2018 RESEARCH REPORTS FOR LAGUNA SAN IGNACIO & BAHÍA MAGDALENA
BAJA CALIFORNIA SUR, MÉXICO
The 2018 winter saw LSIESP researchers begining new collaborative projects that utilize new technologies and methods to expand research capabilities for documenting and evaluating gray whale communications, behavior, bioenergetics, body condition, growth, and reproductive health. These projects will provide the baseline data that will allow detection of changes in these principal life history and health parameters as a means to identify evidence of stress and disturbance resulting from changing environmental conditions, human activities, or some combination of factors.
Highlights from 2018 winter research season include: *Gray whale abundance and distribution surveys; photographic identification based research; the “Tower Project” to study gray whale behavior and vocalizations; using UAV-DRONES to measure whale growth and maternal condition; documenting fine-scale gray whale movement with “D-Tags”; sampling gray whale “blows” and skin to evaluate steroids as indicators of fitness; bottlenose dolphin population assessment and group dynamics; successful disentanglement of a gray whale calf; ongoing community lectures, hosting university students; and the annual community “Reunion” at Laguna San Ignacio.
Select the links below to read about these activities and more…
2018 Research Report for Laguna San Ignacio and Bahia Magdalena (English)
2018 Informe de las actividades del monitoreo de la ballena gris en Laguna San Ignacio (Spanish)
2018 Informe de investigacion del monitoreo de ballena gris en Bahia Magdalena (Spanish)
2018 Report to the IWC Scientific Committee on gray whale abundance in Laguna San Ignacio & Bahia Magdalena
Estimation of gray whale age from photographic identification data
LSIESP researchers’ presentations at SOMEMMA XXXVI
