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Science 15 February 1980:
Vol. 207. no. 4432, pp. 759 - 760
DOI: 10.1126/science.207.4432.759
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Articles

Migrations of California Gray Whales Tracked by Oxygen-18 Variations in Their Epizoic Barnacles

J. S. KILLINGLEY 1

1 Scripps Institution of Oceanography, La Jolla, California 92093

Barnacles attached to the California gray whale have oxygen isotope compositions that serve as a record of changing ocean temperatures as the whale migrates between arctic and subtropical waters. The isotopic values for the barnacles can be used to track whale migrations and to reconstruct the recent movements of beached whales. The method may be useful for tracing the movements of other animals, living or fossil, and for reconstructing the voyages of ancient ships.

Submitted on November 22, 1979

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Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)