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Ramp C, Lesage V, Ollier A, Auger-Méthé M, Sears R. Migratory movements of fin whales from the Gulf of St. Lawrence challenge our understanding of the Northwest Atlantic stock structure. Sci Rep 2024; 14:11472. [PMID: 38769407 PMCID: PMC11106244 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-62173-1] [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: 03/09/2024] [Accepted: 05/14/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Fin whales, Balenoptera physalus, are capital breeders, having the potential to separate breeding and feeding both spatially and temporally. Fin whales occur throughout the Northwest Atlantic, but stock structure and seasonal movements remain unclear. By deploying satellite transmitters on 28 individuals, we examine movement patterns within and beyond the Gulf of St. Lawrence (GSL), Canada, and challenge the current understanding of stock structure. Eight individuals left the GSL in autumn, with five tags persisting into January. Migration patterns of these whales showed considerable variation in timing and trajectory, with movements extending south to 24°N, and thus beyond the assumed distribution limit of the species in the Northwest Atlantic. A rapid return to the Scotian Shelf or Gulf of Maine was observed from several whales after incursions in southern waters, suggesting that fin whales in the Northwest Atlantic may not have a common winter destination that fits the definition of a breeding ground. Area-restricted search (ARS) behavior dominated fin whale activities during summer (92%) and fall (72%), with persistence into the winter (56%); ARS occurred at multiple locations in the GSL, Scotian Shelf and Shelf edge, and near seamounts of the North Atlantic, having characteristics consistent with foraging areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Ramp
- Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Maurice Lamontagne Institute, 850 Route de la mer,, Mont Joli, QC, G5H 3Z4, Canada.
| | - Veronique Lesage
- Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Maurice Lamontagne Institute, 850 Route de la mer,, Mont Joli, QC, G5H 3Z4, Canada
| | - Angélique Ollier
- Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Maurice Lamontagne Institute, 850 Route de la mer,, Mont Joli, QC, G5H 3Z4, Canada
| | - Marie Auger-Méthé
- Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, AERL, 2202 Main Mall, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, V6T 1Z4, Canada
- Department of Statistics, ESB, 2207 Main Mall, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Richard Sears
- Mingan Island Cetacean Study, 285 rue Green, St Lambert, QC, J4P 1T3, Canada
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2
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García-Vernet R, Rita D, Bérubé M, Elgueta-Serra J, Pascual Guasch M, Víkingsson G, Ruiz-Sagalés M, Borrell A, Aguilar A. Order within chaos: potential migratory strategies and individual associations in fin whales feeding off Iceland. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2024; 12:36. [PMID: 38725038 PMCID: PMC11080271 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-024-00474-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2023] [Accepted: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The life cycle of most baleen whales involves annual migrations from low-latitude breeding grounds to high latitude feeding grounds. In most species, these migrations are traditionally considered to be carried out according to information acquired through vertical social learning during the first months of life and made individually. However, some recent studies have suggested a more complex scenario, particularly for the species of the Balaenoptera genus. METHODS Here, we studied the variation of δ15N and δ13C values along the growth axis of the baleen plate from 24 fin whales feeding off western Iceland to delve into their pattern of movements and to identify potential associations between individuals. The segment of baleen plate analyzed informed about at least two complete migratory cycles. We performed cluster analyses through two different methodologies and, whenever possible, we genotyped 20 microsatellite loci to determine potential existence of kinship. RESULTS Results of the of δ15N and δ13C values agree with a dispersion strategy in the winter breeding grounds. However, and despite the overall large variability, several pairs or groups of individuals with no kinship showed highly similar isotopic patterns for two consecutive years for both δ15N and δ13C values. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that, notably, some whales without kinship share the same migratory regime and destinations. We hypothesize that this could reflect either: (i) the sharing of particularly beneficial migratory regimes, and/or (ii) long-term association between individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raquel García-Vernet
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, and IRBio, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, 08028, Spain
| | - Diego Rita
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, and IRBio, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, 08028, Spain
| | - Martine Bérubé
- Marine Evolution and Conservation, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, Groningen, 9747 AG, The Netherlands
- Center for Coastal Studies, 5 Holway Avenue, Provincetown, MA, 02657, USA
| | - Julia Elgueta-Serra
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, and IRBio, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, 08028, Spain
| | - Marina Pascual Guasch
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, and IRBio, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, 08028, Spain
| | - Gísli Víkingsson
- Marine and Freshwater Research Institute, PO Box 1390, Fornubúðum 5, 220, Hafnarfjörður, Iceland
| | - Marc Ruiz-Sagalés
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, and IRBio, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, 08028, Spain
| | - Asunción Borrell
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, and IRBio, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, 08028, Spain
| | - Alex Aguilar
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, and IRBio, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, 08028, Spain.
- Reial Acadèmia de Ciències i Arts de Barcelona (RACAB), La Rambla 115, Barcelona, 08001, Spain.
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Panigada V, Bodey TW, Friedlaender A, Druon JN, Huckstädt LA, Pierantonio N, Degollada E, Tort B, Panigada S. Targeting fin whale conservation in the North-Western Mediterranean Sea: insights on movements and behaviour from biologging and habitat modelling. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2024; 11:231783. [PMID: 38455994 PMCID: PMC10915541 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.231783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 03/09/2024]
Abstract
Biologging and habitat modelling are key tools supporting the development of conservation measures and mitigating the effects of anthropogenic pressures on marine species. Here, we analysed satellite telemetry data and foraging habitat preferences in relation to chlorophyll-a productivity fronts to understand the movements and behaviour of endangered Mediterranean fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus) during their spring-summer feeding aggregation in the North-Western Mediterranean Sea. Eleven individuals were equipped with Argos satellite transmitters across 3 years, with transmissions averaging 23.5 ± 11.3 days. Hidden Markov Models were used to identify foraging behaviour, revealing how individuals showed consistency in their use of seasonal core feeding grounds; this was supported by the distribution of potential foraging habitat. Importantly, tracked whales spent most of their time in areas with no explicit protected status within the study region. This highlights the need for enhanced time- and place-based conservation actions to mitigate the effects of anthropogenic impacts for this species, notably ship strike risk and noise disturbance in an area of exceptionally high maritime traffic levels. These findings strengthen the need to further assess critical habitats and Important Marine Mammal Areas that are crucial for focused conservation, management and mitigation efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Viola Panigada
- Tethys Research Institute, c/o Acquario Civico, Viale G.B. Gadio 2, 20121 Milano, Italy
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB24 3FX, UK
| | - Thomas W. Bodey
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB24 3FX, UK
| | - Ari Friedlaender
- Institute of Marine Sciences, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | - Jean-Noël Druon
- Joint Research Centre, (JRC), European Commission, Ispra, Italy
| | - Luis A. Huckstädt
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall, UK
| | - Nino Pierantonio
- Tethys Research Institute, c/o Acquario Civico, Viale G.B. Gadio 2, 20121 Milano, Italy
| | | | - Beatriu Tort
- Associació EDMAKTUB, 08393 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Simone Panigada
- Tethys Research Institute, c/o Acquario Civico, Viale G.B. Gadio 2, 20121 Milano, Italy
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Andrade D, García-Cegarra AM, Docmac F, Ñacari LA, Harrod C. Multiple stable isotopes (C, N & S) provide evidence for fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) trophic ecology and movements in the Humboldt Current System of northern Chile. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 192:106178. [PMID: 37776807 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2023.106178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2023] [Revised: 09/04/2023] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/02/2023]
Abstract
Reflecting the intense coastal upwelling and high primary productivity characteristic of the Humboldt Current System (HCS), the northern coast of Chile supports a diverse and productive community of marine consumers, including worldwide important pelagic fisheries resources. Although marine mammals are relatively understudied in the region, recent studies have demonstrated that fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) is the most frequently encountered whale species, and forages in these waters year-round. However, a current lack of information limits our understanding of whether fin whales actively feed and/or remain resident in these waters or whether whales are observed feeding as they migrate along this part of the Pacific. Here, we use stable isotope ratios of carbon, nitrogen and sulphur of fin whale skin samples collected in early summer 2020 (n = 18) and in late winter 2021 (n = 22) to examine evidence of temporal isotopic shifts that could provide information on potential migratory movements and to estimate likely consumption patterns of putative prey (i.e. zooplankton, krill, pelagic fishes and Pleuroncodes sp.). We also analysed prey items in fin whale faecal plumes (n = 8) collected during the study period. Stable isotope data showed significant differences in the isotopic values of fin whales from summer and winter. On average, summer individuals were depleted in 15N and 34S relative to those sampled during winter. Whales sampled in summer showed greater isotopic variance than winter individuals, with several showing values that were atypical for consumers from the HCS. During winter, fin whales showed far less inter-individual variation in stable isotope values, and all individuals had values indicative of prey consumption in the region. Analysis of both stable isotopes and faeces indicated that fin whales sighted off the Mejillones Peninsula fed primarily on krill (SIA median contribution = 32%; IRI = 65%) and, to a lesser extent, zooplankton (SIA zooplankton = 29%; IRI copepod = 33%). These are the first isotopic-based data regarding the trophic ecology of fin whales in the north of Chile. They provide evidence that fin whales are seasonally resident in the area, including individuals with values that likely originated outside the study area. The information presented here serves as a baseline for future work. It highlights that many aspects of the ecology of fin whales in the Humboldt Current and wider SE Pacific still need to be clarified.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diego Andrade
- Programa de Magíster en Ecología de Sistemas Acuáticos, Facultad de Ciencias del Mar y Recursos Biológicos, Universidad de Antofagasta Chile, Chile; Instituto de Ciencias Naturales Alexander von Humboldt, Facultad de Ciencias del Mar y Recursos Biológicos, Universidad de Antofagasta, Chile
| | - Ana M García-Cegarra
- Instituto de Ciencias Naturales Alexander von Humboldt, Facultad de Ciencias del Mar y Recursos Biológicos, Universidad de Antofagasta, Chile; Laboratorio de Estudio de Megafauna Marina, CETALAB, Universidad de Antofagasta, Chile.
