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Whale NewsletterAlaska Beluga

July 2012

Alaska Beluga Whale Committee History & ActivitiesFormation In 1988, the Alaska Beluga Whale Committee (ABWC) was formed to improve cooperation and communication among beluga whale subsistence hunters, scientists, and the government regarding the conservation and management of beluga whales. The ABWC is composed of regional and village delegates from areas in Alaska where hunting of the Western Alaska population of beluga whales takes place; beluga whale scientists; and members of Federal, State and local governments. The ABWC does not include Cook Inlet.

Bylaws & Management PlanIn 1995, the ABWC adopted Bylaws and a Management Plan to conserve and manage the subsistence hunting of the Western Alaska beluga whale population. The goals of the Management Plan are to maintain healthy populations of beluga whales and to provide for adequate subsistence harvest of beluga whales and protect hunting privileges for Alaska Native subsistence hunters. The Plan has seven parts: conservation, harvesting, use, reporting and monitoring, public involvement, research and enforcement. ABWC Bylaws specify that only Alaska Native beluga hunters may vote on matters pertaining to hunting, but that all members of the committee vote on other matters. ABWC member communities have signed resolutions supporting the ABWC Management Plan.

Co-Management The ABWC signed a cooperative agreement with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in 1999 to co-manage the Western Alaska beluga population. This agreement has been ratified by 23 beluga

hunting communities. The purposes of this Agreement between NOAA and ABWC are to:• conservetheWesternAlaskabelugawhalepopulation• protectAlaskaNativebelugawhalesubsistencehuntingtraditions and culture• promotescientificresearchonbelugawhales,whalestocks and their environment• carryoutprovisionsoftheMarineMammalProtectionAct that are relevant to aboriginal subsistence hunting of beluga whales.

Delegates at an ABWC Science Workshop. Left to right: Frank Kavairlook, Allen Atchak, Ted Hamilton, and Charles Saccheus Sr.

Since the signing of the agreement, the ABWC and NOAA (and also ADF&G) have continued to work closely together to conduct research and management activities in a cost-effective way. Each year, the ABWC holds its annual meeting in Anchorage to discuss harvest information, research being conducted by the ABWC and others on beluga whales, industrial activities that might affect belugas, changes in ice and weather conditions that could affect belugas, and any other important topics about belugas.

Funding Funding for the ABWC comes through a grant from NOAA, with significant additional in-kind support from ADF&G, the North Slope Borough Department of Wildlife Management (NSB-DWM) and NOAA as well as many hunters and biologists who contribute their efforts.

ABWC Chairman Willie Goodwin, Joe Sage, and Moses Toyukak at an ABWC meeting.

Alaska Beluga Whale Newsletter – 2 July 2012

Since the early 1990s, the ABWC has received about $175,000-$200,000 per year from NOAA to conduct beluga management and research activities. With these funds the ABWC has held annual meetings; sent representatives to the International Whaling Commission meetings; collected and published harvest information; conducted diet studies, contaminant studies, and genetics studies to identify Alaska beluga stocks; conducted aerial surveys to estimate population size; and satellite-tagged belugas in the Chukchi Sea and Bristol Bay to study movements and habitat use.

ABWC scientists John Citta (ADF&G), Heather Smith (Dalhousie University), and Robert Suydam (NSB-DWM). John, Heather and Robert work on a variety of ABWC projects.

In 2011, NOAA implemented a new funding program called the “Alaska Native Co-Management Funding Program.” The objective of the Alaska Native Co-Management Funding Program is to provide technical and financial assistance for developing and implementing programs that increase Alaska Native participation in the management of marine mammals for subsistence use; provide for sustainable use of marine mammals for subsistence purposes; benefit marine mammals and their habitat; and encourage local participation in marine mammal science and management. Funded activities may include species management, harvest monitoring and sampling, scientific research, and public education and outreach. The ABWC submitted a proposal under this new program in 2011 and was awarded about $238,000 to conduct management and research activities. ABWC submitted another proposal in March 2012 for fiscal year 2012-2013.

