The document summarizes research on the skin of minke whales and compares it to humpback whale skin. Histological analysis found that the minke whale epidermis has a thinner stratum corneum layer composed of loosely bonded "mica-like" cells compared to other cetaceans. This loose structure may act as an anti-fouling mechanism and help explain why suction-cup tags more easily detach from minke whales. The researcher aims to further characterize the skin's unique matrix and identify mechanisms allowing the "mica sheets" to slide past each other with lubrication, informing improved tag designs.

1. Investigations on the skin of the
minke whale (Balaenoptera
acutorostrata, Lacépède, 1804)
With comparisons to the skin of the
humpback whale (Megaptera
novaeangliae, Borowski, 1781)
Christopher J. Hinchcliffe
Section for Aquatic Biology and Toxicology,
Dept. of Biosciences
June 2015

2. Minke whales
Slippery little suckers
Christopher J. Hinchcliffe
Section for Aquatic Biology and Toxicology,
Dept. of Biosciences
June 2015

3. Contents
• Introduction
– Tagging
– Skin (Epidermis)
– Topic species
– Hypothesis and
Objectives
• Materials and Methods
– Sampling
– Histological preparations
• Results
– Macroscopic observations
– Histological investigation
• Discussion
– Comparisons with other
cetaceans
– Implications for tagging
• Conclusions
– Hypothesis and goals
revisited
– Moving forward
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4. Introduction
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Introduction Materials and Methods DiscussionResults Conclusion
Tagging
• Development
• Use

5. Beginnings
• Mark – recapture
– Scammon (1874)
• whaling tools
– Brown (1971)
• “Discovery tags”
• However: only two
known geographic points
– Range
– Stock ID
• PhotoID is a modern
equivalent
Scammon 1874
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Introduction Materials and Methods DiscussionResults Conclusion

6. Radio tag evolution
2.
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Mate et al (2007)
Introduction Materials and Methods DiscussionResults Conclusion

7. On-board instruments
• Devices currently being used on VHF tags
– GPS
– Time / depth recorders
– Thermometer
– Hydrophones
– Accelerometer
– Magnetometer
– Film
– Echo sounders!
Johnson et al 2009
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Introduction Materials and Methods DiscussionResults Conclusion

8. Data collection
Friedlaender et al (2013)Investigations on the skin of the minke
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Kvadsheim et al 2011
Introduction Materials and Methods DiscussionResults Conclusion

9. 3S Project
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Blue = silent run; green = sonar; magenta = killer whale playback
Kvadsheim et al 2011
Introduction Materials and Methods DiscussionResults Conclusion

10. 3S Project
• Suction-cup retention impeded by
"...transparent gelatinous material from the
skin of the [minke] whale..."
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Kvadsheim et al (2011)
Introduction Materials and Methods DiscussionResults Conclusion

11. Introduction
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Introduction Materials and Methods DiscussionResults Conclusion
Skin
Epidermis Dermis

12. Epidermis
• Terrestrial epidermis
– Four to five strata
– Cornified
– “Bricks and Mortar”
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1
2
3
4
D
dp
Introduction Materials and Methods DiscussionResults Conclusion

13. Epidermis
• Cetacean skin
– Three strata
– Parakeratotic
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l
d mo
1
3
4
dp
D
Introduction Materials and Methods DiscussionResults Conclusion
Arrangement of cells in the stratum corneum

14. Introduction
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Introduction Materials and Methods DiscussionResults Conclusion
Topic Species

15. Species
• Common minke whale, Vågehval. (Balaenoptera
acutorostrata, Lacépède, 1804)
– Small baleen whale:
10 m and 10 t
– Northern hemisphere (dwarf form in southern
hemisphere)
– Few tagging studies (all recent and implant tags)
– Hunted by Norway, Iceland and Japan*
– Has exhibited negative responses to anthropogenic
noise
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Introduction Materials and Methods DiscussionResults Conclusion

16. Species
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Martin et al 2015
Introduction Materials and Methods DiscussionResults Conclusion

17. Species
• Humpback whale, Knølhval.
(Megaptera novaeangliae, Borowski, 1781)
– Medium sized
baleen whale
– Cosmopolitan – separate stocks
– Showed little response during 3S
– Heavily studied
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Introduction Materials and Methods DiscussionResults Conclusion

18. Hypothesis
• Compared to other whales, the epidermis of
minke whales is composed of:
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• structurally different cells; or
• strata of abnormal thicknesses; or
• stratum corneum cells which are
bonded to each other differently.
Introduction Materials and Methods DiscussionResults Conclusion

19. Objectives
1. Describe the structure of the skin of minke and
humpback whales on macroscopic scale.
2. Describe fine scale structure of the same skin
samples with the aid of staining of thin-sections
and light microscopy.
3. Compare the epidermal structure of the two species
to earlier descriptions of cetacean skin with specific
emphasis on the superficial stratum.
4. Suggest possible revisions for the suction-cup tag
attachments.
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Introduction Materials and Methods DiscussionResults Conclusion

20. Materials and Methods
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Introduction Materials and Methods DiscussionResults Conclusion
Sampling

21. Sampling
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Minke whales
– Vestfjord May/July 2013
Humpbacks
– Troms Nov/Dec 2014
Introduction Materials and Methods DiscussionResults Conclusion

22. Sampling
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Minke whales
– Vestfjord May/July 2013
Introduction Materials and Methods DiscussionResults Conclusion

23. Sampling
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Humpbacks
– Troms Nov/Dec 2014
Introduction Materials and Methods DiscussionResults Conclusion
Kleivane et al (in prep)

24. Materials and methods
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Introduction Materials and Methods DiscussionResults Conclusion
Histological
preparation

