WHALE TRUST RESEARCH IN THE MEDIA
Whale Trust is committed to raising awareness of whales and their marine environment by sharing the results of our research in a broad array of scientific and public venues including peer-reviewed scientific journals, professional conferences, televised and radio documentaries, and popular publications, including books, magazines and online education programs.
The following list contains peer-reviewed publications, conference abstracts, and reports prepared by Whale Trust’s researchers and graduate students working with our team.
Featured Publications
Darling, J.D and Goodwin B. 2023. Further evidence of humpback whale presence in deep tropical ocean during the breeding season: confirmation and extension of acoustic detections between Hawaii and Mexico. Front. Mar. Sci. 10:1223835. (Download PDF)
Jones, M.E., Nicklin, C.P., and Darling, J.D. 2022. Female Humpback (Megaptera novaeangliae) Whale Positions Genital-Mammary Area to Intercept Bubbles Emitted by Males on the Hawaiian Breeding Grounds. Aquatic Mammals. 48(6), 617-620. (Download PDF)
Pitman, R.L. and Darling, J.D. 2022. Evidence that Humpback Whales (Megaptera novaeangliae), Including Calves, Use Isolated Johnston Atoll in the Tropical Central North Pacific. Aquatic Mammals. 48(6): 588-591. (Download PDF)
Darling, J.D., Audley, K., Cheeseman, T., Goodwin, B., Lyman, E.G., and Urbán, R.J. 2022. Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) attend both Mexico and Hawaii breeding grounds in the same winter: mixing in the northeast Pacific. Biol. Lett. 18: 20210547. (Download PDF)
Darling, J.D., Goodwin, B., Taufmann, A.J., and Taylor, M.G. 2020. Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) detected by autonomous Wave Glider in tropical deep seas between Hawaii and Western Pacific winter assemblies. Marine Mammal Science. (Download PDF)
Darling, J.D. 2019. Humpback whale calls detected in tropical ocean basin between known Mexico and Hawaii breeding assemblies. The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America 145, EL534. (Download PDF)
Darling, J.D., Acebes, J.M.V., Frey, O., Urbán, R.J., and Yamaguchi, M. 2019. Convergence and divergence of songs suggests ongoing, but annually variable, mixing of humpback whale populations throughout the North Pacific. Sci Rep. 9, 7002. (Download PDF)
Darling, J.D. 2015. Low frequency, ca. 40 Hz, pulse trains recorded in the humpback whale assembly in Hawaii. 2015. J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 138(5). (Download PDF)
Darling, J.D., Acebes, J.M.V., and Yamaguchi, M. 2014. Similarity yet a range of differences between humpback whale songs recorded in the Philippines, Japan and Hawaii in 2006. Aquat Biol. 21, 93-107. (Download PDF)
Darling, J.D., Jones, M.E., and Nicklin, C.F. 2012. Humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) singers in Hawaii are attracted to playback of similar song. J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 132(5). (Download PDF)
Jones, Meagan E. 2010. Female Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) Reproductive Class and Male-Female Interactions during the Breeding Season. Antioch University, New England. 184 pp. (Download PDF)
Darling, J.D., Jones, M.E., and Nicklin, C.F. 2006. Humpback Whale Songs: Do they organize males on the breeding grounds? Behaviour. 143: 1051-1101. (Download PDF)
Darling, J.D. and M. Berube. 2001. Interactions of singing humpback whales with other males. Marine Mammal Science. 17(3): 570-584. (Download PDF)
Student Supported Theses and Dissertations
Girola, Elisa. 2011. Quantifying year around changes in a humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) song sound using multivariate statistics and artificial neural networks. University of St. Andrews, 56pp. (Download PDF)
OTHER Publications
Frasier, T.R., Koroscil, S.M., White, B.N., and Darling, J.D. 2011. Assessment of population substructure in relation to summer feeding ground use in the eastern North Pacific gray whale. Endangered Species Research. 14: 39–48. (Download PDF)
Darling, J.D. 2002. Song. In: Encyclopedia of Marine Mammals, Eds. W.F. Perrin, B. Wursig, and J.G.M. Thewissen. Academic Press. 1124-1126.
Darling, J.D., K. E. Keogh, and T.M. Steeves. 1998. Gray whale (Eschrichtius robustus) habitat utilization and prey species off Vancouver Island, B.C. Marine Mammal Science. 14(4): 692-720.
