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dc.contributor.authorPirotta, Enrico
dc.contributor.authorTyack, Peter L.
dc.contributor.authorDurban, John W.
dc.contributor.authorFearnbach, Holly
dc.contributor.authorHamilton, Philip
dc.contributor.authorHarris, Catriona M
dc.contributor.authorKnowlton, Amy
dc.contributor.authorKraus, Scott D.
dc.contributor.authorMiller, Carolyn
dc.contributor.authorMoore, Michael
dc.contributor.authorPettis, Heather
dc.contributor.authorPhotopoulou, Theoni
dc.contributor.authorRolland, Rosalind
dc.contributor.authorSchick, Robert
dc.contributor.authorThomas, Len
dc.date.accessioned2024-02-29T13:30:06Z
dc.date.available2024-02-29T13:30:06Z
dc.date.issued2024-02-28
dc.identifier299043682
dc.identifier51ef5901-1230-466f-94c4-e78b4758c474
dc.identifier85186601486
dc.identifier.citationPirotta , E , Tyack , P L , Durban , J W , Fearnbach , H , Hamilton , P , Harris , C M , Knowlton , A , Kraus , S D , Miller , C , Moore , M , Pettis , H , Photopoulou , T , Rolland , R , Schick , R & Thomas , L 2024 , ' Decreasing body size is associated with reduced calving probability in critically endangered North Atlantic right whales ' , Royal Society Open Science , vol. 11 , no. 2 , 240050 . https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.240050en
dc.identifier.issn2054-5703
dc.identifier.otherORCID: /0000-0002-8409-4790/work/154531769
dc.identifier.otherORCID: /0000-0003-3541-3676/work/154531772
dc.identifier.otherORCID: /0000-0001-9616-9940/work/154531956
dc.identifier.otherORCID: /0000-0002-7436-067X/work/154532004
dc.identifier.otherORCID: /0000-0001-9198-2414/work/154532453
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10023/29389
dc.descriptionFunding: This work was supported by the Office of Naval Research (grant nos. N000142012697 and N000142112096) and the Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program (grant nos. RC20-1097, RC20-7188 and RC21-3091). Photogrammetry was supported by NOAA grant no. NA14OAR4320158 to Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, and by NOAA's Southwest Fisheries Science Center.en
dc.description.abstractBody size is key to many life-history processes, including reproduction. Across species, climate change and other stressors have caused reductions in the body size to which animals can grow, called asymptotic size, with consequences for demography. A reduction in mean asymptotic length was documented for critically endangered North Atlantic right whales, in parallel with declines in health and vital rates resulting from human activities and environmental changes. Here, we tested whether smaller body size was associated with lower reproductive output, using a state-space model for individual health, survival and reproduction that quantifies the mechanistic links between these processes. Body size (as represented by the cube of length) was strongly associated with a female's calving probability at each reproductive opportunity. This relationship explained 62% of the variation in calving among reproductive females, along with their decreasing health (20%). The effects of decreasing mean body size on reproductive performance are another concerning indication of the worsening prospects for this species and many others affected by environmental change, requiring a focus of conservation and management interventions on improving conditions that affect reproduction as well as reducing mortality.
dc.format.extent8
dc.format.extent571256
dc.language.isoeng
dc.relation.ispartofRoyal Society Open Scienceen
dc.subjectBayesian state-space modelen
dc.subjectBody sizeen
dc.subjectCapital breedingen
dc.subjectEubalaena glacialisen
dc.subjectHealthen
dc.subjectLengthen
dc.subjectQH301 Biologyen
dc.subjectDASen
dc.subjectMCCen
dc.subject.lccQH301en
dc.titleDecreasing body size is associated with reduced calving probability in critically endangered North Atlantic right whalesen
dc.typeJournal articleen
dc.contributor.institutionUniversity of St Andrews. School of Biologyen
dc.contributor.institutionUniversity of St Andrews. Centre for Research into Ecological & Environmental Modellingen
dc.contributor.institutionUniversity of St Andrews. Centre for Social Learning & Cognitive Evolutionen
dc.contributor.institutionUniversity of St Andrews. Scottish Oceans Instituteen
dc.contributor.institutionUniversity of St Andrews. Institute of Behavioural and Neural Sciencesen
dc.contributor.institutionUniversity of St Andrews. School of Mathematics and Statisticsen
dc.contributor.institutionUniversity of St Andrews. Centre for Energy Ethicsen
dc.contributor.institutionUniversity of St Andrews. Office of the Principalen
dc.contributor.institutionUniversity of St Andrews. Sea Mammal Research Uniten
dc.contributor.institutionUniversity of St Andrews. Statisticsen
dc.contributor.institutionUniversity of St Andrews. Marine Alliance for Science & Technology Scotlanden
dc.identifier.doi10.1098/rsos.240050
dc.description.statusPeer revieweden


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