Research Reports and Publications on Cook Inlet Beluga Whales
Scientific research, reports, and survey data on Cook Inlet beluga whales, including aerial surveys, acoustics and noise research, abundance and population data, and more.
Aerial Surveys, Abundance, and Population Trends
Abundance and Populations
- The Status of Beluga Whales, Delphinapterus leucas, in Cook Inlet, Alaska, and Surrounding Waters: Part II: Preface, 2015
- Spatio-temporal Changes in Beluga Whale, Delphinapterus leucas, Distribution: Results from Aerial Surveys (1977-2014), Opportunistic Sightings (1975-2014), and Satellite Tagging (1999-2003) in Cook Inlet, Alaska, 2015
- Viability of a Small, Geographically-Isolated Population of Beluga Whale, Delphinapterus leucas: Effects of Hunting, Predation, and Mortality Events in Cook Inlet, Alaska, 2015
- Estimated Abundance and Trend in Aerial Counts of Beluga Whales, Delphinapterus leucas, in Cook Inlet, Alaska, 1994-2012, 2015
- Detecting Changes in Population Trends for Cook Inlet Beluga Whales Using Alternative Schedules for Aerial Surveys, 2013
- 2008 Supplemental Status Review and Extinction Assessment of Cook Inlet Belugas (Delphinapterus leucas), 2008
- Abundance of Belugas, Delphinapterus leucas, in Cook Inlet, Alaska, 1994-2000, 2000
- Beluga, Delphinapterus leucas, Group Sizes in Cook Inlet, Alaska, Based on Observer Counts and Aerial Video, 2000
Aerial Surveys
- June 2016
- June 2014
- June 2005 to 2012
- August 2012
- August 2011
- August 2010
- August 2009
- September - October 2008
- August 2008
- August 2007
- August 2006
- May 2006
- August 2005
- June 2001, 2002, 2003, and 2004
- Year-round June 2001 to June 2002
- June 1993 to 2000
Acoustics/Noise
- A Marine Mammal Odyssey, eh! 2017
- Acoustic Foraging Behavior of Beluga Whales Via Combined Technology: Satellite Telemetry, Passive Acoustics, Accelerometry, and Stomach Temperature Sensing, 2017
- Anthropogenic Noise in Cook Inlet Beluga Habitat: Sources, Acoustic Characteristics, and Frequency of Occurrence, 2016
- Seasonal Distribution and Forage Behavior of Cook Inlet Belugas Based on Acoustic Monitoring, 2015
- Passive Acoustic Monitoring of Cook Inlet Beluga Whales, 2013
- Acoustic Monitoring of Belugas in Eagle River, Cook Inlet, Alaska Marine Science Symposium Poster, 2013
- Interactions Between Beluga Whales and Boats in Knik Arm, Upper Cook Inlet, Alaska: Behavior and Bioacoustics, 2012
- Underwater Acoustic Measurement of the Spartan 151 Jack-up Drilling Rig in the Cook Inlet Beluga Whale Critical Habitat, 2011
- Acoustic Monitoring of Beluga Whales and Noise in Cook Inlet
- Construction Impacts on the Cook Inlet Beluga Whale at the Port of Anchorage Marine Terminal Redevelopment Project, 2010
- Behavior and Distribution of Cook Inlet Beluga Whales, Delphinapterus leucas, Before and During Pile Driving Activity, 2010
- Port of Anchorage Expansion - Noise Studies:
- Acoustic Monitoring and In-situ Exposures of Juvenile Coho Salmon to Pile Driving Noise at the Port of Anchorage Marine Terminal Redevelopment Project Knik Arm, 2009
- Port of Anchorage Marine Terminal Development Project 2008 Underwater Noise Survey During Construction Pile Driving, 2009
- Port of Anchorage Marine Terminal Development Project Underwater Noise Survey Test Pile Driving Program, 2007
- Synopsis of 2008 Workshop on Passive Acoustic Monitoring of Cook Inlet Belugas, Alaska SeaLife Center, 2009
- Anthropogenic Noise Sources and Sound Production of Beluga Whales (Delphinapterus leucas) in Cook Inlet, Alaska, 2009
- The Beluga Whale Produces Two Pulses to Form Its Sonar Signal, 2009
- Acoustic Monitoring for the Presence of Beluga Whales in Cook Inlet, 2008
- Beluga vocalizations (MP3 audio file, .25 MB) 2008
- Beluga vocalizations (WAV audio file, 27 MB) 2008
- Underwater Measurements of Pile-driving Sounds during the Port MacKenzie Dock Modifications, 2005
- Acoustic Measurements in Cook Inlet, During August 2001, 2003
- Characterization of Underwater Sounds Produced by Bucket and Dredging Operations, 2001
- Low-frequency Underwater Hearing Sensitivity in Belugas, 1988
