Franca Eichenberger
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francae.bsky.social
Franca Eichenberger
@francae.bsky.social
2.5K followers 760 following 40 posts
Molecular & behavioural ecologist studying reproductive tactics & population structure in baleen whales. 🐋🧬
Postdoc at Sea Mammal Research Unit (SMRU) at University of St Andrews.
https://linktr.ee/franca.eichenberger
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francae.bsky.social
For I am never able to fit it all in the character count of one post, @jeannemrdl.bsky.social, here's your very own. Very happy you were part of this multi-generational dream team.
🐳📷: Magali Boussion
Two whales are swimming sideways and slapping their large pectorals into the water. Picture taken by Magali Boussion. Silhouette of trees against a sky that's slowly turning dark with a few stars already visible. The beautiful view of the sea on a sunny day from up on the hill at Cap N'Dua in the South Lagoon. The land-based team at the lighthouse at Cap N'Dua is helping to spot whales. The view shows a pair of binoculars, shoes coloured orange from the red soil, and the sea.
September 11, 2025 at 9:25 PM
francae.bsky.social
It's been nothing short of amazing helping Opération Cétacés & @ird-fr.bsky.social collect data on humpback whales in New Caledonia these past two months.🧬🎵@solenederville.bsky.social @clairenea.bsky.social @ellengarland.bsky.social (🐳📷) @seamammalresearch.bsky.social @uniofstandrews.bsky.social
A humpback whale leaps out of the water. Its body is almost entirely out of the water. Picture taken by Ellen Garland. Me on a boat taking pictures with the cliffs of Walpole Island in the background. Me, Claire, and Solène with the cliffs of Walpole behind us. A typical scenery of the landscape in the South Lagoon with its red soil and green vegetation of palm trees and mangroves.
September 11, 2025 at 9:25 PM
francae.bsky.social
Here are the stripes of my home country Switzerland. Show me yours! showyourstripes.info #ShowYourStripes
June 27, 2025 at 10:34 AM
francae.bsky.social
The NGO Opération Cétacés has been monitoring humpback whales in New Caledonia since 1993. Long-term population monitoring is invaluable in assessing the evolutionary consequences of commercial and illegal whaling on the demography, reproductive tactics and sexual selection of baleen whales. 8/8
The logo of the NGO Opération Cétacés shows a humpback whale in the centre within a blue-green circle surrounded by writing stating Opération Cétacés Nouvelle-Calédonie.
January 8, 2025 at 11:53 PM
francae.bsky.social
Variance in male reproductive success was relatively low, mirroring patterns of their conspecifics in the Northern Pacific. Yet, sexual selection is suggested to be strong, as competition among males may be more about being able to reproduce at all rather than siring a large number of offspring. 4/8
A group of male humpback whales physically competing to be closest to the female of the group, as observed on their breeding ground in New Caledonia in the South Pacific
January 8, 2025 at 11:53 PM
francae.bsky.social
The 25-year population monitoring and extensive genetic sampling of the New Caledonian (NC) humpback whale breeding population offered the unique opportunity to assess two important factors affecting the recovery of this endangered population: reproductive skew and demographic independence. 3/8
This map shows that New Caledonia is located in the western South Pacific, in the Coral Sea. The South Lagoon at the southern end of New Caledonia is the main study area.
January 8, 2025 at 11:53 PM
francae.bsky.social
New paper on "Patterns of paternity: insights into mating competition and gene flow in a recovering population of humpback whales." 🐋🧬
royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/...

@emma-carroll.bsky.social @lrendell.bsky.social @ellengarland.bsky.social @seamammalresearch.bsky.social 1/8
Graphical abstract of the methods and main results of the publication. It includes a photograph of a group of several humpback whales competing to be closest to the female of the group.
January 8, 2025 at 11:53 PM