Revision of the occurrence of the long‐finned pilot whale Globicephala melas (Traill, 1809), in the Azores

Although the expected distribution of the long-finned pilot whale in the Atlantic includes the Azores, overlapping with the known northern distribution of the short-finned pilot whale, the only documental references to the species in the archipelago are based on a single specimen captured in 1894. Moreover, a clear distinction between the two species of pilot-whales based on osteological grounds was only possible after 1971 and before that a great uncertainty existed about the phylogeny of the Genus. The long-finned pilot whale, thus, has never been confirmed by sightings at sea in the region and the extent of its occurrence to the South in the central North Atlantic has been, up to now, an open issue. Here we present evidence of the occurrence of the long-finned pilot whale in the Azores, based on two sightings made in different years

Temporal patterns in acoustic presence and foraging activity of oceanic dolphins at seamounts in the Azores

© The Author(s), 2020. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in Cascao, I., Lammers, M. O., Prieto, R., Santos, R. S., & Silva, M. A. Temporal patterns in acoustic presence and foraging activity of oceanic dolphins at seamounts in the Azores. Scientific Reports, 10(1), (2020): 3610, doi:10.1038/s41598-020-60441-4.Several seamounts have been identified as hotspots of marine life in the Azores, acting as feeding stations for top predators, including cetaceans. Passive acoustic monitoring is an efficient tool to study temporal variations in the occurrence and behaviour of vocalizing cetacean species. We deployed bottom-moored Ecological Acoustic Recorders (EARs) to investigate the temporal patterns in acoustic presence and foraging activity of oceanic dolphins at two seamounts (Condor and Gigante) in the Azores. Data were collected in March–May 2008 and April 2010–February 2011. Dolphins were present year round and nearly every day at both seamounts. Foraging signals (buzzes and bray calls) were recorded in >87% of the days dolphin were present. There was a strong diel pattern in dolphin acoustic occurrence and behaviour, with higher detections of foraging and echolocation vocalizations during the night and of social signals during daylight hours. Acoustic data demonstrate that small dolphins consistently use Condor and Gigante seamounts to forage at night. These results suggest that these seamounts likely are important feeding areas for dolphins. This study contributes to a better understanding of the feeding ecology of oceanic dolphins and provides new insights into the role of seamount habitats for top predators.This research was supported by the Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT), Azores 2020 Operational Programme and the Fundo Regional da Ciência e Tecnologia (FRCT), through research projects TRACE (PTDC/MAR/74071/2006), MAPCET (M2.1.2/F/012/2011), FCT-Exploratory (IF/00943/2013/CP1199/CT0001), WATCH IT (Acores-01-0145-FEDER-000057) and MISTIC SEAS II (GA11.0661/2017/750679/SUB/ENV.C2), co-funded by FEDER, COMPETE, QREN, POPH, European Social Fund (ESF), the Portuguese Ministry for Science and Education, and EU-DG/ENV. The Azores 2020 Operational Programme is funded by the community structural funds ERDF and ESF. Funds were also provided by FCT to MARE, through the strategic project UID/MAR/04292/2013. MAS was supported through a FCT Investigator contract funded by POPH, QREN, ESF and the Portuguese Ministry for Science and Education (IF/00943/2013). IC was supported by a FCT doctoral grant (SFRH/BD/41192/2007) and RP by a FCT postdoctoral grant (SFRH/BPD/108007/2015). We thank the field and crew teams for assisting with the many deployments and recoveries of the EARs. Special thanks to Norberto Serpa for helping with mooring design, Ken Sexton and Michael Richlen for their roles in manufacturing the EARs, Sergio Gomes for building the battery packs, and Lisa Munger for adapting Triton for EAR data analysis

