Population Dynamics and Social Organisation of Humpback Whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) - a Long-term Study in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, Canada

Abstract

The stock of humpback whales in the Gulf of St. Lawrence (GSL) was severely depleted by whaling in the 18th and 19th century and started to recover later in the 20th century than other stocks in the North Atlantic. A long-term study of humpback whales by the Mingan Island Cetacean Study in the GSL, using photo-identification and biopsy techniques, started in 1980 and is still ongoing. The data set from 1980 to 2005 was evaluated in this thesis to estimate population parameters, such as sex ratio, calving rates, survival rate and population trend for this stock for the first time. The estimates were compared with other populations and stocks, and used to assess the current conservation status of humpback whales in the GSL.