Identification of Potential Foraging Areas for Bowhead Whales in Baffin Bay and Adjacent Waters

Nielsen, Nynne H.; Laidre, Kristin L.; Larsen, Rasmus Stenbak; Heide‐Jørgensen, Mads Peter

doi:10.14430/arctic4488

Cited by 33 publications

(23 citation statements)

References 45 publications

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“…For example, if predictions hold for each species, Antarctic minke whales (Balaenoptera bonaerensis) need to swim (Table 1). Indeed as predicted, inspection of dives referred to as 'shallow non-feeding dives' by Antarctic minke whales in another study appeared to occur at approximately 5 m depth [16], shallower than the depth threshold set for defining dives in many studies [37,[60][61][62]. If other whales also optimize their dive depths and this is not taken into account when setting dive definition thresholds, then it is possible that migratory dives may not be recorded by these devices and a biased picture of the depth ranges used by species could be produced.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 73%

A week in the life of a pygmy blue whale: migratory dive depth overlaps with large vessel drafts

Owen

Jenner

et al. 2016

Anim Biotelemetry

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Background:The use of multi-sensor tags is increasingly providing insights into the behavior of whales. However, due to limitations in tag attachment duration and the transmission bandwidth of the Argos system, little is known about fine-scale diving behavior over time or the reliability of assigning behavioral states based on horizontal movement data for whale species. How whales use the water column while migrating has not been closely examined, yet the strategy used is likely to influence the vulnerability of whales to ship strike. Here we present information from a rare week long multi-sensor tag deployment on a pygmy blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus brevicauda) that provided a great opportunity to examine the fine-scale diving behavior of a migrating whale and to compare the occurrence of feeding lunges with assigned behavioral states. Results:The depth of migratory dives was highly consistent over time and unrelated to local bathymetry. The mean depth of migratory dives (~13 m when corrected for the tag position on the whale) was just below the threshold depth (12 m) that blue whales are predicted to travel below to remove the influence of wave drag at the surface. The whale spent 94 % of observed time and completed 99 % of observed migratory dives within the range of large container ship drafts (<24 m). Areas of high residence identified using the horizontal movement data (FastLoc GPS) did not reflect where lunge feeding occurred. Conclusions:The lack of correspondence between areas of high residence inferred from horizontal movement data and the locations where the whale performed feeding lunges highlights the need for further research to determine whether movement models can accurately detect whale feeding areas or only areas of prey searching. While migrating, the whale made dives to a depth that is likely to allow it to avoid wave drag and maximize horizontal movement. Although this strategy may reduce energy expenditure during migration, it also placed the whale at greater risk of ship strike for a much longer period than currently thought. If other whales have similar diving behavior to this animal during migration, many whale species may spend much longer periods than currently estimated within the parts of the water column where the risk of ship strike is high.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 73%

A week in the life of a pygmy blue whale: migratory dive depth overlaps with large vessel drafts

Owen

Jenner

et al. 2016

Anim Biotelemetry

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“…Bowhead whales use a wide range of habitats, suggesting flexible use of foraging areas (Nielsen et al, 2015), and this species may be expanding its distribution, as suggested by its recent presence in the Northwest Passage (Heide-Jørgensen et al, 2011). Recent satellite-tracking studies (tagging in 2008 -10) showed that bowhead whales moved out of the Disko Bay area between late May and early June (Laidre and Heide-Jørgensen, 2012) and then followed the continental shelf off West Greenland northward towards the northern part of Baffin Bay (Nielsen et al, 2015). Those observations are in agreement with bowhead detections in 2014 at stations BB10 and BB6 in early and late June, but they do not explain the detections in April.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Seasonal Trends in Acoustic Detection of Marine Mammals in Baffin Bay and Melville Bay, Northwest Greenland + Supplementary Appendix 1 (See Article Tools)

