Global research climate change and whale domain: a scientometric review

This study analyzed the research and development landscape in the domain of climate change and whale studies through descriptive metadata and scientometric analysis. Using the Web of Science Core Collection (WoS), we compiled a total of 824 relevant articles and analyzed publication trends, authors and affiliations, countries involved, references, impactful articles, and significant keywords. One notable finding was the involvement of 74 different countries or states with relevant publications in the field of climate change and whale studies, with the USA leading in terms of publication count, followed by Canada and Australia. A total of 3,229 active authors in whale studies were identified, with Canadian researchers having the highest citation count in climate change and whale studies. Surprisingly, the most impactful keywords identified were “climate change” and “marine mammals.” Additionally, the emergence of new keyword burst trends such as “marine” and “management” highlights the need for increased funding or the application of innovative methodologies to encourage more scientifically original research articles in the field of climate change and whale studies. These growing trends emphasize the ongoing importance of sustained inquiry and exploration to effectively address the challenges and opportunities in this evolving field.