Pedigree‐Informed Abundance Estimation for the Endangered North Atlantic Right Whale ( Eubalaena glacialis ) via Gametic Mark‐Recapture

Abstract

Pedigrees can provide important data for abundance estimation by providing a means to infer the presence of individuals that might otherwise not be detected. Such information may be particularly important for endangered species, where the addition or removal of just a few individuals can make the difference between population growth and decline. Here, we use gametic mark‐recapture methods to incorporate pedigree information into male abundance estimates for the endangered North Atlantic right whale ( Eubalaena glacialis )—a species for which there is conflicting information: some data suggest that almost all individuals have been identified by photo‐identification efforts and are therefore accounted for, whereas other data suggest that a substantial number of individuals may not be identified and are therefore “missing” from abundance estimates. Our pedigree analyses did not infer a large number of North Atlantic right whales that were unaccounted for in the photo‐identification data, suggesting that the photo‐identification catalog is representative of the species as a whole and that abundance estimates based on those data are accurate.

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