@article{fdi:010065964,
  title = {{P}opulation structure of humpback whales in the western and central {S}outh {P}acific {O}cean as determined by vocal exchange among populations},
  author = {{G}arland, {E}.{C}. and {G}oldizen, {A}.{W}. and {L}illey, {M}.{S}. and {R}ekdahl, {M}.{L}. and {G}arrigue, {C}laire and {C}onstantine, {R}. and {H}auser, {N}.{D}. and {P}oole, {M}.{M}. and {R}obbins, {J}. and {N}oad, {M}.{J}.},
  editor = {},
  language = {{ENG}},
  abstract = {{F}or cetaceans, population structure is traditionally determined by molecular genetics or photographically identified individuals. {A}coustic data, however, has provided information on movement and population structure with less effort and cost than traditional methods in an array of taxa. {M}ale humpback whales ({M}egaptera novaeangliae) produce a continually evolving vocal sexual display, or song, that is similar among all males in a population. {T}he rapid cultural transmission (the transfer of information or behavior between conspecifics through social learning) of different versions of this display between distinct but interconnected populations in the western and central {S}outh {P}acific region presents a unique way to investigate population structure based on the movement dynamics of a song (acoustic) display. {U}sing 11 years of data, we investigated an acoustically based population structure for the region by comparing stereotyped song sequences among populations and years. {W}e used the {L}evenshtein distance technique to group previously defined populations into (vocally based) clusters based on the overall similarity of their song display in space and time. {W}e identified the following distinct vocal clusters: western cluster, 1 population off eastern {A}ustralia; central cluster, populations around {N}ew {C}aledonia, {T}onga, and {A}merican {S}amoa; and eastern region, either a single cluster or 2 clusters, one around the {C}ook {I}slands and the other off {F}rench {P}olynesia. {T}hese results are consistent with the hypothesis that each breeding aggregation represents a distinct population (each occupied a single, terminal node) in a metapopulation, similar to the current understanding of population structure based on genetic and photo-identification studies. {H}owever, the central vocal cluster had higher levels of song-sharing among populations than the other clusters, indicating that levels of vocal connectivity varied within the region. {O}ur results demonstrate the utility and value of using culturally transmitted vocal patterns as a way of defining connectivity to infer population structure. {W}e suggest vocal patterns be incorporated by the {I}nternational {W}haling {C}ommission in conjunction with traditional methods in the assessment of structure.},
  keywords = {{NOUVELLE} {CALEDONIE} ; {PACIFIQUE}},
  booktitle = {},
  journal = {{C}onservation {B}iology},
  volume = {29},
  numero = {4},
  pages = {1198--1207},
  ISSN = {0888-8892},
  year = {2015},
  DOI = {10.1111/cobi.12492},
  URL = {https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010065964},
}