Joëlle De Weerdt

AGIR à dom

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Co-Authors

John Calambokidis

Cascadia Research Collective

Astrid Frisch‐Jordán

Centro de Estudios Universitarios Arkos

Nicola Ransome

Murdoch University

Ted Cheeseman

Southern Cross University

Ester Quintana‐Rizzo

Emmanuel College - Massachusetts

Daniel M. Palacios

Oregon State University

Marilia Olio

Universidad Autónoma de Baja California Sur

Craig Hayslip

Oregon State University

Katherina Audley

Universidad Autónoma de Guerrero

Eric A. Ramos

Instituto Tecnológico de Chetumal

Cooperative Institutions

NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service

University of Hawaii System

Center for Whale Research

University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa

NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center

University of Alaska Fairbanks

Universidad Autónoma de Baja California Sur

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech

Cascadia Research Collective

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A collaborative and near-comprehensive North Pacific humpback whale photo-ID dataset

Research Square (Research Square) (2023)

Ted Cheeseman Ken Southerland Jo Marie Acebes Katherina Audley Jay Barlow

Abstract We present an ocean-basin-scale dataset that includes tail fluke photographic identification (photo-ID) and encounter data for most living individual humpback whales ( Megaptera novaeangliae ) in the North Pacific Ocean. The dataset was built through a broad collaboration combining 39 separate curated photo-ID catalogs, supplemented with community science data. Data from throughout the North Pacific were aggregated into 13 regions, including six breeding regions, six feeding regions, and one migratory corridor. All images were compared with minimal pre-processing using a recently developed machine learning artificial intelligence image recognition algorithm capable of rapidly detecting matches between individuals to an estimated 97–99% accuracy. For the study period of 2001 to 2021, a total of 27,956 unique individuals were documented in 157,350 encounters. Each individual was encountered, on average, in 5.6 sampling periods (i.e., breeding and feeding seasons), with an annual average of 87% of whales encountered in more than one season. The combined dataset and image recognition tool represents a living and accessible resource for collaborative, basin-wide studies of a keystone marine mammal in a time of rapid ecological change.

Humpback whale

Marine mammal

10.21203/rs.3.rs-2294878/v2

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Wood charcoal analysis: a relatively new tool for palaeoecology in tropical Africa

Julie Morin‐Rivat Achille Bernard Biwôlé Nils Bourland Kasso Daïnou Joëlle De Weerdt

Charcoal

Paleoecology

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First Records of Pinnipeds (Otariidae) Along the Pacific Coast of Nicaragua

Aquatic Mammals (2024)

Joëlle De Weerdt Eric A. Ramos Tatiana A. Acosta‐Pachón

10.1578/am.50.1.2024.1

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Sightings of Bryde's whale, Balaenoptera edeni, off the Pacific coast of Nicaragua

Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom (2024)

Joëlle De Weerdt Carla Patulny Nerea Ruiz Pérez Leslie Blanchet

Abstract Here, we report the first sighting records of Bryde's whales in Nicaragua. Four sightings were made in 2022 during boat-based surveys off the southwestern coast of Nicaragua. Photo-identification, distributional data, dive times, and behavioural information were collected, and environmental parameters, including sea surface temperature, were measured for each sighting. Sightings included calf and non-calf groups displaying travelling ( n = 1; 25%), milling ( n = 1; 25%), and suspected feeding ( n = 2; 50%) behaviours. Approximately 4 h of focal following allowed the calculation of short and long breath intervals. Based on our observations, the individuals were suspected of feeding in the area, based on the presence of feeding birds, feeding humpback whales, relatively high time-lagged chlorophyll-a, and observed general behaviours. Our findings indicate that this species may occasionally visit Nicaraguan coastal areas in search of feeding opportunities, and could represent a possible range extension of the Eastern North Pacific stock.

