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Martin van Aswegen

@mvanaswegen_

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Body mass composition of the Humpback Whale.

Data from van Aswegen M, Szabo A, Currie JJ, Stack SH, Straley J, Neilson J, Gabriele C, Cates K, Baker CS, Steel D, Pack AA, West KL, Hofmann NJ, Toonen RJ, Loockerman C, Sullivan FA, Cheeseman T, Sharpe F, Bejder L (2025) Age-specific body length, mass, and energetic cost of growth in humpback whales. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 770:171-194

https://doi.org/10.3354/meps14937

#humpbackwhale #megapteranovaeangliae #whaleart by @mvanaswegen_

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a year ago

Body mass growth and development in the North Pacific Humpback Whale.

Data from van Aswegen M, Szabo A, Currie JJ, Stack SH, Straley J, Neilson J, Gabriele C, Cates K, Baker CS, Steel D, Pack AA, West KL, Hofmann NJ, Toonen RJ, Loockerman C, Sullivan FA, Cheeseman T, Sharpe F, Bejder L (2025) Age-specific body length, mass, and energetic cost of growth in humpback whales. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 770:171-194

https://doi.org/10.3354/meps14937

#humpbackwhale #megapteranovaeangliae #whaleart by @mvanaswegen_

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a year ago

New publication by MMRP Postdoc Martin van Aswegen and colleagues!

Humpback whales grow big, and they grow fast… but at what energetic cost?

By combining 2,651 drone-based measurements of 1,503 individual whales with sighting records, whaling archives, and tissue samples, van Aswegen and coauthors estimated body size, growth rates, and associated energy requirements of humpback whales from birth to 50 years of age.

This study reveals the extreme energetic demands of early growth in humpback whales. Calves reach about 75 % of their adult length within the first year, but this rapid growth comes at a great cost: they allocate 6-8 times more energy to growth per day than mature adults.

For mothers, this means sustaining nearly a third of their calf’s lifetime growth in just one year - while fasting on the breeding grounds and throughout migration, relying solely on fat reserves accumulated during the previous feeding season.

The study was published in Marine Ecology Progress Series (open access):
https://doi.org/10.3354/meps14937

Martin has also posted a blog:
https://www.mmrphawaii.org/blogs

This was a collaborative effort between researchers from @mmrp_uh, @himb_soest, @alaska_whale_foundation, @pacificwhalefoundation, @griffithuniversity, @uasoutheast, @uafairbanks, @nationalparkservice, @oregonstate, @adamaripack, @healthandstrandinglab, and @happywhale_official.

We are grateful to our funders: Thank you to our funders: @usnavyresearch, @uhmanoanews, @marinesanctuaryfdn, @dolphin.quest, @lindbladexp, @insidenatgeo, @nprbscience, 'Our Oceans', @netflix, Wildspace Productions, @freebornemedia, @pacwhaleecoadventures, @pacificwhalefoundation, and Omidyar Ohana Foundation.

Big thank you to @whaleposters for the scientific illustrations in the paper and to @cameron_nemeth and Kalikoaloha Martin for translating the abstract into Hawaiian. by @mvanaswegen_

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Hard to believe it’s been almost two months since we wrapped up gray whale fieldwork in Sitka! We’ve been busy processing data and crunching numbers — and our humpback whale research season is well underway — but we wanted to share these special moments from April.

On two occasions, we were approached by curious gray whales, one of which stuck next to our boat for 45 minutes. This behavior is commonly seen on their breeding grounds, but less often during their migration and foraging seasons. When it happens, all you can do is stare in awe until they decide to move on. It’s safe to say we were in awe for days! 🥹

As a reminder, it is illegal to approach whales within 100 yards, which can disrupt their natural behavior. These videos depict unusual situations in which our team was approached by a whale, at which point we shut off our engines as is required under the Marine Mammal Protection Act.

Drone videos by @mcfearsome and @mvanaswegen_ , GoPro footage by @aishabytheocean, topside footage by @bluetide_project, @justincwarner and @_meaghannnc.

AWF operates under NMFS Permit 26663; all media and data are collected under this permit. AWF research initiatives are funded by National Geographic Society, the LEX-NG Fund, and a broad community of supporters. Thank you for your ongoing support, and to learn more about AWF visit the link in our bio.

