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» Go to news mainMedia opportunity: Endangered northern bottlenose whale population grew significantly after the Gully submarine canyon off Nova Scotia declared a protected area, shifting their greatest threats away from their habitat
Marine protected areas (MPAs) have faced criticism for not providing real protection for the species and ecosystems they were meant to preserve, but new research shows that the endangered northern bottlenose whale may be seeing measurable benefits from the creation of the Gully Marine Protected Area off Canada's East Coast.
The population of northern bottlenose whales experienced a steady decline from the late 1980s until the early 2000s, making the deep-diving mammal known for its domed forehead, chubby cheeks and stumpy flippers an endangered species in Canada.
New research by Dalhousie University scientists, however, reveals that those numbers began to turn around significantly from 2004 to 2010 when the federal government created an MPA in the Gully submarine canyon -- an area that is home to almost half the population at any time.
The researchers analyzed population size and habitat use over 35 years using sighting rates and photo-identification data. They examined whether the designation of the Gully MPA in 2004 affected the threats to whales, including ship strikes, entanglement, pollution and military sonar.
The study, published in the Journal of Applied Ecology, found that the population of bottlenose whales grew at a rate of around four per cent a year since 2004. The intensity of two serious threats -- commercial fishing and vessel traffic -- has decreased within the highly protected Zone 1 area of the Gully MPA, where 42 per cent of the population is located.
Dalhousie marine biologists Dr. Laura Feyrer and Dr. Hal Whitehead are available to discuss the findings and how well-designed MPAs can contribute to conservation outcomes, but that their long-term success depends on continued monitoring and effective threat reduction both within the MPA and across other important habitats.
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Media contact:
Alison Auld
Senior Research Reporter
Dalhousie University
Cell: 1-902-220-0491
Email: alison.auld@dal.ca
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