25. Histological preparations
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Introduction Materials and Methods DiscussionResults Conclusion

26. Histological preparations
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Introduction Materials and Methods DiscussionResults Conclusion

27. Results
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Introduction Materials and Methods DiscussionResults Conclusion
Macroscopic
observations

28. Investigations on the skin of the minke
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Introduction Materials and Methods DiscussionResults Conclusion
Loose, fragile skin

29. Parasites
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a. b.
Introduction Materials and Methods DiscussionResults Conclusion

30. Parasites
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a. b.
c. d.
Introduction Materials and Methods DiscussionResults Conclusion

31. Results
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Introduction Materials and Methods DiscussionResults Conclusion
Histological
examination

32. Acetic-orcein
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Minke whale Humpback whale
Introduction Materials and Methods DiscussionResults Conclusion

33. Ayoub-Shklar Staining
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Introduction Materials and Methods DiscussionResults Conclusion

34. Thicknesses
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Introduction Materials and Methods DiscussionResults Conclusion
n = 5 n = 5
n = 5 n = 5

35. Discussion
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Introduction Materials and Methods DiscussionResults Conclusion
• Comparisons with other cetaceans
• Offer a new analogy
• Implications for tagging

36. Other cetaceans
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Other cetaceans
Minkes (this study)
Minke (Sokolov 1982)
Humpbacks (this study)+
n = 11 n = 10 n = 10
mm
%ofepidermalthickness
Introduction Materials and Methods DiscussionResults Conclusion
mm

37. Touch-down
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Cetaceans (general)
Minke whale
Introduction Materials and Methods DiscussionResults Conclusion

38. Previous analogy
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Introduction Materials and Methods DiscussionResults Conclusion

39. Comparisons with micas
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Introduction Materials and Methods DiscussionResults Conclusion
Mica = Glimmer

40. Anti-fouling
• Pilot whales
– biogel
• Minke whales - a novel anti-fouling mechanism?
– Sacrificial stratum corneum (“mica sheets”)
– Intercellular lipids (“lubricant”)
– -> “Mica + lubricant” = novel method of fouling
prevention
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Introduction Materials and Methods DiscussionResults Conclusion

41. Consequences for tagging
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Introduction Materials and Methods DiscussionResults Conclusion

42. Revised suction cup
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Introduction Materials and Methods DiscussionResults Conclusion
Solutions already exist…

43. Objectives
1. Describe the structure of the skin of minke and
humpback whales on macroscopic scale.
2. Describe fine scale structure of the same skin
samples with the aid of staining of thin-sections
and light microscopy.
3. Compare the epidermal structure of the two species
to earlier descriptions of cetacean skin with
specific emphasis on the superficial stratum.
4. Suggest possible revisions for the suction-cup tag
attachments.
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whale
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Introduction Materials and Methods DiscussionResults Conclusion

44. Hypothesis
• Compared to other whales, the epidermis of
minke whales is composed of:
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1) structurally different cells;
2) strata of abnormal thicknesses;
3) stratum corneum cells which are
bonded to each other differently.
Introduction Materials and Methods DiscussionResults Conclusion

45. My next steps
• Intercellular matrix constituents
– Confirm slippery intercellular cocktail
• Other cell cohesion
mechanisms
(eg. desmosomes)
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l
d
mo
Introduction Materials and Methods DiscussionResults Conclusion

46. My next steps
• Develop revised suction-cup further
– Anthropogenic noise pollution effects
– Interspecies interactions
• Identify epibiotic community on minke and
humpback whale
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Introduction Materials and Methods DiscussionResults Conclusion

47. Thank you!!
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Karl Inne Ugland Morten M. Laane Wenche Eikrem Lars Kleivane
And all my family and friends!
My supervisors…

48. Bibliography
• Dyce, K. M., W. O. Sack and C. J. G. Wensing (1996). “The Common Integument”. In: Textbook of Veterinary Anatomy (Second edition).
Edited by K. M. Dyce, W. O. Sack and C. J. G. Wensing. Philadelphia: Saunders. Chapter 10, pages 349–366.
• Friedlaender et al (2013). "Extreme diel variation in the feeding behavior of humpback whales along the western Antarctic Peninsula
during autumn.” In: Marine Ecology Progress Series 494: 281-289.
• Kleivane, L., P. Kvadsheim, N. Øien, A. Bocconcelli, P. Miller, R. Kristensen, and A. Johannessen. Tagging and tracking whales - Research
tools for better field performance: The whale tag launcher ARTS and the DFHorten direction finder.
• Kvadsheim, P., F.-P. Lam, P. Miller, L. Doksæter, F. Visser, L. Kleivane, S. van Ijsselmuide, F. Samarra, P. Wensveen, C. Curé, L. Hickmott,
and R. Dekeling. 2011. Behavioural responses of cetaceans to naval sonar signals in Norwegian waters – the 3S-2011 cruise report. FFI-
rapport 2011/01289, Norwegian Defence Research Establishment.
• Martin, S. W., C. R. Martin, B. M. Matsuyama and E. E. Henderson (2015). "Minke whales (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) respond to navy
training." The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America 137(5): 2533-2541.
• Mate, B., R. Mesecar, and B. Lagerquist. 2007. The evolution of satellite-monitored radio tags for large whales: One laboratory's
experience. Deep Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography 54:224-247.
• Menon, G. K., S. Grayson, B. E. Brown, and P. M. Elias. 1986. Lipokeratinocytes of the epidermis of a cetacean (Phocena phocena) -
Histochemistry, ultrastructure, and lipid-composition. Cell and Tissue Research 244:385-394.
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