A PROGRAMME FOR A TWO YEAR FEASIBILITY STUDY ON CETACEANS IN ICELANDIC WATERS

1. A PROGRAMME FOR A TWO YEAR FEASIBILITY STUDY ON CETACEANS IN ICELANDIC WATERS Marine Research Institute Reykjavík, Iceland

2. Importance of marine research in Iceland

3. Increased internationalemphasis on ecosystem approach to management - • ICES-NAFO? • FAO • NAMMCO • IWC • +?

4. Multispecies approach in Iceland • Increased emphasis on multispecies management of fisheries in Iceland • MRI’s multispecies research programme • Use of multispecies approach in management in Iceland • Cetaceans not included

5. Cetacean research programme 1986-1989 • 10 separate research areas • Greatly increased the knowledge of the state of the exploited whale stocks off Iceland • Still important gaps in knowledge • 14 years without research on basic biological parameters • Increase in population size of fin whales • Density dependent response?

6. Overview • Present knowledge and research needs • Objectives • Methodology • Effect of the catches on the stocks

7. Research needs • Feeding ecology and multispecies models • Population structure • Population dynamics • Applicability of alternative research methods

8. Research needs • Multispecies models • Cetacean research needed for modelling: • Diet composition - (including length distribution of some prey species) • Energetics - consumption rates • Seasonal distribution and abundance Increased knowledge on the role of cetaceans in the marine ecosystem in Icelandic waters is needed for improved multi-species management of fisheries in the area

9. GADGET • Globally applicable Area Disaggregated General Ecosystem Toolbox • Modelling framework based on Bormicon • Fish species included in model: capelin, cod • Data requirements: From none to enormous

10. Research needs • Population dynamics • Density dependence of biological parameters • Reproductive parameters v/s energetic condition • Health status of populations

11. Research needs • Stock structure • Genetics • Satellite telemetry • Other methods

12. Research needs • Applicability of biopsies • Feeding studies • Fatty acid profiles • Stable isotope ratios • Pollutants • Outer blubber layers • Acid racemisation • Age determination -Eye lens • Alternative research methods

13. Overall Objectives • Feasibility study - Create basis for a future full scale study • Increase the understanding of the feeding ecology and biology (including potential density dependence) of important cetacean species in Icelandic waters for improved management of living resources based on an ecosystem approach • Increase the understanding of 1) stock structure on macro- and microgeographic scale 2) Health issues, including age and sex dependent aspects of pollutant levels in different organs and tissues and possible disease induced mortality in Icelandic whale populations. • Testing the applicability of alternative research methods.

14. Minke whale

15. Objectives - Minke whale • Feeding ecology • Stock structure • Parasites and Pathology • Biological parameters • Pollutants • Applicability of alternative research methods

16. Objectives - Minke whale • Feeding ecology • Diet composition • Stomach contents • Spatial and temporal variation • Prey availability • non-lethal methods (fatty acids and stable isotope ratios) • Energetics • Body condition • Field metabolic rate

17. Objectives - Minke whale • Feeding ecology • Seasonal and geographical variation in minke whale abundance • Aerial and shipboard surveys • Satellite tagging • Multispecies model

18. Objectives - Minke whale • Stock structure • Genetics • Macrogeography - Comparison to Greenland and Norway • Temporal variation and heterogeneity with respect to possible mixing at the feeding grounds • Effects of 18 years of protection on genetic composition (stock expansion or decline) • Individual identification registry

19. Objectives - Minke whale • Stock structure • Telemetry • Autumn migration - wintering grounds • Movements within summer feeding season

20. Objectives - Minke whale • Stock structure • Analysis of other potential indicators of stock structure • Pollutants • Morphology • Parasites • Biological parameters

21. Objectives - Minke whale • Parasites and Pathology • Examination of potential harmful or lethal pathogens • Attempts to evaluate disease induced mortality rate • Minke whale´s role in Anisakis simplex life cycle

22. Objectives - Minke whale • Biological parameters • Temporal changes in growth and reproductive parameters • Age determination • Ear plugs • Amino acid racemization (eye lens)

23. Objectives - Minke whale • Pollutants • Organochlorines and trace elements in respect to: • Biological parameters (age, sex, maturity, feeding ecology) • Trophic status ( 15N and 13C) • Health status and pathological observations • Geographical variation on small and large scale • Various tissues and locations in the blubber core

24. Objectives - Minke whale • Applicability of alternative research methods • Applicability of biopsies • Feeding studies • Fatty acid profiles and stable isotope ratios v.s. stomach contents • Pollutants • Skin and outer layers of blubber v.s. inner layers and various tissues • Acid racemisation • Age determination -Eye lens

25. Research Methods Whale sampling - Minke whale • 100 animals per year • Temporally and spatially stratified sampling scheme • Overlap in distribution of cod and minke whale • Whale abundance • Geographical scale • Temporal scale • Area division applied from Icelandic multispecies model (Bormicon)

26. Distribution of minke whale sightings during NASS-2001

27. Subdivision of the Icelandic continental shelf area into sampling areas (small numbers) and the estimated abundance of minke whales in each subarea (large numbers).

