Whaling Grounds Research Articles

First insights on spatial and temporal distribution patterns of humpback whales in the breeding ground at Sainte Marie Channel, Madagascar

The Sainte Marie Channel on the northeast coast of Madagascar is an important breeding ground for humpback whales; the first observation of birth was documented there, yet it has never been investigated for phenology and habitat use of humpback whales. The present study was aimed at examining temporal and spatial distribution patterns and the encounter rate of different social groups of humpback whales during the breeding season. We used a large set of opportunistic sightings data collected from whale-watching boats. A total of 3 247 sightings were collected during 897 whale-watching trips conducted between June and September from 2009 to 2013. Our study complements previous information on the seasonal presence of humpback whale social groups by demonstrating a persistent and well-structured temporal pattern in the succession of the different groups. Over the different years of the study period, groups without calves consistently dominated the first 30 days of the breeding season, followed by an increase in groups with calves. Interannual differences were observed in the encounter rates, with significantly higher global encounter rates in 2009, 2011 and 2013 (2.2, 2.3 and 2.3 sightings h–1, respectively), and likewise for the mean encounter rates for groups with calves. In contrast, the encounter rate of groups without calves was similar over the study period. Although our study area exhibits a narrow configuration and poorly contrasting physiographic features due to its restricted spatial extent, we report a spatially segregated pattern of humpback whale social groups in the Sainte Marie Channel. A general linear model showed that groups with calves were influenced by water depth and distance from shore, being observed mostly in shallow waters (to 20 m depth) and close to the coastline (6 km). Our findings will be useful for the development of strategic sustained management plans by providing baseline information on humpback whale distribution at an important but poorly documented breeding site.

Crowdsourcing Modern and Historical Data Identifies Sperm Whale (Physeter macrocephalus) Habitat Offshore of South-Western Australia

The distribution and use of pelagic habitat by sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) is poorly understood in the south-eastern Indian Ocean off Western Australia. However, a variety of data are available via online portals where records of historical expeditions, commercial whaling operations, and modern scientific research voyages can now be accessed. Crowdsourcing these online data allows collation of presence-only information of animals and provides a valuable tool to help augment areas of low research effort. Four data sources were examined, the primary one being the Voyage of the Odyssey expedition, a five-year global study of sperm whales and ocean pollution. From December 2001-May 2002, acoustic surveys were conducted along 5,200 nautical miles of transects off Western Australia including the Perth Canyon and historical whaling grounds off Albany; 60 tissue biopsy samples were also collected. To augment areas not surveyed by the RV Odyssey, historical Yankee whaling data (1712-1920), commercial whaling data (1904-1999), and citizen science reports of sperm whale sightings (1990-2003) were used. Using Maxent, a species distribution modeling tool, we found that the submarine canyons off Albany and Perth provide important habitat for sperm whales. Current technology, along with current understanding of sperm whale bioacoustics and habitat preferences, provides strong motivation for undertaking long-term passive acoustic studies that can monitor the sperm whale population within Australia’s EEZ waters (Perth and Albany canyons) as a way of informing future marine management and policy decisions.

The marine soundscape of the Perth Canyon

The Perth Canyon is a submarine canyon off Rottnest Island in Western Australia. It is rich in biodiversity in general, and important as a feeding and resting ground for great whales on migration. Australia’s Integrated Marine Observing System (IMOS) has moorings in the Perth Canyon monitoring its acoustical, physical and biological oceanography. Data from these moorings, as well as weather data from a near-by Bureau of Meteorology weather station on Rottnest Island and ship traffic data from the Australian Maritime Safety Authority were correlated to characterise and quantify the marine soundscape between 5 and 3000Hz, consisting of its geophony, biophony and anthrophony. Overall, biological sources are a strong contributor to the soundscape at the IMOS site, with whales dominating seasonally at low (15–100Hz) and mid frequencies (200–400Hz), and fish or invertebrate choruses dominating at high frequencies (1800–2500Hz) at night time throughout the year. Ships contribute significantly to the 8–100Hz band at all times of the day, all year round, albeit for a few hours at a time only. Wind-dependent noise is significant at 200–3000Hz; winter rains are audible underwater at 2000–3000Hz. We discuss how passive acoustic data can be used as a proxy for ocean weather. Passive acoustics is an efficient way of monitoring animal visitation times and relative densities, and potential anthropogenic influences.

