Latest news with #DarrenCroft
Reuters
24-06-2025
- Science
- Reuters
Killer whales use seaweed as tools to groom each other
June 24 (Reuters) - Killer whales are known for exceptional intelligence, displaying complex social structures and sophisticated communication. New research provides fresh evidence for this, documenting how these marine mammals use stalks of seaweed as tools to groom each other - as in, "You scratch my back and I'll scratch yours." Using drones to observe a population of killer whales in the Salish Sea, part of the Pacific Ocean between Washington state and British Columbia, researchers noticed that these predators engaged in a behavior they named "allokelping," one of the few known examples of tool use by marine mammals. The killer whales find large stalks of a type of seaweed called bull kelp, either attached to the seabed or floating at the surface. They then bite off the end of the stalk, position it between themselves and another killer whale and roll the kelp between their bodies. The researchers hypothesize that the behavior promotes skin health while strengthening social bonds. Other populations of killer whales have been observed rubbing their bodies on smooth stone beaches, possibly to remove dead skin. "Most examples of tool use in animals involve solving ecological problems, such as gaining access to food. For example, chimpanzees use sticks to fish for termites. What's remarkable about this discovery is that the tool - the kelp - is used not to obtain food but to facilitate social interaction," said marine biologist Darren Croft of the University of Exeter in England, co-author of the study published this week in the journal Current Biology, opens new tab. "This kind of socially motivated tool use is extremely rare in non-human animals and has previously only been observed in a small number of primates, usually in captivity," added Croft, executive director of the Center for Whale Research, a scientific organization based in Washington state that has studied this population of killer whales since the 1970s. The researchers documented the behavior among both male and female killer whales of all ages. It likely plays an important role in their social lives, Croft said. There are some other examples of tool use among marine mammals. Sea otters use rocks and other hard objects to crack open shells to get at the meat inside. And certain dolphins use marine sponges to protect their snouts and stir up the seabed while foraging. The researchers said the behavior by the killer whales goes one step further because they modify an object for use as a tool. "While this is not the first documented case of cetacean or marine mammal tool use, it is - as far as we know - the first case of cetacean tool manufacturing with tool use. The whales are not just finding perfect lengths of kelp in the environment, but rather actively modifying larger intact stalks of kelp to create the pieces they are using for allokelping," said study co-author Rachel John, a University of Exeter graduate student studying killer whale behavior. "Another key part of what makes this behavior so unique is the fact that they are manipulating the kelp cooperatively with a partner without the use of hands or any hand-like appendages. They use their mouth to position the kelp initially, but after that they only use the momentum and pressure of the core of their bodies to maintain contact with each other and the kelp between them," John added. The behavior is known only among this killer whale population. "We found that individuals with more visible peeling skin were more likely to engage in allokelping, suggesting that the behavior may serve a skin-care function. Brown seaweeds like kelp are known to have antibacterial properties, so it's plausible that rubbing with kelp helps improve skin health," Croft said. "Second, we think this behavior likely plays a role in maintaining social bonds. Physical contact is known to be important for social cohesion in many species, including humans. Just as we might hug a friend we haven't seen in a while, it's possible that allokelping serves to reinforce social relationships among whales," Croft added. This kelp grows in cold and nutrient-rich coastal and intertidal waters and thrives off the western coast of North America, which includes the home range of these killer whales. This population is at grave risk of extinction, Croft said, with only 73 individuals counted in the latest census. They are highly specialized salmon hunters, particularly reliant on Chinook salmon. As salmon populations have declined, in part due to dam-building on spawning rivers, the whales have struggled to find enough food. "In short, they are starving," Croft said.