Darling, J.D., J. Calambokidis, K.C. Balcomb, P. Bloedel, K. Flynn, A. Mochizuki, K. Mori, F. Sato, H. Suganuma, and M. Yamaguchi. 1996. Movement of a humpback whale from Japan to B.C. and return. Marine Mammal Science. 12(2): 281-287. (Download PDF)
Darling, J.D. and Keogh, K.E. 1994. Observations of basking sharks (Cetorhinus maximus) in Clayoquot Sound, British Columbia. Canadian Field Naturalist. 108(2): 199-210.
Darling, J.D. and Mori, K. 1993. Recent observations of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) in Japanese waters, Ogasawara and Okinawa. Canadian Journal of Zoology. 71: 325-333.
Darling, J.D. and Cerchio, S. 1993. Movement of a humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) between Japan and Hawaii. Marine Mammal Science 9(1): 84-91.
Jones, M.E. 1992. Cognitive diversity in the bottlenose dolphin, Tursiops truncatus: Evidence from natural and artificial communication systems. MA Thesis, Psychology Department, Southern Methodist University, 226 pages.
Darling, J.D., and Morowitz, H. 1986. Census of “Hawaiian” humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) by individual identification. Canadian Journal of Zoology. 64:105-111.
Darling, J.D. and McSweeney, D.J. 1985. Observations on the migrations of North Pacific humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae). Canadian Journal of Zoology 63: 308-314. https://cdnsciencepub.com/doi/abs/10.1139/z85-047
Darling, J.D. 1984. Gray whales off Vancouver Island, British Columbia. In: The Gray Whale Eschrictius robustus. Ed. by: Jones, M.L., S.L. Swartz. and S. Leatherwood. Academic Press, New York. pp. 267-287.
Darling, J.D. and C.M. Jurasz. 1983. Migratory destinations of North Pacific humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae). In: Communication and Behavior of Whales. Ed. by R. Payne. AAAS Selected Symposia Series. Westview Press, Boulder, CO. pp. 359-368.
Darling, J.D., Gibson, K.M., and Silber, G.K. 1983. Observations on the abundance and behavior of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) off West Maui, Hawaii, 1977-79. In: Communication and Behavior of Whales. Ed. by R. Payne. AAAS Selected Symposia Series. Westview Press, Boulder, CO. pp. 359-368.
Collaborative Publications
Barber-Meyer, S. M., T. Cheeseman, J. Barlow, et al. 2026. “ Humpback Highs and Lows Amid Shifting Seas and a Northeast Pacific Marine Heatwave: Whale Demographics in the Main Hawaiian Islands, 2002–2023.” Marine Mammal Science 42, no. 4: e70231.
Cheeseman, T., Barlow, J., Acebes, J. M., Audley, K., Bejder, L., Birdsall, C., … Clapham, P. (2024). Bellwethers of change: Population modelling of North Pacific humpback whales from 2002 through 2021 reveals shift from recovery to climate response. Royal Society Open Science.
Béland, S.L., Frasier, B.A., Darling, J.D., and Frasier, T.R. 2020. Using pre- and post-exploitation samples to assess the impact of commercial whaling on the genetic characteristics of eastern North Pacific gray and humpback whales and to compare methods used to infer historic demography. Marine Mammal Science. 36(2): 398-420.
Béland, S.L., McLeod, B.A., Martin, J., Martin, G.M., Darling, J.D., and Frasier, T.R. 2018. Species composition of First Nation whaling hunts in the Clayoquot Sound region of Vancouver Island as estimated through genetic analyses. Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports 17: 235-241.
Acebes, J.M.V., Darling, J., and Aca, E.Q. 2008. Dynamite blasts in a humpback whale Megaptera novaeangliae breeding ground, Babuyan Islands, Philippines. Bioacoustics: The International Journal of Animal Sound and its Recording 17(1-3): 151-193.
Acebes, J.M.V, Darling, J.D., and Yamaguchi, M. 2007. Status and distribution of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) in northern Luzon, Philippines. Journal of Cetacean Research and Management. 9(1).
Calambokidis, J., Darling, J.D., Deeke, V., Gerrin, P., Gosho, M., Megill, W., Tombach, C.M., Goley, D., Toropova, C., and B. Gisborne. 2002. Abundance, range and movements of a feeding aggregation of gray whales (Eschritius robustus) from California to southeast Alaska in 1998. Journal of Cetacean Research and Management. 4(3): 267-271.