Anthropogenic Impacts (other than noise)
- Potential Natural and Anthropogenic Impediments to the Conservation and Recovery of Cook Inlet Beluga Whales, 2016
- Organohalogen Contaminants and Mercury in Beluga Whale Tissues Banked by the Alaska Marine Mammal Tissue Archival Project, 2012
- Anthropogenic and Environmental Stressors in Cook Inlet Beluga Whales, Literature Review and Assessment, 2011
- Evaluation of the Effects of Discharge Permit Reauthorization on Endangered Species 2011
- Chemical Exposure for Cook Inlet Beluga Whales, 2010
- Spatial and Temporal Trends of Perfluorinated Compounds in Beluga Whales from Alaska, 2010
- Incidental Catch and Interactions of Marine Mammals and Birds in the Cook Inlet Salmon Driftnet and Setnet Fisheries 1999-2000, 2006
- Persistent Chlorinated Compounds and Elements in Tissues of CI Beluga Whales, 2001
- Concentrations of Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PDB's), Chlorinated Pesticides, and Heavy Metals and Other Elements in Tissues of Belugas, Delphinapterus leucas, from Cook Inlet, Alaska, 2000
- Native Harvest and Use of Beluga in the Upper Cook Inlet
- Field Report for Vessel Operations in Cook Inlet, 1995
- Impacts of Vessel Surveys and Tagging Operations on the Behavior of Beluga Whales in Cook Inlet, June 1994
Biopsy
- Guidance to Parties Interested in Conducting Biopsies on Cook Inlet Beluga Whales, 2015
- Report of a Workshop on Potential for a Cook Inlet Beluga Whale Biopsy Program, 2014
Conferences and Workshops
- Conference and Workshop Information, Presentations and Reports
- 2017 Research Methods Workshop, Anchorage, Alaska
- 2014 Conservation and Recovery of Cook Inlet Beluga Whales in the Context of Continued Development, Anchorage, Alaska
- 2014 Cook Inlet Beluga Whale Science Conference, Anchorage, Alaska
- 2010 Cook Inlet Beluga Whale Science Conference, Anchorage, Alaska
Diet/Prey
- Diet of Beluga Whales, Delphinapterus leucas, in Alaska from Stomach Contents, March–November, 2015
- Assessment of the Prey Availability and Oil-related Contaminants in Winter Habitat of Cook Inlet Beluga Whales, Final Report: Trawl Surveys and Laboratory Analyses (2012-2013) 2014
- Cook Inlet Beluga Whale Diet Using Stable Isotope Analysis, 2011
- Fatty acid variation in beluga blubber: implications for estimating diet using fatty acids, 2009
Distribution and Movements
- Satellite Maps of Tagged Alaskan Beluga Stocks in Wintering Areas, 2017
- The Susitna River Delta as a calving ground: Evidence From Observation of a Cook Inlet Beluga Birth and the 2005-2015 Seasonal and Geographic Patterns of Neonate Occurrence in Upper Cook Inlet, 2016
- Assessment of Remote Video for Monitoring Beluga Whales, Delphinapterus leucas, of Cook Inlet, Alaska, 2015
- Beluga, Delphinapterus leucas, Ethogram: A Tool for Cook Inlet Beluga Conservation? 2015
- Beluga Whale and Other Marine Mammal Occurrences in Upper Cook Inlet between Point Campbell and Fire Island, 2013
- Observations of Cook Inlet Beluga Whales, Delphinapterus leucas, Along the Anchorage Coast Between 2008 and 2011, 2013
- An Oral History of Habitat Use by Cook Inlet Belugas in Waters of the Kenai Peninsula Borough, 2012
- Movement and Dive Behavior of Beluga Whales in Cook Inlet, Alaska, 2012
- Identifying Essential Summer Habitat of the Endangered Beluga whale (Delphinapterus leucas) in Cook Inlet, 2012
- Cook Inlet Beluga Whale Behavioral Observations Via Video-Monitoring in 2011, 2012
- Alaska SeaLife Center Cook Inlet Beluga Whale Remote Monitoring Pilot Study - May – August 2011: frequency of occurrence, relative abundance, and surface behavior of beluga whales near the mouth of the Little Susitna River, 2011
- Spatial and Temporal Distribution of Cook Inlet Beluga Whales in the Little Susitna River Delta in 2011, 2011
- Range Contraction in a Beluga Whale Population, 2010
- Beluga Observational Studies on Eagle River Flats, Fort Richardson, Alaska in 2009, 2010
- Cook Inlet Beluga Whale Opportunistic Sightings Database: A summary of opportunistic sightings during the past 35 years, 2010
- Distribution, Habitat Use, and Behavior of Cook Inlet Beluga Whales in Knik Arm, 2008