Habitat preferences of baleen whales in a mid-latitude habitat

© The Author(s), 2016. This is the author's version of the work and is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in Deep Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography 141 (2017): 155-167, doi:10.1016/j.dsr2.2016.07.015.Understanding the dynamics of baleen whale distribution is essential to predict how environmental changes can affect their ecology and, in turn, ecosystem functioning. Recent work showed that mid-latitude habitats along migratory routes may play an important role on the feeding ecology of baleen whales. This study aimed to investigate the function of a mid-latitude habitat for blue (Balaenoptera musculus), fin (B. physalus) and sei (B. borealis) whales occurring in sympatry during spring and summer months and to what extent their environmental niches overlap. We addressed those questions by developing environmental niche models (ENM) for each species and then making pairwise comparisons of niche overlap and relative habitat patch importance among the three species. ENMs were created using sightings from the Azorean Fisheries Observer Program from May to November, between 2004 and 2009, and a set of 18 predictor environmental variables. We then assessed monthly (April-July) overlap among ENMs using a modified Hellinger’s distance metric (I). Results show that the habitat niches of blue and fin whales are strongly influenced by primary productivity and sea surface temperature and are highly dynamic both spatially and temporally due to the oceanography of the region. Niche overlap analyses show that blue and fin whale environmental niches are similar and that the suitable habitats for the two species have high degree of spatial coincidence. These results in combination suggest that this habitat may function as a mid-latitude feeding ground to both species while conditions are adequate. The sei whale model, on the other hand, did not include variables considered to be proxies for prey distribution and little environmental niche overlap was found between this species and the other two. We argue that these results suggest that the region holds little importance as a foraging habitat for the sei whale.This work was supported by FEDER funds, through the Competitiveness Factors Operational Programme - COMPETE, by national funds, through FCT - Foundation for Science and Technology, under project TRACE (PTDC/ MAR/74071/2006), and by regional funds, through DRCT/SRCTE, under project MAPCET (M2.1.2/ F/012/2011). We acknowledge funds provided by FCT to MARE, through the strategic project UID/MAR/04292/2013. RP was supported by an FCT postdoctoral grant (SFRH_BPD_108007_2015); MT’s fellowship was supported by the FCT Exploratory project (IF/00943/2013); MAS has an FCT Investigador contract (IF/00943/2013).2018-08-0

Environmental drivers of large-scale movements of baleen whales in the mid-North Atlantic Ocean

© The Author(s), 2020. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in Perez-Jorge, S., Tobena, M., Prieto, R., Vandeperre, F., Calmettes, B., Lehodey, P., & Silva, M. A. Environmental drivers of large-scale movements of baleen whales in the mid-North Atlantic Ocean. Diversity and Distributions, 00, (2020): 1-16, doi:10.1111/ddi.13038.Aim Understanding the environmental drivers of movement and habitat use of highly migratory marine species is crucial to implement appropriate management and conservation measures. However, this requires quantitative information on their spatial and temporal presence, which is limited in the high seas. Here, we aimed to gain insights of the essential habitats of three baleen whale species around the mid‐North Atlantic (NA) region, linking their large‐scale movements with information on oceanographic and biological processes. Location Mid‐NA Ocean. Methods We present the first study combining data from 31 satellite tracks of baleen whales (15, 10 and 6 from fin, blue and sei whales, respectively) from March to July (2008–2016) with data on remotely sensed oceanography and mid‐ and lower trophic level biomass derived from the spatial ecosystem and population dynamics model (SEAPODYM). A Bayesian switching state‐space model was applied to obtain regular tracks and correct for location errors, and pseudo‐absences were created through simulated positions using a correlated random walk model. Based on the tracks and pseudo‐absences, we applied generalized additive mixed models (GAMMs) to determine the probability of occurrence and predict monthly distributions. Results This study provides the most detailed research on the spatio‐temporal distribution of baleen whales in the mid‐NA, showing how dynamic biophysical processes determine their habitat preference. Movement patterns were mainly influenced by the interaction of temperature and the lower trophic level biomass; however, this relationship differed substantially among species. Best‐fit models suggest that movements of whales migrating towards more productive areas in northern latitudes were constrained by depth and eddy kinetic energy. Main conclusions These novel insights highlight the importance of integrating telemetry data with spatially explicit prey models to understand which factors shape the movement patterns of highly migratory species across large geographical scales. In addition, our outcomes could contribute to inform management of anthropogenic threats to baleen whales in sparsely surveyed region.We are very grateful to Cláudia Oliveira, Irma Cascão, Maria João Cruz, Miriam Romagosa and many volunteers, skilled skippers, crew and spotters that participated in the tagging fieldwork. This work was supported by Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT), Azores 2020 Operational Programme and Fundo Regional da Ciência e Tecnologia (FRCT) through research projects FCT‐Exploratory project (IF/00943/2013/CP1199/CT0001), TRACE (PTDC/MAR/74071/2006) and MAPCET (M2.1.2/F/012/2011) co‐funded by FEDER, COMPETE, QREN, POPH, ESF, ERDF, Portuguese Ministry for Science and Education, and Proconvergencia Açores/EU Program. We also acknowledge funds provided by FCT to MARE, through the strategic project UID/MAR/04292/2013. SPJ was supported by a postdoctoral grant (REF.GREENUP/001‐2016), MT by a DRCT doctoral grant (M3.1.a/F/028/2015), MAS by an FCT‐Investigator contract (IF/00943/2013), FV by an FCT Investigator contract (CEECIND/03469/2017) and RP by an FCT postdoctoral grant (SFRH/BPD/108007/2015). LMTL modelling work has been supported by the CMEMS Service Evolution GREENUP project, funded by Mercator Ocean. We are grateful to Elliott Hazen for offering guidance and advice, and to two anonymous referees whose comments greatly improved this work

Observações de cetáceos por iatistas no Atlântico Norte : um estudo piloto.

