NWT RESEARCH DATABASE

Principal Investigator: Romano, Tracy
Licensed Year(s): 1993
Summary: This research will examine the nervous (i.e., brain) and immune systems of beluga by collecting these tissues from harvested animals for laboratory analyses. This study will help to determine how contaminants affect the health of belugas. In addition, the data collected may lead to a better understanding of why whales strand themselves on the shoreline as it has been suggested that beached whale...

Principal Investigator: Richard, Pierre
Licensed Year(s): 1993
Summary: Beluga whales will be herded into shallow waters with boats and kept there for a short period of time. Whale size and sex will be determined and a small sample of skin will be taken for DNA analysis. Satellite tags will be attached to the dorsal ridge area of ten whales. These tags will allow the researchers to locate the whales' movements and diving patterns over the next several months....

Principal Investigator: Cosens, Susan
Licensed Year(s): 1993 1992
Summary: In this final year of the study, the researcher will be testing the responses of beluga whales to previously recorded underwater (background) and boat noise. The whales' behaviour to the recorded noises will be measured as a way to determine if belugas alter their behaviour to boat traffic....

Principal Investigator: Cosens, Susan
Licensed Year(s): 1993 1992 1991 1990
Summary: In this final year of study, the researcher will be recording whale sounds as well as `normal' underwater sounds (background noise) and underwater sounds that boats make. The purpose of this research is to determine whether the sounds of boats interfere with the communication that occurs between beluga. The field crew will camp at Cape Lambton and make day trips to the recording sites out on the...

Principal Investigator: Stabler, Matt
Licensed Year(s): 1993
Summary: The Beluga Harvest Monitoring Program is an on-going program conducted by the Fisheries Joint Management Secretariat that involves the monitoring of the beluga harvest in the Inuvialuit Settlement Region. Data and samples are collected from harvested whales in order to assess contaminant levels as well as population and reproductive parameters....

Principal Investigator: Patenaude, Nathalie
Licensed Year(s): 1992
Summary: The researcher will use a crossbow to fire an arrow with a stainless steel biopsy tip into landed beluga whales. Different tip designs will be tested to evaluate biopsy tip length and diameter required for effective sample retrieval, strength of bow string, and effective distance. Tissue surrounding the sample site will also be tested for tissue damage, and wounds will be photographed after each...

Principal Investigator: Mate, Bruce R.
Licensed Year(s): 1992 1991
Summary: The Researchers will once again attempt to tag 12 bowhead whales. They will study how the whales move about during the feeding season and where and when they migrate west out of the Beaufort Sea. They will determine whether the migratory routes or timing vary between different kinds of animals and will determine the dive habits of the tagged animals....

Principal Investigator: Cosens, Susan
Licensed Year(s): 1990
Summary: The Researcher and team will apply new tag technology and DNA analysis to a study of site tenacity and industrial disturbance of bowhead whales. They will test the feasibility of using sonic tags to track bowheads underwater and will be testing sampling methods for collecting skin from live whales for DNA analysis....

Principal Investigator: Davis, Rolph A.
Licensed Year(s): 1980
Summary: To document the number, distribution and movements of bowhead whales within the study area (please see attached map). Aerial surveys with Twin Otter and Islander aircraft will be used....

Principal Investigator: Richardson, W. John
Licensed Year(s): 1980
Summary: Four Basic Objectives: a) To document the normal behaviour patterns of the bowhead whale; b) Determine type and quantity of responses if any, of bowheads to boats and aircraft passing at various distances; c) Determine the type and quantity of responses if any, of bowheads to underwater playbacks of recorded industrial noises; d) Dete...