The Bowhead Whale

John Craighead ‘Craig’ George Ph.D. is a wildlife biologist who has lived in the Arctic and studied bowhead whales for 40 years. He has published more than 50 scientific papers on the species, on topics ranging from their physiology and reproduction, to their migratory pathways, and their behavior. He is a leading specialist on issues relating to conservation and management of bowhead populations and has served as a member of the US delegation of the International Whaling Commission. He is keenly involved in issues related to subsistence hunting of whales by Indigenous peoples, and the traditional knowledge that these cultures have of whale biology. J. G. M. ‘Hans’ Thewissen studies the evolution, anatomy and embryology of marine mammals, and has travelled the world to study fossil and living whales. His work with the sense organs of modern whales explores the impact of global change on marine mammal populations. He co-edited the three editions of Elsevier’s Encyclopedia of Marine Mammals and wrote a popular book on whale evolution: The Walking Whales.

• Section I: Basic Biology1. Higher-Level Phylogeny of Baleen Whales2. Fossil Record3. The Stocks of Bowheads4. Distribution and behavior of Bering-Beaufort-Chukchi bowhead whales as inferred by telemetry5. Distribution, migrations and ecology of the populations in the Atlantic and the Okhotsk Sea6. Abundance7. Life History, Growth, and Form8. Prenatal Development9. Anatomy of skull and mandible10. Postcranial skeleton and musculature11. Hematology, Serum- , and Urine Composition12. Anatomy and Physiology of the Gastrointestinal System13. Female and Male Reproduction14. Anatomy and Function of Feeding15. Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Systems16. Thermoregulation and Energetics17. Brain18. Sensory Systems19. Endocrinology and Blubber Physiology20. Molecular Insights into the Derived Anatomy and Physiology of Bowhead Whales21. Age Estimation 22. Acoustic behavior23. Bowhead whale behavior: Natural and potentially disturbed24. Ecological Variation in the Western Beaufort SeaSection II: The Bowhead Ecosystem25. The Physical Oceanographic Setting of Bowhead Whale Habitat26. Biological Environment of Bowhead Whale Habitats27. Bowhead whale ecology in changing high-latitude ecosystems28. Diet and Prey29. Predators Impacts of Predation30. Diseases and Parasites Section III: Interactions with Humans31. Whaling in Indigenous Cultures of the Arctic32. Current Indigenous Whaling33. Commercial Whaling in Historical Times34. The Role of Indigenous Knowledge in Research and Management of the Bowhead Whale35. Effects of noise36. Fishing gear Entanglement and Vessel Collisions 37. Contaminants38. Conservation and Management 39. Past, Present, and Future