Bird and Mammal at-sea Distribution Along the North-East Passage off Siberia

Abstract

Quantitative seabird and marine mammal at-sea distribution was determined along the North-East Passage, off Siberia, in August 2017. A total of 18,400 seabirds were tallied during 340 transect counts, belonging to 31 species. Some bird species were numerically dominant: fulmar Fulmarus glacialis, Brünnich’s guillemot Uria lomvia, shorttailed shearwater Puffinus tenuirostris and crested auklet Aethia cristatellea representing more than 90 % of the total. Humpback Megaptera novaeangliae and bowhead whales Balaena mysticetus formed the bulk of the 100 large whales, as well as 40 white-beaked dolphins Lagenorhynchus albirostris, concentrated in a major hotspot. Two species represented 97 % of the 910 identified pinnipeds: harp seal Phoca goenlandica and walrus Odobenus rosmarus. Polar bear Ursus maritimus was detected as 75 individuals, while more than 3,500 were noted on Wrangel Island, out of effort. The major factors affecting top predators’ quantitative distribution were the geographic differences between seas, and the importance of a major hotspot for humpback whales and harp seals.