- Monitoring Beluga Whale (Delphinapterus leucas) Distribution and Movements in Turnagain Arm Along the Seward Highway Final Report, 2007
- Movements and Area Use of Belugas in a Subarctic Alaskan Estuary, Arctic, Vol. 58, No. 4, 2005
- Historic and Current Use of Lower Cook Inlet, Alaska, by Belugas, Delphinapterus leucas, 2000
- Distribution of Belugas, Delphinapterus leucas, in Cook Inlet, Alaska, During June/July 1993-2000, 2000
- Beluga, Delphinapterus leucas, Habitat Associations in Cook Inlet, Alaska, 2000
- Beluga, Delphinapterus leucas, Distribution and Survey Effort in the Gulf of Alaska, 2000
- Development of Beluga, Delphinapterus leucas, Capture and Satellite Tagging Protocol in Cook Inlet, Alaska, 2000
- Application of Suction-cup-attached VHF Transmitters to the Study of Beluga, Delphinapterus leucas, Surfacing Behavior in Cook Inlet, Alaska, 2000
- Beluga Whales - Status, Distribution, Harvest History, Historic and Current Use, Habitat Associations, Traditional Knowledge and Abundance, 2000
- Distribution of Cook Inlet Beluga Whales in Winter, Final Report, 1999
- Beluga Whale, Delphinapterus Leucas, Distribution and Abundance in Cook Inlet - 1993, (see page 1) 1994
- Group Count Estimates and Analysis of Surfacing Behavior of Beluga Whales from Aerial Video in Cook Inlet - 1994, 1994
- Port of Anchorage Beluga Studies:
- Distribution, Habitat Use and Behavior of Cook Inlet Beluga Whales and Other Marine Mammals at the Port of Anchorage Marine Terminal Redevelopment Project June – November 2011, Scientific Marine Mammal Monitoring Program 2011 Annual Report, 2011
- Distribution, Habitat Use and Behavior of Cook Inlet Beluga Whales and Other Marine Mammals at the Port of Anchorage, June-November 2008, 2009
- Distribution, Habitat Use, and Behavior of Cook Inlet Beluga Whales in Knik Arm, Fall 2007, 2008
- Temporal-spatial Distribution, Movements, and Behavior of Beluga Whales near the Port of Anchorage, Alaska, 2007
- Pre-Deployment Visual Monitoring for Beluga Whales in and near the Cook Inlet Tidal Energy Project Proposed Deployment Area, Status Reports:
- Satellite Tagging in Cook Inlet, 1999-2003: 2003-2002, 2001, 2000, 1999
Habitat
- Cook Inlet Beluga Whale Research: Study of Physical and Biological Factors that Impact the Beluga's Population, 2013
- Identifying Essential Summer Habitat of the Endangered Beluga Whale Delphinapterus leucas in Cook Inlet, Alaska, 2012
- Using Inundation Modeling and Remote Sensing Data to Study Hydrodynamic and Environmental Impacts on the Survival of Cook Inlet's Beluga Whales, Final Report from 1-October, 2010 to 30-September, 2011, 2011
- Baroclinic Tidal Flows and Inundation Processes in Cook Inlet, Alaska: Numerical Modeling and Satellite Observations, 2007
- Habitat Use in a Marine Ecosystem: Beluga Whales in Cook Inlet, 2007
- Movements and Area Use of Belugas, Delphinapterus leucas, in a Subarctic Alaskan Estuary, 2005
- Beluga Whales - Status, Distribution, Harvest History, Historic and Current Use, Habitat Associations, Traditional Knowledge, and Abundance, 2000
- Belukha Whales in Lower Cook Inlet - Environmental Assessment of the Alaskan Continental Shelf, U.S., 1979
Genetics
- Molecular Genetic Studies of Population Structure and Movement Patterns in a Migratory Species: The Beluga Whale, Delphinapterus leucas, in the Western Nearctic, 2002
- Phylogeography, population structure, and dispersal patterns of the beluga whale Delphinapterus leucas in the western Nearctic revealed by mitochondrial DNA, 1997
Life History
- Breeding and Calving Seasonality in the Endangered Cook Inlet Beluga Whale Population: Application of Captive Fetal Growth Curves to Fetuses and Newborns in the Wild, 2019
- Reproductive Status of Female Beluga Whales from the Endangered Cook Inlet Population, 2019
- Age and Growth Analyses for the Endangered Belugas in Cook Inlet, Alaska, 2019
- The Susitna River Delta as a calving ground: Evidence from observation of a Cook Inlet beluga birth and the 2005-2015 seasonal and geographic patterns of neonate occurrence in Upper Cook Inlet, 2016
