Please select your home edition
Edition
Allen Brothers

Humpback Whales - Non Lethal research

by WHOI on 6 Apr 2014
A humpback whale breaches off American Samoa, a study site in the South Pacific. One of the sources of samples in this study was skin shed by breaching whales. Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) http://www.whoi.edu/
While the Japanese Government maintains that you have to kill whales to do scientific reasearch, the Woods Hole Institute shows otherwise.

Bacteria are invisible to the naked eye, but they reside on nearly every surface humans encounter—including the skin. Uncovering the role these microorganisms play in human health is a major focus of research in skin microbiology, but little is known about the identity or function of skin bacteria in other mammals.

In a paper published in the open access journal Plos One, researchers at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) and colleagues identified a core skin bacterial community that humpback whales share across populations, which could point to a way to assess the overall health of these endangered marine mammals.

'The skin is the interface between the animal and the ocean it lives in,' said lead author Amy Apprill, a microbiologist at WHOI. 'By studying the bacterial species on the skin of humpbacks, we might be able to learn more about their health and the status of their environment.'

Apprill collected 56 skin samples from humpback whales from the North Atlantic, North Pacific and South Pacific oceans with the help of scientists at the Provincetown Center for Coastal Studies, Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary and University of Hawaii at Hilo. The samples were obtained from biopsy collecting darts that bounce off the whales' skin and also from skin that naturally sloughs off when whales breach. Detailed population studies in these areas provided important details about the individuals involved, such as their age class and sex.
The research team sequenced and identified over 500,000 small-subunit ribosomal RNA genes from bacteria obtained from humpback whale skin and also compared the data to bacterial sequences found on the skin of deceased whales and whales with injuries and compromised health, such as those entangled in fishing line.


Analysis of skin samples revealed an abundance of two core groups of bacteria specific to humpbacks—Tenacibaculum and Psychrobacter. The overall composition of the bacteria differed by geographical location and metabolic state, as well as in stressed and deceased individuals. In stressed and deceased whales, researchers found less of the two core bacteria and more potential pathogens present.

'There always seems to be this core group of bacteria that attach to the whale skin,' said Tracy Mincer, a microbiologist at WHOI and coauthor of the study. 'When that core group starts to shift, such as in the case of individuals with compromised health, we saw other bacteria—potentially harmful bugs such as anaerobes, which are common in human skin diseases —showing up.'

Humpback whales are oceanic nomads that travel thousands of miles during their seasonal migration, also coming into contact with numerous bacteria and other microbes along the way.

'As very large animals, they have a huge skin surface with a lot of nutrients for microbes to live on and attach to,' Mincer said. 'How do they control their skin from looking like a ship hull? How do they stay smooth and shiny?'
Researchers aren't sure yet how the core bacteria are interacting with the whales or each other. 'The next step is to figure out what the core bacteria are doing—and if they’re doing anything that benefits the whales,' Apprill said. 'There’s a spectrum of things they could be doing, such as keeping the whale clean of fouling organisms or producing antibiotics to fend off potential pathogens.'

Figuring out the specific role of the core bacteria will be the next step in this important research that could eventually aid in efforts to monitor population health and conservation status of threatened or endangered marine mammals.


'Large whales are difficult to study in the wild, and assessing their health is both important and challenging,' said Jooke Robbins, a coauthor and director of humpback whale research at Provincetown Center for Coastal Studies. 'This study provides the first baseline on the 'normal' composition of skin bacteria across ages, sexes, populations and habitats. It is an important step toward a quantitative tool for assessing whale health and, potentially, impacts from human activities.'

'This work represents a productive blend of fundamental and applied research,' said Michael Moore, director of the WHOI Marine Mammal Center, which funded the work. Researchers from the Marine Biological Laboratory, The Dolphin Institute, and the International Fund for Animal Welfare also contributed to the study.

North Sails Loft 57 PodcastSelden 2020 - FOOTERHenri-Lloyd Dynamic Range

Related Articles

Meet the Noakes Sydney Gold Coast Commentary Team
Olympian Lisa Darmanin and Rolex Sydney Hobart Winner Jack Macartney to lead live broadcast The Cruising Yacht Club of Australia (CYCA) is pleased to confirm Olympian Darmanin and 2022 & 2024 Rolex Sydney Hobart winner Macartney as the lead commentators for the live broadcast of the 2025 Noakes Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race.
Posted today at 6:46 pm
IMOCAs in the Rolex Fastnet Race
Ocean racing's state of the art One of the most historic and eternally ground-breaking oceanic racing yacht classes is the IMOCA. These 60 footers are the world's most advanced offshore racing monohulls, the class used in the Vendée Globe since its inception in 1989/90.
Posted today at 6:27 pm
18th Puig Vela Clàssica Barcelona summary
Yachts from over 10 countries and around 400 sailors competed off the coast of Barcelona Barcelona's prestigious regatta for Classic and Vintage yachts, the Puig Vela Clàssica, celebrated its 18th edition, further strengthening its position as one of the premier international events for classic sailing in the Mediterranean.
Posted today at 6:06 pm
SailGP - Fresh breezes predicted
Fresh breezes are forecast the first day of racing in SailGP and the Admirals Cup. With two days remaining to the start of racing in SailGP Portsmouth, the forecast is for fresh breezes on both racedays, which should make for exciting racing.
Posted today at 5:36 pm
Nominations open for World Sailing Awards 2025
Presentation to be held at the Royal St. George Yacht Club in Dún Laoghaire on 5th November Many of the sport's biggest names will be in attendance at the World Sailing Awards 2025, held on Wednesday 5 November at a gala ceremony at the Royal St. George Yacht Club in Dún Laoghaire, Ireland.
Posted today at 4:12 pm
Mackay Bieker BM-V3 dominates at 2025 Moth Worlds
Innovation was on display at the just concluded Moth Worlds across nearly every area of the boat. The 2025 Moth World Championships in Lake Garda delivered thrilling racing across a wide range of conditions, featuring an elite lineup of Olympic champions, America's Cup helmsmen, SailGP stars, and the next group of up-and-coming youth.
Posted today at 3:07 pm
OK Dinghy World Ranking July 2025
Patric Mure is the new World No.1 Patric Mure has become only the 11th person to reach the top of the OK Dinghy World Ranking list as he takes over the No.1 spot from Australia's Roger Blasse, who drops to fourth. Britain's Andy Davis and Nick Craig move up to second and third.
Posted today at 2:07 pm
Double Podium For Team Allen
Enzo Ballanger sailed fully equipped with Allen hardware to a Moth Worlds victory Representing Team Allen through its French distributor, XPO, Enzo Ballanger sailed fully equipped with Allen hardware to a dominant victory at the 2025 International Moth World Championship.
Posted today at 11:00 am
New concept & programme for the Yacht Racing Forum
An updated concept designed to reflect our delegates' expectations This year, we will merge the conference on the Management and Business of the sport and the Design & Technology Symposium, enabling all participants to attend the entire event.
Posted today at 10:50 am
Blind Sailor's solo Round the Island Challenge
Dani A. Pich is aiming to navigate his Patí Català catamaran around the Isle of Wight next week A truly remarkable challenge is underway on the Solent, with blind sailor Dani A. Pich aiming to sail solo around the Isle of Wight in a catamaran dinghy that has no rudder, no centreboard, no boom and is steered by the use of balance and body weight.
Posted today at 9:06 am