Challenges in the Assessment of Bycatch: Postmortem Findings in Harbor Porpoises () Retrieved From Gillnets.

Bycatch is considered one of the most significant threats affecting cetaceans worldwide. In the North Sea, bottom-set gillnets are a specific risk for harbor porpoises (). Methods to estimate bycatch rates include on-board observers, remote electronic monitoring, and fishermen voluntarily reporting; none of these are systematically conducted.

Aerial surveys for Antarctic minke whales () reveal sea ice dependent distribution patterns.

This study investigates the distribution of Antarctic minke whales (AMW) in relation to sea ice concentration and variations therein. Information on AMW densities in the sea ice-covered parts of the Southern Ocean is required to contextualize abundance estimates obtained from circumpolar shipboard surveys in open waters, suggesting a 30% decline in AMW abundance. Conventional line-transect shipboard surveys for density estimation are impossible in ice-covered regions, therefore we used icebreaker-supported helicopter surveys to obtain information on AMW densities along gradients of 0%-100% of ice concentration.

New insights into ocean sunfish (Mola mola) abundance and seasonal distribution in the northeast Atlantic.

The ocean sunfish, Mola mola, is the largest teleost fish in the world. Despite being found in all oceans of the world, little is known about its abundance and factors driving its distribution. In this study we provide the first abundance estimates for sunfish in offshore waters in the northeast Atlantic and the first record of extensive sunfish presence in these waters year-round.