1
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Kettemer LE, Ramm T, Broms F, Biuw M, Blanchet MA, Bourgeon S, Dubourg P, Ellendersen ACJ, Horaud M, Kershaw J, Miller PJO, Øien N, Pallin LJ, Rikardsen AH. Don't mind if I do: Arctic humpback whales respond to winter foraging opportunities before migration. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2023; 10:230069. [PMID: 37680501 PMCID: PMC10480701 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.230069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023]
Abstract
Migration patterns are fundamentally linked to the spatio-temporal distributions of prey. How migrating animals can respond to changes in their prey's distribution and abundance remains largely unclear. During the last decade, humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) used specific winter foraging sites in fjords of northern Norway, outside of their main summer foraging season, to feed on herring that started overwintering in the area. We used photographic matching to show that whales sighted during summer in the Barents Sea foraged in northern Norway from late October to February, staying up to three months and showing high inter-annual return rates (up to 82%). The number of identified whales in northern Norway totalled 866 individuals by 2019. Genetic sexing and hormone profiling in both areas demonstrate a female bias in northern Norway and suggest higher proportions of pregnancy in northern Norway. This may indicate that the fjord-based winter feeding is important for pregnant females before migration. Our results suggest that humpback whales can respond to foraging opportunities along their migration pathways, in some cases by continuing their feeding season well into winter. This provides an important reminder to implement dynamic ecosystem management that can account for changes in the spatio-temporal distribution of migrating marine mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Elena Kettemer
- UiT—The Arctic University of Norway, Faculty of Bioscience, Fisheries and Economics, 9037 Tromsø, Norway
| | - Theresia Ramm
- UiT—The Arctic University of Norway, Faculty of Bioscience, Fisheries and Economics, 9037 Tromsø, Norway
| | - Fredrik Broms
- North Norwegian Humpback Whale Catalogue (NNHWC), Straumsvegen 238, 9109 Kvaløya, Norway
| | - Martin Biuw
- IMR Institute of Marine Research, FRAM—High North Research Centre for Climate and the Environment, 9007 Tromsø, Norway
| | - Marie-Anne Blanchet
- UiT—The Arctic University of Norway, Faculty of Bioscience, Fisheries and Economics, 9037 Tromsø, Norway
- Norwegian Polar Institute, FRAM—High North Research Centre for Climate and the Environment, 9007 Tromsø, Norway
| | - Sophie Bourgeon
- UiT—The Arctic University of Norway, Faculty of Bioscience, Fisheries and Economics, 9037 Tromsø, Norway
| | - Paul Dubourg
- UiT—The Arctic University of Norway, Faculty of Bioscience, Fisheries and Economics, 9037 Tromsø, Norway
| | - Anna C. J. Ellendersen
- UiT—The Arctic University of Norway, Faculty of Bioscience, Fisheries and Economics, 9037 Tromsø, Norway
| | - Mathilde Horaud
- UiT—The Arctic University of Norway, Faculty of Bioscience, Fisheries and Economics, 9037 Tromsø, Norway
| | - Joanna Kershaw
- Sea Mammal Research Unit, Scottish Oceans Institute, University of St Andrews, KY16 9ST St Andrews, UK
| | - Patrick J. O. Miller
- Sea Mammal Research Unit, Scottish Oceans Institute, University of St Andrews, KY16 9ST St Andrews, UK
| | - Nils Øien
- IMR Institute of Marine Research, Nordnes, PO Box 1870, 5817 Bergen, Norway
| | - Logan J. Pallin
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, UC Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA
| | - Audun H. Rikardsen
- UiT—The Arctic University of Norway, Faculty of Bioscience, Fisheries and Economics, 9037 Tromsø, Norway
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, FRAM—High North Research Centre for Climate and the Environment, 9007 Tromsø, Norway
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2
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Bierlich KC, Kane A, Hildebrand L, Bird CN, Fernandez Ajo A, Stewart JD, Hewitt J, Hildebrand I, Sumich J, Torres LG. Downsized: gray whales using an alternative foraging ground have smaller morphology. Biol Lett 2023; 19:20230043. [PMID: 37554011 PMCID: PMC10410206 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2023.0043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 08/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Describing individual morphology and growth is key for identifying ecological niches and monitoring the health and fitness of populations. Eastern North Pacific ((ENP), approximately 16 650 individuals) gray whales primarily feed in the Arctic/sub-Arctic regions, while a small subgroup called the Pacific Coast Feeding Group (PCFG, approximately 212 individuals) instead feeds