| | - Felipe Docmac
- Instituto de Ciencias Naturales Alexander von Humboldt, Facultad de Ciencias del Mar y Recursos Biológicos, Universidad de Antofagasta, Chile; Universidad de Antofagasta Stable Isotope Facility, Instituto Antofagasta, Universidad de Antofagasta, Chile; INVASAL, Concepción, Chile
| | - Luis A Ñacari
- Universidad de Antofagasta Stable Isotope Facility, Instituto Antofagasta, Universidad de Antofagasta, Chile; INVASAL, Concepción, Chile; Laboratorio de Ecología y Evolución de Parásitos, Facultad de Ciencias del Mar y Recursos Biológicos, Universidad de Antofagasta, Chile
| | - Chris Harrod
- Instituto de Ciencias Naturales Alexander von Humboldt, Facultad de Ciencias del Mar y Recursos Biológicos, Universidad de Antofagasta, Chile; Universidad de Antofagasta Stable Isotope Facility, Instituto Antofagasta, Universidad de Antofagasta, Chile; INVASAL, Concepción, Chile
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Giralt Paradell O, Juncà S, Marcos R, Conde Gimenez A, Giménez J. Encounter rate and relative abundance of eight cetaceans off the central Catalan coast (Northwestern Mediterranean sea). MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 191:106166. [PMID: 37699306 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2023.106166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2023] [Revised: 08/25/2023] [Accepted: 09/01/2023] [Indexed: 09/14/2023]
Abstract
This study provides information on cetacean occurrence in the central Catalan coast (NE Iberian Peninsula), an area characterised by an underwater canyon system. Encounter rates (ER), relative abundances (RA) and seasonality were assessed for eight species. This information was combined with physiographic features of the seafloor to understand their influence on cetacean distribution. Data were collected along 189 surveys from January 2017 to December 2022. In total, 479 sightings of eight species of cetaceans were recorded. Striped, bottlenose and Risso's dolphins and fin whales were the most frequently sighted. ER and RA were similar or higher than in other areas of the Mediterranean Sea. Species were distributed differently according to physiographic features: bottlenose dolphins in coastal waters and Risso's dolphins and fin whales above the Garraf underwater canyon system. These results highlight the importance of the central Catalan coast, particularly the underwater canyon system, for at least four species of cetaceans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oriol Giralt Paradell
- Associació Cetàcea, C/ Mas Duran 48 At 2, 08042, Barcelona, Spain; School of Biological, Earth & Environmental Sciences, University College Cork, Enterprise Centre, Distillery Fields, Cork, Ireland; MaREI Centre, Environmental Research Institute, University College Cork, Ireland.
| | - Sílvia Juncà
- Associació Cetàcea, C/ Mas Duran 48 At 2, 08042, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ricard Marcos
- Associació Cetàcea, C/ Mas Duran 48 At 2, 08042, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Joan Giménez
- Associació Cetàcea, C/ Mas Duran 48 At 2, 08042, Barcelona, Spain; Institut de Ciències del Mar (ICM-CSIC), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta 27-49, 08003, Barcelona, Spain
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6
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Storrie L, Loseto LL, Sutherland EL, MacPhee SA, O'Corry-Crowe G, Hussey NE. Do beluga whales truly migrate? Testing a key trait of the classical migration syndrome. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2023; 11:53. [PMID: 37649126 PMCID: PMC10469428 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-023-00416-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2023] [Accepted: 08/05/2023] [Indexed: 09/01/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Migration enables organisms to access resources in separate regions that have predictable but asynchronous spatiotemporal variability in habitat quality. The classical migration syndrome is defined by key traits including directionally persistent long-distance movements during which maintenance activities are suppressed. But recently, seasonal round-trip movements have frequently been considered to constitute migration irrespective of the traits required to meet this movement type, conflating common outcomes with common traits required for a mechanistic understanding of long-distance movements. We aimed to test whether a cetacean ceases foraging during so-called migratory movements, conforming to a trait that defines classical migration. METHODS We used location and dive data collected by satellite tags deployed on beluga whales (Delphinapterus leucas) from the Eastern Beaufort Sea population, which undertake long-distance directed movements between summer and winter areas. To identify phases of directionally persistent travel, behavioural states (area-restricted search, ARS; or Transit) were decoded using a hidden-Markov model, based on step length and turning angle. Established dive profiles were then used as a proxy for foraging, to test the hypothesis that belugas cease foraging during these long-distance transiting movements, i.e., they suppress maintenance activities. RESULTS Belugas principally made directed horizontal movements when moving between summer and winter residency areas, remaining in a Transit state for an average of 75.4% (range = 58.5-87.2%) of the time. All individuals, however, exhibited persistent foraging during Transit movements (75.8% of hours decoded as the Transit state had ≥ 1 foraging dive). These data indicate that belugas actively search for and/or respond to resources during these long-distance movements that are typically called a migration. CONCLUSIONS The long-distance movements of belugas do not conform to the traits defining the classical migration syndrome, but instead have characteristics of both migratory and nomadic behaviour, which may prove adaptive in the face of unpredictable environmental change. Such patterns are likely present in other cetaceans that have been labeled as migratory. Examination of not only horizontal movement state, but also the vertical behaviour of aquatic animals during directed movements is essential for identifying whether a species exhibits traits of the classical migration syndrome or another long-distance movement strategy, enabling improved ecological inference.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luke Storrie
- Centre for Earth Observation Science, Department of Environment and Geography, The University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada.
- Freshwater Institute, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Winnipeg, MB, Canada.
| | - Lisa L Loseto
- Centre for Earth Observation Science, Department of Environment and Geography, The University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
- Freshwater Institute, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Emma L Sutherland
- Centre for Earth Observation Science, Department of Environment and Geography, The University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
- Freshwater Institute, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Shannon A MacPhee
- Freshwater Institute, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Greg O'Corry-Crowe
- Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, Florida Atlantic University, Fort Pierce, FL, USA
| | - Nigel E Hussey
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Windsor, Windsor, ON, Canada
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7
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Lubitz N, Daly R, Filmalter JD, Sheaves M, Cowley PD, Naesje TF, Barnett A. Context drives movement patterns in a mobile marine predator. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2023; 11:28. [PMID: 37226200 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-023-00390-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2023] [Accepted: 05/06/2023] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Intra-specific variability in movement behaviour occurs in all major taxonomic groups. Despite its common occurrence and ecological consequences, individual variability is often overlooked. As a result, there is a persistent gap in knowledge about drivers of intra-specific variability in movement and its role in fulfilling life history requirements. We apply a context-focused approach to bull sharks (Carcharhinus leucas), a highly mobile marine predator, incorporating intra-specific variability to understand how variable movement patterns arise and how they might be altered under future change scenarios. Spatial analysis of sharks, acoustically tagged both at their distributional limit and the centre of distribution in southern Africa, was combined with spatial analysis of acoustically tagged teleost prey and remote-sensing of environmental variables. The objective was to test the hypothesis that varying resource availability and magnitude of seasonal environmental change in different locations interact to produce variable yet predictable movement behaviours across a species' distribution. Sharks from both locations showed high seasonal overlap with predictable prey aggregations. Patterns were variable in the centre of distribution, where residency, small- and large-scale movements were all recorded. In contrast, all animals from the distributional limit performed 'leap-frog migrations', making long-distance migrations bypassing conspecifics in the centre of distribution. By combining multiple variables related to life history requirements for animals in different environments we identified combinations of key drivers that explain the occurrence of differing movement behaviours across different contexts and delineated the effects of environmental factors and prey dynamics on predator movement. Comparisons with other taxa show striking similarities in patterns of intra-specific variability across terrestrial and marine species, suggesting common drivers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Lubitz
- Marine Data Technology Hub, College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville City, QLD, Australia.
- Biopixel Oceans Foundation, Cairns, QLD, Australia.
| | - Ryan Daly
- Oceanographic Research Institute, Marine Parade, PO Box 10712, 4056, Durban, South Africa
- South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB), Private Bag, 1015, 6140, Makhanda, South Africa
| | - John D Filmalter
- South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB), Private Bag, 1015, 6140, Makhanda, South Africa
| | - Marcus Sheaves
- Marine Data Technology Hub, College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville City, QLD, Australia
| | - Paul D Cowley
- South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB), Private Bag, 1015, 6140, Makhanda, South Africa
| | - Tor F Naesje
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, P.O. Box 5685, NO- 7485, Torgarden, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Adam Barnett
- Marine Data Technology Hub, College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville City, QLD, Australia
- Biopixel Oceans Foundation, Cairns, QLD, Australia
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Barlow DR, Klinck H, Ponirakis D, Holt Colberg M, Torres LG. Temporal occurrence of three blue whale populations in New Zealand waters from passive acoustic monitoring. J Mammal 2022. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyac106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Describing spatial and temporal occurrence patterns of wild animal populations is important for understanding their evolutionary trajectories, population connectivity, and ecological niche specialization, with relevance for effective management. Throughout the world, blue whales produce stereotyped songs that enable identification of separate acoustic populations. We harnessed continuous acoustic recordings from five hydrophones deployed in the South Taranaki Bight (STB) region of Aotearoa New Zealand from January 2016 to February 2018. We examined hourly presence of songs from three different blue whale populations to investigate their contrasting ecological use of New Zealand waters. The New Zealand song was detected year-round with a seasonal cycle in intensity (peak February–July), demonstrating the importance of the region to the New Zealand population as both a foraging ground and potential breeding area. The Antarctic song was present in two distinct peaks each year (June–July; September–October) and predominantly at the offshore recording locations, suggesting northbound and southbound migration between feeding and wintering grounds. The Australian song was only detected during a 10-day period in January 2017, implying a rare vagrant occurrence. We therefore infer that the STB region is the primary niche of the New Zealand population, a migratory corridor for the Antarctic population, and outside the typical range of the Australian population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dawn R Barlow
- Geospatial Ecology of Marine Megafauna Lab, Marine Mammal Institute, Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Sciences, Oregon State University , Newport, Oregon 97365 , USA
| | - Holger Klinck
- K. Lisa Yang Center for Conservation Bioacoustics, Cornell University , Ithaca, New York 14850 , USA
- Marine Mammal Institute, Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Sciences, Oregon State University , Newport, Oregon 97365 , USA
| | - Dimitri Ponirakis
- K. Lisa Yang Center for Conservation Bioacoustics, Cornell University , Ithaca, New York 14850 , USA
| | - Mattea Holt Colberg
- Geospatial Ecology of Marine Megafauna Lab, Marine Mammal Institute, Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Sciences, Oregon State University , Newport, Oregon 97365 , USA
- Department of Integrative Biology, Oregon State University , Corvallis, Oregon 97331 , USA
| | - Leigh G Torres
- Geospatial Ecology of Marine Megafauna Lab, Marine Mammal Institute, Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Sciences, Oregon State University , Newport, Oregon 97365 , USA
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9
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Movements and residency of fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus) in the California Current System. Mamm Biol 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s42991-022-00298-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
