FN Archimer Export Format
PT J
TI Feces DNA analyses track the rehabilitation of a free-ranging beluga whale
BT 
AF Günther, Babett
   Jourdain, Eve
   Rubincam, Lindsay
   Karoliussen, Richard
   Cox, Sam L.
   Arnaud Haond, Sophie
AS 1:1,6;2:3;3:3;4:3;5:4,5;6:2;
FF 1:;2:;3:;4:;5:;6:PDG-RBE-MARBEC-LHM;
C1 ISEM (Institut des Sciences de l′Evolution), Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, France
   MARBEC (Marine Biodiversity Exploitation and Conservation), Univ Montpellier, CNRS, Ifremer, IRD, Sète, France
   Norwegian Orca Survey, Andenes, Norway
   MaREI Centre, Environmental Research Institute, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
   School of Biological, Earth, and Environmental Sciences, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
   MARBEC (Marine Biodiversity Exploitation and Conservation), Univ Montpellier, CNRS, Ifremer, IRD, Sète, France
C2 CNRS, FRANCE
   IFREMER, FRANCE
   NORWEGIAN ORCA SURVEY, NORWAY
   UNIV COLL CORK (UCC), IRELAND
   UNIV COLL CORK (UCC), IRELAND
   CNRS, FRANCE
SI SETE
SE PDG-RBE-MARBEC-LHM
UM MARBEC
IN WOS Ifremer UMR
   WOS Cotutelle UMR
   DOAJ
   copubli-france
   copubli-europe
IF 4.6
TC 2
UR https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00766/87811/93357.pdf
LA English
DT Article
AB Following the sudden appearance, and subsequent efforts to support the survival of a beluga whale (Delphinapterus leucas) speculated to have been previously trained off the coast of Norway, we investigate the animal’s ability to readapt to life in the wild. Dietary DNA (dDNA) analysis was used to assess diet throughout this rehabilitation process, and during a return to unassisted foraging and self-feeding. Metabarcoding of feces collected throughout this process, confirmed the diversification of the beluga whale’s diet to local prey. These findings are indicative of improved foraging behavior, and the ability of this individual to resume wild foraging following a period of dependency in managed care. New insight of digestion rates, and the time window during which prey detection through dDNA analysis is appropriate was also obtained. Beyond the case study presented here, we demonstrate the power of dDNA analysis as a non-intrusive tool to assess the diet of large mammals and track progress adapting to life in the wild following release from captivity and rehabilitation programs. 
PY 2022
PD APR
SO Scientific Reports
SN 2045-2322
PU Springer Science and Business Media LLC
VL 12
IS 1
UT 000783915800013
DI 10.1038/s41598-022-09285-8
ID 87811
ER

EF