Marine top predators as climate and ecosystem sentinels

Hazen, Elliott L.; Abrahms, Briana; Brodie, Stephanie; Carroll, Gemma; Jacox, Michael G.; Savoca, Matthew S.; Scales, Kylie L.; Sydeman, William J.; Bograd, Steven J.

doi:10.1002/fee.2125

Cited by 227 publications

(150 citation statements)

References 66 publications

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“…One of the priorities for research in relation to marine conservation is the assessment of the distribution of pelagic top predators (Boyd, Wanless, & Camphuysen, 2006; Hazen et al, 2019; Heithaus, Frid, Wirsing, & Worm, 2008; Parsons, 2016). These are key species for the maintenance of the structure and functioning of marine ecosystems (Sergio et al., 2008; Sergio, Newton, Marchesi, & Pedrini, 2006).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Distribution of cetacean species at a large scale ‐ Connecting continents with the Macaronesian archipelagos in the eastern North Atlantic

Correia

Gil

Valente

et al. 2020

Diversity and Distributions

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Aim To describe distribution patterns and species richness of cetaceans along a wide geographical range using occurrence data coupled with survey effort, from poorly studied oceanic areas. Specific objectives were to compare species richness and relative abundances among sub‐regions and to describe the distribution of each species. Location Eastern North Atlantic. Time period 2012–2017. Major taxa studied Cetacea. Methods Cetacean monitoring was performed by dedicated observers from cargo ships, used as platforms of opportunity, along routes between Iberian Peninsula, Macaronesia and north‐western Africa. We mapped relative abundance (encounter rates), survey effort and species richness. We examined the dependence of the number of sightings and species richness on survey effort. The area was divided into sub‐regions (according to the Exclusive Economic Zones and international waters), and relative abundances of the eight most frequently sighted species, as well as species richness, were compared among them. In addition, we describe the distribution of each species in relation to sea depth, distance to coast, latitude and longitude. Results A total of 1,989 sightings were logged, and 26 cetacean species were identified. Species richness and relative abundances of the eight most common species differed substantially between sub‐regions. Common and bottlenose dolphins distributed in shallow coastal waters contrasting with the oceanic distribution of Stenella dolphins. Cuvier's beaked whale and minke whale had similar distributions. Pilot and sperm whales were distributed in southern waters. Main conclusions A considerable amount of survey effort was needed to attain reliable estimates of species richness. In less surveyed areas, species richness and abundance are likely to be underestimated. The offshore waters presented high species richness and several hotspots of cetacean abundance. This work provides new knowledge on cetacean distribution at a large scale in the eastern North Atlantic, relevant to future conservation management.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Distribution of cetacean species at a large scale ‐ Connecting continents with the Macaronesian archipelagos in the eastern North Atlantic

Correia

Gil

Valente

et al. 2020

Diversity and Distributions

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Individual-specific information would aid in determining appropriate protective measures, if these were to be considered. Marine top predators, such as blue whales, can be considered ecosystem sentinels (Hazen et al, 2019) and their movements and distributions can be directly related to prey availability, often driven by physical oceanography, both on local and global scales (Ladd et al, 2019;Barlow et al, 2020). As such, movement data from individual animals may provide insight into whether dynamic protective measures that are responsive to external drivers would be more effective than static areas of protection (Hartel et al, 2015;Dwyer et al, 2020).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Passive Acoustic Monitoring Reveals Spatio-Temporal Distributions of Antarctic and Pygmy Blue Whales Around Central New Zealand

Warren

Širović

McPherson³

et al. 2021

Front. Mar. Sci.