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10
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Lubitz N, Bradley M, Sheaves M, Hammerschlag N, Daly R, Barnett A. The role of context in elucidating drivers of animal movement. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e9128. [PMID: 35898421 PMCID: PMC9309038 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2022] [Revised: 05/10/2022] [Accepted: 07/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite its consequences for ecological processes and population dynamics, intra-specific variability is frequently overlooked in animal movement studies. Consequently, the necessary resolution to reveal drivers of individual movement decisions is often lost as animal movement data are aggregated to infer average or population patterns. Thus, an empirical understanding of why a given movement pattern occurs remains patchy for many taxa, especially in marine systems. Nonetheless, movement is often rationalized as being driven by basic life history requirements, such as acquiring energy (feeding), reproduction, predator-avoidance, and remaining in suitable environmental conditions. However, these life history requirements are central to every individual within a species and thus do not sufficiently account for the high intra-specific variability in movement behavior and hence fail to fully explain the occurrence of multiple movement strategies within a species. Animal movement appears highly context dependent as, for example, within the same location, the behavior of both resident and migratory individuals is driven by life history requirements, such as feeding or reproduction, however different movement strategies are utilized to fulfill them. A systematic taxa-wide approach that, instead of averaging population patterns, incorporates and utilizes intra-specific variability to enable predictions as to which movement patterns can be expected under a certain context, is needed. Here, we use intra-specific variability in elasmobranchs as a case study to introduce a stepwise approach for studying animal movement drivers that is based on a context-dependence framework. We examine relevant literature to illustrate how this context-focused approach can aid in reliably identifying drivers of a specific movement pattern. Ultimately, incorporating behavioral variability in the study of movement drivers can assist in making predictions about behavioral responses to environmental change, overcoming tagging biases, and establishing more efficient conservation measures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Lubitz
- College of Science and EngineeringJames Cook UniversityTownsvilleQueenslandAustralia
| | - Michael Bradley
- Marine Data Technology HubCollege of Science and EngineeringJames Cook UniversityTownsvilleQueenslandAustralia
| | - Marcus Sheaves
- Marine Data Technology HubCollege of Science and EngineeringJames Cook UniversityTownsvilleQueenslandAustralia
| | - Neil Hammerschlag
- Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric ScienceUniversity of MiamiMiamiFloridaUSA
| | - Ryan Daly
- Oceanographic Research InstituteDurbanSouth Africa
- South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB)MakhandaSouth Africa
| | - Adam Barnett
- Marine Data Technology HubCollege of Science and EngineeringJames Cook UniversityTownsvilleQueenslandAustralia
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Fioravanti T, Maio N, Latini L, Splendiani A, Guarino FM, Mezzasalma M, Petraccioli A, Cozzi B, Mazzariol S, Centelleghe C, Sciancalepore G, Pietroluongo G, Podestà M, Caputo Barucchi V. Nothing is as it seems: genetic analyses on stranded fin whales unveil the presence of a fin-blue whale hybrid in the Mediterranean Sea (Balaenopteridae). THE EUROPEAN ZOOLOGICAL JOURNAL 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/24750263.2022.2063426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- T. Fioravanti
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell’Ambiente, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Via Brecce Bianche, 60131, Ancona, Italy
| | - N. Maio
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Via Cinthia 26, 80126, Napoli, Italy
| | - L. Latini
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell’Ambiente, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Via Brecce Bianche, 60131, Ancona, Italy
| | - A. Splendiani
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell’Ambiente, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Via Brecce Bianche, 60131, Ancona, Italy
| | - F. M. Guarino
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Via Cinthia 26, 80126, Napoli, Italy
| | - M. Mezzasalma
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Via Cinthia 26, 80126, Napoli, Italy
| | - A. Petraccioli
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Via Cinthia 26, 80126, Napoli, Italy
| | - B. Cozzi
- Dipartimento di Biomedicina Comparata e Alimentazione, Università degli Studi di Padova, Viale dell’ Università 16, 35020, Legnaro (PD), Italy
| | - S. Mazzariol
- Dipartimento di Biomedicina Comparata e Alimentazione, Università degli Studi di Padova, Viale dell’ Università 16, 35020, Legnaro (PD), Italy
| | - C. Centelleghe
- Dipartimento di Biomedicina Comparata e Alimentazione, Università degli Studi di Padova, Viale dell’ Università 16, 35020, Legnaro (PD), Italy
| | - G. Sciancalepore
- Dipartimento di Biomedicina Comparata e Alimentazione, Università degli Studi di Padova, Viale dell’ Università 16, 35020, Legnaro (PD), Italy
| | - G. Pietroluongo
- Dipartimento di Biomedicina Comparata e Alimentazione, Università degli Studi di Padova, Viale dell’ Università 16, 35020, Legnaro (PD), Italy
| | - M. Podestà
- Sezione di Zoologia dei Vertebrati, Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Milano, Corso Venezia 55, 2012, Milano, Italy
| | - V. Caputo Barucchi
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell’Ambiente, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Via Brecce Bianche, 60131, Ancona, Italy
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Mattmüller RM, Thomisch K, Van Opzeeland I, Laidre KL, Simon M. Passive acoustic monitoring reveals year-round marine mammal community composition off Tasiilaq, Southeast Greenland. THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2022; 151:1380. [PMID: 35232073 DOI: 10.1121/10.0009429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2021] [Accepted: 01/18/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Climate-driven changes are affecting sea ice conditions off Tasiilaq, Southeast Greenland, with implications for marine mammal distributions. Knowledge about marine mammal presence, biodiversity, and community composition is key to effective conservation and management but is lacking, especially during winter months. Seasonal patterns of acoustic marine mammal presence were investigated relative to sea ice concentration at two recording sites between 2014 and 2018, with one (65.6°N, 37.4°W) or three years (65.5°N, 38.0°W) of passive acoustic recordings. Seven marine mammal species were recorded. Bearded seals were acoustically dominant during winter and spring, whereas sperm, humpback, and fin whales dominated during the sea ice-free summer and autumn. Narwhals, bowhead, and killer whales were recorded only rarely. Song-fragments of humpback whales and acoustic presence of fin whales in winter suggest mating-associated behavior taking place in the area. Ambient noise levels in 1/3-octave level bands (20, 63, 125, 500, 1000, and 4000 Hz), ranged between 75.6 to 105 dB re 1 μPa. This study provides multi-year insights into the coastal marine mammal community composition off Southeast Greenland and suggests that the Tasiilaq area provides suitable habitat for various marine mammal species year-round.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ramona M Mattmüller
- Ocean Acoustics Group, Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Center for Polar and Marine Research, Am Handelshafen 12, 27570 Bremerhaven, Germany
| | - Karolin Thomisch
- Ocean Acoustics Group, Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Center for Polar and Marine Research, Am Handelshafen 12, 27570 Bremerhaven, Germany
| | - Ilse Van Opzeeland
- Ocean Acoustics Group, Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Center for Polar and Marine Research, Am Handelshafen 12, 27570 Bremerhaven, Germany
| | - Kristin L Laidre
- Polar Science Center, Applied Physics Laboratory, University of Washington, 1013 Northeast 40th Street, Seattle, Washington 98105, USA
| | - Malene Simon
- Greenland Climate Research Centre, Greenland Institute of Natural Resources, P.O. Box 570, Kivioq 2, 3900 Nuuk, Greenland
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Eerkes‐Medrano D, Aldridge DC, Blix AS. North Atlantic minke whale ( Balaenoptera acutorostrata) feeding habits and migrations evaluated by stable isotope analysis of baleen. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:16344-16353. [PMID: 34824831 PMCID: PMC8601907 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2021] [Revised: 07/06/2021] [Accepted: 07/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Isotopic analyses of the incrementally growing baleen in Mysticeti have been used to learn about their feeding and movement patterns. Using methods previously applied to Pacific minke whales, stable δ15N and δ13C isotope values were measured along the baleen plates of male and female minke whales from two locations in the Northeast Atlantic. The sample sizes used in this study are comparable to those previously used in the literature, and, although limited in size, the evidence suggests differences in isotopic signatures between whales caught at different locations. Both the δ15N and δ13C data suggest whales at the higher latitude site of Svalbard have a narrower diet than the whales from Lofoten/Vesterålen in Norway. Across all whales, the δ15N data indicate the whales primarily prey on fish for much of the year, only switching to zooplankton during the spring bloom. The δ13C data fail to confirm whether the whales migrate over long distances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dafne Eerkes‐Medrano
- Aquatic Ecology Group, Department of ZoologyUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
- Present address:
Marine LaboratoryMarine Scotland ScienceAberdeenUK
| | - David C. Aldridge
- Aquatic Ecology Group, Department of ZoologyUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
- St. Catharine's CollegeCambridgeUK
| | - Arnoldus S. Blix
- St. Catharine's CollegeCambridgeUK
- Department of Arctic and Marine BiologyUiT‐The Arctic University of NorwayTromsøNorway
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14
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Humpback whale song recordings suggest common feeding ground occupation by multiple populations. Sci Rep 2021; 11:18806. [PMID: 34552129 PMCID: PMC8458523 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-98295-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2021] [Accepted: 09/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Humpback whale males are known to sing on their low-latitude breeding grounds, but it is well established that songs are also commonly produced ‘off-season’ on the feeding grounds or during migration. This opens exciting opportunities to investigate migratory aggregations, study humpback whale behavioral plasticity and potentially even assign individual singers to specific breeding grounds. In this study, we analyzed passive acoustic data from 13 recording positions and multiple years (2011–2018) within the Atlantic sector of the Southern Ocean (ASSO). Humpback whale song was detected at nine recording positions in five years. Most songs were recorded in May, austral fall, coinciding with the rapid increase in sea ice concentration at most recording positions. The spatio-temporal pattern in humpback whale singing activity on Southern Ocean feeding grounds is most likely shaped by local prey availability and humpback whale migratory strategies. Furthermore, the comparative analyses of song structures clearly show a differentiation of two song groups, of which one was solely recorded at the western edge of the ASSO and the other song group was recorded throughout the ASSO. This new finding suggests a common feeding ground occupation by multiple humpback whale populations in the ASSO, allowing for cultural and potentially even genetic exchange among populations.
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Fin Whale (Balaenoptera physalus) in the Ligurian Sea: Preliminary Study on Acoustics Demonstrates Their Regular Occurrence in Autumn. JOURNAL OF MARINE SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/jmse9090966] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The patterns of movement of the fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus (Linnaeus, 1758)) in the Mediterranean Sea are still a matter of debate. Feeding aggregations are well known in the Corso-Liguro-Provençal Basin from July to September, but little is known for the autumn and winter seasons. Passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) was implemented in the Ligurian Sea to overcome this gap and to investigate the temporal and spatial variation of fin whale acoustic presence. From July to December 2011, five autonomous recorders were deployed at between 700 and 900 m depths. Fin whale calls were automatically detected almost every day, with higher vocalization rates in October, November, and December. Furthermore, daily vocalization rates were higher during light hours, and closer to the coast. These outcomes suggest that not all the individuals migrate, staying in the area also during autumn for feeding or breeding purposes. The dial cycle of vocalization might be related to feeding activities and zooplankton vertical migration, whereas the proximity to the coast can be explained by the morphology of the area that promotes the upwelling system. Although this work only represents a six-month period, certainly it suggests the need for a larger spatial and temporal PAM effort, crucial for species management and for mitigating possible impact of anthropogenic activities at the basin level.
