Thursday, September 25, 2025 - 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.
Spaulding Hall
Please join us for the DBS Fall Seminar Series!
Dr. Nadine Lysiak - New England Aquarium
September 25th, 2025
1:00PM - 2:00PM in Spaulding G25
Baleen analysis reveals the hidden lives of North Atlantic right whales
Whale baleen is a remarkable structure, unrivaled in the animal kingdom. In addition to being a highly adaptive filter feeding apparatus, it is an accreting, metabolically inert matrix holding compounds that reflect a whale’s physiological state at the time of tissue formation. Our research team is measuring biogeochemical compounds - including stable isotopes (13C, 15N, compound specific) and hormones (reproductive, glucocorticoid, metabolic) – to build retrospective endocrine and ecological histories of North Atlantic right whales using necropsied baleen (currently n=40 individuals collected between 1975-2024). The goals of this study are to reconstruct patterns and individual variability in (1) parameters of reproductive cycles including gestation period, interbirth interval, reproductive rate, male seasonality, and sexual maturity; (2) incidences and severity of natural and anthropogenic stressors; (3) migration behavior, foraging ecology, and nutritional responses; and (4) long-term shifts in the aforementioned factors due to climate change. Measured biogeochemical profiles are chronologically matched with data on whale life-history, visual health and field observations to provide insights into long-term trends. Here, we report endocrine and stable isotope data from several North Atlantic right whales examine their recent reproductive history and stress profiles. This talk will discuss the status of the North Atlantic right whales broadly and reflect on our role in ocean stewardship and endangered species management.
