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Zantis LJ, Bosker T, Lawler F, Nelms SE, O'Rorke R, Constantine R, Sewell M, Carroll EL. Assessing microplastic exposure of large marine filter-feeders. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 818:151815. [PMID: 34822890 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.151815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2021] [Revised: 11/15/2021] [Accepted: 11/15/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Large filter-feeding animals are potential sentinels for understanding the extent of microplastic pollution, as their mode of foraging and prey mean they are continuously sampling the environment. However, there is considerable uncertainty about the total and mode of exposure (environmental vs trophic). Here, we explore microplastic exposure and ingestion by baleen whales feeding year-round in coastal Auckland waters, New Zealand. Plastic and DNA were extracted concurrently from whale scat, with 32 ± 24 (mean ± SD, n = 21) microplastics per 6 g scat sample detected. Using a novel stochastic simulation modeling incorporating new and previously published DNA diet information, we extrapolate this to total microplastic exposure levels of 24,028 (95% CI: 2119, 69,270) microplastics per mouthful of prey, or 3,408,002 microplastics (95% CI: 295,810, 10,031,370) per day, substantially higher than previous estimates for large filter-feeding animals. Critically, we find that the total exposure is four orders of magnitude more than expected from microplastic measurements of local coastal surface waters. This suggests that trophic transfer, rather than environmental exposure, is the predominant mode of exposure of large filter feeders for microplastic pollution. Measuring plastic concentration from the environment alone significantly underestimates exposure levels, an important consideration for future risk assessment studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- L J Zantis
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - T Bosker
- Leiden University College, Leiden University, The Hague, the Netherlands; Institute of Environmental Sciences, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - F Lawler
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - S E Nelms
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Cornwall, United Kingdom; Exeter Centre for Circular Economy, University of Exeter, Cornwall, United Kingdom
| | - R O'Rorke
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - R Constantine
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand; Institute of Marine Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - M Sewell
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - E L Carroll
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
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2
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Videsen SKA, Simon M, Johnson M, Madsen PT, Christiansen F. Cryptic vocal behavior of foraging humpback whales on feeding grounds in West Greenland. THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2021; 150:2879. [PMID: 34717496 DOI: 10.1121/10.0006735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2020] [Accepted: 09/27/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Male humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) sing in mating aggregations in the form of song displays, but much less is known about how both sexes use sound on their feeding grounds. Here, we test different hypotheses about the function of vocalizations in 14 foraging humpback whales tagged with sound and movement recording Dtags in Greenland. We show that this population of foraging humpback whales have an overall low call rate of 11.9 calls h-1 (inter-quartile range = 12.1) with no support for the hypotheses that they employ sound in the localization or manipulation of prey nor in the coordination of lunge feeding. The calls had a mean received level of 135 ± 5dB re 1 μPa, which is some 30 dB lower than maximum levels of song recorded on similar deployed tags, suggesting a much smaller active space of these vocalizations. This reduced active space might, in concert with low call rates, serve to mitigate eavesdropping by predatory killer whales or conspecifics competing for the same prey resources. We conclude that feeding humpback whales in Greenland produce low level, infrequent calls suggesting that calling is not a prerequisite for successful feeding, but likely serves to mediate within group social interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone K A Videsen
- Zoophysiology, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, 8000, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Malene Simon
- Greenland Climate Research Centre, Greenland Institute of Natural Resources, P.O. Box 570, Kivioq 2, 3900 Nuuk, Greenland
| | - Mark Johnson
- Sea Mammal Research Unit, University of St Andrews, Fife KY16 8LB, United Kingdom
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Dombroski JRG, Parks SE, Nowacek DP. Dive behavior of North Atlantic right whales on the calving ground in the Southeast USA: implications for conservation. ENDANGER SPECIES RES 2021. [DOI: 10.3354/esr01141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The North Atlantic right whale Eubalaena glacialis is a Critically Endangered whale whose habitat overlaps with areas of high human use. On feeding grounds, aspects of its behavior increase the vulnerability of this species to anthropogenic threats such as entanglement in fishing gear and vessel strikes. On the calving ground, natural dive behavior and the implications for conservation efforts in this species remain to be evaluated. In this study, we used 102.17 h of tag data collected over 15 deployments of archival tags on 14 individuals to describe the dive behavior of right whales in the Southeast USA. Lactating females spent up to 80% of the time at depths ≤3.5 m, leading to increased risk of vessel strike compared to other whale groups that spent a maximum of 30% of the time at those depths in this habitat. Non-lactating whales had significantly deeper maximum dive depths (12.1 m) than lactating females (7.3 m) and spent more time in the bottom phase of dives, closer to the sea floor (45 vs. 37% of the dive duration, respectively). Time spent closer to the sea floor increases the probability of interaction with fishing gear. Therefore, these dive data are useful to justify seasonal closures of fishing activity on the calving ground to protect both lactating and non-lactating whales. Opportunistic comparisons revealed that diel period, calf presence and calf age affect dive behavior of female right whales. In the face of the impacts of anthropogenic mortality on right whale populations, these results will aid vessel strike and entanglement risk assessment on the Southeast USA calving ground.