Historical summer distribution of the endangered North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis): a hypothesis based on environmental preferences of a congeneric species

AbstractAimTo obtain a plausible hypothesis for the historical distribution of North Atlantic right whales (NARWs) (Eubalaena glacialis) in their summer feeding grounds. Previously widespread in the North Atlantic, after centuries of hunting, these whales survive as a small population off eastern North America. Because their exploitation began before formal records started, information about their historical distribution is fragmentary.LocationNorth Atlantic and North Pacific oceans.MethodsWe linked historical records of North Pacific right whales (E. japonica; from 19th‐century American whaling logbooks) with oceanographic data to generate a species distribution model. Assuming that the two species have similar environmental preferences, the model was projected into the North Atlantic to predict environmental suitability for NARWs. The reliability of these predictions was assessed by comparing the model results with historical and recent records in the North Atlantic.ResultsThe model predicts suitable environmental conditions over a wide, mostly offshore band across the North Atlantic. Predictions are well supported by historical and recent records, but discrepancies in some areas indicate lower discriminative ability in coastal, shallow‐depth areas, suggesting that this model mainly describes the summer offshore distribution of right whales.Main conclusionsOur results suggest that the summer range of the NARW consisted of a relatively narrow band (width c. 10° in latitude), extending from the eastern coast of North America to northern Norway, over the Grand Banks of Newfoundland, south of Greenland and Iceland, north of the British Isles and in the Norwegian Sea. These results highlight possibilities for additional research both on the history of exploitation and on the current summer distribution of this species. In particular, better survey coverage of historical whaling grounds could help inform conservation efforts for this endangered species. More generally, this study illustrates the challenges and opportunities in using historical data to understand the original distribution of highly depleted species.

Remote Antarctic feeding ground important for east Australian humpback whales

Understanding the dynamics of population recovery is particularly complex when an organism has multiple, remote breeding and feeding grounds separated by one of the longest known migration routes. This study reports on the most comprehensive assessment of humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) movements between remote Antarctic waters south of New Zealand and east Australia (EA), and the migratory corridors and breeding grounds of Australia and Oceania. A total of 112 individual whales were identified; 57 from microsatellites and 61 by fluke with 23 % (n = 26) matched to sites outside Antarctica. Despite large datasets from other southern regions being included in the comparison, the whales were predominantly linked to EA (n = 24). Only two matches to the Oceania catalogues directly north was surprising; therefore the primary feeding grounds of these endangered whales still remain unknown. The confirmation of the Balleny Islands as an important feeding ground for EA whales could provide an insight into reasons behind the rapid recovery of this population. Determining the feeding grounds of Oceania’s whales may explain whether prey energetics or migration length are limiting factors to their recovery and will allow an understanding of future ecosystem changes in these whales.

Ecological aspects of fin whale and humpback whale distribution during summer in the Norwegian Sea

The Norwegian Sea is a migration and feeding ground for fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus) and humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) in summer. During the last decade, significant structural changes in the prey community, including northerly expansion and movement in the distribution of pelagic fish species, have been reported from this ecosystem. However, little information on whale feeding ecology exists in the Norwegian Sea and surrounding waters. A total of 59 fin whales and 48 humpback whales were sighted during 864 h of observation over an observation distance of about 8200 nmi (15,200 km) in the Norwegian Sea from 15 July to 6 August 2006 and 2007. The fin whale group size, as mean (±SD), varied between one and five individuals (2.1 ± 1.2 ind.) and humpback whale group size varied between one and six individuals (2.5 ± 1.7 ind.). Fin- and humpback whales were observed mainly in the northern part of the study area, and were only found correlated with the presence of macro-zooplankton in cold Arctic water. Humpback whales were not correlated with the occurrence of adult Norwegian spring-spawning herring (Clupea harengus) except for the northernmost areas. Despite changes in the whale prey communities in the Norwegian Sea, no apparent changes in fin- or humpback whale distribution pattern could be found in our study compared to their observed summer distribution 10–15 years ago.