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16
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Santoro M, Palomba M, Gili C, Marcer F, Marchiori E, Mattiucci S. Molecular and morphological characterization of Bolbosoma balaenae (Acanthocephala: Polymorphidae), a neglected intestinal parasite of the fin whale Balaenoptera physalus. Parasitology 2021; 148:1293-1302. [PMID: 34100350 PMCID: PMC11010206 DOI: 10.1017/s0031182021000925] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2021] [Revised: 05/10/2021] [Accepted: 05/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Post-mortem examination of a fin whale Balaenoptera physalus stranded in the Mediterranean Sea led to the finding of Bolbosoma balaenae for the first time in this basin. In this work, we describe new structural characteristics of this parasite using light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy approaches. Moreover, the molecular and phylogenetic data as inferred from both ribosomal RNA 18S-28S and the mitochondrial DNA cytochrome oxidase c subunit 1 (cox1) for adult specimens of B. balaenae are also reported for the first time. Details of the surface topography such as proboscis's hooks, trunked trunk spines of the prebulbar foretrunk, ultrastructure of proboscis's hooks and micropores of the tegument are shown. The 18S + 28S rRNA Bayesian tree (BI) as inferred from the phylogenetic analysis showed poorly resolved relationships among the species of Bolbosoma. In contrast, the combined 18S + 28S + mtDNA cox1 BI tree topology showed that the present sequences clustered with the species of Bolbosoma in a well-supported clade. The comparison of cox1 and 18S sequences revealed that the present specimens are conspecific with the cystacanths of B. balaenae previously collected in the euphausiid Nyctiphanes couchii from the North Eastern Atlantic Ocean. This study provided taxonomic, molecular and phylogenetic data that allow for a better characterization of this poor known parasite.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mario Santoro
- Department of Integrative Marine Ecology, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale 1, 80121Naples, Italy
| | - Marialetizia Palomba
- Department of Integrative Marine Ecology, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale 1, 80121Naples, Italy
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Section of Parasitology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185Rome, Italy
| | - Claudia Gili
- Department of Animal Welfare and Care, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 1, 80121Naples, Italy
| | - Federica Marcer
- Department of Animal Medicine, Production and Health, University of Padova, 35020Legnaro, Padova, Italy
| | - Erica Marchiori
- Department of Animal Medicine, Production and Health, University of Padova, 35020Legnaro, Padova, Italy
| | - Simonetta Mattiucci
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Section of Parasitology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185Rome, Italy
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17
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Constaratas AN, McDonald MA, Goetz KT, Giorli G. Fin whale acoustic populations present in New Zealand waters: Description of song types, occurrence and seasonality using passive acoustic monitoring. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0253737. [PMID: 34260603 PMCID: PMC8279366 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0253737] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2020] [Accepted: 06/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Southern fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus) are known to migrate from the Antarctic to mid-latitudes during winter for breeding, but the occurrence and distribution of this species is not well known in the waters around New Zealand. The 'doublet' calls are one of the main calls emitted specifically by fin whales and repeated in a regular pattern, which make the acoustic detection of these calls relevant to detect the presence of fin whales. Using a signal processing algorithm to detect 'doublet' calls emitted by fin whales, we studied the occurrence, characteristics and seasonality of these 'doublet' calls in two regions around New Zealand; Cook Strait in 2016/2017 and offshore Gisborne in 2014/2015. The call detection procedure consisted of binarization of the spectrogram and a cross-correlation between the binarized spectrogram and a template of binarized 'doublet' calls spectrogram. A binarization threshold for the data spectrograms and a cross correlation threshold were then determined through multiple trials on a training dataset and a Receiver Operating Characteristics (ROC) curve. Fin whale 'doublet' calls occurred on the east side of New Zealand's Cook Strait during austral winter, specifically in June 2017 and offshore Gisborne in June-August 2014. No 'doublet' calls were detected on the west side of Cook Strait. The 'doublet' calls' Inter-Note Interval (INI) was similar in both datasets. However, there was a difference in alternation of the mean frequency for both HF components of 'doublet' calls in Cook Strait and Gisborne. As the song types were compared with those previously described in the literature, our findings suggest that some fin whales wintering in New Zealand waters may be part of a broader 'acoustic population' whose range extends west to southern Australia and south to Antarctica.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra N. Constaratas
- National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, Greta Point, Wellington, New Zealand
- * E-mail:
| | | | - Kimberly T. Goetz
- National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, Greta Point, Wellington, New Zealand
- Marine Mammal Laboratory, Alaska Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Giacomo Giorli
- National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, Greta Point, Wellington, New Zealand
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18
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Burkhardt E, Van Opzeeland I, Cisewski B, Mattmüller R, Meister M, Schall E, Spiesecke S, Thomisch K, Zwicker S, Boebel O. Seasonal and diel cycles of fin whale acoustic occurrence near Elephant Island, Antarctica. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2021; 8:201142. [PMID: 34084537 PMCID: PMC8150045 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.201142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2020] [Accepted: 04/28/2021] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
This study investigates the relevance of the Elephant Island (EI) region for Southern Hemisphere fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus) in their annual life cycle. We collected 3 years of passive acoustic recordings (January 2013 to February 2016) northwest of EI to calculate time series of fin whale acoustic indices, daily acoustic occurrence, spectrograms, as well as the abundance of their 20 Hz pulses. Acoustic backscatter strength, sea ice concentration and chlorophyll-a composites provided concurrent environmental information for graphic comparisons. Acoustic interannual, seasonal and diel patterns together with visual information and literature resources were used to define the period of occupancy and to infer potential drivers for their behaviour. Spectral results suggest that these fin whales migrate annually to and from offshore central Chile. Acoustic data and visual information reveal their arrival at EI in December to feed without producing their typical 20 Hz pulse. For all 3 years, acoustic activity commences in February, peaks in May and decreases in August, in phase with the onset of their breeding season. Our results emphasize the importance of EI for fin whales throughout most of the year. Our recommendation is to consider EI for establishing a marine protected area to expedite the recovery of this vulnerable species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elke Burkhardt
- Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Am Handelshafen 12, 27570 Bremerhaven, Germany
| | - Ilse Van Opzeeland
- Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Am Handelshafen 12, 27570 Bremerhaven, Germany
- Helmholtz Institute for Functional Marine Biodiversity (HIFMB), Carl von Ossietzky University, Ammerländer Heerstraße 231, 26129 Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Boris Cisewski
- Thünen Institute of Sea Fisheries, Herwigstraße 31, 27572 Bremerhaven, Germany
| | - Ramona Mattmüller
- Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Am Handelshafen 12, 27570 Bremerhaven, Germany
| | - Marlene Meister
- Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Am Handelshafen 12, 27570 Bremerhaven, Germany
| | - Elena Schall
- Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Am Handelshafen 12, 27570 Bremerhaven, Germany
| | - Stefanie Spiesecke
- Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Am Handelshafen 12, 27570 Bremerhaven, Germany
| | - Karolin Thomisch
- Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Am Handelshafen 12, 27570 Bremerhaven, Germany
| | - Sarah Zwicker
- Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Am Handelshafen 12, 27570 Bremerhaven, Germany
| | - Olaf Boebel
- Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Am Handelshafen 12, 27570 Bremerhaven, Germany
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19
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Quinn TP. Differential migration in Pacific salmon and trout: Patterns and hypotheses. ANIMAL MIGRATION 2021. [DOI: 10.1515/ami-2021-0001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Migrations affect the population dynamics, life history, evolution, and connections of animals to natural ecosystems and humans. Many species and populations display partial migration (some individuals migrate and some do not), and differential migration (migration distance varies). Partial migration is widely distributed in fishes but the term differential migration is much less commonly applied, despite the occurrence of this phenomenon. This paper briefly reviews the extent of differential migration in Pacific salmon and trout (genus Oncorhynchus), a very extensively studied group. Three hypotheses are presented to explain the patterns among species: 1) phylogenetic relationships, 2) the prevalence of partial migration (i.e., variation in anadromy), and 3) life history patterns (iteroparous or semelparous, and duration spent feeding at sea prior to maturation). Each hypothesis has some support but none is consistent with all patterns. The prevalence of differential migration, ranging from essentially non-existent to common within a species, reflects phylogeny and life history, interacting with the geographic features of the region where juvenile salmon enter the ocean. Notwithstanding the uncertain evolution of this behavior, it has very clear implications for salmon conservation, as it strongly affects exposure to predators, patterns of fishery exploitation and also uptake of toxic contaminants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas P. Quinn
- School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences , University of Washington , Seattle , WA 98195, USA
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20
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Tepsich P, Schettino I, Atzori F, Azzolin M, Campana I, Carosso L, Cominelli S, Crosti R, David L, Di-Méglio N, Frau F, Gregorietti M, Mazzucato V, Monaco C, Moulins A, Paraboschi M, Pellegrino G, Rosso M, Roul M, Saintignan S, Arcangeli A. Trends in summer presence of fin whales in the Western Mediterranean Sea Region: new insights from a long-term monitoring program. PeerJ 2020; 8:e10544. [PMID: 33362978 PMCID: PMC7745674 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.10544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2020] [Accepted: 11/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The Mediterranean subpopulation of fin whale Balaenoptera physalus (Linnaeus, 1758) has recently been listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN Red List of threatened species. The species is also listed as species in need of strict protection under the Habitat Directive and is one of the indicators for the assessment of Good Environmental Status under the MSFD. Reference values on population abundance and trends are needed in order to set the threshold values and to assess the conservation status of the population. METHODS Yearly summer monitoring using ferries as platform of opportunity was performed since 2008 within the framework of the FLT Med Network. Data were collected along several fixed transects crossing the Western Mediterranean basin and the Adriatic and Ionian region. Species presence, expressed by density recorded along the sampled transects, was inspected for assessing interannual variability together with group size. Generalized Additive Models were used to describe density trends over a 11 years' period (2008-2018). A spatial multi-scale approach was used to highlight intra-basin differences in species presence and distribution during the years. RESULTS Summer presence of fin whales in the western Mediterranean area showed a strong interannual variability, characterized by the alternance of rich and poor years. Small and large groups of fin whales were sighted only during rich years, confirming the favorable feeding condition influencing species presence. Trends highlighted by the GAM can be summarized as positive from 2008 to 2013, and slightly negative from 2014 to 2018. The sub-areas analysis showed a similar pattern, but with a more stable trend during the second period in the Pelagos Sanctuary sub-area, and a negative one in the other two sub-areas. Our findings further confirm the need for an integrated approach foreseeing both, large scale surveys and yearly monitoring at different spatial scales to correct and interpret the basin wide abundance estimates, and to correlate spatial and temporal trends with the ecological and anthropogenic drivers.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Marta Azzolin
- Life and System Biology Department, University of Turin, Torino, Italy
- Gaia Research Institute Onlus, Torino, Italy
| | - Ilaria Campana
- Department of Ecological and Biological Sciences, Ichthyogenic Experimental Marine Center (CISMAR), Tuscia University, Tarquinia, Italy
- Accademia del Leviatano, Maccarese, Italy
| | | | - Simone Cominelli
- NorthernEDGE Lab, Memorial University of Newfoundland, Newfoundland, Canada
| | | | - Léa David
- EcoOcéan Institut, Montpellier, Francia
| | | | - Francesca Frau
- Capo Carbonara Marine Protected Area, Villasimius, Italy
| | - Martina Gregorietti
- Department of Earth and Marine Science, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | | | - Clara Monaco
- Marecamp Association, Aci Castello, Italy
- Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment (Di3A), University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | | | | | - Giuliana Pellegrino
- Accademia del Leviatano, Maccarese, Italy
- Marecamp Association, Aci Castello, Italy
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21
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Schall E, Thomisch K, Boebel O, Gerlach G, Spiesecke S, Van Opzeeland I. Large-scale spatial variabilities in the humpback whale acoustic presence in the Atlantic sector of the Southern Ocean. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2020; 7:201347. [PMID: 33489279 PMCID: PMC7813260 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.201347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2020] [Accepted: 11/09/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Southern Hemisphere humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) inhabit a wide variety of ecosystems including both low- and high-latitude areas. Understanding the habitat selection of humpback whale populations is key for humpback whale stock management and general ecosystem management. In the Atlantic sector of the Southern Ocean (ASSO), the investigation of baleen whale distribution by sighting surveys is temporally restricted to the austral summer. The implementation of autonomous passive acoustic monitoring, in turn, allows the study of vocal baleen whales year-round. This study describes the results of analysing passive acoustic data spanning 12 recording positions throughout the ASSO applying a combination of automatic and manual analysis methods to register humpback whale acoustic activity. Humpback whales were present at nine recording positions with higher acoustic activities towards lower latitudes and the eastern and western edges of the ASSO. During all months, except December (the month with the fewest recordings), humpback whale acoustic activity was registered in the ASSO. The acoustic presence of humpback whales at various locations in the ASSO confirms previous observations that part of the population remains in high-latitude waters beyond austral summer, presumably to feed. The spatial and temporal extent of humpback whale presence in the ASSO suggests that this area may be used by multiple humpback whale breeding populations as a feeding ground.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Schall
