OTHER DATABASES
There are other institutionally held databases that may be accessed via NARWC request:
Genetics
The genetic database contains all of the genetic information for sampled North Atlantic right whales. Included are gender, mitochondrial haplotypes, and genotypes based on 35 microsatellite loci. Additionally, genetics-based information can also be generated upon request and when appropriate, such as paternity or maternity, and relatedness. The genetic database is also available for individual identification purposes when photo-ID is not possible but comparative samples are available.
Contaminants
The contaminants database contains quantitative chemical assessments of contaminant burdens (PCB’s and some pesticides) and semi-quantitative immunohistochemical assessments of levels of cytochrome P450 1A expressed in the vascular endothelia of the shallow reticular dermis (outer blubber) of right whale integument collected by biopsy. Much of these data have been published;
Weisbrod, A. V., D. Shea, M. J. Moore, J. J. Stegeman (2000) Organochlorine exposure and bioaccumulation in the endangered northwest Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis) population. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 19: 654-666.
Anthropogenic Events
The Anthropogenic Injury Events Database contains information related to documented entanglement and vessel strike injuries for North Atlantic right whales. When using these data, it is important to note that the location of the detected injury is not necessarily indicative of where the event occurred, only where/when it was first seen.
Knowlton, A.R., Robbins, J., Landry, S., McKenna, H.A., Kraus, S.D. and Werner, T.B., 2016. Effects of fishing rope strength on the severity of large whale entanglements. Conservation Biology, 30(2), pp.318-328.
Visual Health Assessment
Visual assessment of four body parameters thought to be associated with overall relative health of individual right whales. Contains assessments for all photographed right whale sightings. An overview of the Visual Health Assessment methodology and scored parameters is available HERE.
Necropsy
Necropsy reports for each mortality examined since 1970 are available electronically. These reports vary from short measurement records to extensive analyses of forensic pathology, histopathology, images, and other analyses. Most cases up to 2000 were summarized by:
Moore, M., A. Knowlton, S. Kraus, W. Mclellan, R. Bonde (2005) Morphometry, gross morphology and available histopathology in Northwest Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis) mortalities (1970 to 2002). Journal Cetacean Research and Management 6: 199-214.
A summary of cases from 2003-2018 are in:
Sharp, S.M., McLellan, W.A., Rotstein, D.S., Costidis, A.M., Barco, S.G., Durham, K., Pitchford, T.D., Jackson, K.A., Daoust, P.Y., Wimmer, T. and Couture, E.L., 2019. Gross and histopathologic diagnoses from North Atlantic right whale Eubalaena glacialis mortalities between 2003 and 2018. Diseases of aquatic organisms, 135(1), pp.1-31.
Blubber Measurements
The blubber measurements database contains measurements of the thickness of the integument (epidermis and blubber) collected by ultrasound from a limited area of the dorsal aspect of free-swimming individual right whales in the Bay of Fundy during summers from 1998–2002 and in Cape Cod Bay during the spring of 1998.
Biopsy Archive
Several institutions hold skin and/or blubber archives obtained while biopsy darting for skin samples. Interest in these archives will be directed to the sample holders and/or permit holders.
Genetics
The genetic database contains all of the genetic information for sampled North Atlantic right whales. Included are gender, mitochondrial haplotypes, and genotypes based on 35 microsatellite loci. Additionally, genetics-based information can also be generated upon request and when appropriate, such as paternity or maternity, and relatedness. The genetic database is also available for individual identification purposes when photo-ID is not possible but comparative samples are available.
Contaminants
The contaminants database contains quantitative chemical assessments of contaminant burdens (PCB’s and some pesticides) and semi-quantitative immunohistochemical assessments of levels of cytochrome P450 1A expressed in the vascular endothelia of the shallow reticular dermis (outer blubber) of right whale integument collected by biopsy. Much of these data have been published;
Weisbrod, A. V., D. Shea, M. J. Moore, J. J. Stegeman (2000) Organochlorine exposure and bioaccumulation in the endangered northwest Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis) population. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 19: 654-666.
Anthropogenic Events
The Anthropogenic Injury Events Database contains information related to documented entanglement and vessel strike injuries for North Atlantic right whales. When using these data, it is important to note that the location of the detected injury is not necessarily indicative of where the event occurred, only where/when it was first seen.
Knowlton, A.R., Robbins, J., Landry, S., McKenna, H.A., Kraus, S.D. and Werner, T.B., 2016. Effects of fishing rope strength on the severity of large whale entanglements. Conservation Biology, 30(2), pp.318-328.
Visual Health Assessment
Visual assessment of four body parameters thought to be associated with overall relative health of individual right whales. Contains assessments for all photographed right whale sightings. An overview of the Visual Health Assessment methodology and scored parameters is available HERE.
Necropsy
Necropsy reports for each mortality examined since 1970 are available electronically. These reports vary from short measurement records to extensive analyses of forensic pathology, histopathology, images, and other analyses. Most cases up to 2000 were summarized by:
Moore, M., A. Knowlton, S. Kraus, W. Mclellan, R. Bonde (2005) Morphometry, gross morphology and available histopathology in Northwest Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis) mortalities (1970 to 2002). Journal Cetacean Research and Management 6: 199-214.
A summary of cases from 2003-2018 are in:
Sharp, S.M., McLellan, W.A., Rotstein, D.S., Costidis, A.M., Barco, S.G., Durham, K., Pitchford, T.D., Jackson, K.A., Daoust, P.Y., Wimmer, T. and Couture, E.L., 2019. Gross and histopathologic diagnoses from North Atlantic right whale Eubalaena glacialis mortalities between 2003 and 2018. Diseases of aquatic organisms, 135(1), pp.1-31.
Blubber Measurements
The blubber measurements database contains measurements of the thickness of the integument (epidermis and blubber) collected by ultrasound from a limited area of the dorsal aspect of free-swimming individual right whales in the Bay of Fundy during summers from 1998–2002 and in Cape Cod Bay during the spring of 1998.
Biopsy Archive
Several institutions hold skin and/or blubber archives obtained while biopsy darting for skin samples. Interest in these archives will be directed to the sample holders and/or permit holders.