Frouin‐Mouy¹,

Kowarski²,

Martin³

et al. 2017

ARCTIC

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ABSTRACT. The expansion of hydrocarbon exploration in northwest Greenland has made it increasingly important to understand the occurrence of marine mammals in the region. We describe the seasonal occurrence of marine mammals and the spatial distribution of their calls in Baffin Bay and Melville Bay. Four Autonomous Multichannel Acoustic Recorders (AMARs) were deployed during summer 2012 (late July to early October), five recorders during September 2013, and two recorders from late September 2013 to early September 2014. The call presence of several species was analyzed using automatic call detection and manual verification analysis methods. A novel approach to discern narwhal (Monodon monoceros) clicks from beluga (Delphinapterus leucas) clicks was implemented during the verification process. Narwhal calls were detected in spring and fall, showing a south-to-north migration pattern in spring and a north-to-south migration pattern in fall. Few beluga whales were detected during fall 2013 and spring 2014. Bearded seal (Erignathus barbatus) calls were detected mainly during spring (mating period). A small number of bowhead whale calls (Balaena mysticetus) were detected during fall 2013 and spring and summer 2014. For the first time at this latitude in Baffin Bay, long-finned pilot whales (Globicephala melas) and sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) were detected during summer and fall. Our results suggest that the presence of marine mammals in Baffin Bay and Melville Bay is governed mainly by the annual cycle of sea ice formation and decay.

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“…The predictability in culturally inherited migration patterns and in habitat selection among narwhal populations is certainly different from the two other Arctic cetaceans, the bowhead whale ( Balaena mysticetus ; cf. Nielsen et al ., 2015; Lydersen et al ., ) and belugas ( Delphinapterus leucas ; cf. Suydam et al ., ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The predictable narwhal: satellite tracking shows behavioural similarities between isolated subpopulations

et al. 2015

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Comparison of behavioural similarities between subpopulations of species that have been isolated for a long time is important for understanding the general ecology of species that are under pressure from large‐scale changes in habitats. Narwhals (Monodon monoceros) east and west of Greenland are examples of separated populations that, in different ocean parts, will be coping with similar anthropogenic and climate‐driven habitat alterations. To study this, 28 narwhals from the Scoresby Sound fjord system were tracked by satellite in 2010–2013. The average duration of contact with the whales was 124 days with one tag lasting 305 days and one whale recaptured <1 km from its tagging site 366 days later. All whales exhibited the same migratory pattern. The whales departed from the summering grounds in Scoresby Sound in September and arrived at the edge of the continental shelf by November. Here, they stayed through May–June and conducted daily dives to the mesopelagic zone at ∼1000 m depth. Despite the isolation by the landmass of Greenland and the genetic differentiation from other narwhal populations, there is still a remarkable similarity not just in behavioural traits like phenology of migrations and movements in relation to sea ice formation, but also in site fidelity, diving behaviour, feeding ecology, habitat selection, daily travel speed and even potential conflicts with fisheries for Greenland halibut (Reinhardtius hippoglossoides). Greenland halibut are likely target prey during the deep dives in winter but capelin (Mallotus villosus) may, with ocean warming, become of increasing importance. The ocean‐wide predictability in culturally inherited migration patterns, size of wintering grounds and habitat selection among narwhal populations is certainly different from other Arctic cetaceans and renders narwhals more vulnerable to large‐scale changes in their restricted and specialized habitats.

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Identification of Potential Foraging Areas for Bowhead Whales in Baffin Bay and Adjacent Waters

Cited by 33 publications

References 45 publications

A week in the life of a pygmy blue whale: migratory dive depth overlaps with large vessel drafts

A week in the life of a pygmy blue whale: migratory dive depth overlaps with large vessel drafts

Seasonal Trends in Acoustic Detection of Marine Mammals in Baffin Bay and Melville Bay, Northwest Greenland + Supplementary Appendix 1 (See Article Tools)

The predictable narwhal: satellite tracking shows behavioural similarities between isolated subpopulations

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