Small skin and blubber samples (biopsies) can yield extensive information about whale DNA and genetic stocks, toxicology and population dynamics. DNA samples collected from humpback whales in the Antarctic Peninsula will help determine the breeding areas from which these animals originate, as well as help determine potential family lineages between individuals. DNA comparisons will also help establish the degree of integration between humpbacks migrating to different regions of Antarctica during the austral summer, the genetic relationship between Southern Ocean humpback whales and other humpback whales in the world, as well as provide an estimate on the overall population size of the species. DNA also helps us confirm the gender of individual whales when this is otherwise impossible, and helps estimate the age of a live whale by examining a chromosomal structure (telomere) within the DNA itself. Finally, blubber samples will also help us determine if humpback whales carry harmful toxins within their blubber layer, in an effort to assess the overall health of the species and to help us identify the type and origin of these chemicals.

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