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Gotham Whale Research Publications

Our research team studies the marine mammals in the New York Bight and records the growing numbers of seal, dolphin, and whale sightings. Since Humpback whales are the species seen most frequently in our area, our team tracks individual humpbacks using photo identification (photo-ID). Our studies focus on topics including lunge feeding, proximity of marine mammals to urban environments, potential encounters with vessels, and more.

Through our Citizen Science WANTED program, anyone who sees a whale, dolphin or seal in New York Bight can report their sighting and help our research initiatives.

Occurrence of baleen whales in the New York Bight, 1998–2017: insights from opportunistic data

The New York Bight is undergoing rapid anthropogenic change amidst an apparent increase in baleen whale sightings. Though survey efforts have increased in recent years, the lack of published knowledge on baleen whale occurrence prior to these efforts impedes effective assessments of distributional or behavioural shifts due to increasing human activities. Here we synthesize opportunistic sightings of baleen whales from 1998–2017, which represent the majority of sightings data prior to recent survey efforts, and which are largely unpublished. Humpback and fin whales were the most commonly sighted species, followed by North Atlantic right whales and North Atlantic minke whales. Important behaviours such as feeding and

Humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) sightings in the New York-New Jersey Harbor Estuary

Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) are seasonal migrants. In the North Atlantic Ocean, the primary breeding site is in the West Indies, whereas primary feeding sites occur in the Gulf of Maine, off eastern Canada, West Greenland, Iceland, and Norway (Katona and Beard 1990). Individuals exhibit strong, maternally directed site fidelity to feeding grounds (Baker et al. 1985, Clapham and Mayo 1987, Clapham et al. 1993). Although some of the primary feeding sites in the North Atlantic are well-studied, less is known of humpback whales feeding outside of these recognized aggregations.

Site fidelity, population identity and demographic characteristics of humpback whales in the New York Bight apex

Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) exhibit maternally driven fidelity to feeding grounds, and yet occasionally occupy new areas. Humpback whale sightings and mortalities in the New York Bight apex (NYBA) have been increasing over the last decade, providing an opportunity to study this phenomenon in an urban habitat. Whales in this area overlap with human activities, including busy shipping traffic leading into the Port of New York and New Jersey. The site fidelity, population composition and demographics of individual whales were analysed to better inform management in this high-risk area. Whale watching

A Preliminary Study on Humpback Whales Lunge Feeding in the New York Bight, United States

Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) have recently been observed feeding in the New York Bight (NYB), the section of ocean from Montauk, New York to Cape May, New Jersey, United States (US). This feeding technique brings humpback whales to the surface of the water which puts them at a greater risk of vessel strike. The NYB is already an area of concern due to shipping traffic leading to the Ports of New York and New Jersey (PNYNJ). In this study, data collected by Gotham Whale from 2011 to 2019 were analyzed on humpback whales lunge feeding in the NYB apex, near the entrance to the PNYNJ. Clusters of lunge feeding were investigated, along with the water depths of lunge feeding locations. Using ArcGISPro, six significant hot spot clusters were

Potential encounters between humpback whales (Megapteranovaeangliae) and vessels in the New York Bight apex, USA

Vessel collisions contributes ignificantly to humpback whale injury and mortality. In 2017, an Unusual Mortality Event was declared for the species along the Atlantic Coast of the United States, with many whales exhibiting signs of vessel strike. Though not previously known as a whale dense area, the New York Bight apex has seen an upsurge in both humpback whale sightings and strandings in recent years. Whales feed in close-proximity to the entrance of the Port of New York and New Jersey, creating potentially dangerous situations for both vessels and

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