Distribution, demography, and behavior of North Atlantic right whales (<i>Eubalaena glacialis</i>) in Cape Cod Bay, Massachusetts, 1998–2013

Mayo, Charles A.; Ganley, Laura C.; Hudak, Christine A.; Brault, Solange; Marx, Marilyn K.; Burke, Erin.; Brown, Moira W.

doi:10.1111/mms.12511

Cited by 20 publications

(38 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…Despite the apparently declining population in the last 3 years of this study, we found that the mean acoustic presence of right whales in MB was higher during this period than in the first 3 years, at all times of year (Figure ). This finding is consistent with increased winter and spring use of CCB during these years, suggesting that right whale habitat preferences have changed during the period of this study (Mayo et al, ). This increased use of the Massachusetts–CCB area is part of a broader pattern of shifting habitat use observed throughout the Gulf of Maine and adjacent regions, compared to patterns typically observed during the previous three decades (Davis et al, ; Pace et al, ).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 89%

“…The peak season of 2010 was notable in having a mean hourly presence that was much lower than that of any other year (Figures and ). This pattern was strikingly similar to that observed in the number of identified right whales observed per unit of aerial survey effort in CCB in 2010 (Mayo et al, ). Densities of zooplankton genera ( Calanus , Pseudocalanus , and Centropages ) on which right whales feed were also anomalously low in 2010 in CCB (Stamieszkin et al, ).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 86%

“…Second, weekly acoustic detections of right whales by a real‐time monitoring system in MB (Spaulding et al, ) were well correlated with predictions of weekly habitat suitability by a model that was trained on 4 years of whale sighting data (Pendleton, ), suggesting that, in general, acoustic detections probably reflect relative whale abundance at a weekly time resolution. Finally, the pattern of year‐to‐year variation in acoustic presence reported here (Figure ) is similar to the pattern of variation in number of individuals observed in aerial surveys (corrected for survey effort) conducted in CCB over the same years (figure 4 in Mayo et al, ).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 80%

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Phenological changes in North Atlantic right whale habitat use in Massachusetts Bay

Charif

Shiu

Muirhead

et al. 2019

Global Change Biology

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The North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis) is one of the world's most highly endangered baleen whales, with approximately 400–450 individuals remaining. Massachusetts Bay (MB) and Cape Cod Bay (CCB) together comprise one of seven areas in the Gulf of Maine where right whales seasonally congregate. Here, we report on acoustically detected presence of right whales in MB over a nearly 6 year period, July 2007–April 2013, a time of both rapid ocean warming throughout the Gulf of Maine and apparent changes in right whale migratory dynamics. We applied an automated detection algorithm to assess hourly presence of right whale “up‐calls” in recordings from a 19‐channel acoustic array covering approximately 4,000 km2 in MB. Over the survey, up‐calls were detected in 95% of 8 day periods. In each year, as expected, we observed a “peak season” of elevated up‐call detections in late winter and early spring corresponding to the season when right whales congregate to feed in CCB. However, we also saw an increase in right whale occurrence during time periods thought to be part of the “off‐season.” With the exception of 2009–2010, when acoustic presence was unusually low, the mean percent of hours in which up‐calls were detected increased every year, both during the peak season (from 38% in 2008 to 70% in 2012), and during the summer–fall season (from 2% in 2007 to 13% in 2012). Over the entire study, the peak season start date varied between 17 January and 26 February. Changes in right whale phenology in MB likely reflect broadscale changes in habitat use in other areas within the species range. This study demonstrates the value of continuous long‐term survey datasets to detect and quantify shifts in cetacean habitat use as environmental conditions change and the long‐term continued survival of right whales remains uncertain.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 89%

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 86%

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 80%

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Phenological changes in North Atlantic right whale habitat use in Massachusetts Bay

