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Authors
Busquets-Vass, Geraldine https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2867-7614
Carroll, Emma L.
Lübcker, Nico
Constantine, Rochelle
Childerhouse, Simon
Baker, C. Scott
Dunshea, Glenn
Hindell, Mark
Cranswick, Annabelle
Lundquist, David
Newsome, Seth D.
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Funding
Funding for this research was provided by:
Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society
U.S. Department of State
Auckland University Research Council
Marsden Fund
Winifred Violet Scott Charitable Trust
Australian Antarctic Division
Marine Conservation Action Fund
Blue Planet Marine NZ Ltd
Holsworth Wildlife Research Endowment
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, New Zealand
Department of Conservation, New Zealand
South Pacific Whale Research Consortium
National Geographic
Brian Skerry Photography
Southland DOC Conservancy
University of Auckland
Royal Society – Te Apārangi Rutherford Discovery Fellowship
Live Ocean
Lou and Iris Fisher Charitable Trust
Joyce Fisher Charitable Trust
Brian Sheth/Sangreal Foundation
University of Auckland Science Faculty Research Development Fund
International Whaling Commission – Southern Ocean Research Partnership
Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition
New Zealand Department of Conservation – Te Papa Atawhai
Cawthron Institute
Australian Marine Mammal Centre
Discovery Fellowship
Antartic and Southern Coalition
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Article History
Received: 8 September 2024
Accepted: 17 October 2025
First Online: 6 November 2025
Declarations
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: The authors declare that they have no financial or non-financial competing interests related to the subject matter or materials discussed in this manuscript.
: All biopsy samples used in this study were collected under the required governmental and institutional approvals in accordance with New Zealand regulations for marine mammal research and ethical animal use. For the 1995–1998 field seasons, samples were collected under permits issued by the New Zealand Department of Conservation (DOC) to C. S. Baker and N. Gales, with animal use approved under protocols reviewed by the University of Auckland Animal Ethics Committee (protocol holder: C. S. Baker). During the 2006–2009 field seasons, samples were collected under a DOC Marine Mammal Research Permit, with animal ethics approval granted by the University of Auckland Animal Ethics Committee to C. S. Baker. For the 2020–2022 field seasons, samples were collected under DOC New Zealand Marine Mammal Protection Act Permit 84845-MAR and Marine Reserve Act Permit 87513-MAR, with animal use approved under University of Auckland Animal Ethics Committee protocol 002072 (protocol holder: Emma Carroll). All samples were exported from Aotearoa New Zealand to the United States for isotopic analysis under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) sticker system. Export permits were issued using the following New Zealand sticker numbers: 2157 (1990s samples), 2215 (2020 samples), 2216 (2021 samples), and 2217 (2022 samples).
