Effects of fine-scale oceanographic features on the distribution and movements of harbour porpoises Phocoena phocoena in the Bay of Fundy

Abstract

MEPS Marine Ecology Progress Series Contact the journal Facebook Twitter RSS Mailing List Subscribe to our mailing list via Mailchimp HomeLatest VolumeAbout the JournalEditorsTheme Sections MEPS 295:279-293 (2005) - doi:10.3354/meps295279 Effects of fine-scale oceanographic features on the distribution and movements of harbour porpoises Phocoena phocoena in the Bay of Fundy D. W. Johnston1,2,3,*, A. J. Westgate1,4, A. J. Read1 1Nicholas School of the Environment and Earth Sciences, Duke University Marine Laboratory, 135 Duke Marine Lab Road, Beaufort, North Carolina 28516, USA2Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, 7700 Sandholdt Road, Moss Landing, California 95039-9644, USA3Present address: National Marine Fisheries Service, Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, 2570 Dole Street, Honolulu, Hawaii 96822, USA4Present address: University of North Carolina Wilmington, 601 South College Road, Wilmington, North Carolina 28403, USA *Email: dave.johnston@noaa.gov ABSTRACT: We describe an integrative approach to studying the fine-scale distribution of harbour porpoises Phocoena phocoena in the Bay of Fundy, using satellite telemetry, line transect surveys and remote sensing techniques. Analysis of satellite telemetry data from 6 porpoises (5 male, 1 female) revealed that over the course of a month individuals ranged across large areas (7738 to 11289 km2) but concentrated their movements in small focal regions (August mean = 294 km2, September mean = 252 km2), often proximate to islands, headlands, or restricted channels. Line transect surveys (n = 25 flood tide, n = 20 ebb tide) in the focal region of 2 tagged animals revealed that relative porpoise density (animals km–2) was significantly greater during flood (9.59) than ebb tide phases (1.79). Hydro-acoustic prey surveys revealed aggregations of prey along localized fronts in this region. Remote sensing images indicated the presence of an island wake in the focal region during flood tides, providing an ecological context for our observations of high densities of porpoises. Remote sensing revealed the existence of a headland wake in the focal region of another porpoise near Campobello Island. These results support the hypothesis that regions of enhanced relative vorticity, like island and headland wakes, aggregate prey and represent important foraging habitat for harbour porpoises in the Bay of Fundy. KEY WORDS: Harbour porpoise · Foraging · Fine-scale oceanography · Island wake · Satellite telemetry · Line transects · Remote sensing Full text in pdf format PreviousNextExport citation RSS - Facebook - Tweet - linkedIn Cited by Published in MEPS Vol. 295. Online publication date: June 23, 2005 Print ISSN: 0171-8630; Online ISSN: 1616-1599 Copyright © 2005 Inter-Research.