Beluga Whale Harvest DataAt the annual ABWC meeting, delegates from each village and region give reports about the beluga harvest in their region. Delegates talk about the total number of belugas harvested plus how many were struck and lost. They give information about whether the belugas were caught in nets, hunted from boats, or shot from the ice. They also report anything they observed about what belugas were eating or any unusual behavior. A dedicated harvest monitoring study is conducted at Point Lay, with funding from the

NSB-DWM. As part of this study, special samples are taken to study things like diet, genetics, contaminants, and beluga health.

Beluga harvest at Point Lay. The annual drive hunt usually takes place in late June or early July. The entire community helps to process the harvest.

Calvin Lane distributing the beluga shares after the Point Lay beluga harvest.

In 2010, the ABWC published 20 years of harvest data for Alaska belugas. The total landed harvest for the four stocks combined averaged 323 per year. For individual stocks the average annual landed harvests for 1987–2006 were: Beaufort Sea – 41; Chukchi Sea – 62; eastern Bering Sea – 191; and Bristol Bay – 20. There was no significant long term trend in the rate of harvesting for any stock from 1987 to 2006.

The ABWC shares harvest information with NOAA, its co-management partner. Harvest information is also voluntarily provided to the International Whaling Commission each year. Because the ABWC collects and shares good-quality harvest information, the IWC knows that Alaska beluga whale hunters are monitoring and managing their own harvest.

*NOTE: If you have information about the beluga harvest that is missing from this table, or more accurate, contact Kathy Frost (808) 325-6885 or [email protected].


2010 and 2011 Harvest of Beluga Whales:Beaufort Sea stock 2010 2011Barrow 2 6Diomede 3 0Kaktovik 5 0Kivalina 0 3Point Hope 62 32 TOTAL 72 41

Chukchi Sea stockPoint Lay 23 22Wainwright 9 10 TOTAL 32 32

Kotzebue Sound stock (?)Buckland 0 0Deering 0 0Kivalina 2 2Kotzebue, Noatak 0 30 TOTAL 2 32

Eastern Bering Sea stock 2010 2011Alakanuk 14 2Elim 18 19Emmonak 20 ndGolovin 3 4Hooper Bay 25 39Kotlik 22 13Koyuk 3 2Nome/Brevik 5 11Nunam Iqua 0 6Saint Michael 11 9Scammon Bay 5 14Shaktoolik 11 11Stebbins 9 9Unalakleet 9 ndWhite Mountain 9 4Yukon, other 9 10 TOTAL 173 153

Kuskokwim 2010 2011Eek 2 0Newtok 0 ndQuinhagak 2 ndToksook Bay 13 10Tununak + Mekoryuk 1 ndKwethluk & Kipnuk 0 2 TOTAL 18 12

Bristol Bay stockAleknagek 1 0Clark’s Point 2 2Dillingham 4 3Egegik 0 0Igiugig 1 2

Iliamna 5 2Levelock 4 5Manokotak 6 4Naknek 1 1Non-local hunters 2 2Newhalen 1 nd TOTAL 27 21

TOTAL all stocks 325 302

Processing harvested belugas at Elim.

Millie Schaeffer preparing beluga muktuk at hunting camp in Kotzebue.

Chukchi Population AssessmentThe ABWC held a population assessment workshop in Seattle on March 10-11, 2010. The workshop was organized and chaired by ABWC member Lloyd Lowry. The workshop was held because good survey techniques for estimating abundance of Chukchi Sea belugas haven’t been worked out. A better method is needed to produce a reasonable population estimate. The purposes of the workshop were to summarize what we know about when and where Chukchi Sea belugas occur; to determine the best survey dates and survey design; and to estimate the cost, identify participants, and determine what additional studies might be needed for the survey.


Maps of the movements of satellite-tagged belugas from Canada and Alaska showed that belugas from the Beaufort and Chukchi sea stocks are separated in July. For this reason, workshop participants recommended that the ABWC: 1) conduct preliminary aerial surveys in conjunction with COMIDA (Chukchi Offshore Monitoring in Drilling Area); 2) conduct a full survey in July following the preliminary survey; and 3) satellite-tag 5-10 belugas at Point Lay before the surveys take place to see whether the survey covers the areas where tagged belugas are located.