A major autumn feeding ground for fin whales, southern fulmars and grey-headed albatrosses around the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica

The main aim of our long-term study on the at-sea distribution of the upper trophic levels in polar marine ecosystems is to deepen the understanding of the basic mechanisms affecting their distribution, i.e. hydrological factors such as water masses and fronts, pack ice and ice edge, eddies. A second goal consists in detecting spatial and temporal changes, with special attention to global climate changes, as well as possible consequences of (krill) fisheries. Seabirds and marine mammals were recorded during an autumn expedition of icebreaking RV Polarstern between Punta Arenas and the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica in March/ April 2012. During a total of 333 half-an-hour transect counts without width limitation, 113,500 seabirds were encountered, belonging to 40 species. The vast majority were southern fulmars and grey-headed albatross around the South Shetland Islands, with 76,800 and 7,000 individuals, respectively. Fin whale was by far the most abundant cetacean with 300 identified individuals in the same area, of which 100 in one count. These exceptional concentrations of fin whale seem to reflect an autumn pre-migration feeding aggregation. For most species, the majority was concentrated in very few counts, reflecting a very high patchiness and, as upper trophic levels, an important prey availability—mainly krill, nekton and small fish. Low biodiversity was reflected by both the low number of species and the fact that a few species represent the vast majority in numbers. It is suggested that the area deserves future biological studies, especially in autumn, and a special protection management.

A historical feeding ground for humpback whales in the eastern South Pacific revisited: the case of northern Patagonia, Chile

ABSTRACT Since 2000, an increasing number of humpback whale sightings have been recorded in northern Chilean Patagonia (mostly between 41.5°S and 44°S) from dedicated aerial and marine surveys and also opportunistic and land‐based platforms during austral summer and autumn months. Based on local knowledge from the early years of coastal whaling suggesting the historic presence of humpback whales in the area, and more recent observations confirming feeding groups, mother–calf pairs, and philopatry, it is proposed that a proportion of the eastern South Pacific humpback whales consistently use the Chiloe‐Corcovado region to feed and nurse their young. This mid‐latitude area could be regarded as the northernmost feeding ground for humpback whales in South America, extending the previous known range some 1300 km north. These findings provide further evidence for alternative life‐strategies other than traditional migration and highlight the importance of northern Patagonian fjords to resolve questions that are central for large baleen whale conservation and management such as the extent and characteristics of spatio‐temporal habitat use and overlap with human activities. The need for future research on the migratory movements and population structure of this poorly understood population of humpback whales is emphasized, while an account is given of the threats they currently face. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Uncertain status of the northern bottlenose whale Hyperoodon ampullatus: population fragmentation, legacy of whaling and current threats

The northern bottlenose whale Hyperoodon ampullatus is the best-known beaked whale species, but its conservation status remains very uncertain. A medium-sized cetacean that lives in the deeper waters of the northern North Atlantic, it is remarkable for its deep dives and inquisitiveness towards ships. There seem to have been of the order of 100 000 whales prior to 40 yr of intense whaling beginning in the 1880s, and this population was undoubtedly heavily reduced by 1920. The effects of a second phase of whaling between 1937 and 1973 are con- tentious, and current abundance estimates are patchy. There are suggestions of metapopulation structure (even at the scale of 50 km) in the western Atlantic among populations that do not appear to migrate. In the eastern Atlantic, data on population structure and migrations are few and confusing. Whales are incidentally caught in fishing gear and interact with fisheries off Labrador, Canada. They may also be affected by underwater noise. However, the population con- sequences of these and other anthropogenic stressors, particularly within this unknown metapop- ulation structure, are very uncertain. In some respects, such as the paucity of sightings on major whaling grounds off mainland Norway and Labrador, the picture that we have is disturbing. Analyses of genes, contaminants and vocalizations, as well as photoidentification and satellite tag data, can inform about population structure, migrations, life history parameters, current popula- tion sizes, and threats.

Distribution of southern right whales on the Auckland Islands calving grounds

Southern right whales (Eubalaena australis) were virtually extirpated from New Zealand by commercial whaling, but are now recovering. Previous research at the Auckland Islands has suggested that Port Ross, a sheltered embayment at the northern end of the islands, is the primary calving ground for right whales in New Zealand. However, an abundance of potentially suitable calving areas exist outside Port Ross, raising the question of whether the growing population might be expanding its distribution to occupy new or former habitats. To address this we conducted the first systematic line-transect survey of potential right whale calving habitat at the Auckland Islands in winter 2011. High densities of southern right whales were sighted inside Port Ross, including all but one of the 21 mother-calf pairs recorded. The survey confirmed that Port Ross is the principal calving area for southern right whales in the Auckland Islands. This conclusion has implications for the estimation of demographic parameters of right whales in New Zealand, which have thus far relied on data gathered largely in Port Ross, and highlights the importance of protecting this habitat.

