The genome sequence of the Northern Bottlenose Whale, (Forster, 1770).

We present a genome assembly from an individual female (the Northern Bottlenose Whale; Chordata; Mammalia; Artiodactyla; Ziphiidae). The genome sequence spans 2,828.70 megabases.

Navigating the unknown: assessing anthropogenic threats to beaked whales, family Ziphiidae.

This review comprehensively evaluates the impacts of anthropogenic threats on beaked whales (Ziphiidae)-a taxonomic group characterized by cryptic biology, deep dives and remote offshore habitat, which have challenged direct scientific observation. By synthesizing information published in peer-reviewed studies and grey literature, we identified available evidence of impacts across 14 threats for each Ziphiidae species. Threats were assessed based on their pathways of effects on individuals, revealing many gaps in scientific understanding of the risks faced by beaked whales.

Sperm and northern bottlenose whale interactions with deep-water trawlers in the western North Atlantic.

Commercial fisheries have increased in all the world's oceans with diverse unintended impacts on marine ecosystems. As a result of resource overlap, interactions between cetaceans and fisheries are a common occurrence and, in many cases, can give rise to significant conservation issues. Research on the distribution and types of such interactions is important for efficient management.

Genomics reveal population structure, evolutionary history, and signatures of selection in the northern bottlenose whale, Hyperoodon ampullatus.

Information on wildlife population structure, demographic history, and adaptations are fundamental to understanding species evolution and informing conservation strategies. To study this ecological context for a cetacean of conservation concern, we conducted the first genomic assessment of the northern bottlenose whale, Hyperoodon ampullatus, using whole-genome resequencing data (n = 37) from five regions across the North Atlantic Ocean. We found a range-wide pattern of isolation-by-distance with a genetic subdivision distinguishing three subgroups: the Scotian Shelf, western North Atlantic, and Jan Mayen regions.

Prolonged maternal investment in northern bottlenose whales alters our understanding of beaked whale reproductive life history.

Nursing and weaning periods are poorly understood in cetaceans due to the difficulty of assessing underwater behaviour in the wild. However, the onset and completion of weaning are critical turning points for individual development and survival, with implications for a species' life history including reproductive potential. δ15N and δ13C deposited in odontocete teeth annuli provide a lifetime record of diet, offering an opportunity to investigate variation and trends in fundamental biology.

Evolutionary impacts differ between two exploited populations of northern bottlenose whale ().

Interpretation of conservation status should be informed by an appreciation of genetic diversity, past demography, and overall trends in population size, which contribute to a species' evolutionary potential and resilience to genetic risks. Low genetic diversity can be symptomatic of rapid demographic declines and impose genetic risks to populations, but can also be maintained by natural processes. The northern bottlenose whale has the lowest known mitochondrial diversity of any cetacean and was intensely whaled in the Northwest Atlantic over the last century, but whether exploitation imposed genetic risks that could limit recovery is unknown.

Combining simulation modeling and stable isotope analyses to reconstruct the last known movements of one of Nature's giants.

The spatial ecology of rare, migratory oceanic animals is difficult to study directly. Where incremental tissues are available, their chemical composition can provide valuable indirect observations of movement and diet. Interpreting the chemical record in incremental tissues can be highly uncertain, however, as multiple mechanisms interact to produce the observed data.

Click characteristics of northern bottlenose whales (Hyperoodon ampullatus) and Sowerby's beaked whales (Mesoplodon bidens) off eastern Canada.

Passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) is crucial to expanding the knowledge of beaked whales, including the northern bottlenose whale (Hyperoodon ampullatus) and Sowerby's beaked whale (Mesoplodon bidens). Existing descriptions of clicks produced by these species are limited by sample size, number of individuals recorded, and geographic scope. Data from multiple encounters in the western North Atlantic are used to provide a quantitative description of clicks produced by these species.