A preliminary aerial survey was conducted in 2011 as part of the COMIDA program. COMIDA was designed to monitor marine mammal distribution, relative density, and behavior during the open-water months (mid-June to the end of October). It is funded by the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, (BOEM, was Minerals Management Service) and coordinated through NOAA’s National Marine Mammal Laboratory (NMML).

July distribution of belugas tagged in the Mackenzie estuary of Canada (red, Beaufort Sea stock) and near Point Lay (blue, eastern Chukchi Sea stock).

Map showing lines to be surveyed in 2012 as part of COMIDA surveys. The yellow lines will be surveyed in July 2012 as part of the full ABWC beluga survey. In addition, a coastal survey will be flown along Kasegaluk Lagoon near Point Lay. Lines will also be flown in the yellow survey block northeast of Barrow.


The full ABWC Chukchi Sea beluga survey will take place June 29-July 12, 2012. Robert Suydam (NSB-DWM) and Bob Small (ADF&G) are coordinating the survey, which will be a collaborative effort by ABWC, NSB-DWM, NMML, BOEM, and ADF&G. The survey will be flown by a team led by Janet Clarke (SAIC) and Megan Ferguson (NMFS), who have both conducted numerous aerial surveys in the Chukchi and Beaufort seas. The survey will include transects very similar to those flown by COMIDA in 2011, plus a coastal survey along Kasegaluk Lagoon near Point Lay and lines in the survey blocks northeast of Barrow.

Bristol Bay Mark-Recapture Study The ABWC is trying out a technique called “mark-recapture” to estimate the abundance of belugas in Bristol Bay using genetics samples. This research is the cutting edge of science and has never been done before for belugas. The mark-recapture technique is another way to estimate population size, without doing aerial surveys. DNA is collected from belugas and identifies individual belugas like a fingerprint. This fingerprint is called a “mark.” When DNA from an individual beluga is sampled again in a later year, this is called a “recapture. “The technique is to “mark” a sample of the beluga population in one or more years and then “recapture” some of those marked belugas in later years. The proportion of marked belugas that are recaptured in the future is used by biometricians (statistics experts) to estimate population size. Because the ABWC already has good abundance estimates for Bristol Bay belugas based on aerial surveys, it will be possible to compare aerial survey and mark-recapture estimates. If they are similar, it may be possible to use this new technique in other areas where survey estimates are poor or do not exist. The samples can also be used to help to determine how often belugas have calves, how long they live, how groups are related, and how males and females separate into groups.

Biopsies for the mark-recapture study were collected using a technique developed by Bristol Bay beluga hunters and

biologists working together. Skin was collected from free-ranging belugas using a pole with a biopsy tip on the end. There is a threaded bolt at the tip. The threads allow the biopsy tip to be screwed on and off. The end of the pole has a penetration stop so that the biopsy tip doesn’t go in too deep. The poles are tied to the boat so that the pole can be thrown and pulled back into the boat. Belugas were herded into shallow water using small boats driven by local beluga hunters. The shallow water slows the belugas down and allows the boat to get close enough for the pole to be thrown or jabbed into the whale.

George Wilson (driving) and John Citta collecting biopsy samples in Bristol Bay.

There are a lot of supporters for this study: Bristol Bay Native Association, Bristol Bay Marine Mammal Council, ABWC, NMFS, ADF&G, and the USFWS Togiak Refuge. The project wouldn’t be possible without the cooperation from Bristol Bay people. Participants in the study included Nick Apokedak, Gustie Tallekpalek, Brian Apokedak, Virgil Neketa, George Wilson and Louise Tallekpalek on the Kvichak side, and Ben Tinker, Albert Roehl, Tom Olson, Curtis Ayuluk, Patrick Aloysius and Wassily Kayakwok on the Nushagak side. Biologists working with the project are Lori Quakenbush, Anna Bryant and John Citta with ADF&G. Helen Chythlook (now Aderman) with BBNA has helped to find local hunters, housing and solve problems along the way. All capture, handing, sampling, biopsies, and tagging of belugas were done as permitted by NMFS Marine Mammal Research Permit Nos. 782-1719 and 14610. Each whale is sampled carefully to minimize the risk of harm.