between northern California, USA and British Columbia, Canada. Evidence suggests PCFG whales have lower body condition than ENP whales. Here we investigate morphological differences (length, skull, and fluke span) and compare length-at-age growth curves between ENP and PCFG whales. We use ENP gray whale length-at-age data comprised of strandings, whaling, and aerial photogrammetry (1926-1997) for comparison to data from PCFG whales collected through non-invasive techniques (2016-2022) to estimate age (photo identification) and length (drone-based photogrammetry). We use Bayesian methods to incorporate uncertainty associated with morphological measurements (manual and photogrammetric) and age estimates. We find that while PCFG and ENP whales have similar growth rates, PCFG whales reach smaller asymptotic lengths. Additionally, PCFG whales have relatively smaller skulls and flukes than ENP whales. These findings represent a striking example of morphological adaptation that may facilitate PCFG whales accessing a foraging niche distinct from the Arctic foraging grounds of the broader ENP population.
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Affiliation(s)
- K. C. Bierlich
- Geospatial Ecology of Marine Megafauna Lab, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, USA
| | - A. Kane
- Geospatial Ecology of Marine Megafauna Lab, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, USA
| | - L. Hildebrand
- Geospatial Ecology of Marine Megafauna Lab, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, USA
| | - C. N. Bird
- Geospatial Ecology of Marine Megafauna Lab, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, USA
| | - A. Fernandez Ajo
- Geospatial Ecology of Marine Megafauna Lab, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, USA
| | - J. D. Stewart
- Ocean Ecology Lab, Marine Mammal Institute, Department of Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, USA
| | - J. Hewitt
- Department of Statistical Science, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - I. Hildebrand
- Geospatial Ecology of Marine Megafauna Lab, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, USA
| | - J. Sumich
- Marine Mammal Institute, Department of Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, USA
| | - L. G. Torres
- Geospatial Ecology of Marine Megafauna Lab, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, USA
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3
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Adachi T, Lovell P, Turnbull J, Fedak MA, Picard B, Guinet C, Biuw M, Keates TR, Holser RR, Costa DP, Crocker DE, Miller PJO. Body condition changes at sea: Onboard calculation and telemetry of body density in diving animals. Methods Ecol Evol 2023. [DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.14089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/08/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Taiki Adachi
- Sea Mammal Research Unit University of St Andrews St Andrews UK
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of California Santa Cruz Santa Cruz California USA
| | - Philip Lovell
- Sea Mammal Research Unit University of St Andrews St Andrews UK
| | - James Turnbull
- Sea Mammal Research Unit University of St Andrews St Andrews UK
| | - Mike A. Fedak
- Sea Mammal Research Unit University of St Andrews St Andrews UK
| | - Baptiste Picard
- CNRS Centre of Biology Studies of Chizé Villiers‐en‐Bois France
| | | | | | - Theresa R. Keates
- Department of Ocean Sciences University of California Santa Cruz Santa Cruz California USA
| | - Rachel R. Holser
- Institute of Marine Sciences, University of California Santa Cruz Santa Cruz California USA
| | - Daniel P. Costa
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of California Santa Cruz Santa Cruz California USA
- Institute of Marine Sciences, University of California Santa Cruz Santa Cruz California USA
| | - Daniel E. Crocker
- Department of Biology Sonoma State University Rohnert Park California USA
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4
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Booth CG, Guilpin M, Darias-O’Hara AK, Ransijn JM, Ryder M, Rosen D, Pirotta E, Smout S, McHuron EA, Nabe-Nielsen J, Costa DP. Estimating energetic intake for marine mammal bioenergetic models. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2023; 11:coac083. [PMID: 36756464 PMCID: PMC9900471 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coac083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2022] [Revised: 11/08/2022] [Accepted: 12/21/2022] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Bioenergetics is the study of how animals achieve energetic balance. Energetic balance results from the energetic expenditure of an individual and the energy they extract from their environment. Ingested energy depends on several extrinsic (e.g prey species, nutritional value and composition, prey density and availability) and intrinsic factors (e.g. foraging effort, success at catching prey, digestive processes and associated energy losses, and digestive capacity). While the focus in bioenergetic modelling is often on the energetic costs an animal incurs, the robust estimation of an individual's energy intake is equally critical for producing meaningful predictions. Here, we review the components and processes that affect energy intake from ingested gross energy to biologically useful net energy (NE). The current state of knowledge of each parameter is reviewed, shedding light on research gaps to advance this field. The review highlighted that the foraging behaviour of many marine mammals is relatively well studied via biologging tags, with estimates of success rate typically assumed for most species. However, actual prey capture success rates are often only assumed, although we note studies that provide approaches for its estimation using current techniques. A comprehensive collation of the nutritional content of marine mammal prey species revealed a robust foundation from which prey quality (comprising prey species, size and energy density) can be assessed, though data remain unavailable for many prey species. Empirical information on various energy losses following ingestion of prey was unbalanced among marine mammal species, with considerably more literature available for pinnipeds. An increased understanding and accurate estimate of each of the components that comprise a species NE intake are an integral part of bioenergetics. Such models provide a key tool to investigate the effects of disturbance on marine mammals at an individual and population level and to support effective conservation and management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cormac G Booth
- Corresponding author: SMRU Consulting, Scottish Oceans Institute, University of St Andrews, East Sands, St Andrews, KY16 8LB, UK.
| | | | - Aimee-Kate Darias-O’Hara
- SMRU Consulting, Scottish Oceans Institute, University of St Andrews, East Sands, St Andrews, KY16 8LB, UK
| | - Janneke M Ransijn
- Sea Mammal Research Unit, Scottish Oceans Institute, East Sands, University of St. Andrews, St. Andrews, KY16 8LB, UK
| | - Megan Ryder
- SMRU Consulting, Scottish Oceans Institute, University of St Andrews, East Sands, St Andrews, KY16 8LB, UK
| | - Dave Rosen
- Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, University of British Columbia, 2202 Main Mall,
Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Enrico Pirotta
- Centre for Research into Ecological and Environmental Modelling,
The Observatory, Buchanan
Gardens, University of St. Andrews, St. Andrews,
KY16 9LZ, UK
| | - Sophie Smout
- Sea Mammal Research Unit, Scottish Oceans Institute, East Sands, University of St. Andrews, St. Andrews, KY16 8LB, UK
| | - Elizabeth A McHuron
- Cooperative Institute for Climate, Ocean, and Ecosystem Studies, University of Washington, 3737 Brooklyn Ave NE, Seattle, WA, 98105, USA
| | - Jacob Nabe-Nielsen
- Marine Mammal Research, Department of Ecoscience, Aarhus University, Aarhus, DK-4000
Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Daniel P Costa
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department, University of California Santa Cruz, 130
McAlister Way, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064, USA
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5
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Burslem A, Isojunno S, Pirotta E, Miller PJO. Modelling the impact of condition-dependent responses and lipid-store availability on the consequences of disturbance in a cetacean. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2022; 10:coac069. [PMID: 36415287 PMCID: PMC9672687 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coac069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2022] [Revised: 09/29/2022] [Accepted: 10/06/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Lipid-store body condition is fundamental to how animals cope with environmental fluctuations, including anthropogenic change. As it provides an energetic buffer, body condition is expected to influence risk-taking strategies, with both positive and negative relationships between body condition and risk-taking posited in the literature. Individuals in good condition may take more risks due to state-dependent safety ('ability-based' explanation), or alternatively fewer risks due to asset protection and reduced need to undertake risky foraging ('needs-based' explanation). Such state-dependent responses could drive non-linear impacts of anthropogenic activities through feedback between body condition and behavioural disturbance. Here, we present a simple bioenergetic model that explicitly incorporates hypothetical body condition-dependent response strategies for a cetacean, the sperm whale. The model considered the consequences of state-dependent