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Affiliation(s)
- JRG Dombroski
- Syracuse University, Department of Biology, Syracuse, NY 13244, USA
| | - SE Parks
- Syracuse University, Department of Biology, Syracuse, NY 13244, USA
| | - DP Nowacek
- Duke University, Nicholas School of the Environment, Marine Lab, Beaufort, NC 28516, USA
- Duke University, Pratt School of Engineering, Durham, NC 27708, USA
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The First Attempt of Satellite Tracking on Occurrence and Migration of Bryde’s Whale (Balaenoptera edeni) in the Beibu Gulf. JOURNAL OF MARINE SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/jmse9080796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Satellite-tagging is increasingly becoming a powerful biotelemetry approach to obtain remote measurement through tracking free-living cetaceans, which can fill knowledge gaps on cetaceans and facilitate conservation management. Here, we made a first biologging attempt on baleen whales in Chinese waters. An adult Bryde’s whale in the Beibu Gulf was tagged to investigate potential occurrence areas and migration routes of this poorly studied species. The whale was satellite-tracked for ~6 days with 71 filtered Argos satellite locations, resulting in a linear movement distance of 464 km. At each satellite-tracking location, the water depth was measured as 42.1 ± 24.8 m on average. During the satellite-tracking period, the whale’s moving speed was estimated at 5.33 ± 4.01 km/h. These findings expanded the known distribution areas of Bryde’s whales in the Beibu Gulf and provided an important scientific basis for the regional protection of this species. We suggest that fine-scale movements, habitat use, and migratory behavior of Bryde’s whales in the Beibu Gulf need more biotelemetry research, using long-term satellite-tracking tags and involving enough individuals. Furthermore, the genetic relationship and possible connectivity of Bryde’s whales in the Beibu Gulf and adjacent waters should be examined.
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Stephenson F, Hewitt JE, Torres LG, Mouton TL, Brough T, Goetz KT, Lundquist CJ, MacDiarmid AB, Ellis J, Constantine R. Cetacean conservation planning in a global diversity hotspot: dealing with uncertainty and data deficiencies. Ecosphere 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3633] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | - Judi E. Hewitt
- National Institute of Water and Atmosphere (NIWA) Hamilton New Zealand
- Department of Statistics University of Auckland Auckland New Zealand
| | - Leigh G. Torres
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Marine Mammal Institute Oregon State University Newport Oregon USA
| | - Théophile L. Mouton
- Marine Biodiversity Exploitation, and Conservation (MARBEC) UMR IRD‐CNRS‐UM‐IFREMER 9190 Université de Montpellier Montpellier34095France
| | - Tom Brough
- National Institute of Water and Atmosphere (NIWA) Hamilton New Zealand
| | - Kimberly T. Goetz
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration National Marine Fisheries Service Marine Mammal Laboratory Alaska Fisheries Science Center Seattle Alaska USA
- National Institute of Water and Atmosphere (NIWA) Wellington New Zealand
| | - Carolyn J. Lundquist
- National Institute of Water and Atmosphere (NIWA) Hamilton New Zealand
- Institute of Marine Science University of Auckland Auckland New Zealand
| | | | - Joanne Ellis
- School of Science University of Waikato Tauranga New Zealand
| | - Rochelle Constantine
- Institute of Marine Science University of Auckland Auckland New Zealand
- School of Biological Sciences University of Auckland Auckland New Zealand
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6
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Iwata T, Biuw M, Aoki K, Miller PJO, Sato K. Using an omnidirectional video logger to observe the underwater life of marine animals: Humpback whale resting behaviour. Behav Processes 2021; 186:104369. [PMID: 33640487 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2021.104369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2020] [Revised: 02/04/2021] [Accepted: 02/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Animal-borne video loggers are powerful tools for investigating animal behaviour because they directly record immediate and extended peripheral animal activities; however, typical video loggers capture only a limited area on one side of an animal being monitored owing to their narrow field of view. Here, we investigated the resting behaviour of humpback whales using an animal-borne omnidirectional video camera combined with a behavioural data logger. In the video logger footage, two non-tagged resting individuals, which did not spread their flippers or move their flukes, were observed above a tagged animal, representing an apparent bout of group resting. During the video logger recording, the swim speed was relatively slow (0.75 m s-1), and the tagged animal made only a few strokes of very low amplitude during drift diving. We report the drift dives as resting behaviour specific to baleen whales as same as seals, sperm whales and loggerhead turtles. Overall, our study shows that an omnidirectional video logger is a valuable tool for interpreting animal ecology with improved accuracy owing to its ability to record a wide field of view.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takashi Iwata