- Socio-sexual and Probable Mating Behavior of Cook Inlet Beluga Whales, Delphinapterus leucas, Observed From an Aircraft, 2015
- Annual Calf Indices for Beluga Whales, Delphinapterus leucas, in Cook Inlet, Alaska 2006-12, 2015
- Predation by Killer Whales in Cook Inlet and Western Alaska: An Integrated Approach 2008-2009 - Project R0303-01 Final Report, 2011
- The Endangered Beluga Whales of Cook Inlet, Alaska, 2011
- Cook Inlet Beluga Age and Growth, 2003
- Developing a Calving Rate Index for Beluga Whales in Cook Inlet, Alaska, 2003
- Monitoring Recovery Status and Age Structure of Cook Inlet, Alaska Belugas by Skin Color Determination, 2001
- Synthesis of Available Information on the Cook Inlet Stock of Beluga Whales, 1999
Photo-Identification Studies
- Cook Inlet Beluga Whale Photo ID Project
- The Susitna River Delta as a calving ground: Evidence from observation of a Cook Inlet beluga birth and the 2005-2015 seasonal and geographic patterns of neonate occurrence in Upper Cook Inlet, 2016
- LGL: Photo-identification of Beluga Whales in Cook Inlet, Alaska:
- Photo-identification of Beluga Whales in Upper Cook Inlet, Alaska Summary of Field Activities and Whales Identified in 2015 and 2016, December 2017
- Photo-ID of Beluga Whales in Knik Arm and Turnagain Arm, Upper Cook Inlet, Alaska: Summary of field activities and whales identified in 2014, 2016
- Photo-ID of Beluga Whales in the Susitna River Delta, Upper Cook Inlet, Alaska: Summary of field activities and whales identified in 2014, 2016
- The continued development of a catalog of left-side digital images of individually identified Cook Inlet beluga whales Delphinapterus leucas: inclusion of data from 2009-2011. NPRB Project 1210 Final Report, 2011
- Photographing Stranded Beluga Whales for Identification - CIBW Photo-ID Project Protocol, 2015
- Photo-ID of Beluga Whales in the Susitna River Delta, Upper Cook Inlet, Alaska: Final Report of Field Activities in 2013, 2014
- Photo-ID of Beluga Whales in the Kenai Peninsula Borough Waters of Cook Inlet: Field Activities and Belugas Identified 2011-2013, 2014
- Photo-ID of Beluga Whales in Eagle Bay, Knik Arm, Upper Cook Inlet: Field Activities and Belugas Identified 2011, 2013
- Photo-ID of Beluga Whales in Susitna Delta, Upper Cook Inlet: Field Activities 2011 and 2012, Belugas Re-sighted 2011, 2013
- Photo-ID of Beluga Whales in Upper Cook Inlet: Field Activities and Belugas Re-sighted 2010, 2012
- Photo-ID of Beluga Whales in Upper Cook Inlet: Development of a Left-Side Catalog 2005-2008, 2011
- Photo-ID of Beluga Whales in Upper Cook Inlet: Field Activities and Belugas Re-sighted 2009, 2011
- Photo-ID of Beluga Whales in Upper Cook Inlet: Mark Analysis, Mark Re-sight Estimates, and Color Analysis 2008, 2009
- Photo-ID of Beluga Whales in Upper Cook Inlet: Belugas Re-sighted 2008, 2009
- Photo-ID of Beluga Whales in Upper Cook Inlet: Field Activities 2008, 2009
- Photo-ID of Beluga Whales in Upper Cook Inlet 2007, 2008
Strandings
- Photographing Stranded Beluga Whales for Identification - CIBW Photo-ID Project Protocol, 2015
- Cook Inlet Beluga Strandings 1987-2012: Description and Retrospective Analysis of Level A Data, 2013
- Cook Inlet Beluga Whale Stranding Response Plan, 2009
- Unusual Mortality in the 2003 Depleted Cook Inlet Beluga Population, 2005
- 30 Years of Data from Stranded and Hunter-Harvested Cook Inlet Beluga Whales: Creation of a Web-hosted Database, 2003
Traditional Ecological Knowledge
- Relationship Between the Native Village of Tyonek, Alaska and Beluga Whales in Cook Inlet, Alaska, 2011
- Exploring Ecological Changes in Cook Inlet Beluga Whale Habitat Through Traditional and Local Ecological Knowledge of Contributing Factors for Population Decline, 2011
- Cook Inlet Beluga Whale Population Decline and Recovery: An Exploration Through Local Ecological Knowledge, 2009
- Harvest History of Belugas, Delphinapterus leucas, in Cook Inlet, Alaska, 2000
- Traditional Knowledge of the Ecology of Belugas, Delphinapterus leucas, in Cook Inlet, Alaska, 2000
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