| Research Projects |
 Behavioral ecology - A primary part of our research effort is focused on how whales interact with their environment. The Gulf of Maine is an important feeding area for many species of cetaceans, and the Whale Center has been leading many projects to understand habitat use and preference. Detailed behavioral notes can give clues into how whales react in feeding situations, while echo- sounder recordings provide valuable insight into what makes a feeding habitat worthwhile.Population monitoring - Due to overhunting, most species of baleen whales are on the long road to recovery. An accurate census of these endangered animals ensures the proper conservation techniques are being used and that the population is healthy and growing. The staff at The Whale Center has been using photo-identification techniques with the whales natural pigment and markings, to study the humpback, fin, and right whales. This research is providing valuable data on calving intervals, distribution, along with overall abundance, allowing scientists to accurately estimate population status and recovery rates. Acoustic analysis - The humpback whale is one of the most vocal of the baleen whales. Their "song" on the mating grounds has been intensively studied, revealing the expansive repertoire of these social mammals. Surprisingly, little is known about the humpback's social sounds on their feeding grounds. The Whale Center, using underwater sound recording equipment and sound analysis software, has begun to catalog these sounds. Combining underwater recordings with our behavioral research may allow us to unlock some of the mysteries of what these sounds mean. Genetic research - Genetic analysis of individual humpbacks has begun to open scientists eyes to the evolution and diversity of the species on a worldwide scale. DNA (genetic material coded with the individuals attributes) has been sampled from living whales using a small "biopsy" dart since the mid-1980's. Internationally the Whale Center has contributed genetic samples from the Gulf of Maine to gain a better understanding of worldwide population structure and genetic diversity. On a smaller scale, the Whale Center is using the samples to determine whether related animals associate with each other, indicating social family ties. Behavior studies - Whales spend only a small portion of their lives on the surface, making their behavior difficult to study. The Whale Center's behavioral research has focused on humpback whales, since they spend a proportionally longer portion of their time on the surface and have a wider variety of behaviors compared to other whales. Our scientists have been using an "ethogram" (a catalog of 80 different behaviors) since the early 1980's. This ethogram, used in cooperation with photo-identification methods, also allows a better understanding of the social organization, energetics and everyday life. |