Reproductive Status of Female Beluga Whales from the Endangered Cook Inlet Population

The primary objectives of this study wee to determine reproductive status of Cook Inlet beluga females.  Researchers examined ovaries and uteri collected from carcasses reported by subsistence hunters or the NOAA Fisheries stranding network. They supplemented these findings by reviewing necropsy records of carcasses that were examined without the organs being collected. They compared necropsy photographs to images of live whales in the Cook Inlet Beluga Whale Photo-ID Project's catalog for possible matches and additional information on calf production.

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Shelden, K. E. W. ; Burns, J. J. ; McGuire, T. L. ; Burek-Huntington, K. A. ; Vos, D. J. ; Goertz, C. E. C. ; O'Corry-Crowe, G. ; Mahoney, B. A.; DOI: Reproductive status of female beluga whales from the endangered Cook Inlet population, Marine Mammal Science