- Ocean Acoustics Lab, Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research, Klußmannstraße 3d, 27570 Bremerhaven, Germany
| | - Karolin Thomisch
- Ocean Acoustics Lab, Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research, Klußmannstraße 3d, 27570 Bremerhaven, Germany
| | - Olaf Boebel
- Ocean Acoustics Lab, Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research, Klußmannstraße 3d, 27570 Bremerhaven, Germany
| | - Gabriele Gerlach
- Helmholtz Institute for Functional Marine Biodiversity, Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, Ammerländer Heerstraße 231, 26129 Oldenburg, Germany
- Animal Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, Ammerländer Heerstraße 114-118, 26129 Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Stefanie Spiesecke
- Ocean Acoustics Lab, Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research, Klußmannstraße 3d, 27570 Bremerhaven, Germany
| | - Ilse Van Opzeeland
- Ocean Acoustics Lab, Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research, Klußmannstraße 3d, 27570 Bremerhaven, Germany
- Helmholtz Institute for Functional Marine Biodiversity, Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, Ammerländer Heerstraße 231, 26129 Oldenburg, Germany
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22
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Filun D, Thomisch K, Boebel O, Brey T, Širović A, Spiesecke S, Van Opzeeland I. Frozen verses: Antarctic minke whales ( Balaenoptera bonaerensis) call predominantly during austral winter. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2020; 7:192112. [PMID: 33204440 PMCID: PMC7657898 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.192112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2020] [Accepted: 09/09/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The recent identification of the bio-duck call as Antarctic minke whale (AMW) vocalization allows the use of passive acoustic monitoring to retrospectively investigate year-round spatial-temporal patterns in minke whale occurrence in ice-covered areas. Here, we present an analysis of AMW occurrence patterns based on a 9-year passive acoustic dataset (2008-2016) from 21 locations throughout the Atlantic sector of the Southern Ocean (Weddell Sea). AMWs were detected acoustically at all mooring locations from May to December, with the highest presence between August and November (bio-duck calls present at more than 80% of days). At the southernmost recording locations, the bio-duck call was present up to 10 months of the year. Substantial inter-annual variation in the seasonality of vocal activity correlated to variation in local ice concentration. Our analysis indicates that part of the AMW population stays in the Weddell Sea during austral winter. The period with the highest acoustic presence in the Weddell Sea (September-October) coincides with the timing of the breeding season of AMW in lower latitudes. The bio-duck call could therefore play a role in mating, although other behavioural functions of the call cannot be excluded to date.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diego Filun
- Ocean Acoustics Lab, Alfred-Wegener-Institute Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung, 27570 Bremerhaven, Germany
- Faculty of Biology/Chemistry, University of Bremen, 28359 Bremen, Germany
| | - Karolin Thomisch
- Ocean Acoustics Lab, Alfred-Wegener-Institute Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung, 27570 Bremerhaven, Germany
| | - Olaf Boebel
- Ocean Acoustics Lab, Alfred-Wegener-Institute Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung, 27570 Bremerhaven, Germany
| | - Thomas Brey
- Ocean Acoustics Lab, Alfred-Wegener-Institute Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung, 27570 Bremerhaven, Germany
- Faculty of Biology/Chemistry, University of Bremen, 28359 Bremen, Germany
- Helmholtz Institute for Functional Marine Biodiversity (HIFMB), Carlvon Ossietzky University, 26129 Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Ana Širović
- Department of Marine Biology, Texas A&M University at Galveston, Galveston, TX, USA
| | - Stefanie Spiesecke
- Ocean Acoustics Lab, Alfred-Wegener-Institute Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung, 27570 Bremerhaven, Germany
| | - Ilse Van Opzeeland
- Ocean Acoustics Lab, Alfred-Wegener-Institute Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung, 27570 Bremerhaven, Germany
- Helmholtz Institute for Functional Marine Biodiversity (HIFMB), Carlvon Ossietzky University, 26129 Oldenburg, Germany
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23
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Valenzuela-Toro AM, Zicos MH, Pyenson ND. Extreme dispersal or human-transport? The enigmatic case of an extralimital freshwater occurrence of a Southern elephant seal from Indiana. PeerJ 2020; 8:e9665. [PMID: 32953258 PMCID: PMC7474520 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.9665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2020] [Accepted: 07/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Elephant seals (Mirounga spp.) are the largest living pinnipeds, and the spatial scales of their ecology, with dives over 1 km in depth and foraging trips over 10,000 km long, are unrivalled by their near relatives. Here we report the discovery of an incomplete Holocene age Southern elephant seal (M. leonina) rostrum from Indiana, USA. The surviving material are two casts of the original specimen, which was collected in a construction excavation close to the Wabash River near Lafayette, Indiana. The original specimen was mostly destroyed for radiometric dating analyses in the 1970s, which resulted in an age of 1,260 ± 90 years before the present. The existence of sediments in the original specimen suggests some type of post depositional fluvial transportation. The prevalent evidence suggests that this male Southern elephant seal crossed the equator and the Gulf of Mexico, and then entered the Mississippi River system, stranding far upriver in Indiana or adjacent areas, similar to other reported examples of lost marine mammals in freshwater systems. Based on potential cut marks, we cannot exclude human-mediated transportation or scavenging by Indigenous peoples as a contributing factor of this occurrence. The material reported here represents by far the northernmost occurrence of a Southern elephant seal in the Northern Hemisphere ever recorded. The unusual occurrence of a top marine predator >1,000 km from the closest marine effluent as a potential extreme case of dispersal emphasizes how marine invasions of freshwater systems have happened frequently through historical (and likely geological) time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana M Valenzuela-Toro
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, United States of America.,Department of Paleobiology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, United States of America
| | - Maria H Zicos
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom.,Department of Earth Sciences, Natural History Museum, London, United Kingdom
| | - Nicholas D Pyenson
- Department of Paleobiology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, United States of America.,Department of Paleontology and Geology, Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, Seattle, WA, United States of America
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24
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Davis GE, Baumgartner MF, Corkeron PJ, Bell J, Berchok C, Bonnell JM, Bort Thornton J, Brault S, Buchanan GA, Cholewiak DM, Clark CW, Delarue J, Hatch LT, Klinck H, Kraus SD, Martin B, Mellinger DK, Moors‐Murphy H, Nieukirk S, Nowacek DP, Parks SE, Parry D, Pegg N, Read AJ, Rice AN, Risch D, Scott A, Soldevilla MS, Stafford KM, Stanistreet JE, Summers E, Todd S, Van Parijs SM. Exploring movement patterns and changing distributions of baleen whales in the western North Atlantic using a decade of passive acoustic data. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2020; 26:4812-4840. [PMID: 32450009 PMCID: PMC7496396 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2020] [Accepted: 04/13/2020] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Six baleen whale species are found in the temperate western North Atlantic Ocean, with limited information existing on the distribution and movement patterns for most. There is mounting evidence of distributional shifts in many species, including marine mammals, likely because of climate-driven changes in ocean temperature and circulation. Previous acoustic studies examined the occurrence of minke (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) and North Atlantic right whales (NARW; Eubalaena glacialis). This study assesses the acoustic presence of humpback (Megaptera novaeangliae), sei (B. borealis), fin (B. physalus), and blue whales (B. musculus) over a decade, based on daily detections of their vocalizations. Data collected from 2004 to 2014 on 281 bottom-mounted recorders, totaling 35,033 days, were processed using automated detection software and screened for each species' presence. A published study on NARW acoustics revealed significant changes in occurrence patterns between the periods of 2004-2010 and 2011-2014; therefore, these same time periods were examined here. All four species were present from the Southeast United States to Greenland; humpback whales were also present in the Caribbean. All species occurred throughout all regions in the winter, suggesting that baleen whales are widely distributed during these months. Each of the species showed significant changes in acoustic occurrence after 2010. Similar to NARWs, sei whales had higher acoustic occurrence in mid-Atlantic regions after 2010. Fin, blue, and sei whales were more frequently detected in the northern latitudes of the study area after 2010. Despite this general northward shift, all four species were detected less on the Scotian Shelf area after 2010, matching documented shifts in prey availability in this region. A decade of acoustic observations have shown important distributional changes over the range of baleen whales, mirroring known climatic shifts and identifying new habitats that will require further protection from anthropogenic threats like fixed fishing gear, shipping, and noise pollution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Genevieve E. Davis
- NOAA Northeast Fisheries Science CenterWoods HoleMAUSA
- University of Massachusetts BostonBostonMAUSA
| | | | | | - Joel Bell
- Naval Facilities Engineering Command AtlanticNorfolkVAUSA
| | | | - Julianne M. Bonnell
- Integrated Statistics, Under contract to the NOAA Northeast Fisheries Science CenterWoods HoleMAUSA
| | | | | | | | | | - Christopher W. Clark
- Center for Conservation BioacousticsCornell Lab of OrnithologyCornell UniversityIthacaNYUSA
| | | | - Leila T. Hatch
- NOAA Stellwagen Bank National Marine SanctuaryScituateMAUSA
| | - Holger Klinck
- Center for Conservation BioacousticsCornell Lab of OrnithologyCornell UniversityIthacaNYUSA
| | - Scott D. Kraus
- Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean LifeNew England AquariumBostonMAUSA
| | | | - David K. Mellinger
- Oregon State University and NOAA Pacific Marine Environmental LaboratoryNewportORUSA
| | - Hilary Moors‐Murphy
- Fisheries and Oceans CanadaBedford Institute of OceanographyDartmouthNSCanada
| | - Sharon Nieukirk
- Oregon State University and NOAA Pacific Marine Environmental LaboratoryNewportORUSA
| | - Douglas P. Nowacek
- Nicholas School of the EnvironmentDuke University Marine LaboratoryBeaufortNCUSA
- Pratt School of EngineeringDuke UniversityDurhamNCUSA
| | | | - Dawn Parry
- Center for Conservation BioacousticsCornell Lab of OrnithologyCornell UniversityIthacaNYUSA
| | - Nicole Pegg
- Integrated Statistics, Under contract to the NOAA Northeast Fisheries Science CenterWoods HoleMAUSA
| | - Andrew J. Read
- Nicholas School of the EnvironmentDuke University Marine LaboratoryBeaufortNCUSA
| | - Aaron N. Rice
- Center for Conservation BioacousticsCornell Lab of OrnithologyCornell UniversityIthacaNYUSA
| | - Denise Risch
- The Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS)ObanUK
| | - Alyssa Scott
- Integrated Statistics, Under contract to the NOAA Northeast Fisheries Science CenterWoods HoleMAUSA
| | | | | | - Joy E. Stanistreet
- Fisheries and Oceans CanadaBedford Institute of OceanographyDartmouthNSCanada
| | - Erin Summers
- Maine Department of Marine ResourcesWest Boothbay HarborMEUSA
| | - Sean Todd
- Allied WhaleCollege of the AtlanticBar HarborMEUSA
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25
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Tartu S, Fisk AT, Götsch A, Kovacs KM, Lydersen C, Routti H. First assessment of pollutant exposure in two balaenopterid whale populations sampled in the Svalbard Archipelago, Norway. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 718:137327. [PMID: 32097839 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.137327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2019] [Revised: 02/12/2020] [Accepted: 02/13/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Pollutant concentrations are poorly known for the largest animals on Earth, blue whales Balaenoptera musculus and fin whales Balaenoptera physalus. In this study, concentrations of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) were determined in blubber biopsies and stable isotope values for nitrogen (δ15N) and carbon (δ13C) were measured using skin biopsies for 18 blue whales and 12 fin whales sampled in waters surrounding the Svalbard Archipelago, Norway. The samples were collected in summer during the period 2014-2018. POPs were dominated by DDTs, PCBs and toxaphenes, with median concentrations in blue/fin whales being 208/341, 127/275 and 133/233 ng/g lipid weight, respectively. Linear models indicated that pollutant concentrations were 1.6-3 times higher in fin whales than in blue whales, which is likely related to the higher trophic positions of fin whales, as indicated by their higher δ15N. Lower δ13C in fin whales suggests that they feed at higher latitudes than blue whales; these values were not correlated with pollutant concentrations. Pollutant levels were approximately twice as high in males compared to females (intraspecifically), which indicates that females of these species offload pollutants to their offspring during gestation and lactation, similar to many other mammalian species. Pollutant concentrations in balaenopterid whales from Svalbard waters were generally much lower than in conspecific whales from the Mediterranean Sea or the Gulf of California, but higher than those in conspecifics from the Antarctic Peninsula.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabrina Tartu
- Norwegian Polar Institute, Fram Centre, Tromsø N-9296, Norway
| | - Aaron T Fisk
- School of the Environment, University of Windsor, Windsor, Ontario N9B 3P4, Canada
| | - Arntraut Götsch
- Norwegian Institute for Air Research (NILU), Fram Centre, Tromsø N-9296, Norway
| | - Kit M Kovacs
- Norwegian Polar Institute, Fram Centre, Tromsø N-9296, Norway
| | | | - Heli Routti
- Norwegian Polar Institute, Fram Centre, Tromsø N-9296, Norway.