In the summer of 1998, yachtsmen sailing from the Caribbean to the Azores were encouraged to take part in an Atlantic cetacean survey. The principle aim of this project was to evaluate the potential of using regular seafarers as sources of data on cetacean distribution. Identification guides and sighting forms were distributed and participants were asked to record any cetacean sightings as well as to conduct routine set-effort watches. A secondary aim of the project was to investigate reports of illegal whaling in the Atlantic. Data collected from the yachtsmen reveal a concentration of sightings along the mid- Atlantic ridge, perhaps corresponding to an increase in productivity in this area. No further reports of whaling activity were made. Although this work only involves a small data set, it illustrates how useful yachtsmen can be in assisting research in otherwise inaccessible regions. Future involvement of yachtsmen in cetacean surveying should be encouraged, as long-term data sets gathered in this way can be invaluable in revealing offshore trends

Modeling the potential distribution and richness of cetaceans in the Azores from Fisheries Observer Program data

© The Author(s), 2016. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in Frontiers in Marine Science 2 (2016): 202, doi:10.3389/fmars.2016.00202.Marine spatial planning and ecological research call for high-resolution species distribution data. However, those data are still not available for most marine large vertebrates. The dynamic nature of oceanographic processes and the wide-ranging behavior of many marine vertebrates create further difficulties, as distribution data must incorporate both the spatial and temporal dimensions. Cetaceans play an essential role in structuring and maintaining marine ecosystems and face increasing threats from human activities. The Azores holds a high diversity of cetaceans but the information about spatial and temporal patterns of distribution for this marine megafauna group in the region is still very limited. To tackle this issue, we created monthly predictive cetacean distribution maps for spring and summer months, using data collected by the Azores Fisheries Observer Programme between 2004 and 2009. We then combined the individual predictive maps to obtain species richness maps for the same period. Our results reflect a great heterogeneity in distribution among species and within species among different months. This heterogeneity reflects a contrasting influence of oceanographic processes on the distribution of cetacean species. However, some persistent areas of increased species richness could also be identified from our results. We argue that policies aimed at effectively protecting cetaceans and their habitats must include the principle of dynamic ocean management coupled with other area-based management such as marine spatial planning.This work was supported by FEDER funds, through the Competitiveness Factors Operational Programme - COMPETE, by national funds, through FCT - Foundation for Science and Technology, under project TRACE (PTDC/ MAR/74071/2006), and by regional funds, through DRCT/SRCTE, under projects MAPCET (M2.1.2/F/012/2011) and 2020 (M2.1.2/I/026/2011). We acknowledge funds provided by FCT to MARE, through the strategic project UID/MAR/04292/2013. RP is supported by an FCT postdoctoral grant (SFRH/BPD/108007/2015); MAS is supported by Program Investigator FCT (IF/00943/2013) and MT was supported by a research fellowship under the Exploratory project (IF/00943/2013/CP1199/CT0001) that also paid the fees for this open-access publication. IF/00943/2013 and IF/00943/2013/CP1199/CT0001 are funded by FSE and MCTES, through POPH and QREN

Compor mundos: humanidades, bem-estar e saúde no século XXI (Volume 2)