The waters of São Tomé: a calving ground for West African humpback whales?

In the Southern Hemisphere, humpback whales Megaptera novaeangliae feed in Antarctic waters during the austral summer and migrate to their breeding grounds in subtropical and tropical waters during the winter. Historical whaling records suggest that the Archipelago of São Tomé and Príncipe, located in the Gulf of Guinea, serves as a possible breeding ground. In order to investigate the temporal occurrence and group composition of humpback whales around São Tomé Island, annual surveys were conducted during the breeding season between 2002 and 2006. A total of 186 boat-based surveys took place during this period. Data collected during each sighting included geographical positions, group size, group composition and behavioural classifications. Of the 66 groups encountered, mother/ calf pairs made up a large proportion (65.15%), followed by solitary individuals (15.15%). Mother/calf pairs were seen in the region into November and resightings of identified animals indicate periods of occupancy that extended over three weeks. Few behaviours typically associated with mating activity were observed. Given the high percentage of mother/calf pairs, sometimes with very young calves, and the low frequency of mating activity, the waters of São Tomé may primarily serve as a calving and nursing or resting area for humpback whales.

Humpback whale Megaptera novaeangliae song reveals wintering activity in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands

The main Hawaiian Islands (MHI) are the principal breeding ground for humpback whales in the North Pacific. Over the past 3 decades, population recovery from whaling-era losses has resulted in a steady increase in the number of whales wintering in Hawaiian waters and a geo- graphic expansion of their distribution in the MHI. Until recently, no existing evidence showed that this expansion included the islands, atolls, and banks of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI). To better understand the occurrence of humpback whales in the NWHI, 9 ecological acoustic recorders (EARs) were deployed at sites throughout the archipelago to record the occurrence of humpback whale song, an indicator of winter breeding activity. Song was found to be prevalent at Maro Reef, Lisianski Island, and French Frigate Shoals but was also recorded at Kure Atoll, Midway Atoll, and Pearl and Hermes Atoll. Both the timing and abundance of song at several locations closely followed trends observed on Oahu, which is one of the MHI, strongly suggesting that humpback whales use the NWHI as a wintering area. This finding is of particular relevance in light of recent suggestions that, based on photo-identification data, a yet undocumented wintering area exists somewhere in the central North Pacific. We propose that the NWHI could be that area.

Isotopic and genetic evidence for culturally inherited site fidelity to feeding grounds in southern right whales (Eubalaena australis)

Ocean warming will undoubtedly affect the migratory patterns of many marine species, but specific changes can be predicted only where behavioural mechanisms guiding migration are understood. Southern right whales show maternally inherited site fidelity to near-shore winter nursery grounds, but exactly where they feed in summer (collectively and individually) remains mysterious. They consume huge quantities of copepods and krill, and their reproductive rates respond to fluctuations in krill abundance linked to El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO). Here we show that genetic and isotopic signatures, analysed together, indicate maternally directed site fidelity to diverse summer feeding grounds for female right whales calving at Península Valdés, Argentina. Isotopic values from 131 skin samples span a broad range (-23.1 to -17.2‰ δ¹³C, 6.0 to 13.8‰ δ¹⁵N) and are more similar than expected among individuals sharing the same mitochondrial haplotype. This pattern indicates that calves learn summer feeding locations from their mothers, and that the timescale of culturally inherited site fidelity to feeding grounds is at least several generations. Such conservatism would be expected to limit the exploration of new feeding opportunities, and may explain why this population shows increased rates of reproductive failure in years following elevated sea-surface temperature anomalies off South Georgia, the richest known feeding ground for baleen whales in the South Atlantic.

Whaling: Will the Phoenix rise again?