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26
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Pereira A, Harris D, Tyack P, Matias L. Fin whale acoustic presence and song characteristics in seas to the southwest of Portugal. THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2020; 147:2235. [PMID: 32359319 DOI: 10.1121/10.0001066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2019] [Accepted: 03/21/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Fin whales were once abundant in the seas to the southwest of Portugal, but whaling activities decreased their numbers considerably. Acoustic data from ocean bottom seismometers provide an opportunity to detect fin whales from their notes, data that would otherwise be logistically challenging and expensive to obtain. Based on inter-note interval and frequency bandwidth, two acoustic patterns produced by fin whales were detected in the study area: pattern 1, described from fin whales in the Mediterranean Sea, and pattern 2, associated with fin whales from the northeast North Atlantic Ocean (NENA). NENA fin whales travel into the western Mediterranean Sea, but the Mediterranean population has not been documented to travel regularly into the NENA. In this study, 11 months of acoustic data recorded southwest of Portugal in the NENA were used to characterize 20-Hz fin whale notes into these patterns. Pattern 2 was the most common and occurred mostly in November-January. Pattern 1 occurred less frequently and mostly in September-December, February and April, which suggested a limited excursion of whales from the Mediterranean Sea. There were also occasions when the two patterns were recorded simultaneously. Results suggest that fin whales from the NENA and Mediterranean Sea might mix in the area during part of the year.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreia Pereira
- Instituto Dom Luiz, Faculty of Sciences of University of Lisbon, Campo Grande Edifício C1, Piso 1, Lisbon, 1749-016, Portugal
| | - Danielle Harris
- Centre for Research into Ecological and Environmental Modelling, The Observatory, Buchanan Gardens, University of Saint Andrews, Saint Andrews, Fife KY16 9LZ, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | - Peter Tyack
- Sea Mammal Research Unit, Scottish Oceans Institute, University of Saint Andrews, Saint Andrews Fife KY16 8LB, United Kingdom
| | - Luis Matias
- Instituto Dom Luiz, Faculty of Sciences of University of Lisbon, Campo Grande Edifício C1, Piso 1, Lisbon, 1749-016, Portugal
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27
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Goldbogen JA, Cade DE, Wisniewska DM, Potvin J, Segre PS, Savoca MS, Hazen EL, Czapanskiy MF, Kahane-Rapport SR, DeRuiter SL, Gero S, Tønnesen P, Gough WT, Hanson MB, Holt MM, Jensen FH, Simon M, Stimpert AK, Arranz P, Johnston DW, Nowacek DP, Parks SE, Visser F, Friedlaender AS, Tyack PL, Madsen PT, Pyenson ND. Why whales are big but not bigger: Physiological drivers and ecological limits in the age of ocean giants. Science 2020; 366:1367-1372. [PMID: 31831666 DOI: 10.1126/science.aax9044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2019] [Accepted: 10/31/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
The largest animals are marine filter feeders, but the underlying mechanism of their large size remains unexplained. We measured feeding performance and prey quality to demonstrate how whale gigantism is driven by the interplay of prey abundance and harvesting mechanisms that increase prey capture rates and energy intake. The foraging efficiency of toothed whales that feed on single prey is constrained by the abundance of large prey, whereas filter-feeding baleen whales seasonally exploit vast swarms of small prey at high efficiencies. Given temporally and spatially aggregated prey, filter feeding provides an evolutionary pathway to extremes in body size that are not available to lineages that must feed on one prey at a time. Maximum size in filter feeders is likely constrained by prey availability across space and time.
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Affiliation(s)
- J A Goldbogen
- Hopkins Marine Station, Department of Biology, Stanford University, Pacific Grove, CA, USA.
| | - D E Cade
- Hopkins Marine Station, Department of Biology, Stanford University, Pacific Grove, CA, USA
| | - D M Wisniewska
- Hopkins Marine Station, Department of Biology, Stanford University, Pacific Grove, CA, USA
| | - J Potvin
- Department of Physics, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - P S Segre
- Hopkins Marine Station, Department of Biology, Stanford University, Pacific Grove, CA, USA
| | - M S Savoca
- Hopkins Marine Station, Department of Biology, Stanford University, Pacific Grove, CA, USA
| | - E L Hazen
- Hopkins Marine Station, Department of Biology, Stanford University, Pacific Grove, CA, USA.,Environmental Research Division, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Southwest Fisheries Science Center, Monterey, CA, USA.,Institute of Marine Sciences, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | - M F Czapanskiy
- Hopkins Marine Station, Department of Biology, Stanford University, Pacific Grove, CA, USA
| | - S R Kahane-Rapport
- Hopkins Marine Station, Department of Biology, Stanford University, Pacific Grove, CA, USA
| | - S L DeRuiter
- Mathematics and Statistics Department, Calvin University, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
| | - S Gero
- Zoophysiology, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - P Tønnesen
- Zoophysiology, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - W T Gough
- Hopkins Marine Station, Department of Biology, Stanford University, Pacific Grove, CA, USA
| | - M B Hanson
- Conservation Biology Division, Northwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - M M Holt
- Conservation Biology Division, Northwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - F H Jensen
- Biology Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA, USA
| | - M Simon
- Greenland Climate Research Centre, Greenland Institute of Natural Resources, Nuuk, Greenland
| | - A K Stimpert
- Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, Moss Landing, CA, USA
| | - P Arranz
- Biodiversity, Marine Ecology and Conservation Group, Department of Animal Biology, University of La Laguna, La Laguna, Spain
| | - D W Johnston
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University Marine Laboratory, Beaufort, NC, USA
| | - D P Nowacek
- Pratt School of Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - S E Parks
- Department of Biology, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY, USA
| | - F Visser
- Department of Freshwater and Marine Ecology, IBED, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands.,Department of Coastal Systems, NIOZ and Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands.,Kelp Marine Research, Hoorn, Netherlands
| | - A S Friedlaender
- Institute of Marine Sciences, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | - P L Tyack
- Sea Mammal Research Unit, School of Biology, Scottish Oceans Institute, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK
| | - P T Madsen
- Zoophysiology, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.,Aarhus Institute of Advanced Studies, Aarhus University, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - N D Pyenson
- Department of Paleobiology, National Museum of Natural History, Washington, DC, USA.,Department of Paleontology and Geology, Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, Seattle, WA, USA
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28
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Gauffier P, Borrell A, Silva MA, Víkingsson GA, López A, Giménez J, Colaço A, Halldórsson SD, Vighi M, Prieto R, de Stephanis R, Aguilar A. Wait your turn, North Atlantic fin whales share a common feeding ground sequentially. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2020; 155:104884. [PMID: 32072986 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2020.104884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2019] [Revised: 01/10/2020] [Accepted: 01/19/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Highly migratory marine species pose a challenge for the identification of management units due to the absence of clear oceanographic barriers. The population structure of North Atlantic fin whales has been investigated since the start of whaling operations but is still the subject of an ongoing scientific debate. Here we measured stable isotopes of carbon, nitrogen and oxygen in skin samples collected from 151 individuals from western Iceland, Galicia (NW Spain), the Azores archipelago and the Strait of Gibraltar (SoG). We found spatiotemporal differences in stable isotope ratios suggesting that fin whales sampled in these four areas may share a common feeding ground within the Northeast Atlantic at different times during the year. Our results also suggest that SoG whales use this common feeding ground in summer but exploit Mediterranean resources during the winter months, further supporting the existence of a limited but current exchange of individuals between these two basins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pauline Gauffier
- CIRCE, Cabeza de Manzaneda, 3, 11390, Pelayo, Algeciras, Spain; Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, IRBio, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, 08028, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Asunción Borrell
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, IRBio, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Mónica A Silva
- Okeanos Centre & Institute of Marine Research (IMAR), University of the Azores, 9901-862, Horta, Portugal; Biology Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA, 02543, USA
| | - Gísli A Víkingsson
- Marine and Freshwater Research Institute, Skúlagata 4, 101, Reykjavík, Iceland
| | - Alfredo López
- Departamento de Biologia & CESAM, Universidade de Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal; Coordinadora para o Estudo dos Mamíferos Mariños (CEMMA), P.O. Box 15, 36380, Pontevedra, Gondomar, Spain
| | - Joan Giménez
- Institut de Ciències del Mar (ICM-CSIC), Passeig Maritim 37-49, 08003, Barcelona, Spain; MaREI Centre for Marine and Renewable Energy, Environmental Research Institute, Beaufort Building, University College Cork, Ringaskiddy, P43 C573 Cork, Ireland; School of Biological, Earth, and Environmental Sciences (BEES), University College Cork, Distillery Fields, North Mall, T23 N73K Cork, Ireland
| | - Ana Colaço
- Okeanos Centre & Institute of Marine Research (IMAR), University of the Azores, 9901-862, Horta, Portugal
| | | | - Morgana Vighi
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, IRBio, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Rui Prieto
- Okeanos Centre & Institute of Marine Research (IMAR), University of the Azores, 9901-862, Horta, Portugal; MARE - Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre and IMAR, Institute of Marine Research, University of the Azores, 9901-862, Horta, Portugal
| | - Renaud de Stephanis
- CIRCE, Cabeza de Manzaneda, 3, 11390, Pelayo, Algeciras, Spain; Instituto Español de Oceanografía, Centro Oceanográfico de Málaga, Puerto Pesquero s/n, 29640 Fuengirola, Málaga, Spain
| | - Alex Aguilar
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, IRBio, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
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29
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Irvine LM, Palacios DM, Lagerquist BA, Mate BR. Scales of Blue and Fin Whale Feeding Behavior off California, USA, With Implications for Prey Patchiness. Front Ecol Evol 2019. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2019.00338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
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30
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Archer FI, Brownell RL, Hancock-Hanser BL, Morin PA, Robertson KM, Sherman KK, Calambokidis J, Urbán R J, Rosel PE, Mizroch SA, Panigada S, Taylor BL. Revision of fin whale Balaenoptera physalus (Linnaeus, 1758) subspecies using genetics. J Mammal 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyz121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Three subspecies of fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus) are currently recognized, including the northern fin whale (B. p. physalus), the southern fin whale (B. p. quoyi), and the pygmy fin whale (B. p. patachonica). The Northern Hemisphere subspecies encompasses fin whales in both the North Atlantic and North Pacific oceans. A recent analysis of 154 mitogenome sequences of fin whales from these two ocean basins and the Southern Hemisphere suggested that the North Pacific and North Atlantic populations should be treated as different subspecies. Using these mitogenome sequences, in this study, we conduct analyses on a larger mtDNA control region data set, and on 23 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from 144 of the 154 samples in the mitogenome data set. Our results reveal that North Pacific and North Atlantic fin whales can be correctly assigned to their ocean basin with 99% accuracy. Results of the SNP analysis indicate a correct classification rate of 95%, very low rates of gene flow among ocean basins, and that distinct mitogenome matrilines in the North Pacific are interbreeding. These results indicate that North Pacific fin whales should be recognized as a separate subspecies, with the name B. p. velifera Cope in Scammon 1869 as the oldest available name.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Jorge Urbán R