foraging cessation and availability of wax ester (WE) lipids for calf provisioning and female survival. We found strikingly different consequences of disturbance depending on strategy and WE availability scenarios. Compared with the null strategy, where responses to disturbance were independent of body condition, the needs-based strategy mitigated predicted reductions in provisioning by 10%-13%, while the ability-based strategy exaggerated reductions by 63%-113%. Lower WE availability resulted in more extreme outcomes because energy stores were smaller relative to the daily energy balance. In the 0% availability scenario, while the needs-based strategy reduced deaths by 100%, the ability-based strategy increased them by 335% relative to null and by 56% relative to the same strategy under the 5%-6.7% WE availability scenario. These results highlight that state-dependent disturbance responses and energy store availability could substantially impact the population consequences of disturbance. Our ability to set appropriate precautionary disturbance thresholds therefore requires empirical tests of ability- vs needs-based response modification as a function of body condition and a clearer understanding of energy store availability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alec Burslem
- Corresponding author: Sea Mammal Research Unit, Scottish Oceans Institute, School of Biology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife KY16 8LB, UK. Tel: +44 (0) 7984318003.
| | - Saana Isojunno
- Sea Mammal Research Unit, Scottish Oceans Institute, School of Biology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife KY16 8LB, UK
- Centre for Research into Ecological and Environmental Modelling, School of Mathematics, The Observatory, Buchanan Gardens, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife KY16 9LZ, UK
| | - Enrico Pirotta
- Centre for Research into Ecological and Environmental Modelling, School of Mathematics, The Observatory, Buchanan Gardens, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife KY16 9LZ, UK
| | - Patrick J O Miller
- Sea Mammal Research Unit, Scottish Oceans Institute, School of Biology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife KY16 8LB, UK
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6
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McHuron EA, Adamczak S, Arnould JPY, Ashe E, Booth C, Bowen WD, Christiansen F, Chudzinska M, Costa DP, Fahlman A, Farmer NA, Fortune SME, Gallagher CA, Keen KA, Madsen PT, McMahon CR, Nabe-Nielsen J, Noren DP, Noren SR, Pirotta E, Rosen DAS, Speakman CN, Villegas-Amtmann S, Williams R. Key questions in marine mammal bioenergetics. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2022; 10:coac055. [PMID: 35949259 PMCID: PMC9358695 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coac055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2022] [Revised: 06/28/2022] [Accepted: 07/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Bioenergetic approaches are increasingly used to understand how marine mammal populations could be affected by a changing and disturbed aquatic environment. There remain considerable gaps in our knowledge of marine mammal bioenergetics, which hinder the application of bioenergetic studies to inform policy decisions. We conducted a priority-setting exercise to identify high-priority unanswered questions in marine mammal bioenergetics, with an emphasis on questions relevant to conservation and management. Electronic communication and a virtual workshop were used to solicit and collate potential research questions from the marine mammal bioenergetic community. From a final list of 39 questions, 11 were identified as 'key' questions because they received votes from at least 50% of survey participants. Key questions included those related to energy intake (prey landscapes, exposure to human activities) and expenditure (field metabolic rate, exposure to human activities, lactation, time-activity budgets), energy allocation priorities, metrics of body condition and relationships with survival and reproductive success and extrapolation of data from one species to another. Existing tools to address key questions include labelled water, animal-borne sensors, mark-resight data from long-term research programs, environmental DNA and unmanned vehicles. Further validation of existing approaches and development of new methodologies are needed to comprehensively address some key questions, particularly for cetaceans. The identification of these key questions can provide a guiding framework to set research priorities, which ultimately may yield more accurate information to inform policies and better conserve marine mammal populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth A McHuron
- Corresponding author: Cooperative Institute for Climate, Ocean, and Ecosystem Studies, University of Washington, WA, 98195, USA.