So far, 721 biopsy skin samples have been collected (2004-30; 2005-13; 2006-58; 2007-99; 2008-123; 2009-17; 2010-146; 2011- 235). All of the biopsies were collected in the spring. Skin from 35 belugas captured for tagging can also be included in the mark-recapture study, bringing the total number of samples to 756. Eighty of these have been collected on the Nushagak side and 676 on the Kvichak side.

The samples are being analyzed by Dr. Greg O’Corry-Crowe at the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution, Fort Pierce, FL. Greg has worked with the ABWC for many years to help unravel the mysteries of genetics and beluga stock identification. So far, 298 unique individuals have

George Wilson (left) and Gustie Tallekpalek (right) were the boat drivers for the 2011 Bristol Bay biopsy project.


been genetically fingerprinted. Of these, 273 were captured in the Kvichak and 25 in the Nushagak. Between 2004 and 2008, 25 belugas were recaptured in the Kvichak. So far, there have been no recaptures from the Nushagak River, although there are an additional 55 Nushagak samples that have not been analyzed. Until they are, we can’t say much about the movement of belugas between the Kvichak and Nushagak rivers in spring. We do know that a satellite-tagged beluga moved between the rivers in spring 2011 and we know that belugas move back and forth between the Kvichak and Nushagak at other times of year.

The preliminary abundance estimate from the mark-recapture analysis is 2,158. This has what statisticians call a “95% confidence limit” of 1,394 to 3,445, which means they are 95% sure the population falls between those numbers. The estimate of 2,158 is not too different from the most recent aerial survey abundance estimate of 2,877. However, we don’t yet know if the mark-recapture estimate applies only to the Kvichak River or all of Bristol Bay. We know that there are belugas in the Nushagak and possibly the Naknek rivers while we are sampling in the Kvichak each spring. If individual belugas return to the same river each spring our estimate may only apply to the Kvichak in the spring. If there is good mixing between rivers, the estimate may apply to the entire stock. We suspect that there is at least some mixing and that this estimate is somewhat low for the entire Bristol Bay stock.

In the future we will analyze the existing samples and finalize and interpret the population estimate. There is still a lot of work to do on analyzing the rest of the samples and completing the analysis, but we have a great start.

Satellite Tagging in Bristol BaySince 2002, the Bristol Bay Native Association, ADF&G and the ABWC have been working together to satellite tag belugas in Bristol Bay. The goal is to learn about their year round movements. So far, 37 belugas have been tagged – 10 in the Kvichak in 2002-2003 and 26 in the Nushagak in 2006-2011. Local Bristol Bay residents and ADF&G biologists have worked side-by-side to capture and tag the belugas. This work was done under NMFS Marine Mammal Research Permit No. 782-1719.

Locations of satellite-tagged belugas in Bristol Bay during June-July, 2008. The belugas were tagged in the Nushagak near Dillingham.

Locations of satellite-tagged belugas in Bristol Bay during winter 2008. The belugas occur farther offshore in winter.

Age, Growth and ReproductionThe Village of Point Lay has worked with biologists since 1987 to sample the Point Lay beluga harvest and learn about the age, growth, and reproduction of eastern Chukchi Sea belugas. Robert Suydam of the NSB-DWM analyzed the data from the Point Lay harvest study for his PhD thesis which he completed in 2009. Thanks to the hunters of Point Lay, Robert is now “Dr. Suydam!”

Successful beluga harvest at Point Lay.

Measurements and biological samples were collected from most of the 688 beluga whales taken by Point Lay beluga hunters from 1987 to 2005 (and also since then). Hunters at Point Lay usually select larger, older animals, so few small, young whales were sampled in the harvest. This bias for larger whales resulted in more males and fewer females being taken.

It has been known for a long time that belugas change color from gray to gray-white to white as they get older. We found that males and females were similar in length until the whales turned white. After that, white males were longer than white females. Males averaged 14.3 feet and females averaged 11.9 feet.