Charif

Shiu

Muirhead

et al. 2019

Global Change Biology

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“…Right whales are classified as Endangered under the US Endangered Species Act and by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (Reilly et al 2012). Every year, from January through May (hereafter the season), right whales return to CCB, an important feeding ground for this species (Mayo & Marx 1990, Clark et al 2010, Mayo et al 2018, which has been designated as critical habitat for right whales (NOAA 1994). The main copepod taxa on which right whales feed are abundant in these waters and whale diving behavior is influenced by the copepods' vertical distribution, which varies seasonally (Mayo & Marx 1990, Baumgartner & Mate 2003, Parks et al 2012).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Since 1997, the Center for Coastal Studies has conducted systematic aerial line-transect surveys to monitor right whale habitat use in CCB (Mayo et al 2018). During the surveys, photographs of individual whales are collected and used for health assessments (Pettis et al 2004, Rolland et al 2016, reporting and monitoring entanglements in fishing gear (Knowlton et al 2012, Robbins et al 2015, and population studies (Pace et al 2017).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

What we see is not what there is: estimating North Atlantic right whale Eubalaena glacialis local abundance

Ganley¹,

Brault²,

Mayo³

2019

Endang. Species. Res.

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Aerial surveys can be used to estimate animal abundance, but animals unavailable for detection for portions of the survey can cause biased abundance estimates. Moreover, these biases may be variable owing to changes in behavior. We conducted focal follows to obtain surface and dive times of North Atlantic right whales Eubalaena glacialis in Cape Cod Bay (CCB) and measured the aircraft field of view; these metrics were combined to estimate availability and correct monthly abundance estimates from 1998 to 2017 generated via distance sampling methodology. We used a general least squares model to test for trends in abundance. Availability varied with month (0.27−0.85), likely linked to changes in the depth of copepod food resources. Detection probability varied across the years (0.43−0.87). Sightings per unit effort and counts of whales were significant, but downward-biased indicators of abundance and availability caused changes in bias over the season. Estimated abundance in CCB increased during the study period (4.9 whales yr −1 ), and estimated abundance in peak months increased at a faster rate (10% yr −1 for 1998−2017) than for the overall population (2.8% yr −1 for 1990−2010). Accurate abundance estimates are necessary to monitor long-term changes in abundance of right whales in CCB, to understand the importance of CCB relative to other areas, and improve management strategies to protect this endangered species from entanglements in fishing gear and ship-strikes. Failing to correct for seasonal variation in availability results in substantial and variable underestimation of abundance.

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Ageing abandoned, lost, and discarded lobster fishing gear based on fouling assemblages

Legare,

Nichols,

Ludwig

2023

Aquatic Conservation

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Abandoned, lost, or otherwise discarded fishing gear (ALDFG) is a by‐product of many fisheries. ALDFG impacts extend beyond the targeted species and include by‐catch, habitat degradation, and increased plastic in the environment. In particular ALDFG such as lobster gear attracts a succession of fouling organisms, increasing species diversity and productivity. In Cape Cod Bay, Massachusetts, USA, a seasonal lobster gear closure occurs for the protection of North Atlantic right whales (Eubalaena glacialis), allowing for the removal of ALDFG. In this study, the percentage cover of fouling organisms on recovered gear was used to model the age of the recovered gear (of indeterminate age because of missing tags). Between 2017 and 2021, a total of 379 traps were photo documented, of which 223 were of known age (1–22 years) and 156 were of unknown age. The age of the unknown traps was modelled utilizing a random forest algorithm using traps with a known age as a training library. High correlations between modelled ages and known ages (R2 = 0.634, P < 0.001*) slightly underestimated the age of the traps by 1.2–1.8 years, but are sufficient for developing an age distribution. The majority (79%) of traps were recovered off Provincetown and averaged 10–11 years old. Approximately 50% of the traps recovered in Cape Cod Bay were deposited or lost between 2005 and 2010. Calculating the age of ALDFG aids in determining the loss rate of gear and in identifying high concentrations of untended gear that can be recycled or reused. This analysis allows practitioners to understand the scale of the problem, helps quantify the quantity of gear in the ocean, and helps identify the areas most affected. This information improves the effectiveness of removal efforts by focusing on discrete areas of recurring and recent gear loss.

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Distribution, demography, and behavior of North Atlantic right whales (Eubalaena glacialis) in Cape Cod Bay, Massachusetts, 1998–2013

Cited by 20 publications

References 30 publications

Phenological changes in North Atlantic right whale habitat use in Massachusetts Bay

Phenological changes in North Atlantic right whale habitat use in Massachusetts Bay

What we see is not what there is: estimating North Atlantic right whale Eubalaena glacialis local abundance

Ageing abandoned, lost, and discarded lobster fishing gear based on fouling assemblages

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