It is argued that Japan’s authorities and entrepreneurs involved in whaling and the whale-meat trade have a long-term goal of rebuilding a large and profitable industry of pelagic whaling, particularly in the Southern Hemisphere, in the next 20 years or so. They have made large investments in this enterprise since the so-called moratorium on commercial whaling was adopted by the International Whaling Commission in 1982. These include, but are not confined to, state subsidizing of an expanding and diversifying 20-year programme of commercial whaling under provisions in all relevant international agreements since 1937 that permit unlimited and unilaterally decreed whaling, supposedly for scientific purposes, provided that the commodities from the whales killed are fully utilized. The context of this is the monopoly of technical knowledge, special skills and the market for valuable whale-meat that Japanese enterprises acquired in the post-world war II period, having broken – in 1937 – the strongly defended de facto Anglo-Norwegian monopoly of technology, skills, access to Antarctic whaling grounds and the market for whale-oil that had existed until then. The attraction of ‘scientific whaling’ is not only that it by-passes any internationally agreed catch-limits but that it also circumvents all other rules – many dating fr/om the League of Nations whaling convention of 1931 – regarding protected species, closed areas, killing of juveniles, less inhumane killing methods, etc. The groundwork is being laid to justify that resumed whaling on partially recovered whale stocks will be at the unsustainable levels that will be profitable again. This justification is based on spurious assertions that numerous and hungry whales threaten the world’s fisheries, and that the abundance and possible increase in some whale species is impeding the recovery of other, severely depleted, and potentially more valuable species such as the blue whale. If the scenario presented here is correct it has important implications for attempts by the international community either to bring a negotiated end to commercial whaling or to bring all whaling back under international control, as the international law of the sea requires, and to ensure that any permitted exploitation of recovered whale populations will be sustainable, under a precautionary regime.

Abundance, trends and distribution of baleen whales off Western Alaska and the central Aleutian Islands

Large whales were extensively hunted in coastal waters off Alaska, but current distribution, population sizes and trends are poorly known. Line transect surveys were conducted in coastal waters of the Aleutian Islands and the Alaska Peninsula in the summer of 2001–2003. Abundances of three species were estimated by conventional and multiple covariate distance sampling (MCDS) methods. Time series of abundance estimates were used to derive rates of increase for fin whales ( Balaenoptera physalus) and humpback whales ( Megaptera novaeangliae). Fin whales occurred primarily from the Kenai Peninsula to the Shumagin Islands, but were abundant only near the Semidi Islands and Kodiak. Humpback whales were found from the Kenai Peninsula to Umnak Island and were more abundant near Kodiak, the Shumagin Islands and north of Unimak Pass. Minke whales ( B. acutorostrata) occurred primarily in the Aleutian Islands, with a few sightings south of the Alaska Peninsula and near Kodiak Island. Humpback whales were observed in large numbers in their former whaling grounds. In contrast, high densities of fin whales were not observed around the eastern Aleutian Islands, where whaling occurred. Average abundance estimates (95% CI) for fin, humpback and minke whales were 1652 (1142–2389), 2644 (1899–3680), and 1233 (656–2315), respectively. Annual rates of increase were estimated at 4.8% (95% CI=4.1–5.4%) for fin and 6.6% (5.2–8.6%) for humpback whales. This study provides the first estimate of the rate of increase of fin whales in the North Pacific Ocean. The estimated trends are consistent with those of other recovering baleen whales. There were no sightings of blue or North Pacific right whales, indicating the continued depleted status of these species.

The first identified winter feeding ground of fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus) in the Mediterranean Sea

The presence of fin whales in the Mediterranean Sea has been documented since ancient times. In spite of this, reliable information on their ecology and distribution is limited to the north-western part of the basin. Recent genetic studies have demonstrated that Mediterranean fin whales comprise a separate population with very limited gene flow with their North Atlantic co-specifics. Although both published and anecdotal information reports their presence in the south central Mediterranean during winter, there is no information on habitat use. In February 2004, a 14-day boat survey was carried out in the waters surrounding the island of Lampedusa, where fin whales occur at this time of the year. A total of 20 fin whale groups (average group size two animals) were encountered. In each encounter the animals were engaged in surface feeding activity. From plankton samples and underwater video, the prey species was identified as the Euphausiid, Nyctiphanes couchi. The information obtained suggests that this area may be an important winter feeding ground for fin whales. The results represent significant new information on fin whale ecology in the Mediterranean, with associated conservation and management implications.

