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Migratory interchange of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) among breeding grounds of Oceania and connections to Antarctic feeding areas based on genotype matching

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Abstract

Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) congregate to breed during the austral winter near tropical islands of the South Pacific (Oceania). It has long been assumed that humpback whales from Oceania migrate primarily to Antarctic feeding grounds directly south (International Whaling Commission Management Areas V and VI); however, there are few records of individual movement connecting these seasonal habitats. Based on genetic samples of living whales collected over nearly two decades, we demonstrate interchange between the breeding grounds of Oceania and Antarctic feeding Areas V, VI, and I (i.e., from 130°E to 60°W), as well as with the eastern Pacific (Colombia), and the migratory corridors of eastern Australia and New Zealand. We first compared genotype profiles (up to 16 microsatellite loci) of samples collected from Oceania breeding grounds to each other and to those from the eastern Pacific. The matching profiles documented 47 individuals that were present on more than one breeding ground, including the first record of movement between Oceania and Colombia. We then compared the 1179 genotypes from the breeding grounds to 777 from the migratory corridors of east Australia and New Zealand, confirming the connection of these corridors with New Caledonia. Finally, we compared genotypes from breeding grounds to 166 individuals from Antarctic feeding Areas I–VI. This comparison of genotypes revealed five matches: one between New Caledonia and Area V, one between Tonga and Area VI, two between Tonga and Area I (western edge), and one between Colombia and Area I (Antarctic Peninsula). Despite the relatively small number of samples from the Antarctic, our comparison has doubled the number of recorded connections with Oceania available from previous studies during the era of commercial whaling.

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Acknowledgements

This survey was made possible through the generous collaboration of members and affiliates of the South Pacific Whale Research Consortium (SPWRC), with support of the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW). Fieldwork in American Samoa was conducted with help from David Mattila, Alden Tagarino, the Department of Marine and Wildlife Resources, and the U.S. National Marine Sanctuary Program. We acknowledge the Universidad de los Andes, proyecto semilla, Facultad de Ciencias. Funding for laboratory analysis was provided by the Regional Natural Heritage Program, Department of Environment and Heritage, Government of Australia and the Endowment of the Marine Mammal Institute, Oregon State University. All biopsy samples were collected with appropriate permits using protocols similar to those approved by the Animal Ethics Committee of the University of Auckland and the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee of Oregon State University. We thank the International Whaling Commission for permission to use samples collected by Paul Ensor and Hidehiro Kato under the IDCR/SOWER program and the Southwest Fisheries Science Center (NMFS) for archiving the samples. Samples from the Antarctic Peninsula were made available courtesy of Instituto Antártico Chileno (INACH). We thank the Associate Editor and three anonymous reviewers for constructive comments.

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Steel, D., Anderson, M., Garrigue, C. et al. Migratory interchange of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) among breeding grounds of Oceania and connections to Antarctic feeding areas based on genotype matching. Polar Biol 41, 653–662 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-017-2226-9

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