About 30%-40% of the adult females are pregnant at any given time, which indicates that they calve every 2 to 3 years. Robert estimated a gestation period (time baby belugas spend developing in the uterus) of 454 days, slightly less than the known gestation period of captive females. He estimated the age of first-time mothers to be about 8.5 years. According to growth layers in teeth and other information, beluga whales probably live to be about 60-70 years of age. All of the information gathered in this study will be valuable for estimating the growth rate of the population, making sound management decisions for sustainable harvests, and evaluating potential impacts from climate change and industrial development.

Point Lay Satellite Tagging The ABWC has been conducting satellite tagging of belugas near Point Lay since 1996. Robert Suydam is the lead biologist on this project. The people of Point Lay and biologists from NSB-DWM, ADF&G, Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, and Mystic Aquarium worked together to make this project a success. Funding has been provided by ABWC, NSB-DWM, NSB School District, BOEM (through the Coastal Marine Institute at University of Alaska Fairbanks), and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.

Tagged beluga ready for release near Point Lay. Left to right: Tracey Romano, Greg O’Corry-Crowe, Bob Small and Robert Suydam.

“SPLASH” tags attached during Beluga Tagger Workshop. The tags attached using three pins and spider-type cables. Holes for the pins were made using a sharp metal coring tool (Trocar) inserted through the skin and blubber in front of the dorsal ridge. Nylon washers and nuts were used to secure the tags.

Twenty-six belugas were tagged during 1998-2007 (13 adult males, 5 immature males, 4 adult females and 4 immature females). Maps of their movements show that the tagged belugas moved all over the Chukchi Sea and very far north into the Beaufort Sea and Arctic Ocean. During July–September, movement patterns differed by age and/or sex. All belugas that moved north of 75° N were males. Adult males tended to use deeper water and to remain there for most of the summer. Five of nine adult males captured from all-male groups traveled through 90% pack ice cover to reach 79°N–80°N by late July/early August. That’s about 600 miles from the North Pole and the water is about 10,000 feet deep. What are they doing up so far north? We’re not sure, but they may be feeding on Arctic cod. Adult males captured from groups that included adult females also moved into deep water but for shorter periods of time.

Map showing movements of belugas that were satellite tagged at Point Lay during 1998-2008.

In all years, adult and immature females remained at or near the continental shelf break throughout summer and early fall. Based on our small sample size, immature males moved farther north than immature females, but not as far north as adult males. Belugas of all ages and both sexes were most often found in water deeper than 660 feet along and just beyond the continental shelf break. They rarely used the inshore waters within the Outer Continental Shelf lease sale area of the Beaufort Sea. Heavy ice did not seem to inhibit the movements of large adult males in summer since they traveled through, and were often located in, >90% ice cover. Only three tagged belugas transmitted data after October of the year they were tagged. Those animals migrated south through the Bering Strait into the northern Bering Sea just north of Saint Lawrence Island.


In 2007, three beluga whales were satellite-tagged. One of the tags on a male continued to transmit a signal for almost 18 months, from June 8, 2007 to December 4, 2008. This is the longest record for a tagged beluga. This information was especially helpful for documenting wintering locations, spring migration routes, and variation in summer habitat use.

Track of B07-1, an adult male beluga that transmitted location and dive data from July 8, 2007 to December 3, 2008 (521 days). This is the longest any beluga tag in Alaska has worked.

Beluga Tagger WorkshopThe ABWC has been satellite tagging belugas in Alaska since the 1990s to learn about movements, diving behavior and habitat use. So far, belugas from Bristol Bay and the eastern Chukchi Sea (Point Lay) have been tagged, but belugas from the eastern Bering Sea (Norton Sound and the Yukon) have not. Several attempts have been made by biologists working with hunters but none have been successful due to deep water (our live-capture methods rely on shallow water), bad weather, and unpredictable

beluga behavior (no belugas around when biologists are present). Beluga hunters in the Norton Sound and Yukon-Kuskokwim areas occasionally have live belugas in their nets when they check them.

At the November 2010 ABWC meeting, members of ABWC recommended that the best way to make progress tagging belugas from the eastern Bering Sea stock is to train hunters to attach the tags so that when a live beluga is present in a net the hunter can tag and release

it. Trained hunters would have a tagging kit available during the open water season to take advantage of such opportunities. However, before hunters could begin to tag belugas in their areas, they must be certified as beluga taggers and added as Co-Investigators under ADF&G’s beluga research permit.

