How does ocean seasonality drive habitat preferences of highly mobile top predators? Part I: The north-western Mediterranean Sea

Lambert, Charlotte; Laran, Sophie; David, Léa; Dorémus, Ghislain; Pettex, Emeline; Canneyt, Olivier Van; Ridoux, Vincent

doi:10.1016/j.dsr2.2016.06.012

Cited by 32 publications

(26 citation statements)

References 33 publications

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“…This change seems to cause a phenological change of plankton seasonality with the spring bloom happening later in the year and lasting longer, higher phytoplankton biomass present during the stratification period and an earlier and more intense autumn bloom. Such changes in the base of the food web could have implications for the entire ecosystem, as this NW Mediterranean region is a very important feeding and nursery ground for many commercially-important species 84 , 85 and for ecologically-relevant higher trophic levels 86 , 87 . We have also shown how the MF here employed could provide useful information on a time-scale that’s relevant for managers and policy-makers, further stressing the potentialities of this tool to be used as policy- and decision-making support.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Deep winter convection and phytoplankton dynamics in the NW Mediterranean Sea under present climate and future (horizon 2030) scenarios

Macías

García-Górriz

Adolf

2018

Sci Rep

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Deep water convection (DC) in winter is one of the major processes driving open-ocean primary productivity in the Northwestern Mediterranean Sea. DC is highly variable in time, depending on the specific conditions (stratification, circulation and ocean-atmosphere interactions) of each specific winter. This variability also drives the interannual oscillations of open-ocean primary productivity in this important region for many commercially-important fish species. We use a coupled model system to 1) understand to what extent DC impacts phytoplankton seasonality in the present-day and 2) to explore potential changes in future scenarios (~2030). Our model represents quite accurately the present-day characteristics of DC and its importance for open-ocean phytoplankton blooms. However, for the future scenarios the importance of deep nutrients in fertilizing the euphotic layer of the NW Mediterranean decreases. The model simulates changes in surface density and on the levels of kinetic energy that make mesoscale activity associated with horizontal currents to become a more important fertilization mechanism, inducing subsequently phenological changes in seasonal plankton cycles. Because of our focus on the open-sea, an exact quantification of the impact of those changes on the overall biological production of the NW Mediterranean cannot be made at the moment.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Deep winter convection and phytoplankton dynamics in the NW Mediterranean Sea under present climate and future (horizon 2030) scenarios

Macías

García-Górriz

Adolf

2018

Sci Rep

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“…However, in the study area, sperm whale occurrence was documented from March to December (Mussi et al , Pace ), suggesting an almost persistent presence during the year. Seasonality of the environment may play a major role in species distributions by altering the presence of individuals in a given place at a stated time (Murray et al ); seasonal habitat use can be influenced by modifications in ecological processes and by biological functions such as growth, feeding, and reproduction (Lambert et al ). In the Mediterranean, few and scattered long‐term systematic year‐round studies useful to assess sperm whale seasonality in patterns of occurrence have been conducted, with high heterogeneity of survey efforts and methodologies, thus making problematic possible inferences in our study area.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, in the study area, sperm whale occurrence was documented from March to December , Pace 2016), suggesting an almost persistent presence during the year. Seasonality of the environment may play a major role in species distributions by altering the presence of individuals in a given place at a stated time (Murray et al 2013); seasonal habitat use can be influenced by modifications in ecological processes and by biological functions such as growth, feeding, and reproduction (Lambert et al 2017).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Habitat suitability modeling in different sperm whale social groups

Pace

Arcangeli

Mussi³

et al. 2018

J Wildl Manag

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The identification of significant habitats for highly mobile marine vertebrates is essential for their conservation. Evidence is often difficult to obtain for deep‐diving species such as sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus), where standard visual survey methods are not sufficient to detect the species. Sperm whales rely on sound for most of their activities, so acoustics is a crucial tool to locate them in the environment and collect information about their daily life. We used a maximum entropy (MaxEnt) modeling approach to predict potential habitats for sperm whales during 2007–2015 in an area of the Mediterranean Sea (characterized by submarine canyon systems) where sperm whale singletons, social units of females and calves, and clusters with immature males, were regularly encountered in sympatry. Models to test species’ distribution and the potential differences between groups of varying composition and life stages were based on 3 independent variables (depth, slope, and Euclidean distance from the nearest coast) and a combination of presence‐only visual and acoustic data from boat‐based surveys. One variable (depth) was the strongest predictor in all encounters (pooled data) and clusters, whereas distance from coast and slope best predicted encounters with singletons and social units, respectively. The model predicted suitable locations in areas that were well‐known sperm whale habitat and in new regions of previously overlooked habitat, which possibly represent key areas for this endangered species in the Mediterranean. This study highlights that consideration should be taken regarding type of social aggregation when using modeling techniques for generating suitable habitat maps for conservation purposes. © 2018 The Wildlife Society.

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“…The SST in the core area of use was also relatively stable both within and between years, compared with the surrounding open ocean. Spatio‐temporal predictability of resources, or suitable environmental conditions, is an important driver of spatial distribution in the ocean (Lambert et al, ; Scales et al, ). The persistence of temperature conditions in the South Lagoon could contribute to its attractiveness for maternal females that can rely on this area to provide suitable habitat to their calf.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

From land and sea, long‐term data reveal persistent humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) breeding habitat in New Caledonia

Derville

Torres

Dodémont³

et al. 2019

Aquatic Conservation

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Long‐term monitoring is a prerequisite to understanding and protecting long‐lived species such as cetaceans. In New Caledonia, South Pacific, an endangered sub‐population of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) seasonally congregates for mating and nursing during the austral winter. For more than two decades, dedicated surveys have been conducted at sea and from land to monitor humpback whale presence in a coastal breeding site, the South Lagoon. Methods were developed to investigate space use patterns and their temporal variations over the long term using a joint dataset of boat‐based and land‐based observations (1995–2017). A total of 2651 humpback whale groups were observed, including 1167 from land and 1484 at sea (of which 30% were initially detected by the land‐based observers). Humpback whales displayed a persistent space use pattern over this 23 year period, consistent social composition over the years, and an increase in the group encounter rates from land and at sea. The core area of use by humpback whales was characterized in the austral winter by stable and relatively low sea surface temperature (22°C). Whales consistently occupied nearshore waters from 10 to 200 m deep and open to the ocean. Waters surrounded by dense coral reefs were avoided. Although humpback whale distribution patterns were persistent and occurrence was found to increase over two decades, a mismatch between humpback whale critical habitat and marine protected areas was revealed. In the context of growing anthropogenic pressure from tourism and industrial development, these findings should be incorporated into local management efforts to protect the endangered Oceania humpback whale in one of its main breeding sites.

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How does ocean seasonality drive habitat preferences of highly mobile top predators? Part I: The north-western Mediterranean Sea

Cited by 32 publications

References 33 publications

Deep winter convection and phytoplankton dynamics in the NW Mediterranean Sea under present climate and future (horizon 2030) scenarios

Deep winter convection and phytoplankton dynamics in the NW Mediterranean Sea under present climate and future (horizon 2030) scenarios

Habitat suitability modeling in different sperm whale social groups

From land and sea, long‐term data reveal persistent humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) breeding habitat in New Caledonia

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