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Effective management of wild animal populations relies on an understanding of their spatio-temporal distributions. Passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) is a non-invasive method to investigate the distribution of free-ranging species that reliably produce sound. Critically endangered Antarctic blue whales (Balaenoptera musculus intermedia) (ABWs) co-occur with pygmy blue whales (B. m. brevicauda) (PBWs) around New Zealand. Nationally, both are listed as “data deficient” due to difficulties in access and visual sub-species identification. PAM was used to investigate the distributions of blue whales via sub-species specific song detections in central New Zealand. Propagation models, incorporating ambient noise data, enabled the comparison of detections among recording locations in different marine environments. ABW detections peaked during austral winter and spring, indicating that New Zealand, and the South Taranaki Bight (STB) in particular, is a migratory corridor for ABWs. Some ABW calls were also detected during the breeding season (September and October). PBW calls were highly concentrated in the STB, particularly between March and May, suggesting that an aggregation of PBWs may occur here. Therefore, the STB is of great importance for both sub-species of blue whale. PBW detections were absent from the STB during parts of austral spring, but PBWs were detected at east coast locations during this time. Detection area models were valuable when interpreting and comparing detections among recording locations. The results provide sub-species specific information required for management of critically endangered ABWs and highlight the relative importance of central New Zealand for both sub-species of blue whale.

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“…These impacts have important consequences, in terms of ecosystem functioning and provision of its services [66]. Furthermore, the rapidly accelerating pace of climate change warrants the exploration of means to monitor its ecological effects (e.g., using biological sentinels) [67] and consequently to create conservation and adaptation strategies (e.g., establishment of climate-smart protected areas and identification of potential climate refugia) [26,68]. Here, we have explored these aspects briefly, nonetheless, it is worth noting that our present analyses are subject to potential caveats and highlight areas of future research that can be done to reinforce our current findings.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spatial Habitat Shifts of Oceanic Cephalopod (Ommastrephes bartramii) in Oscillating Climate

et al. 2020

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Short- and long-term climate oscillations impact seascapes, and hence, marine ecosystem structure and dynamics. Here, we explored the spatio-temporal patterns of potential squid habitat in the western and central North Pacific across inter-decadal climate transitions, coincident with periods of persistent warming and cooling. Potential habitat distributions of Ommastrephes bartramii were derived from the outputs of multi-ensemble species distribution models, developed using the most influential environmental factors to squid distribution and occurrence data. Our analyses captured the underlying temporal trends in potential squid habitat in response to environmental changes transpiring at each climatic transition, regulated by phase shifts in Pacific decadal oscillation (PDO) from 1999–2013. The spatial differences in environmental conditions were apparent across transitions and presumably modulate the local changes in suitable squid habitat over time. Specifically, during a cold to warm PDO shift, decreases in the summer potential habitat (mean rate ± standard deviation: −0.04 ± 0.02 habitat suitability index (HSI)/yr) were observed along the southern edge of the subarctic frontal zone (162°E–172°W). Coincidentally, this area also exhibits a warming trend (mean temporal trend: 0.06 ± 0.21 °C/yr), accompanied with the prevalence of cold-core mesoscale eddies, west of the dateline (mean temporal trend in sea surface height: −0.19 ± 1.05 cm/yr). These conditions potentially generate less favorable foraging habitat for squid. However, a warm-to-cold PDO transition underpins a northward shift of suitable habitat and an eastward shift of regions exhibiting the highest rate of potential squid habitat loss (170–160°W; mean temporal trend: −0.05 ± 0.03 HSI/yr). Nonetheless, the emergence of the areas with increasingly suitable habitat regardless of climate transitions suggests the ecological importance of these regions as potential squid habitat hotspots and climatic refugia.

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Marine top predators as climate and ecosystem sentinels

Cited by 227 publications

References 66 publications

Distribution of cetacean species at a large scale ‐ Connecting continents with the Macaronesian archipelagos in the eastern North Atlantic

Distribution of cetacean species at a large scale ‐ Connecting continents with the Macaronesian archipelagos in the eastern North Atlantic

Passive Acoustic Monitoring Reveals Spatio-Temporal Distributions of Antarctic and Pygmy Blue Whales Around Central New Zealand

Spatial Habitat Shifts of Oceanic Cephalopod (Ommastrephes bartramii) in Oscillating Climate

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