| | - Stephanie Adamczak
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064, USA
| | - John P Y Arnould
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Burwood, VIC 3125, Australia
| | - Erin Ashe
- Oceans Initiative, Seattle, WA, 98102, USA
| | - Cormac Booth
- SMRU Consulting, Scottish Oceans Institute, University of St. Andrews, St. Andrews KY16 8LB, UK
| | - W Don Bowen
- Biology Department, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada
- Population Ecology Division, Bedford Institute of Oceanography, Dartmouth, NS B2Y 4A2, Canada
| | - Fredrik Christiansen
- Aarhus Institute of Advanced Studies, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
- Zoophysiology, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
- Center for Sustainable Aquatic Ecosystems, Harry Butler Institute, Murdoch, Murdoch University, WA 6150, Australia
| | - Magda Chudzinska
- SMRU Consulting, Scottish Oceans Institute, University of St. Andrews, St. Andrews KY16 8LB, UK
- Sea Mammal Research Unit, Scottish Oceans Institute, University of St. Andrews, St. Andrews KY16 9XL, UK
| | - Daniel P Costa
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064, USA
| | - Andreas Fahlman
- Fundación Oceanogràfic de la Comunitat Valenciana, 46005 Valencia, Spain
- Kolmården Wildlife Park, 618 92 Kolmården, Sweden
| | - Nicholas A Farmer
- NOAA/National Marine Fisheries Service, Southeast Regional Office, St. Petersburg, FL, 33701, USA
| | - Sarah M E Fortune
- Department of Oceanography, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Cara A Gallagher
- Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation, University of Potsdam, 14476 Potsdam, Germany
| | - Kelly A Keen
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064, USA
| | - Peter T Madsen
- Zoophysiology, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Clive R McMahon
- IMOS Animal Tagging, Sydney Institute of Marine Science, Mosman, NSW 2088, Australia
| | | | - Dawn P Noren
- Conservation Biology Division, Northwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Seattle, WA, 98112, USA
| | - Shawn R Noren
- Institute of Marine Science, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, 95060, USA
| | - Enrico Pirotta
- Centre for Research into Ecological and Environmental Modelling, University of St. Andrews, St. Andrews KY16 9LZ, UK
| | - David A S Rosen
- Institute for Oceans and Fisheries, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1ZA, Canada
| | - Cassie N Speakman
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Burwood, VIC 3125, Australia
| | - Stella Villegas-Amtmann
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064, USA
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7
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Kettemer LE, Rikardsen AH, Biuw M, Broms F, Mul E, Blanchet MA. Round-trip migration and energy budget of a breeding female humpback whale in the Northeast Atlantic. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0268355. [PMID: 35622815 PMCID: PMC9140263 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0268355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2021] [Accepted: 04/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
In the northern hemisphere, humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) typically migrate between summer/autumn feeding grounds at high latitudes, and specific winter/spring breeding grounds at low latitudes. Northeast Atlantic (NEA) humpback whales for instance forage in the Barents Sea and breed either in the West Indies, or the Cape Verde Islands, undertaking the longest recorded mammalian migration (~ 9 000 km). However, in the past decade hundreds of individuals have been observed foraging on herring during the winter in fjord systems along the northern Norwegian coast, with unknown consequences to their migration phenology, breeding behavior and energy budgets. Here we present the first complete migration track (321 days, January 8th, 2019—December 6th, 2019) of a humpback whale, a pregnant female that was equipped with a satellite tag in northern Norway. We show that whales can use foraging grounds in the NEA (Barents Sea, coastal Norway, and Iceland) sequentially within the same migration cycle, foraging in the Barents Sea in summer/fall and in coastal Norway and Iceland in winter. The migration speed was fast (1.6 ms-1), likely to account for the long migration distance (18 300 km) and long foraging season, but varied throughout the migration, presumably in response to the calf’s needs after its birth. The energetic cost of this migration was higher than for individuals belonging to other populations. Our results indicate that large whales can modulate their migration speed to balance foraging opportunities with migration phenology, even for the longest migrations and under the added constraint of reproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Elena Kettemer