O projeto “Compor mundos: humanidades, bem-estar e saúde” pretende criar uma rede de especialistas na área das humanidades e das ciências sociais e da saúde, internos e externos à Universidade Fernando Pessoa, que pensem as questões do bem- -estar e da saúde nas sociedades tecnológicas contemporâneas. A relevância deste pro jeto baseia-se na evidência crescente de que a maioria dos problemas com que o século XXI se debaterá, particularmente na área do bem-estar e da saúde, se prende com as realidades humanas e o modo como se relacionam com com o ambiente, as diferentes culturas, os seres não-humanos e as tecnologias. O projeto está dividido em duas fases, desenvolvendo-se durante os anos académicos de 2020-2021 e seguintes. A metodologia utilizada na primeira fase do projeto é a entrevista com guião de resposta aberta, construída de forma participativa pela rede de especialistas. O objetivo da entrevista consiste em fazer emergir os conhecimentos e as sensibilidades, pessoais e fundamentados, face às grandes questões envolvendo as humanidades, a saúde e o bem-estar nas sociedades contemporâneas. Trata-se de uma investigação exploratória, que utiliza a análise temática de texto com a identificação das ideias-chave originais a cada autor, e a indução dos temas principais correspondentes. Os temas são organizados por grupos de correspondência semântica, ou clusters temáticos. Destes clusters abstraíram-se os eixos temáticos transversais, que constituem vetores de desenvolvimento da segunda fase do projeto, através de diversas atividades de formação, de investigação, de intervenção social e de extensão cultural e comunitária.The project “Composing worlds: humanities, well-being and health in the 21st century” aims to build a network of experts in the humanities, social and health sciences, who think about well-being and health in contemporary technological societies. The relevance of this project is based on the growing evidence that most of the problems of the 21st century, particularly in the area of well-being and health, are associated to the way humans relate to the environment, to different cultures, to non-human beings and technologies. The project is divided into two phases, developing in the academic years of 2020 and 2021, and following. The methodology used in the first phase consists of an open answer interview, built in a participatory way by the network of experts. Its main goal is to bring out personal and well-founded ideas on issues involving the humanities, health and well-being in contemporary societies. It is an exploratory research, which uses thematic analysis to identify the key ideas of each author, and the induction of the corresponding main themes. The themes are then organized by semantic correspondence into thematic clusters. The transversal thematic axes are abstracted from these clusters, and they constitute the vectors to be developed in the second phase of the project, which will consist on various activities of training, research and social intervention of cultural and community outreach.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The forgotten whale : a bibliometric analysis and literature review of the North Atlantic sei whale Balaenoptera borealis

Author Posting. © The Author(s), 2012. This is the author's version of the work. It is posted here by permission of John Wiley & Sons for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Mammal Review 42 (2012): 235-272, doi:10.1111/j.1365-2907.2011.00195.x.1. A bibliometric analysis of the literature on the sei whale Balaenoptera borealis is presented. Research output on the species is quantified and compared with research on four other whale species. The results show a significant increase in research for all species except the sei whale. Research output is characterized chronologically and by oceanic basin. 2. The species’ distribution, movements, stock structure, feeding, reproduction, abundance, acoustics, mortality and threats are reviewed for the North Atlantic, and the review is complemented with previously unpublished data. 3. Knowledge on the distribution and movements of the sei whale in the North Atlantic is still mainly derived from whaling records. Movement patterns and winter distribution are not clear. Surveys in some known summering areas show that the species has changed its distribution in parts of its previously known range. 4. With the present information, it is impossible to determine whether or not the North Atlantic sei whale population is subdivided into biological units. Abundance estimates are fragmentary and cover a restricted part of the summering habitat. 5. In the North Atlantic, sei whales seem to be stenophagous, feeding almost exclusively on calanoid copepods and euphausiids. On feeding grounds, they are associated with oceanic frontal systems, but how they find and explore these structures has not been fully investigated. 6. The available data on vital rates are based on whaling-derived studies and are 25 years old or older. Despite increasing human and environmentally induced pressures, there are no current estimates for mortality and population trends. 7. Current research needs include the clear definition of stock units, reliable abundance estimates, studies of distribution and migration that incorporate the identification of wintering areas, acquisition of up-to-date data on reproduction and mortality, and investigations into the consequences of environmental changes for the species.Mónica Silva was supported by an FCT postdoctoral grant (SFRH/BPD/29841/2006), and Rui Prieto was supported by an FCT doctoral grant (SFRH/BD/32520/2006)

Virtual screening of a library of natural compounds against COX-2 protein

The use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in treating inflammatory diseases has been widespread, especially in treating rheumatoid arthritis. NSAIDs act mainly by promoting the inhibition of cyclooxygenase enzymes (COX-1 and COX-2), inducing significant anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and antipyretic activity. However, recent data show that prolonged use of NSAIDs can lead to cardiovascular side effects. Thus, the present work aims to identify COX-2 inhibitors alternatives from natural sources, specifically mushrooms, as an alternative to conventional inhibitorsThe authors are grateful to the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT, Portugal) for financial support through national funds FCT/MCTES to the CIMO (UIDB/00690/2020); to the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) through the Competitiveness and Internationalization Operational Program for financial support to the project 100% Figo (POCI-01-0247-FEDER-064977). S. Heleno and M. Carocho thank FCT for their individual employment program–contract (CEECIND/ 00831/2018, CEECIND/03040/2017), and L.Barros also thanks to the national funding by FCT through the institutional scientificemployment program–contract for her contract. C. Shirashi thank the project 100% Figos.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Multi-state open robust design applied to opportunistic data reveals dynamics of wide-ranging taxa: The sperm whale case.