To accomplish tagger training and certification, a “Beluga Tagger Workshop” was held in Bristol Bay in May 2011. Lori Quakenbush (ADF&G) organized the workshop and it was funded by the ABWC. The Bristol Bay Native Association and Bristol Bay Marine Mammal Council gave approval for the workshop to be conducted in their area and helped with getting local boat drivers to participate in capturing belugas. Participants from Bristol Bay were Ben Tinker, Albert Roehl, Tom Olsen, Curtis Ayuluk, Patrick Aloysius and Wassily Kayakwok.

Three beluga hunters from Norton Sound/the Yukon received training and were certified as “Beluga Taggers.” They were Tom Gray (Nome), Frank Kavairlook (Koyuk) and Marvin Okitkun (Kotlik). All three have been added to ADF&G’s beluga research permit, and they all have beluga tagging kits in their home villages. Now they can take advantage of any opportunity that might come along to tag a beluga, even when no biologist is present.

Participants in the Beluga Tagger Workshop held in Bristol Bay in May 2011. Left to right: Tom Olsen, Albert Roehl, Ben Tinker (in boat), Frank Kavairlook, Marvin Okitkun, Patrick Aloysius (standing in boat), Lori Quakenbush, Wassily Kayakwok, and Curtis Ayuluk.

Attaching satellite SPLASH tag to a beluga in Bristol Bay. Left to right: Tom Gray, Lori Quakenbush, and Frank Kavairlook.


Diving Behavior The ABWC has been attaching satellite tags to belugas near Point Lay since 1998. These tags not only provide information on beluga movements, but also on their diving behavior. John Citta (ADF&G), through a contract with the ABWC, has been analyzing the diving behavior from these belugas. There are 18 usable tags and almost 3,500 dive records from tagging conducted during 1998-2002.

This map shows the depths of the deepest dives for belugas satellite tagged at Point Lay. Dives were shallowest in the northern Bering and Chukchi seas where the water was shallow, and deepest off the Beaufort Sea coast where the water was very deep. The deepest dives were more than 3,300 feet! Multiply depth in meters by 3.3 to get the depth in feet.

The dive data show that tagged Chukchi Sea belugas often dove to the bottom. Shallow diving (less than 250 ft) was most common inshore and over the shallow continental shelf. When tagged belugas were in deep water, more than 90% of their dives were deeper than 1,300 ft. In general, belugas made more deep dives in fall than in summer.

Tagged belugas dove 5-10 times per hour, with more dives per hour in shallow water. Most dives were 1 to 18 minutes long, and the longest dives were up to 21 minutes long. The maximum dive duration was longer in deeper water. Adult belugas made longer dives than subadults. Overall, the 18 tagged belugas spent about half of each hour within 30 ft of the surface.

Point Lay and Mystic AquariumMystic Aquarium in Connecticut and the NSB-DWM have set up an exchange program so students from Point Lay can learn more about belugas and watch science in action. The purpose of the exchange is to provide an educational opportunity for the young people of Point Lay and to encourage them to pursue a career in science. The exchange was set up by Tracy Romano, Mystic’s Senior Vice President of Research and Zoological Operations (she’s

spent many of the past 15 summers sampling the Point Lay beluga harvest) and Robert Suydam with the NSB-DWM. Tracy and Robert hope the experience will encourage students to become scientists and wildlife managers so they can preserve their resources for years to come as they deal with issues such as climate change and oil and gas exploration.

In February 2010, high school students Leslie Stalker and Janelle Young traveled from Point Lay to Mystic with Willard Neakok as chaperone. Robert Suydam and Leslie Pierce of Barrow accompanied the group. The idea was for the Point Lay students to “follow” samples from the beluga hunt in Point Lay all the way to the laboratory at Mystic Aquarium. They saw captive belugas at Mystic and visited the laboratory. Leslie and Janelle helped aquarium staffers take and analyze blood samples from a beluga whale. They also helped to dissect a dolphin, fed sharks, worked with a sea lion trainer, and explored the local maritime environment.