- Departamento de Ciencias Marinas y Costeras, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California Sur, Carretera al Sur, La Paz, B.C.S., Mexico
| | - Patricia E Rosel
- National Marine Fisheries Service, Southeast Fisheries Science Center, Lafayette, LA, USA
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31
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Silva MA, Borrell A, Prieto R, Gauffier P, Bérubé M, Palsbøl PJ, Colaço A. Stable isotopes reveal winter feeding in different habitats in blue, fin and sei whales migrating through the Azores. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2019; 6:181800. [PMID: 31598219 PMCID: PMC6731742 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.181800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2018] [Accepted: 07/23/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Knowing the migratory movements and behaviour of baleen whales is fundamental to understanding their ecology. We compared δ15N and δ13C values in the skin of blue (Balaenoptera musculus), fin (Balaenoptera physalus) and sei (Balaenoptera borealis) whales sighted in the Azores in spring with the values of potential prey from different regions within the North Atlantic using Bayesian mixing models to investigate their trophic ecology and migration patterns. Fin whale δ15N values were higher than those recorded in blue and sei whales, reflecting feeding at higher trophic levels. Whales' skin δ15N and δ13C values did not reflect prey from high-latitude summer foraging grounds; instead mixing models identified tropical or subtropical regions as the most likely feeding areas for all species during winter and spring. Yet, differences in δ13C values among whale species suggest use of different regions within this range. Blue and sei whales primarily used resources from the Northwest African upwelling and pelagic tropical/subtropical regions, while fin whales fed off Iberia. However, determining feeding habitats from stable isotope values remains difficult. In conclusion, winter feeding appears common among North Atlantic blue, fin and sei whales, and may play a crucial role in determining their winter distribution. A better understanding of winter feeding behaviour is therefore fundamental for the effective conservation of these species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mónica A. Silva
- Okeanos Centre & Institute of Marine Research (IMAR), University of the Azores, 9901-862 Horta, Portugal
- Biology Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA
- Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre Açores (MARE), Department of Oceanography and Fisheries, 9901-862 Horta, Portugal
| | - Asunción Borrell
- Institute of Biodiversity Research (IRBio) & Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Rui Prieto
- Okeanos Centre & Institute of Marine Research (IMAR), University of the Azores, 9901-862 Horta, Portugal
- Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre Açores (MARE), Department of Oceanography and Fisheries, 9901-862 Horta, Portugal
| | - Pauline Gauffier
- Institute of Biodiversity Research (IRBio) & Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Martine Bérubé
- Groningen Institute of Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
- Centre for Coastal Studies, Provincetown, MA 02657, USA
| | - Per J. Palsbøl
- Groningen Institute of Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
- Centre for Coastal Studies, Provincetown, MA 02657, USA
| | - Ana Colaço
- Okeanos Centre & Institute of Marine Research (IMAR), University of the Azores, 9901-862 Horta, Portugal
- Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre Açores (MARE), Department of Oceanography and Fisheries, 9901-862 Horta, Portugal
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32
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Fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) migration in Australian waters using passive acoustic monitoring. Sci Rep 2019; 9:8840. [PMID: 31222147 PMCID: PMC6586899 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-45321-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2018] [Accepted: 05/29/2019] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The fin whale is a globally endangered species and is listed as threatened in Australia, however no peer-reviewed studies are available to indicate the migratory movements of the species in Australian waters. This study uses passive acoustic monitoring as a tool to identify the migratory movements of fin whales in Australian waters. Sampling was conducted from eight locations around Australia between 2009 and 2017, providing a total of 37 annual migratory records. Taken together, our observations provide evidence of fin whale migration through Australian waters, with earliest arrival of the animals recorded on the Western Australian coast, at Cape Leeuwin in April. The whales travel through Cape Leeuwin, migrating northward along the Western Australian coast to the Perth Canyon (May to October), which likely acts as a way-station for feeding. Some whales continue migrating as far north as Dampier (19°S). On Australia’s east coast, at Tuncurry, fin whale seasonal presence each year occurred later, from June to late September/October. A total of only 8,024 fin whale pulses were recorded on the east coast, compared to 177,328 pulses recorded at the Perth Canyon. We suggest these differences, as well as the spatial separation between coasts, provide preliminary evidence that the fin whales present on the east and west coasts constitute separate sub-populations.
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Torreblanca E, Camiñas JA, Macías D, García-Barcelona S, Real R, Báez JC. Using opportunistic sightings to infer differential spatio-temporal use of western Mediterranean waters by the fin whale. PeerJ 2019; 7:e6673. [PMID: 30956904 PMCID: PMC6442671 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.6673] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2018] [Accepted: 02/23/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) is a cosmopolitan species with a resident population in the Mediterranean Sea. Due to its habitat, open seas often far from ports and airfields, and its long-distance migratory behaviour, studying and monitoring its distribution is costly. Currently, many opportunistic sightings (OS) reports are available, which provide a source of potentially useful, low-cost information about the spatio-temporal distribution of this species. Since 1993, the Spanish Institute of Oceanography has compiled a dataset comprising 874 records of OS of nine species of cetaceans in the western Mediterranean Sea and adjacent waters. The aim of this study was to use this dataset to investigate the differential use of these waters by the fin whale when compared with other cetaceans. We compared the presence of fin whales with the presence of any other cetacean species in the dataset. Binary logistic regression was then used to model these occurrences according to several spatio-temporal variables expected to reflect their habitat use. Several significant models reveal that fin whales are more prone than other cetaceans to use the waters over the slope of the Gulf of Lion in summer. This finding confirms that the Gulf of Lion is an area of importance for this species and suggests that the slope of the continental shelf could be particularly important. Our study shows how OS can be a source of useful information when appropriately analyzed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Juan Antonio Camiñas
- Centro Oceanográfico de Málaga, Instituto Español de Oceanografía, Fuengirola, Spain
| | - David Macías
- Centro Oceanográfico de Málaga, Instituto Español de Oceanografía, Fuengirola, Spain
| | | | - Raimundo Real
- Departamento de Biología Animal, Universidad de Málaga, Málaga, Spain
| | - José Carlos Báez
- Centro Oceanográfico de Canarias, Instituto Español de Oceanografía, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain.,Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Autónoma de Chile, Santiago de Chile, Chile
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Gowan TA, Ortega-Ortiz JG, Hostetler JA, Hamilton PK, Knowlton AR, Jackson KA, George RC, Taylor CR, Naessig PJ. Temporal and demographic variation in partial migration of the North Atlantic right whale. Sci Rep 2019; 9:353. [PMID: 30674941 PMCID: PMC6344554 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-36723-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2018] [Accepted: 11/14/2018] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Animal movement plays a fundamental role in the ecology of migratory species, and understanding migration patterns is required for effective management. To evaluate intrinsic and environmental factors associated with probabilities of endangered North Atlantic right whales Eubalaena glacialis migrating to a wintering ground off the southeastern United States (SEUS), we applied a multistate temporary emigration capture-recapture model to 22 years of photo-identification data. Migration probabilities for juveniles were generally higher yet more variable than those for adults, and non-calving adult females were the least likely group to migrate. The highest migration probabilities for juveniles and adult males coincided with years of relatively high calving rates, following years of higher prey availability in a fall feeding ground. Right whale migration to the SEUS can be classified as condition-dependent partial migration, which includes skipped breeding partial migration for reproductive females, and is likely influenced by tradeoffs among ecological factors such as reproductive costs and foraging opportunities that vary across individuals and time. The high variability in migration reported in this study provides insight into the ecological drivers of migration but presents challenges to right whale monitoring and conservation strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy A Gowan
- Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, St. Petersburg, Florida, 33701, USA. .,Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, 32611, USA.
| | - Joel G Ortega-Ortiz
- Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami, Miami, Florida, 33149, USA
| | - Jeffrey A Hostetler
- Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, St. Petersburg, Florida, 33701, USA
| | - Philip K Hamilton
- Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life, New England Aquarium, Boston, Massachusetts, 02110, USA
| | - Amy R Knowlton
- Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life, New England Aquarium, Boston, Massachusetts, 02110, USA
| | - Katharine A Jackson
- Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, St. Petersburg, Florida, 33701, USA
| | - R Clay George
- Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Conservation Section, Brunswick, Georgia, 31520, USA
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Jiménez López ME, Palacios DM, Jaramillo Legorreta A, Urbán R. J, Mate BR. Fin whale movements in the Gulf of California, Mexico, from satellite telemetry. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0209324. [PMID: 30629597 PMCID: PMC6328206 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0209324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2018] [Accepted: 12/04/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus) have a global distribution, but the population inhabiting the Gulf of California (GoC) is thought to be geographically and genetically isolated. However, their distribution and movements are poorly known. The goal of this study was to describe fin whale movements for the first time from 11 Argos satellite tags deployed in the southwest GoC in March 2001. A Bayesian Switching State-Space Model was applied to obtain improved locations and to characterize movement behavior as either "area-restricted searching" (indicative of patch residence, ARS) or "transiting" (indicative of moving between patches). Model performance was assessed with convergence diagnostics and by examining the distribution of the deviance and the behavioral parameters from Markov Chain Monte Carlo models. ARS was the predominant mode behavior 83% of the time during both the cool (December-May) and warm seasons (June-November), with slower travel speeds (mean = 0.84 km/h) than during transiting mode (mean = 3.38 km/h). We suggest ARS mode indicates either foraging activities (year around) or reproductive activities during the winter (cool season). We tagged during the cool season, when the whales were located in the Loreto-La Paz Corridor in the southwestern GoC, close to the shoreline. As the season progressed, individuals moved northward to the Midriff Islands and the upper gulf for the warm season, much farther from shore. One tag lasted long enough to document a whale's return to Loreto the following cool season. One whale that was originally of undetermined sex, was tagged in the Bay of La Paz and was photographed 10 years later with a calf in the nearby San Jose Channel, suggesting seasonal site fidelity. The tagged whales moved along the western GoC to the upper gulf seasonally and did not transit to the eastern GoC south of the Midriff Islands. No tagged whales left the GoC, providing supporting evidence that these fin whales are a resident population.