© The Author(s), 2019. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in Boys, R. M., Oliveira, C., Perez-Jorgeo, S., Prieto, R., Steiner, L., & Silva, M. A. Multi-state open robust design applied to opportunistic data reveals dynamics of wide-ranging taxa: The sperm whale case. Ecosphere, 10(3), (2019):e02610, doi:10.1002/ecs2.2610.Capture–mark–recapture methods have been extensively used to estimate abundance, demography, and life history parameters of populations of several taxa. However, the high mobility of many species means that dedicated surveys are logistically complicated and expensive. Use of opportunistic data may be an alternative, if modeling takes into account the inevitable heterogeneity in capture probability from imperfect detection and incomplete sampling, which can produce significant bias in parameter estimates. Here, we compare covariate‐based open Jolly‐Seber models (POPAN) and multi‐state open robust design (MSORD) models to estimate demographic parameters of the sperm whale population summering in the Azores, from photo‐identification data collected opportunistically by whale‐watching operators and researchers. The structure of the MSORD also allows for extra information to be obtained, estimating temporary emigration and improving precision of estimated parameters. Estimates of survival from both POPAN and MSORD were high, constant, and very similar. The POPAN model, which partially accounted for heterogeneity in capture probabilities, estimated an unbiased super‐population of ~1470 whales, with annual abundance showing a positive trend from 351 individuals (95% CI: 234–526) in 2010 to 718 (95% CI: 477–1082) in 2015. In contrast, estimates of abundance from MSORD models that explicitly incorporated imperfect detection due to temporary emigration were less biased, more precise, and showed no trend over years, from 275 individuals (95% CI: 188–404) in 2014 to 367 (95% CI: 248–542) in 2012. The MSORD estimated short residence time and an even‐flow temporary emigration, meaning that the probability of whales emigrating from and immigrating to the area was equal. Our results illustrate how failure to account for transience and temporary emigration can lead to biased estimates and trends in abundance, compromising our ability to detect true population changes. MSORD models should improve inferences of population dynamics, especially when capture probability is low and highly variable, due to wide‐ranging behavior of individuals or to non‐standardized sampling. Therefore, these models should provide less biased estimates and more accurate assessments of uncertainty that can inform management and conservation measures.We acknowledge IFAW for providing photo‐identification data from the early period of the study (1987–1993), Biosphere Expeditions and clients of Whale Watch Azores for making data collection possible. We thank Sara Magalhães, Tiago Sá, João Medeiros, Yves Cuenot, Pablo Chevallard Navarro, and numerous volunteers that over the years helped with data collection and organization of the photo‐identification catalogue. We are deeply grateful to Gary White, Bill Kendall, Jim Hines, James Nichols, Paul Conn, and Olivier Gimenez for offering guidance and advice on CMR modeling. We thank Jonathan Gordon for his comments on an earlier version of the manuscript. We are thankful to the three anonymous reviewers for providing very helpful comments. This work was supported by Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT), Azores 2020 Operational Programme, and Fundo Regional da Ciência e Tecnologia (FRCT) through research projects FCT‐Exploratory project (IF/00943/2013/CP1199/CT0001), WATCH IT (Acores‐01‐0145‐FEDER‐000057), and MISTIC SEAS II (GA11.0661/2017/750679/SUB/ENV.C2) co‐funded by FEDER, COMPETE, QREN, POPH, ESF, Portuguese Ministry for Science and Education, and EU‐DG/ENV. The Azores 2020 Operational Programme is funded by the community structural funds ERDF and ESF. We also acknowledge funds provided by FCT to MARE, through the strategic project UID/MAR/04292/2013. Rebecca M Boys is supported by an Estagiar L scholarship, Cláudia Oliveira by a research assistant contract from WATCH IT and Mónica A Silva by an FCT‐Investigator contract (IF/00943/2013), and Rui Prieto by an FCT postdoctoral grant (SFRH/BPD/108007/2015). Mónica A Silva conceptualized the project, acquired funding, administered, and supervised the project. Lisa Steiner, Cláudia Oliveira, Rebecca M Boys, and Mónica A Silva involved in data curation. Rebecca M Boys, Mónica A Silva, Sergi Pérez‐Jorge, and Cláudia Oliveira involved in formal analysis, investigation, and methodology. Rebecca M Boys preparation and visualization of the data. Rebecca M Boys, Mónica A Silva, Sergi Pérez‐Jorge, Rui Prieto wrote the original draft of the manuscript. Rebecca M Boys, Mónica A Silva, Rui Prieto, Sergi Pérez‐Jorge, Cláudia Oliveira, and Lisa Steiner wrote, reviewed, and edited the manuscript