- Faculty of Biosciences, Fisheries and Economics, UiT–The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
- * E-mail: ,
| | - Audun H. Rikardsen
- Faculty of Biosciences, Fisheries and Economics, UiT–The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Martin Biuw
- FRAM—High North Research Centre for Climate and the Environment, IMR Institute of Marine Research, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Fredrik Broms
- North Norwegian Humpback Whale Catalogue (NNHWC), Straumsvegen, Kvaløya, Norway
| | - Evert Mul
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Marie-Anne Blanchet
- Faculty of Biosciences, Fisheries and Economics, UiT–The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
- FRAM—High North Research Centre for Climate and the Environment, Norwegian Polar Institute, Tromsø, Norway
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8
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Ramos EA, Landeo-Yauri S, Castelblanco-Martínez N, Arreola MR, Quade AH, Rieucau G. Drone-based photogrammetry assessments of body size and body condition of Antillean manatees. Mamm Biol 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s42991-022-00228-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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9
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Aoki K, Watanabe Y, Inamori D, Funasaka N, Sakamoto KQ. Towards non-invasive heart rate monitoring in free-ranging cetaceans: a unipolar suction cup tag measured the heart rate of trained Risso's dolphins. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2021; 376:20200225. [PMID: 34176321 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Heart rate monitoring in free-ranging cetaceans to understand their behavioural ecology and diving physiology is challenging. Here, we developed a simple, non-invasive method to monitor the heart rate of cetaceans in the field using an electrocardiogram-measuring device and a single suction cup equipped with an electrode. The unipolar suction cup was placed on the left lateral body surface behind the pectoral fin of Risso's dolphins (Grampus griseus) and a false killer whale (Pseudorca crassidens) in captivity; their heart rate was successfully monitored. We observed large heart rate oscillations corresponding to respiration in the motionless whales during surfacing (a false killer whale, mean 47 bpm, range 20-75 bpm; Risso's dolphins, mean ± s.d. 61 ± 15 bpm, range 28-120 bpm, n = 4 individuals), which was consistent with the sinus arrhythmia pattern (eupneic tachycardia and apneic bradycardia) observed in other cetaceans. Immediately after respiration, the heart rate rapidly increased to approximately twice that observed prior to the breath. Heart rate then gradually decreased at around 20-50 s and remained relatively constant until the next breath. Furthermore, we successfully monitored the heart rate of a free-swimming Risso's dolphin. The all-in-one suction cup device is feasible for field use without restraining animals and is helpful in further understanding the diving physiology of free-ranging cetaceans. This article is part of the theme issue 'Measuring physiology in free-living animals (Part II)'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kagari Aoki
- Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, The University of Tokyo, Chiba 277-8564, Japan
| | - Yurie Watanabe
- Taiji Whale Museum and Aquarium, Wakayama 649-5171, Japan
| | - Daiki Inamori
- Taiji Whale Museum and Aquarium, Wakayama 649-5171, Japan
| | - Noriko Funasaka
- Taiji Whale Museum and Aquarium, Wakayama 649-5171, Japan.,Cetacean Research Center, Graduate School of Bioresources, Mie University, Mie 514-8507, Japan
| | - Kentaro Q Sakamoto
- Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, The University of Tokyo, Chiba 277-8564, Japan
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10
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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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