28. Temporal and spatial distribution of the proposed catch of minke whales in the two study years.

29. Dissection • Blood and eyeballs immediately after death • Photographs • Weight of gonads • Standard morphometric measurements • Girth measured (6 sites) • Blubber thickness measured (18 sites) • Blubber and skin samples (18 sites)

30. Sites of measurements of blubber thickness (D1-V6) and girth (G1-G6)

31. Dissection • Photographs • Standard morphometric measurements • Girth measured (6 sites) • Blubber thickness measured (18 sites) • Blubber and skin samples (18 sites) • External parasites • Bacterial and viral samples taken from lesions

32. Dissection - samples Ovaries (weighed and sampled whole) - (reproduction) Mammary gland (section) - (milk production) Testes (weighed whole and two samples taken) - (reproduction) Ear plugs - (age) Skin - (genetics, pollutants) Muscle - (energetics, genetics, pollutants) Liver, heart, kidney, lung(sections) - (energetics, genetics, pollutants)

33. Dissection - pathology Minke whale • Detailed necropsy of 50 individuals in first year: • Visual identification of external lesions and in all major organs • Samples from lesions for microscopic histopathology and microbiology • Blood samples for blood chemistry, hematology and serology • Urea for renal function • Representative parasite specimens for identification

34. Laboratory work Feeding ecology • Stomach contents • Fatty acid profiles • Stable isotope ratios • Energetics

35. Laboratory work Feeding ecology - Fatty acid profiles • Samples analysed • Blubber - inner, mid and outer region of the core • Blood • Prey species - krill (spring/autumn), capelin, sandeel, cod, redfish • Lipid extraction • Fatty acid analysis

36. Laboratory work Feeding ecology - Stable isotope ratio • Samples analysed (30 minke, 30 fin and 15 sei whale) • Skin • Blood • Prey species - krill (spring/autumn), capelin, sandeel, cod, redfish • Analyses of the 15N/14N and 13C/12C ratios

37. Laboratory work Biological parameters • Reproduction • Corpora counts; histological examination of testes • Age determination • Ear plugs • Eye lens (racemization)

38. Laboratory work Stock structure • Genetics • Satellite monitoring • Other methods

39. Laboratory work Pathology • Blood chemistry • Hematology • Serology • Urinalysis • Microbiology • Histology • Electron microscopy • Parasitology

40. Laboratory work Pollutants • Trace elements • PCBs and pesticides • PBDEs • Dioxins and dioxinlike PCBs • PAHs

41. Seasonal variation in whale abundance • Aerial surveys three times each year • Shipboard surveys in conjunction with fish and oceanographic surveys

42. Prey availability • Combined fish/oceanographic/whale surveys • Analysis of existing data on distribution of whales and potential prey species • Testing different sampling methods for estimating krill abundance

43. Effects of Catches on the stock • Abundance estimate for Icelandic coastal waters in 2001: 43.663 (CV 0.19) • Assessments in 1990 (IWC) and 1998 (NAMMCO)

44. Fin whales

45. Objectives - Fin whale • Biological parameters • Feeding ecology • Parasites and Pathology (follow up study) • Crassicauda infections • Stock structure • Pollutants • Applicability of non-lethal research methods

46. Objectives - Fin whale • Biological parameters • Temporal changes in growth and reproduction simultaneous to apparent changes in abundance • Age determination • Ear plugs • Amino acid racemisation (eye lens)

47. Objectives - Fin whale • Feeding ecology • Diet composition • Stomach contents • Prey availability • Geographical variation • Non-lethal methods (fatty acids and stable isotope ratios) • Energetics • Seasonal and geographical variation in fin whale abundance • Aerial and shipboard surveys • Satellite tagging • Multispecies modeling

48. Objectives - Fin whale • Parasites and Pathology • Crassicauda infections (follow up study) • Immunity • Pathogenesis • Morbidity • Attempts to evaluate Crassicauda induced mortality rate

49. Objectives - Fin whale • Stock structure • Genetics • Macrogeography - Comparison to Greenland, Norway and Faroes • Temporal variation and heterogeneity with respect to possible mixing at the feeding grounds • Effects of 14 years of protection on genetic composition (stock expansion or decline) • Individual identification registry

50. Objectives - Fin whale • Stock structure • Telemetry • Autumn migration - wintering grounds • Movements within summer feeding season • Respiratory frequency • calculation on metabolic rate (energetics) • abundance estimation