Study confirms need to protect
unique humpback whales in Arabian Sea
Date: January 9, 2017
Source: Wildlife Conservation
Society
Scientists have published one of
the largest genetic studies ever conducted on the humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) for the purpose
of clarifying management decisions in the Southern Hemisphere and supporting
calls to protect unique and threatened populations, according to WCS (Wildlife
Conservation Society), the American Museum of Natural History, Columbia
University, and other organizations.
Using data generated from more
than 3,000 skin samples from individual whales ranging from the South Atlantic
to the Indian Oceans, the research team has uncovered previously unknown
degrees of relatedness between different whale populations. The study will also
help inform ongoing conservation reassessments of humpback whale populations,
and reaffirms the highly distinct nature of a small, non-migratory population
of humpback whales living in the Arabian Sea in need on continued protection.
The study titled "Multiple
processes drive genetic structure of humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) populations across spatial scales"
appears in the the journal Molecular Ecology.
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