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Affiliation(s)
- M. Esther Jiménez López
- Programa de Investigación de Mamíferos Marinos. Departamento Académico de Ciencias Marinas y Costeras, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California Sur, La Paz, Baja California Sur, México, Mezquitito, La Paz, México
| | - Daniel M. Palacios
- Marine Mammal Institute and Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State University, Hatfield Marine Science Center, Newport, Oregon, United States of America
| | | | - Jorge Urbán R.
- Programa de Investigación de Mamíferos Marinos. Departamento Académico de Ciencias Marinas y Costeras, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California Sur, La Paz, Baja California Sur, México, Mezquitito, La Paz, México
| | - Bruce R. Mate
- Marine Mammal Institute and Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State University, Hatfield Marine Science Center, Newport, Oregon, United States of America
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Barlow DR, Torres LG, Hodge KB, Steel D, Baker CS, Chandler TE, Bott N, Constantine R, Double MC, Gill P, Glasgow D, Hamner RM, Lilley C, Ogle M, Olson PA, Peters C, Stockin KA, Tessaglia-Hymes CT, Klinck H. Documentation of a New Zealand blue whale population based on multiple lines of evidence. ENDANGER SPECIES RES 2018. [DOI: 10.3354/esr00891] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
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Hucke-Gaete R, Bedriñana-Romano L, Viddi FA, Ruiz JE, Torres-Florez JP, Zerbini AN. From Chilean Patagonia to Galapagos, Ecuador: novel insights on blue whale migratory pathways along the Eastern South Pacific. PeerJ 2018; 6:e4695. [PMID: 29736336 PMCID: PMC5933318 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.4695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2017] [Accepted: 04/12/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The most traditional scheme for migration among baleen whales comprises yearly migrations between productive waters at high latitude summer feeding grounds and warmer waters at lower latitudes where whales calve and mate, but rarely feed. Evidence indicates, however, that large departures from this scheme exist among populations and individuals. Furthermore, for some populations there is virtually no information on migratory pathways and destinations. Such is the case of Chilean blue whales throughout the Eastern South Pacific; hence, the goal of this study was to assess its migratory behavior. Methods Dedicated marine surveys and satellite tagging efforts were undertaken during the austral summer and early autumn on blue whale feeding grounds off Chilean Northern Patagonia (CNP) during 2013, 2015 and 2016. Positional data derived from satellite tags regarding movement patterns and behavior were analyzed using Bayesian switching first-difference correlated random walk models. Results We instrumented 10 CNP blue whales with satellite transmitters and documented individual variation in departure time, northbound migratory routes and potential wintering grounds. The onset of migration occurred from mid/late austral autumn to well into the austral winter. Blue whales moved in various directions, but ultimately converged toward a general NW movement direction along a wide corridor exceeding 2,000 km. Area-Restricted Search behavior was exhibited within fjords and channels of CNP and also South of Galapagos Archipelago (GA) and northern Peru, but never during migration. Interestingly, dive profiles for one whale that reached GA showed a sharp and consistent increase in depth north of 5°S and extreme deep dives of up to 330 m. Discussion Information derived from satellite tagged blue whales in this study is the first of its kind off the Eastern Southern Pacific. Our results provide valuable information on their migratory timing, routes and behavior on their northbound migration, particularly regarding the varied migratory plasticity for this particular population. Our results also highlight the first record of two complete migratory paths between CNP and GA and strengthen the hypothesis that GA waters correspond to a potential wintering destination for CNP blue whales. We further hypothesize that this area might be selected because of its biological productivity, which could provide feeding opportunities during the breeding season. Our results suggest that special efforts should be put forward to identify blue whale critical areas and understand key behavioral aspects in order to provide the basis for their conservation on a regional context (i.e., reducing potential ship strike and promote Marine Protected Area (MPA) implementation in Chile, Ecuador and Peru). Indeed, we suggest joint blue whale conservation efforts at the regional level in order to identify and determine potential threats and impacts and, most importantly, implement prospective management actions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rodrigo Hucke-Gaete
- Instituto de Ciencias Marinas y Limnológicas, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile.,Centro Ballena Azul, Valdivia, Chile
| | - Luis Bedriñana-Romano
- Instituto de Ciencias Marinas y Limnológicas, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile.,Centro Ballena Azul, Valdivia, Chile
| | - Francisco A Viddi
- Instituto de Ciencias Marinas y Limnológicas, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile.,Centro Ballena Azul, Valdivia, Chile
| | - Jorge E Ruiz
- Instituto de Ciencias Marinas y Limnológicas, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile.,Centro Ballena Azul, Valdivia, Chile
| | - Juan Pablo Torres-Florez
- Centro Ballena Azul, Valdivia, Chile.,Departamento de Genética e Evolucão, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Carlos, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Alexandre N Zerbini
- Marine Mammal Laboratory, Alaska Fisheries Science Center, NOAA, Seattle, Washington, D.C., USA.,Cascadia Research Collective, Olympia, Washington, D.C., USA.,Instituto Aqualie, Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais, Brazil
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Scales KL, Schorr GS, Hazen EL, Bograd SJ, Miller PI, Andrews RD, Zerbini AN, Falcone EA. Should I stay or should I go? Modelling year‐round habitat suitability and drivers of residency for fin whales in the California Current. DIVERS DISTRIB 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.12611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Kylie L. Scales
- Environmental Research Division NOAA Southwest Fisheries Science Center Monterey CA USA
- Institute of Marine Sciences University of California Santa Cruz Santa Cruz CA USA
- University of the Sunshine Coast Maroochydore Qld Australia
| | | | - Elliott L. Hazen
- Environmental Research Division NOAA Southwest Fisheries Science Center Monterey CA USA
| | - Steven J. Bograd
- Environmental Research Division NOAA Southwest Fisheries Science Center Monterey CA USA
| | | | - Russel D. Andrews
- School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences University of Alaska Fairbanks Fairbanks AK USA
- Alaska SeaLife Center Seward AK USA
| | - Alexandre N. Zerbini
- Marine Mammal Laboratory NOAA Alaska Fisheries Science Center Seattle WA USA
- Cascadia Research Collective Olympia WA USA
| | - Erin A. Falcone
- Foundation for Marine Ecology and Telemetry Research Seabeck WA USA
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Lesage V, Gavrilchuk K, Andrews RD, Sears R. Foraging areas, migratory movements and winter destinations of blue whales from the western North Atlantic. ENDANGER SPECIES RES 2017. [DOI: 10.3354/esr00838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
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Panigada S, Donovan GP, Druon JN, Lauriano G, Pierantonio N, Pirotta E, Zanardelli M, Zerbini AN, di Sciara GN. Satellite tagging of Mediterranean fin whales: working towards the identification of critical habitats and the focussing of mitigation measures. Sci Rep 2017; 7:3365. [PMID: 28611466 PMCID: PMC5469747 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-03560-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2016] [Accepted: 05/01/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Mediterranean fin whales comprise a genetically distinct population, listed as Vulnerable (VU) in the IUCN Red List. Collisions with vessels are believed to represent the main cause of human-induced mortality. The identification of critical habitats (including migration routes) incorporating satellite telemetry data is therefore crucial to develop focussed conservation efforts. Between 2012 and 2015 thirteen fin whales were equipped with satellite transmitters, 8 in the Pelagos Sanctuary (although two ceased within two days) and 5 in the Strait of Sicily, to evaluate movements and habitat use. A hierarchical switching state-space model was used to identify transiting and area-restricted search (ARS) behaviours, believed to indicate foraging activities. All whales undertook mid- to long-distance migrations, crossing some of the world's busiest maritime routes. Areas where the animals predominantly engaged in ARS behaviour were identified in both study areas. The telemetry data were compared with results from ecosystem niche modelling, and showed that 80% of tagged whale positions was near (<7 km) the closest suitable habitat. The results contribute to the view that precautionary management should include establishment of a coordinated and dynamic basin-wide management scheme; if appropriate, this may include the establishment of protected areas by specific regional Conventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone Panigada
- Tethys Research Institute, c/o Acquario Civico, Viale G.B. Gadio 2, 20121, Milan, Italy.
| | - Gregory P Donovan
- International Whaling Commission, The Red House, 135 Station Road, Impington, CB24 9NP, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Jean-Noël Druon
- European Commission, DG Joint Research Centre, Directorate D - Sustainable Resources, Unit D.02 Water and Marine Resources, Via Fermi, TP 051, 21027, Ispra, (VA), Italy
| | - Giancarlo Lauriano
- Institute for Environmental Protection and Research - ISPRA, Via V. Brancati 60, 00144, Rome, Italy
| | - Nino Pierantonio
- Tethys Research Institute, c/o Acquario Civico, Viale G.B. Gadio 2, 20121, Milan, Italy
| | - Enrico Pirotta
- School of Mathematics, Washington State University, 14204 NE Salmon Creek Ave, Vancouver, WA, 98686, USA
| | - Margherita Zanardelli
- Tethys Research Institute, c/o Acquario Civico, Viale G.B. Gadio 2, 20121, Milan, Italy
| | - Alexandre N Zerbini
- National Marine Mammal Laboratory, Alaska Fisheries Science Center - NOAA, 7600 Sand Point Way N.E., Seattle, WA, 98115-6349, USA
- Cascadia Research Collective, Olympia, WA, USA
- Instituto Aqualie, Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais, Brazil
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Notarbartolo di Sciara G, Castellote M, Druon JN, Panigada S. Fin Whales, Balaenoptera physalus: At Home in a Changing Mediterranean Sea? ADVANCES IN MARINE BIOLOGY 2016; 75:75-101. [PMID: 27770993 DOI: 10.1016/bs.amb.2016.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | - M Castellote
- National Marine Mammal Laboratory, Alaska Fisheries Science Center/NOAA, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - J-N Druon
- European Commission, DG Joint Research Centre, Directorate D-Sustainable Resources, Unit D.02 Water and Marine Resources, Ispra, Italy
| | - S Panigada
- Tethys Research Institute, Acquario Civico, Milano, Italy
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