Steeves, T.E., Darling, J.D., Rosel, P.E., Schaeff, C.M., and Fleischer, R.C. 2001. Preliminary analysis of mitochrondrial DNA variation in a southern feeding group of eastern North Pacific gray whales. Conservation Genetics. 2: 379-384.
Gabriele, C.M., Straley, J.M., Mizroch, S.A., Baker, C.S., Craig, A.S., Herman, L.M., Glockner-Ferarri, D., Ferrari, M.J., Cerchio, S., von Ziegesar, O., Darling, J., McSweeney, D., Quinn II, T.J., and Jacobsen, J. 2001. Estimating the mortality rate of humpback whale calves in the central North Pacific Ocean. Canadian Journal of Zoology. 79: 589-600.
Calambokidis, J., Steiger, G.H., Rasmussen, K., Urban, J., Balcomb, K.C., Ladron de Guevara, P., Salinas, M., Jacobsen, J.K., Baker, C.S., Herman, L.M., Cerchio, S., and Darling, J. 2000. Migratory destinations of humpback whales that feed off California, Oregon and Washington. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 192: 295-304.
Calambokidis, J., Steiger, G.H., Evenson, J.R., Flynn, K.R., Balcomb, K.C., Claridge, D.E., Bloedel, P., Straley, J.M., Baker, C.S., von Ziegesar, O., Dalheim, M.E., Waite, J.M., Darling, J.D., Ellis, G., and Green, G.A. 1996. Interchange and isolation of humpback whales off California and other North Pacific feeding grounds. Marine Mammal Science 12(2): 215-226.
Rowntree, V., Darling, J., Silber, G., and Ferrari, M. 1980. Rare sighting of a right whale (Eubalaena glacialis) in Hawaii. Canadian Journal of Zoology. 58(2): 309-312.
Hatler, D.F. and Darling, J.D. 1974. Recent observations of the gray whale in British Columbia. Canadian Field Naturalist 88: 449-459.
Recent Scientific Conference Presentations
Jones, M.E., Darling, J.D., Brault, S. Nicklin, C.F. 2011. Response Of Female Humpback Whales To Playback Recordings Of Male Social Sounds Varies With Female Reproductive Class. 19th Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals, November 28 – December 2, 2011: Tampa, Florida.
Jones, M.E., Darling, J.D., Nicklin, C.F. 2009. Female reproductive status in humpback whales affects male-female interactions on the Hawaiian breeding grounds. 18th Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals, October 12-16, 2009: Quebec City, Canada.
Darling, J.D., Jones, M.E., and Nicklin, C.F. 2005. Are humpback whale song characteristics and singer behavior consistent with male cooperation in mating? 16th Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals, December 12-16, 2005: San Diego, CA.
Jones, M.E., Darling, J.D., and Nicklin, C.F. 2005. Relative Size (Age) Class of Humpback Whales in Different Social Roles on the Hawaiian Breeding Grounds, Estimated by Fluke Photogrammetry. 16th Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals, December 12-16, 2005: San Diego, CA.
Scientific Reports
Darling, J.D. 2001. Characterization of behavior of humpback whales in Hawaiian waters. Unpublished report. Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary. 55pp.
Darling, J.D. 1991. Humpback whales in Japanese waters Ogasawara and Okinawa. Fluke Identification Catalog 1987-1990. Available: World Wide Fund for Nature Japan or West Coast Whale Research Foundation, Vancouver. 56 pp.
Darling, J.D. 1988. Whale Watching in Ogasawara, Japan. Unpublished report. Ogasawara Village Government. Ogasawara, Japan. 33 pp.
Darling, J.D. 1986. Robson Bight Ecological Reserve Management Plan. An assessment of the impacts of human activities on the killer whales of Robson Bight Ecological Reserve with management guidelines. Ecological Reserves Program. Ministry of Environment and Parks, Victoria B.C. 83 pp.
Darling, J.D. 1983. Migration, abundance and behavior of Hawaiian humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae). Ph.D. thesis. University of California Santa Cruz. 147 pp.
Darling, J.D. 1978. Aspects of the behavior and ecology of the Vancouver Island gray whales, Eschrictius robustus Cope. M.Sc. thesis. University of Victoria, B.C. 20 pp.
Darling, J.D. 1973. The Pacific gray whale (Eschrictius glaucus Cope). A bibliography and literature review. Unpublished report. National and Historic Parks Branch, Western Region. Calgary, Alberta. 193 pp.
