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The Bowhead Whale

Balaena Mysticetus: Biology and Human Interactions

  • 1st Edition - September 11, 2020
  • Latest edition
  • Editors: J.C. George, J.G.M. Thewissen
  • Language: English

The Bowhead Whale: Balaena mysticetus: Biology and Human Interactions covers bowhead biology from their anatomy and behavior, to conservation, distribution, ecology and evol… Read more

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Description

The Bowhead Whale: Balaena mysticetus: Biology and Human Interactions covers bowhead biology from their anatomy and behavior, to conservation, distribution, ecology and evolution. The book also discusses the biological and physical aspects of the Arctic ecosystem in which these whales live, with careful attention paid to the dramatic changes taking place. A special section of the book describes the interactions of humans with bowheads in past and present, focusing on their importance to Indigenous communities and the challenges regarding entanglement in fishing gear, industrial noise and ship strikes.

This volume brings together the knowledge of bowheads in one place for easy reference for scientists that study the species, marine mammal biologists, but, equally important, for everyone who is interested in the Arctic.

Key features

  • Presents the only current book dedicated to this species
  • Includes short, high-impact chapters that make it possible to review all bowhead biology in one compact volume
  • Illustrated with never-before published photos of bowheads in their natural environment
  • Provides a platform for an in-depth understanding of indigenous whaling

Readership

Researchers and academics in marine and conservation biology, specifically those targeting marine mammal research and species management

Table of contents

Section I: Basic Biology

1. Higher-Level Phylogeny of Baleen Whales

2. Fossil Record

3. The Stocks of Bowheads

4. Distribution and behavior of Bering-Beaufort-Chukchi bowhead whales as inferred by telemetry

5. Distribution, migrations and ecology of the populations in the Atlantic and the Okhotsk Sea

6. Abundance

7. Life History, Growth, and Form

8. Prenatal Development

9. Anatomy of skull and mandible

10. Postcranial skeleton and musculature

11. Hematology, Serum- , and Urine Composition

12. Anatomy and Physiology of the Gastrointestinal System

13. Female and Male Reproduction

14. Anatomy and Function of Feeding

15. Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Systems

16. Thermoregulation and Energetics

17. Brain

18. Sensory Systems

19. Endocrinology and Blubber Physiology

20. Molecular Insights into the Derived Anatomy and Physiology of Bowhead Whales

21. Age Estimation

22. Acoustic behavior

23. Bowhead whale behavior: Natural and potentially disturbed

24. Ecological Variation in the Western Beaufort Sea

Section II: The Bowhead Ecosystem

25. The Physical Oceanographic Setting of Bowhead Whale Habitat

26. Biological Environment of Bowhead Whale Habitats

27. Bowhead whale ecology in changing high-latitude ecosystems

28. Diet and Prey

29. Predators Impacts of Predation

30. Diseases and Parasites

Section III: Interactions with Humans

31. Whaling in Indigenous Cultures of the Arctic

32. Current Indigenous Whaling

33. Commercial Whaling in Historical Times

34. The Role of Indigenous Knowledge in Research and Management of the Bowhead Whale

35. Effects of noise

36. Fishing gear Entanglement and Vessel Collisions

37. Contaminants

38. Conservation and Management

39. Past, Present, and Future

Product details

  • Edition: 1
  • Latest edition
  • Published: September 11, 2020
  • Language: English

About the editors

JG

J.C. George

John Craighead ‘Craig’ George Ph.D. is a wildlife biologist who has lived in the Arctic and studied bowhead whales for 40 years. He has published more than 50 scientific papers on the species, on topics ranging from their physiology and reproduction, to their migratory pathways, and their behavior. He is a leading specialist on issues relating to conservation and management of bowhead populations and has served as a member of the US delegation of the International Whaling Commission. He is keenly involved in issues related to subsistence hunting of whales by Indigenous peoples, and the traditional knowledge that these cultures have of whale biology.
Affiliations and expertise
Department of Wildlife Management, North Slope Borough, Utqiagvik, Alaska, USA

JT

J.G.M. Thewissen

J. G. M. ‘Hans’ Thewissen studies the evolution, anatomy and embryology of marine mammals, and has travelled the world to study fossil and living whales. His work with the sense organs of modern whales explores the impact of global change on marine mammal populations. He co-edited the three editions of Elsevier’s Encyclopedia of Marine Mammals and wrote a popular book on whale evolution: The Walking Whales.
Affiliations and expertise
Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology Northeast Ohio Medical University, Rootstown, USA

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