Minke whale

10.1017/s0025315424000250

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The yellow-bellied sea snake, Hydrophis platurus (Squamata: Elapidae), off the Southwestern Pacific coast of Nicaragua, Central America

Revista de Biología Tropical (2021)

Joëlle De Weerdt Carla Patulny Phillip J. Clapham

Introduction: The yellow-bellied sea snake (Hydrophis platurus, formerly Pelamis platurus) is known to occur along the Pacific coast of Central America. However, there are no marine records of this species off the coast of Nicaragua. Objective: Report the first in situ marine observations of the yellow-bellied sea snake observed on three occasions in 2020 during cetacean surveys off the southwestern Pacific coast of Nicaragua. Methods: During the sightings, photographs were taken which allowed the identification of the species based on morphology. Sea surface temperature, sea state, and distance to the coast are presented as descriptors of the habitat of the records. Results: Three field observations of yellow-bellied sea snakes were recorded on separate occasions. Sightings occurred within 30 km of each other and 3.3 km from the coast. Average sea surface temperature was 26.6 °C with low swell and sea state. Conclusions: The present information offers new knowledge about the presence of the yellow-bellied sea snake on the Pacific coast of Central America, contributing to the biodiversity record in Nicaragua.

Elapidae

10.15517/rbt.v69isuppl.2.48324

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Towards the definition of the humpback whale population units along the Mexican and Central American coasts in the Pacific Ocean

Marine Mammal Science (2022)

Pamela Martínez‐Loustalot Katherina Audley Ted Cheeseman Joëlle De Weerdt Astrid Frisch‐Jordán

Abstract The SPLASH project (2004–2006) revealed complex population structure and migratory connections, but no regional effort was made along the southern Mexican Pacific coast until dedicated research was initiated in 2010. It is unclear whether humpback whales documented in this region belong to the Mexican or Central American population units. This study aimed to establish the relationship between humpback whales of southern Mexico and those of the surrounding population units. Humpback whale photo‐identification images were compared from multiple locations in north, central, and southern Mexico and Central America. Whales' movements among regions were estimated using the Interchange Index ( InI ) and the Movement Index ( MI ). The results showed higher movements among the southern sampling areas, suggesting that whales from southern Mexico belong to the “Central American population unit.” This population unit migrates north to the feeding areas of the US West Coast using a migratory corridor along mainland Mexico to the mouth of the Gulf of California along the Baja California Peninsula. The degree of interaction with humpback whales from other population units is unknown. More studies are needed to understand population structure and disentangle photographic capture of whales on migration from whales where this is their main wintering area.

Humpback whale

Peninsula

Cetacea

Mainland

10.1111/mms.12980

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Citations (12)

Northernmost records of Southern Hemisphere humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) migrating from the Antarctic Peninsula to the Pacific coast of Nicaragua

Marine Mammal Science (2020)

Joëlle De Weerdt Eric A. Ramos Ted Cheeseman

Humpback whale

Peninsula

Table (database)

10.1111/mms.12677

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Citations (19)

Whistle repertoire and structure reflect ecotype distinction of pantropical spotted dolphins in the Eastern Tropical Pacific

Scientific Reports (2023)

Manali Rege‐Colt Julie N. Oswald Joëlle De Weerdt José David Palacios-Alfaro Maia Austin

The pantropical spotted dolphin in the Eastern Tropical Pacific (ETP) is found in two genetically and phenotypically diverged ecotypes, coastal and offshore. These habitats have distinct acoustic characteristics, which can lead to the evolution of distinct acoustic communication. Whistles are sounds widely used by dolphins to mediate species and individual recognition and social interactions. Here, we study the whistle acoustic structure and repertoire diversity of offshore and coastal pantropical spotted dolphins. Our results show that there is significantly more within- and across-group variation in whistle fundamental frequency between ecotypes than between offshore groups and between coastal groups. A Random Forest classification analysis performed with an accuracy of 83.99% and identified duration, peak and minimum frequency as the most informative variables for distinguishing between ecotypes. Overall, coastal spotted dolphins produced significantly shorter whistles that were significantly lower in frequency (peak, minimum and maximum, and start and end) than offshore dolphins. Ecotypes produced whistle repertoires that were similar in diversity, but different in contour composition, with the coastal ecotype producing more upsweep whistles than offshore dolphins. The results of this study suggest that acoustic adaptations to coastal and offshore environments could be important contributors to intraspecific variation of dolphin whistle repertoires.

Ecotype

Pantropical

Variation (astronomy)

10.1038/s41598-023-40691-8

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Citations (2)

Site choice depends on group type for endangered humpback whales occurring off the Pacific coast of Nicaragua, Central America

VLIZ Special Publication (2021)

Joëlle De Weerdt John Calambokidis Bram Vanschoenwinkel Marc Kochzius

Central Highlands

Humpback whale

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