Harbor Porpoises Catching and Handling Large Fish
- Behavior
Abstract
This short note provides unique insights into previously undocumented harbor porpoise behavior and diet. We document the addition of two new species as harbor porpoise prey items along the U.S. West Coast (pink salmon and American shad) and one in the Salish Sea (coho salmon, salmonid so). Little research on this species has focused beyond group size, population abundance/distribution, presence/absence in relation to use of specific habitats (Elliser et al., 2018), and mating behavior (Keener et al., 2018); thus, wild harbor porpoise behavior remains poorly understood. Reports such as this are important to improve our knowledge of this difficult to observe species and highlight the need for further research and monitoring to fully understand their behavioral repertoire and ecological relationships.
Elliser, C.R., Hessing, S., MacIver, K. H., Webber, M. A., Keener, W., 2020. Harbor porpoises (Phocoena phocoena vomerina) catching and handling large fish on the U.S. West Coast. Aquatic Mammals, 46(2):191-199.
Marc Webber
Bill Keener
Meet The Experts
{"image":"\/People\/Portrait\/cropped-images\/marc-webber-0-196-1204-940-1618436847.jpg","alt":"Marc Webber","title":"Marc Webber","text":"Cetacean Field Research Associate","link_url":"https:\/\/www.marinemammalcenter.org\/person\/marc-webber","link_text":"Read Bio"}
{"image":"\/People\/Portrait\/cropped-images\/bill-keener-0-0-3030-2314-1601930964.jpg","alt":"Bill Keener","title":"Bill Keener","text":"Cetacean Field Research Associate","link_url":"https:\/\/www.marinemammalcenter.org\/person\/bill-keener","link_text":"Read Bio"}
Related Publications
{"image":"\/Animals\/Patients\/Harbor seals\/hs-by-bill-hunnewell-c-the-marine-mammal-center.jpg","alt":"harbor seal in a life preserver enrichment item","title":"Enrichment as a Tool for Rehabilitating Harbor Seals","link_url":"https:\/\/www.marinemammalcenter.org\/publications\/enrichment-as-a-tool-for-rehabilitating-harbor-seals","label":"Research Paper"}
{"image":"\/Animals\/Wild\/Harbor porpoise\/cropped-images\/harbor-porpoises-foraging-by-marc-webber-c-the-marine-mammal-center-4-0-1276-996-1618438446.jpg","alt":"harbor porpoises eating a large fish","title":"Prey-Related Suffocation in Harbor Porpoises","link_url":"https:\/\/www.marinemammalcenter.org\/publications\/prey-related-suffocation-in-harbor-porpoises","label":"Research Paper"}
{"image":"\/Animals\/Wild\/Harbor porpoise\/cropped-images\/harbor-porpoises-aerial-view-badge-by-marc-webber-c-the-marine-mammal-center-0-88-1280-999-1618509985.jpg","alt":"Harbor porpoises seen from above","title":"Coevolution of Asymmetric and Spiraled Genitalia with Unique Mating Behavior","link_url":"https:\/\/www.marinemammalcenter.org\/publications\/coevolution-of-asymmetric-and-spiraled-genitalia-with-unique-mating-behavior","label":"Research Paper"}
Coevolution of Asymmetric and Spiraled Genitalia with Unique Mating Behavior
Read More{"image":"\/Animals\/Wild\/Other species\/beaked-whale-shutterstock.jpg","alt":"beaked whale","title":"Advances in Research on the Impacts of Anti-Submarine Sonar on Beaked Whales","link_url":"https:\/\/www.marinemammalcenter.org\/publications\/advances-in-research-on-the-impacts-of-anti-submarine-sonar-on-beaked-whales","label":"Research Paper"}
Advances in Research on the Impacts of Anti-Submarine Sonar on Beaked Whales
Read MoreRelated News
{"image":"\/Animals\/Wild\/Harbor porpoise\/cropped-images\/harbor-porpoises-aerial-view-by-marc-webber-c-the-marine-mammal-center-0-55-1279-999-1618438563.jpg","alt":"three harbor porpoises seen from above","title":"Newsweek: Mystery As Harbor Porpoises Found 60 Miles Upstream in San Francisco","link_url":"https:\/\/www.marinemammalcenter.org\/news\/newsweek-mystery-as-harbor-porpoises-found-60-miles-upstream-in-san-francisco","label":"In the News","date":"2022-10-26 02:00:00"}
Newsweek: Mystery As Harbor Porpoises Found 60 Miles Upstream in San Francisco
October 26, 2022
Read More{"image":"\/Animals\/Wild\/Humpback whale\/cropped-images\/humpback-by-bill-keener-c-the-marine-mammal-center-noaa-permit-21678-0-0-4602-3594-1625873241.jpg","alt":"humpback whale surfacing just under the Golden Gate Bridge","title":"San Francisco Chronicle: In a Dramatic Change, Whales Are Now Hanging Around the Bay","link_url":"https:\/\/www.marinemammalcenter.org\/news\/san-francisco-chronicle-in-a-dramatic-change-whales-are-now-hanging-around-the-bay","label":"In the News","date":"2022-05-14 02:00:00"}
San Francisco Chronicle: In a Dramatic Change, Whales Are Now Hanging Around the Bay
May 14, 2022
Read More{"image":"\/Animals\/Patients\/Harbor seals\/2022\/cropped-images\/hs-plaid-by-bill-hunnewell-c-the-marine-mammal-center-104-0-1970-1539-1652204742.jpg","alt":"harbor seal Brie","title":"San Luis Obispo Tribute: Harassment of Baby Seals, Sea Lions Triples at SLO County Beaches","link_url":"https:\/\/www.marinemammalcenter.org\/news\/san-luis-obispo-tribute-harassment-of-baby-seals-sea-lions-triples-at-slo-county-beaches","label":"In the News","date":"2022-04-27 02:00:00"}
San Luis Obispo Tribute: Harassment of Baby Seals, Sea Lions Triples at SLO County Beaches
April 27, 2022
Read More{"image":"\/Animals\/Wild\/Gray whale\/cropped-images\/gray-whale-muir-beach-c-the-marine-mammal-center-66-2-1533-1198-1617991349.jpg","alt":"gray whale on Muir beach","title":"Ship Strike Kills Gray Whale in San Francisco Bay Area; Three Others Dead Under Ongoing Investigation","link_url":"https:\/\/www.marinemammalcenter.org\/news\/ship-strike-kills-gray-whale-in-san-francisco-bay-area-three-others-dead-under-ongoing-investigation","label":"Press Release","date":"2021-04-09 02:00:00"}
Ship Strike Kills Gray Whale in San Francisco Bay Area; Three Others Dead Under Ongoing Investigation
April 9, 2021
Read More