ACS Monterey Bay Program for February 2005
Humpback Whales off Central America
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| Speaker: Kristin Rasmussen, Moss Landing Marine Laboratories and Cascadia Research Collective | |
Humpback whales are well known for making seasonal migrations between their cold water, high latitude feeding grounds and their warm water, low latitude breeding grounds. Research conducted by our speaker suggests the Pacific coast of Central America is a breeding ground for humpback whales migrating from both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. Using sighting information, photographic identification and song, she and her colleagues have examined the migratory destinations, habitat use, and behavior of these two populations. Whales seen between December and April are migrating from their feeding grounds off California, and whales seen between June and October are migrating from feeding grounds off the Antarctic Peninsula. This is the only documented humpback whale breeding ground in the world known to be used by two distinct populations. Although the peak sighting periods for each population occur at opposite times of year, it's possible that whales from these two different areas are encountering each other.
Kristin Rasmussen has been a research biologist with Cascadia Research Collective for 10 years, and is currently a graduate student at Moss Landing Marine Labs. She has chosen a unique subject for her research which should add very important new data on these cetaceans which are increasingly common in Monterey Bay.
Related web pages:
- Humpback Whales
- Cascadia Research Collective
- Cascadia Research Publications (including reports on humpback whale research in Central America)
- Back to list of previous meetings.
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Humpback whale drawing copyright American Cetacean
Society.Last updated February 2, 2005.