Endangered Species Research (Feb 2015)
Key research questions of global importance for cetacean conservation
- ECM Parsons,
- S Baulch,
- T Bechshoft,
- G Bellazzi,
- P Bouchet,
- AM Cosentino,
- CAJ Godard-Codding,
- F Gulland,
- M Hoffmann-Kuhnt,
- E Hoyt,
- S Livermore,
- CD MacLeod,
- E Matrai,
- L Munger,
- M Ochiai,
- A Peyman,
- A Recalde-Salas,
- R Regnery,
- L Rojas-Bracho,
- CP Salgado-Kent,
- E Slooten,
- JY Wang,
- SC Wilson,
- AJ Wright,
- S Young,
- E Zwamborn,
- WJ Sutherland
Affiliations
- ECM Parsons
- Department of Environmental Science & Policy, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA 22030, USA
- S Baulch
- Environmental Investigation Agency, 62-63 Upper Street, London N1 0NY, UK
- T Bechshoft
- University of Alberta, Department of Biological Sciences, CW405 Biological Sciences Centre, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2E9, Canada
- G Bellazzi
- Wild Earth Foundation, Av de las Ballenas 9500, Puerto Piramides, Peninsula Valdes, Chubut, Argentina
- P Bouchet
- Oceans Institute and School of Animal Biology, the University of Western Australia M470, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia
- AM Cosentino
- Wild Earth Foundation, Av de las Ballenas 9500, Puerto Piramides, Peninsula Valdes, Chubut, Argentina
- CAJ Godard-Codding
- The Institute of Environmental and Human Health, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409-1163, USA
- F Gulland
- The Marine Mammal Center, 2000 Bunker Road, Sausalito, CA 94965, USA
- M Hoffmann-Kuhnt
- National University of Singapore, Acoustic Research Laboratory, Tropical Marine Science Institute, 18 Kent Ridge Road, Singapore 119227, Singapore
- E Hoyt
- WDC, Whale and Dolphin Conservation, and IUCN SSC-WCPA Marine Mammal Protected Area Task Force, Park House, Bridport, Dorset DT6 5DD, UK
- S Livermore
- IFAW, International Fund for Animal Welfare, Oceania Office, 6 Belmore Street, Surry Hills, NSW 2010, Australia
- CD MacLeod
- GIS In Ecology, 120 Churchill Drive, Glasgow, G11 7EZ, UK
- E Matrai
- WDC, Whale and Dolphin Conservation, and IUCN SSC-WCPA Marine Mammal Protected Area Task Force, Park House, Bridport, Dorset DT6 5DD, UK
- L Munger
- Oceanwide Science Institute, 3620 Baldwin Avenue #206B, Makawao, Hawaii 96768, USA
- M Ochiai
- Center for Marine Environmental Studies (CMES), Ehime University, 2-5 Bunkyo-cho, Matsuyama, Ehime 790-8577, Japan
- A Peyman
- Humane Society International, 2100 L. St. NW., Washington, DC 20037, USA
- A Recalde-Salas
- Centre for Marine Science and Technology, Curtin University, GPO Box U1987, Perth, WA 6845, Australia
- R Regnery
- Humane Society International, 2100 L. St. NW., Washington, DC 20037, USA
- L Rojas-Bracho
- Programa de Mamíferos Marinos, Instituto Nacional de Ecología/CICESE, Km 107 Carretera Ensenada-Tijuana, Ensenada, BC 22860, México
- CP Salgado-Kent
- Centre for Marine Science and Technology, Curtin University, GPO Box U1987, Perth, WA 6845, Australia
- E Slooten
- Zoology Department, Otago University, Dunedin, New Zealand
- JY Wang
- CetAsia Research Group, 310-7250 Yonge Street, Thornhill, ON L4J7X1, Canada
- SC Wilson
- Wilson Environmental Services, Christchurch, New Zealand
- AJ Wright
- Department of Environmental Science & Policy, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA 22030, USA
- S Young
- The Humane Society of the U.S., 2100 L. St. NW, Washington, DC 20037, USA
- E Zwamborn
- Department of Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H4R2, Canada
- WJ Sutherland
- Conservation Science Group, Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.3354/esr00655
- Journal volume & issue
-
Vol. 27,
no. 2
pp. 113 – 118
Abstract
Limited resources and increasing environmental concerns have prompted calls to identify the critical questions that most need to be answered to advance conservation, thereby providing an agenda for scientific research priorities. Cetaceans are often keystone indicator species but also high profile, charismatic flagship taxa that capture public and media attention as well as political interest. A dedicated workshop was held at the conference of the Society for Marine Mammalogy (December 2013, New Zealand) to identify where lack of data was hindering cetacean conservation and which questions need to be addressed most urgently. This paper summarizes 15 themes and component questions prioritized during the workshop. We hope this list will encourage cetacean conservation-orientated research and help agencies and policy makers to prioritize funding and future activities. This will ultimately remove some of the current obstacles to science-based cetacean conservation.