CNA
24-06-2025
- Science
- CNA
Killer whales use seaweed as tools to groom each other
Killer whales are known for exceptional intelligence, displaying complex social structures and sophisticated communication. New research provides fresh evidence for this, documenting how these marine mammals use stalks of seaweed as tools to groom each other - as in, "You scratch my back and I'll scratch yours." Using drones to observe a population of killer whales in the Salish Sea, part of the Pacific Ocean between Washington state and British Columbia, researchers noticed that these predators engaged in a behavior they named "allokelping," one of the few known examples of tool use by marine mammals. The killer whales find large stalks of a type of seaweed called bull kelp, either attached to the seabed or floating at the surface. They then bite off the end of the stalk, position it between themselves and another killer whale and roll the kelp between their bodies. The researchers hypothesize that the behavior promotes skin health while strengthening social bonds. Other populations of killer whales have been observed rubbing their bodies on smooth stone beaches, possibly to remove dead skin. "Most examples of tool use in animals involve solving ecological problems, such as gaining access to food. For example, chimpanzees use sticks to fish for termites. What's remarkable about this discovery is that the tool - the kelp - is used not to obtain food but to facilitate social interaction," said marine biologist Darren Croft of the University of Exeter in England, co-author of the study published this week in the journal Current Biology. "This kind of socially motivated tool use is extremely rare in non-human animals and has previously only been observed in a small number of primates, usually in captivity," added Croft, executive director of the Center for Whale Research, a scientific organization based in Washington state that has studied this population of killer whales since the 1970s. The researchers documented the behavior among both male and female killer whales of all ages. It likely plays an important role in their social lives, Croft said. There are some other examples of tool use among marine mammals. Sea otters use rocks and other hard objects to crack open shells to get at the meat inside. And certain dolphins use marine sponges to protect their snouts and stir up the seabed while foraging. The researchers said the behavior by the killer whales goes one step further because they modify an object for use as a tool. "While this is not the first documented case of cetacean or marine mammal tool use, it is - as far as we know - the first case of cetacean tool manufacturing with tool use. The whales are not just finding perfect lengths of kelp in the environment, but rather actively modifying larger intact stalks of kelp to create the pieces they are using for allokelping," said study co-author Rachel John, a University of Exeter graduate student studying killer whale behavior. "Another key part of what makes this behavior so unique is the fact that they are manipulating the kelp cooperatively with a partner without the use of hands or any hand-like appendages. They use their mouth to position the kelp initially, but after that they only use the momentum and pressure of the core of their bodies to maintain contact with each other and the kelp between them," John added. The behavior is known only among this killer whale population. "We found that individuals with more visible peeling skin were more likely to engage in allokelping, suggesting that the behavior may serve a skin-care function. Brown seaweeds like kelp are known to have antibacterial properties, so it's plausible that rubbing with kelp helps improve skin health," Croft said. "Second, we think this behavior likely plays a role in maintaining social bonds. Physical contact is known to be important for social cohesion in many species, including humans. Just as we might hug a friend we haven't seen in a while, it's possible that allokelping serves to reinforce social relationships among whales," Croft added. This kelp grows in cold and nutrient-rich coastal and intertidal waters and thrives off the western coast of North America, which includes the home range of these killer whales. This population is at grave risk of extinction, Croft said, with only 73 individuals counted in the latest census. They are highly specialized salmon hunters, particularly reliant on Chinook salmon. As salmon populations have declined, in part due to dam-building on spawning rivers, the whales have struggled to find enough food. "In short, they are starving," Croft said.
BBC News
23-06-2025
- Science
- BBC News
Killer whales 'massage' each other using kelp
Orcas in the North Pacific have been seen "massaging" each other - rubbing pieces of kelp between their bodies. Using drones, researchers filmed the animals selecting and biting off the kelp, then placing the tube-shaped piece of seaweed onto the back of another whale. The scientists think the massages might have a health or hygiene function, but they also believe they are a form of social bonding. The findings, published in the journal Current Biology, appear to be an example of tool use in killer whales - with the animals fashioning a tubular piece of seaweed and using it for a specific, planned purpose. "Let's call it a kelp massage," explained Prof Darren Croft from the University of Exeter and the Center for Whale Research in Washington State. "They're using the kelp to rub between themselves."During 12 days - between April and July 2024 - of studying a population of orcas known as the Southern Residents in the coastal waters off Washington State, the team recorded 30 bouts of kelp massage. "We see it multiple times per day," lead researcher, Dr Michael Weiss from the CWR, told BBC News. "When we get a drone over these animals, we're going to see at least one pair of whales doing this."This could be a marine version of what is known as allogrooming in primates. Many monkeys and apes groom other members of their groups - spending hours picking through fur, cleaning and removing parasites. The researchers have dubbed this behaviour as "allokelping". Physical touch in animals, Prof Croft explained, "is really important for building and maintaining social relationships."And these killer whales are incredibly social animals," he added. The scientists have been using drones for almost a decade to study these marine aerial view has given them new insight into underwater behaviour - including how and with whom the animals socialise. "What's incredible with this discovery is that - with high quality video - we could see that a lot of this physical contact [between these large whales] is happening with the aid of this relatively small piece of kelp." There was some indication that whales with "more peely skin" were more likely to engage in the massages. "That's pointing towards the idea that they're 'scratching an itch' - that it has a function in skin health," said Prof Croft. BBC Inside Science: Can science save our oceans? Orca mothers keep 5-tonne sons out of troubleSecrets of climate change hidden in whales' huge bodies It is not clear whether this type of grooming behavior is unique to the Southern Residents or if it is more widespread among other whale populations - and even other species. But Dr Weiss said that the discovery - that whales were manufacturing tools, "and that these objects were being used in a way never before reported in marine mammals, was incredibly exciting". The study of this threatened killer whale population, which lives in the coastal waters between Vancouver and Seattle, was started by Dr Ken Balcomb more than 50 years ago. Initially, he wanted to examine the threats to their survival, particularly as the population was targeted for capture and sale to some marine well as garnering the southern resident killer whales official protected status, the ensuing years of work and observations went on to reveal insights into killer whale life that could only have come to light through decades of study. The studies have revealed, for example, the vital role of killer whale grandmothers and how much the females sacrifice to support their Weiss said the new finding highlighted "yet another way these whales' society and culture is unique and the importance of recovering the southern resident killer whale population".