Dorothy Pikok and Julia Neakok touch a beluga while Martha Upicksoun and Kim Neakok wait their turn.

In October 2010, a second group of students from Point Lay traveled to Mystic to participate in the Point Lay-Mystic Beluga Educational and Cultural Exchange. Julia Neakok, Kimberly Neakok, Dorthy Pikok, and Martha Upicksoun were immersed into beluga biology as well as learning about other marine mammals. Willard and JoAnne Neakok were the Point Lay chaperones and Robert Suydam and Leslie Pierce of the NSB-DWM accompanied the group. The girls will participate in the beluga hunt and harvest this summer and have been offered opportunities to return to Mystic Aquarium on internships.

Leslie Stalker stains beluga blood cells placed on a slide.


Fatty acids to study dietOne of the important things we need to learn about belugas is what they eat in different areas and times of year. The most common way to do this is to look at stomach contents of stranded or harvested belugas and identify the partially digested food items. This method gives a snapshot of what a beluga ate for its last meal. However, it doesn’t give a picture of diet over days, weeks, or months. It would require a large number of stomachs to identify patterns in what belugas feed on over time.

Another way to study beluga diets is by using fatty acids. Fatty acids are one of the building blocks of the prey a beluga eats. Every prey type has a unique combination of fatty acids, called its “fatty acid signature.” When a beluga eats a particular prey, many of the prey fatty acids are deposited and stored in the beluga’s blubber in a predictable manner. By comparing the fatty acids in beluga blubber to the fatty acid signatures of prey it might have eaten, we can estimate what belugas have been feeding on. Unlike stomach contents, fatty acids in blubber are accumulated over a period of weeks or months, so the fatty acids give a longer term idea about what the beluga was eating.

This figure shows the different fatty acids in two prey species, squid and mackerel. The numbers along the bottom are the “names” given to the different fatty acids. The numbers along the left side are the amounts of each fatty acid. Notice that the sizes of the bars for each fatty acid are different for the two kinds of prey. Thus, they each have their own “fatty acid signature.”

The ABWC has been interested in studying beluga diets for many years. On our harvest questionnaires, we ask the hunters to tell us what the harvested belugas were eating. We have collected stomachs from harvested belugas from several villages including Emmonak, Koyuk, Unalakleet and Point Lay. The Point Lay stomachs are often empty, and tell us nothing about beluga diet. When the fatty acid signature analysis method became available, the ABWC decided to fund a study to see whether it would work on belugas and what it would tell us about beluga diets.

Kenneth Neakok and Heather Smith collecting blubber samples and helping to butcher the belugas harvested in Point Lay.

In 2002, the ABWC funded University of Washington graduate student Heather Smith to conduct a fatty acids study at Point Lay. Cooperators in the study were the ABWC, the Village of Point Lay, the NSB-DWM and the University of Washington. Additional funding for this project was provided by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation in 2007. One of the first things Heather wanted to study was whether or not it matters where on the body of the beluga we collect our samples. Heather collected blubber samples from 6 locations on the body. The locations were selected because they cover

Comparison of fatty acids from six sample locations on a beluga. It turns out there is little variation across all regions of the body.

the portion of the body that would most likely be sampled if a biopsy dart attached to a harpoon or crossbow dart was used to collect samples from wild belugas. She found that fatty acids hardly vary at all across the region of the body that was sampled. This is very good news because it means that samples collected from anywhere in the middle of beluga’s body can be used.


Heather also wanted to know whether fatty acids change with blubber depth (they do in some animals). To study this question, Heather divided the blubber samples into 3 layers. She found that fatty acids in the inner blubber layer (closest to the muscle) are different than fatty acids in the outer blubber layer (closest to the skin). This means that if we analyze samples from different “layers” – or depths in

the blubber – we will come up with different estimates about beluga diet. For this reason, it is important to collect blubber samples that go all the way from the skin to the muscle.

We are closer to using fatty acids to estimate beluga diet, but we are still missing some pieces of the puzzle. One of the things that we need to do is to put together a “prey library” that includes the

different fish and invertebrates that we think belugas might be eating.