@natgeo @lindbladexp @insidenatgeo

#alaskawhalefoundation #awf #sitka #dji #drone #graywhale #alaska #natgeo #marinebiology taken in Sitka, Alaska by @mvanaswegen_

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Humpback Whale flukes from Hawai'i and Alaska. Made with @mvanaswegen_ in August. If you wanna see the real deal though, check out @tailsofstellwagen! #humpbackwhale #hawaii #alaska #itssocoldinalaska #megapteranovaeangliae #whaleart by @mvanaswegen_

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2 years ago

🎊 Introducing MMRPs newest Dr, @mvanaswegen_ 🎊

Martin successfully defended his PhD yesterday afternoon, treating us to a masterclass on humpback whales, and sharing all of the incredible work he has done throughout his PhD.

Massive congratulations Martin! 🐋🐋 by @mvanaswegen_

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Imagine the life of a humpback whale mom. For 10 long months, you’ve carried a growing calf, preparing to give birth to a 2600-pound baby. The journey ahead is daunting—over 3000 miles south to Hawaiian breeding grounds, with no food for months. From the moment your calf is born, its survival depends entirely on you. You produce high-fat milk to sustain its rapid growth, all while enduring a fasting period that drains your energy reserves.
Each day, you lose hundreds of pounds of blubber, fueling your calf’s development. By the end of its first year, your calf will be nearly twelve times heavier, while you’re still recovering from the immense toll. This super-sized sacrifice reflects the dedication of humpback whale moms, a commitment made even more challenging by climate change and marine heatwaves threatening food availability and reproductive success.

We would like to warmly thank @mvanaswegen_ for sharing his research with us, and Zoltan Nemeth from @whaleposters for his incredible humpback illustrations. We love collaborations, especially when they can highlight the brilliant work of early-career researchers!

Please check out Martin’s awesome recap in the link in bio, and give him a big shout-out for his upcoming PhD defense on Feb 4th!

#whales #marinebiology #marinemammals #humpbackwhale #hawaii taken in Hawaii by @mvanaswegen_

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Growth in North Pacific Humpback Whales. Made with @mvanaswegen_ for the paper: van Aswegen, M., Szabo, A., Currie, J.J., Stack, S.H., Evans, L., Straley, J., Neilson, J., Gabriele, C., Cates, K., Steel, D. and Bejder, L. (2024), Maternal investment, body condition and calf growth in humpback whales. J Physiol. https://doi.org/10.1113/JP287379. Boat illustration after photo by @lewisevans191 by @mvanaswegen_

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Internal anatomy of a Humpback Whale calf. Made with @mvanaswegen_ for his paper van Aswegen, M., Szabo, A., Currie, J.J., Stack, S.H., West, K.L., Hofmann, N., Christiansen, F. and Bejder, L. (2024), Energetic cost of gestation and prenatal growth in humpback whales. J Physiol. https://doi.org/10.1113/JP287304 #humpbackwhale #megapteranovaeangliae by @mvanaswegen_

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Prenatal development of the Humpback Whale. Made with @mvanaswegen_ for his paper van Aswegen, M., Szabo, A., Currie, J.J., Stack, S.H., West, K.L., Hofmann, N., Christiansen, F. and Bejder, L. (2024), Energetic cost of gestation and prenatal growth in humpback whales. J Physiol. https://doi.org/10.1113/JP287304 #humpbackwhale #megapteranovaeangliae by @mvanaswegen_

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2 years ago

To learn more about the Happy Whale database, watch the full segment on our YouTube channel: @ChangingSeasTV
Whales filmed under
NMFS MMPA/ESA Permit #s:
19703 & 21321
#changingseas #happywhale #humpbackwhales #publictelevision #oceanconservation #sciencecommunication #scicomm
#citizenscientists

@uhhilo @lbejder1971 @mmrp_uh @marinemammallab_uhh @alaska_whale_foundation @PacificWhaleFoundation @ShStack @JensCurrie @thedolphininstitute @adamaripack by @mvanaswegen_

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4 years ago

We recently put camera tags on humpback whale calves to gain a better perspective of their world! Check out some of the epic footage we were able to capture, here: https://bit.ly/2S7rC8v. LINK IN BIO! All research was conducted under NMFS permit no. 21476 to MMRP taken in Maui, Hawaii by @mvanaswegen_

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