- Graduate School of Maritime Sciences, Kobe University, 5-1-1 Fukaeminami-machi, Higashinada-ku, Kobe, Hyogo, 658-0022, Japan; Ocean Policy Research Institute, Sasakawa Peace Foundation, 1-15-16 Toranomon, Minato, Tokyo, 105-8524, Japan; Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, The University of Tokyo, 5-1-5 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba, 277-8564, Japan; Sea Mammal Research Unit, School of Biology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife, KY16 9TS, UK.
| | - Martin Biuw
- Institute of Marine Research, P.O box, 6404, 9294, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Kagari Aoki
- Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, The University of Tokyo, 5-1-5 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba, 277-8564, Japan
| | | | - Katsufumi Sato
- Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, The University of Tokyo, 5-1-5 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba, 277-8564, Japan
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Carroll EL, Gallego R, Sewell MA, Zeldis J, Ranjard L, Ross HA, Tooman LK, O'Rorke R, Newcomb RD, Constantine R. Multi-locus DNA metabarcoding of zooplankton communities and scat reveal trophic interactions of a generalist predator. Sci Rep 2019; 9:281. [PMID: 30670720 PMCID: PMC6342929 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-36478-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2018] [Accepted: 11/22/2018] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
To understand the ecosystem dynamics that underpin the year-round presence of a large generalist consumer, the Bryde's whale (Balaenoptera edeni brydei), we use a DNA metabarcoding approach and systematic zooplankton surveys to investigate seasonal and regional changes in zooplankton communities and if whale diet reflects such changes. Twenty-four zooplankton community samples were collected from three regions throughout the Hauraki Gulf, New Zealand, over two temperature regimes (warm and cool seasons), as well as 20 samples of opportunistically collected Bryde's whale scat. Multi-locus DNA barcode libraries were constructed from 18S and COI gene fragments, representing a trade-off between identification and resolution of metazoan taxa. Zooplankton community OTU occurrence and relative read abundance showed regional and seasonal differences based on permutational analyses of variance in both DNA barcodes, with significant changes in biodiversity indices linked to season in COI only. In contrast, we did not find evidence that Bryde's whale diet shows seasonal or regional trends, but instead indicated clear prey preferences for krill-like crustaceans, copepods, salps and ray-finned fishes independent of prey availability. The year-round presence of Bryde's whales in the Hauraki Gulf is likely associated with the patterns of distribution and abundance of these key prey items.
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Affiliation(s)
- E L Carroll
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
| | - R Gallego
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - M A Sewell
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - J Zeldis
- National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - L Ranjard
- Research School of Biology, the Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - H A Ross
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - L K Tooman
- The Institute for Plant & Food Research, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - R O'Rorke
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - R D Newcomb
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
- The Institute for Plant & Food Research, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - R Constantine
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
- Institute of Marine Science, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
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8
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Lyamin OI, Siegel JM. Sleep in Aquatic Mammals. HANDBOOK OF BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2019; 30:375-393. [PMID: 34899110 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-813743-7.00025-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Oleg I Lyamin
- University of California, Los Angeles/VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System Sepulveda, Los Angeles, CA, United States.,A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Moscow, Russia
| | - Jerome M Siegel
- University of California, Los Angeles/VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System Sepulveda, Los Angeles, CA, United States
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