Use of hormones in assessing reproductive physiology of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) from Juneau, Alaska

Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) in Southeast Alaska have been studied for over 50 years, and are largely considered a recovery success since the cessation of commercial whaling. Reproductive physiology is an important factor to consider in studying population health and can provide importan...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Theriogenology Wild (Online) 2023, Vol.3, p.100050, Article 100050
Main Authors: Atkinson, S., Melica, V., Teerlink, S., Mashburn, K., Moran, J., Pearson, H.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Calving rate
Humpback whale
Megaptera novaeangliae
Pregnancy rate
Progesterone
Testosterone
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Summary:Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) in Southeast Alaska have been studied for over 50 years, and are largely considered a recovery success since the cessation of commercial whaling. Reproductive physiology is an important factor to consider in studying population health and can provide important insights into the drivers contributing to population abundance fluctuations. Validated assays for progesterone and testosterone were used on blubber biopsies from humpback whales (N = 33 whales, 71 samples) near Juneau, Alaska, in 2020 and 2021. Long-term sighting histories were used to confirm detected pregnancies with calf sightings the following year. Blubber samples were divided into two seasonal bins (early and late summer). Pregnant females sampled in both early and late summer of both 2020 and 2021 showed elevated progesterone concentrations compared to other reproductive states (p 
ISSN:2773-093X
2773-093X
DOI:10.1016/j.therwi.2023.100050