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

The primary objectives of this study are to determine reproductive status of Cook Inlet beluga (CIB) females by (1) examining ovaries and uteri collected from carcasses reported by subsistence hunters or the NOAA Fisheries stranding network; (2) supplementing these findings by reviewing necropsy records of carcasses that were examined, but for which organs were not collected; and (3) comparing 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.

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: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/mms.12648, Marine Mammal Science