This graph shows levels of six fatty acids in the inner, middle and outer blubber. There are substantial differences, meaning it is important to make sure the blubber samples go all the way from the skin to the muscle. Inner values are light blue, middle are bright blue, and outer are dark blue.

Heather is working on this next piece with Robert Suydam. They wrote a proposal to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, and it was funded in October 2011. This will provide a great start on a prey library. There are funds to analyze 300 fish. Some fish have already been collected by biologists at the NSB-DWM and researchers at ConocoPhillips and the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Heather and others will collect additional fish this year, and then Heather will begin the laboratory analysis.

Collecting biological samples during the Point Lay beluga harvest. Back: Robert Suydam and Heather Smith. Front: Leslie Stalker, Samuel Henry, and Patsy Evon Stalker.

The last piece of the puzzle will be a beluga feeding study in an aquarium. We need to understand how the patterns of prey fatty acids change when prey are eaten by a beluga and then stored in the blubber layer. These changes generally occur in a predictable manner, and this information needs to be included in the model when beluga diet is estimated using fatty acids. Captive feeding studies have been completed for a number of seals and sea lions. But it is much easier to collect a blubber sample from a seal than a beluga in an aquarium – seal skin is much thinner, and the scar left after sampling is hidden by the fur. Heather and Robert are also currently working to develop a biopsy tool that aquariums will allow them to use to collect samples of blubber from their captive belugas in the future.

ABWC Officers

Willie Goodwin (Chairman), Harry Brower (Vice Chairman), Kathy Frost (Secretary).

Molly Chythlook (Treasurer), Charles Saccheus Sr. (Sergeant-at-Arms).

Blubber was divided into three layers to see if fatty acids varied with blubber depth.


2010 and 2011 ABWC Delegate ListNorth Slope DelegatesBarrow – Billy Adams, Joe SagePoint Hope – Franklin SagePoint Lay – Julius RexfordWainwright – Ira Ungudruk

Kotzebue Sound DelegatesBuckland – Ernie Barger, Sr.Kivalina – Replogle SwanKotzebue – Virgil NaylorNoatak – Thurston Booth

Norton Sound & the YukonAlakanuk – Camille AuglineElim – Charles Saccheus, Sr.Emmonak – Michael JimmyHooper Bay – Albert SimonKotlik – Marvin OkitkunKoyuk – Frank KavairlookNome – Tom GrayScammon Bay – Clifford KaganakShaktoolik – Axel JacksonSt. Michael – John C. LockwoodStebbins – Allen Atchak Sr.Unalakleet – Charles Degnan

KuskokwimAVCP/Bethel – Tim AndrewToksook Bay – Lawrence John

Bristol BayLevelock – Gustie TallekpalekManokotak – Wassillie TugatukNaknek – Paul Hansen, Sr.

Other RepresentativesJohn Citta, ADF&G, FairbanksRod Hobbs, NMFS, SeattleLloyd Lowry, Charter MemberBarbara Mahoney, NMFS, AnchorageLori Quakenbush, ADF&G, FairbanksBob Small, ADF&G, JuneauRobert Suydam, NSB, Barrow

OfficersWillie Goodwin, ChairmanHarry Brower, Vice ChairmanKathy Frost, SecretaryMolly Chythlook, TreasurerCharles Saccheus, Sr., Sergeant-at-Arms

Alaska Beluga Whale NewsletterThis newsletter is produced by the Alaska Beluga Whale Committee to give you an update on what is happening with beluga research throughout the state. The ABWC is an organization with representatives from coastal beluga-hunting villages in Alaska, from Bristol Bay to the Beaufort Sea. It also includes state, federal and other biologists who study belugas. The ABWC was formed to address concerns about impacts of human activities on belugas, the lack of scientific data on beluga whale stocks in Alaska, and increasing outside interest in the protection of small whales. The ABWC is dedicated to the wise conservation, management and use of beluga whales.This newsletter was funded by a grant from NOAA to the ABWC. The views expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of NOAA or any of its sub-agencies.

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Alaska Beluga Whale Committeec/o North Slope BoroughP.O. Box 69Barrow, Alaska 99723

alaska beluga whale newsletter - the north slope borough newsletter... · 2014-01-30 · alaska ....

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