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Conservation of Small Populations

Small population sizes put a species at extreme risk of extinction due to a lack of variation, and a consequent decrease in adaptability. This weakens the chances of survival under pressures such as climate change, competition from other species, or new diseases. Large populations are more likely to survive pressures such as these, as such populations are more likely to harbor individuals that have genetic variants that are adaptive under new stresses. Small populations are much less likely to...
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 11, 2026

Environmental DNA Sampling from Whale-Watching Vessels for Cetacean Monitoring
08:07

Environmental DNA Sampling from Whale-Watching Vessels for Cetacean Monitoring

Published on: April 10, 2026

The world's smallest whale population?

Paul R Wade1, Amy Kennedy, Rick LeDuc

  • 1Alaska Fisheries Science Center, 7600 Sand Point Way Northeast, Seattle, WA 98115, USA. paul.wade@noaa.gov

Biology Letters
|July 2, 2010
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

The North Pacific right whale population is critically low, with fewer than 40 individuals estimated in the Bering Sea. Historical whaling severely impacted this endangered whale species, necessitating urgent conservation efforts.

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Small Volume (1-3L) Filtration of Coastal Seawater Samples
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Published on: June 19, 2009

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Last Updated: Jun 11, 2026

Environmental DNA Sampling from Whale-Watching Vessels for Cetacean Monitoring
08:07

Environmental DNA Sampling from Whale-Watching Vessels for Cetacean Monitoring

Published on: April 10, 2026

Small Volume (1-3L) Filtration of Coastal Seawater Samples
04:21

Small Volume (1-3L) Filtration of Coastal Seawater Samples

Published on: June 19, 2009

Area of Science:

  • Marine Biology
  • Conservation Science
  • Population Genetics

Background:

  • The North Pacific right whale (Eubalaena japonica) has been decimated by historical and illegal whaling.
  • The species is exceptionally rare, particularly in the eastern North Pacific Ocean.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the abundance and population structure of North Pacific right whales in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands.
  • To provide the first mark-recapture estimates for this critically endangered whale population.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized photographic identification data for mark-recapture analysis.
  • Employed genotype data for mark-recapture abundance estimation.
  • Calculated population estimates for males and females separately.

Main Results:

  • Photographic mark-recapture estimated 31 individuals (95% CL 23-54).
  • Genotype mark-recapture estimated 28 individuals (95% CL 24-42).
  • The population comprises an estimated 8 females and 20 males.

Conclusions:

  • The eastern North Pacific population of right whales is critically small, likely numbering fewer than 40 individuals.
  • Uncontrolled and illegal whaling practices are the primary cause of the species' precarious status.
  • Past international management failures underscore the urgent need for effective conservation strategies for this endangered whale population.