16 March 2017: Global Review of Monodontids

Dan Hostel, Hillerød, Denamrk, March 16, 2017 – A Global Review of Monodontids completed by 25 scientists from the North used to cold field work.

The Global Review of Monodontids (GROM) workshop, which was held 13-16 March in Hillerød is now completed. It undertook a comprehensive review of the status of all 12 stocks of narwhals and 22 stocks of belugas throughout the Arctic, many stable or increasing, but still a few in decrease. The meeting was attended by scientists from Canada, Denmark, Greenland, Russia and the US. The main goals of this meeting were to 1) share current scientific knowledge on the status of each stock, 2) identify the main gaps in knowledge, 3) identify key threats to each stock, and 4) outline possible areas of scientific cooperation.

The Review was convened by NAMMCO, co-funded by the Government of Greenland, Shell and NAMMCO, and chaired by Rod Hobbs from the Marine Mammal Laboratory (Seattle, NOAA). The report is expected to be available in late spring, look forward to it.

Belugas in ice-choked waters © M. P. Heide-Jørgensen, Greenland Institute of Natural Resources

Narwhal breach © Gl. Williams, NIST, NOAA.