stocks along the Gulf of Mexico, United States East Coast, and Atlantic Canadian Provinces, 2007-2011

2013. Henry, A.G., Cole, T.V.N., Hall, L., Ledwell, W., Morin, D. and Reid, A. US Dept Commer, Northeast Fish Sci Cent Ref Doc. 13-18; 15 p.

Assessment of management to mitigate anthropogenic effects on large whales. Conservation Biology

2012. van der Hoop, J., Moore, M.J., Barco. S.G., Cole, T., Daoust, P-Y, Henry, A., McAlpine, D.F., McLellan, W.A., Wimmer, T., Solow, A.R. doi:10.1111/j.1523-1739.2012.01934.

Mortality and Serious Injury Determinations for Baleen Whale Stocks along the Gulf of Mexico, United States East Coast and Atlantic Canadian Provinces, 2006-2010

2012. AG Henry, TVN Cole, M Garron, L Hall, W Ledwell, and A Reid. US Dept Commer, Northeast Fish Sci Cent Ref Doc. 12-11; 24 p.

Cetacean strandings in the Canadian Maritime provinces, 1990–2008

2010. Nemiroff, L., Wimmer, T., Daoust, P-Y., McAlpine, D.F. Canadian Field-Naturalist. 124(1), pp32–44.

CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS

Mortality Event in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, 2017

2017. Right Whale Consortium. Daoust, P-Y., Couture, É.L., Wimmer, T., Bourque, L., Ratelle, S., Hardy, M. North Atlantic Right Whale (Eubalaena glacialis) (do not cite without authors permission).

Strandings in the Canadian Maritime Provinces, 1990–2014

2015. 22nd Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals. Wimmer, T., Reid, G.A., Daoust P-Y. and McAlpine, D. (Links to poster pdf – SMM 2015 Poster).

Response to dead and distressed North Atlantic right whales in Canada

2015. Right Whale Consortium. Wimmer, T. Reid, G.A., Brown, M. and Michaud, R.