Chukchi Sea, Southern Ocean, Kara Sea: the polar voyages of Captain Eduard Dallmann, whaler, trader, explorer 1830–96

Eduard Dallmann, of Blumenthal on the lower Weser, went to sea at the age of 15 in 1845. He took command of his first ship, the whaling vessel Planet, in 1859 on a whaling voyage to the sperm whaling grounds in the Pacific and to the Sea of Okhotsk. Over the period 1864–66 he commanded the Hawaiian vessel W.C. Talbot on trading voyages to the Alaskan and Chukotka shores of the Bering and Chukchi seas. On 17 August 1866 he sighted and landed on Ostrov Vrangelya (Wrangel Island), a year prior to its sighting by Thomas Long, credited by many with the first sighting. For the following three years he commanded the whaling ship Count Bismarck on a whaling cruise to the tropics, the Sea of Okhotsk, and the Bering and Chukchi seas. In 1873–74 he made the first Antarctic whaling voyage aboard Groenland, and discovered and charted the west coasts of Anvers, Brabant, and Liège islands, as well as many smaller islands and straits including Bismarck Strait. He spent the 1875 whaling season as expert consultant, still aboard Groenland, on the Davis Strait and Baffin Bay whaling grounds. Then, to complete his career in polar waters, from 1877 to 1883 he made annual attempts to haul freight to the mouth of the Yenisey River, to be exchanged for grain cargoes brought down that river by barge. Of the seven attempts, only four were successful, the rest being foiled by ice conditions in the Kara Sea, and on the basis of this record, Baron von Knoop, the Russian entrepreneur who was financing the operation, decided to cut his losses. This ended Dallmann's career in polar waters.

A note on recent sightings of southern right whales (Eubalaena australis) along the east coast of Madagascar

Southern right whales (Eubalaena australis) are distributed throughout the Southern Hemisphere, where they seasonally migrate betweenhigh latitude feeding grounds and low latitude breeding grounds. While there are detailed records of historical and recent whaling off thesouthern, southwestern and southeastern African coasts, historical catches in Madagascar’s waters are poorly documented. There have alsobeen no recent, documented sightings of southern right whales off the east coast of Madagascar. Here we report two sightings, one of asingle individual in Antongil Bay in northeastern Madagascar and the other of a mother and calf pair near Fort Dauphin on the southeasterncoast. DNA obtained from a biopsy sample of the single animal showed it was a male possessing one of the common South Atlantic rightwhale mitochondrial haplotypes. The available DNA data provide limited suggestive evidence that the individuals documented offMadagascar represent long-distance migrants from the well-documented South African population. However, the possibility that thesesouthern right whales are members of a small or remnant population from the historical whaling grounds of Delagoa Bay, Sofala Bay orthe Crozet Island feeding grounds cannot be excluded. Regardless of population assignment for these individuals, it appears that somesouthern right whales may be using different parts of Madagascar’s east coast during the wintering season

Humpback whales in the Southern Cook Islands, South Pacific

The presence of humpback whales in the Southern Cook Islands (South Pacific) was investigated during a three-week exploratory survey conducted at Palmerston Atoll in September and October of 1998 and during a three-month survey conducted at Rarotonga, Aitutaki and Palmerston Atoll from July to October in 1999. During a total of 48 survey days in both years and all areas, 50 sightings of 83 humpback whales were made. All classes except mother/calf/escort trios were observed, including singers, mothers and calves, and one competitive group. To date, 31 humpbacks have been individually identified from natural markings, 29 sloughed skin samples were collected for genetic analysis and 15.6 hours of song recordings were made. Reports of whales in other areas of the Cook Islands were also noted, and included records of mother/calf pairs. The Cook Islands region appears to represent a breeding ground for humpback whales, presumably from the little-studied Area VI population. The relationship of humpbacks in this region to those in adjacent tropical areas remains largely unknown, although recent matches between the Cook Islands and both Tonga and French Polynesia indicate some movement through Oceania.

Using Geographic Information Systems to Predict North Atlantic Right Whale (Eubalaena glacialis) Habitat

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are an innovative and powerful tool to define relationships between species and habitat in large marine ecosystems. The objectives of this study were: 1) to gather bathymetry, SST(sea-surface temperature), and right whale (Eubalaena glacialis) sightings data and convert them to GIS coverages, and 2) to create a GIS based logistic regression model to predict North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis) distribution as a function of SST and bathymetry. Part of the Scotian Shelf, 45°00'N to 42°00'N latitude and 66°00'W to 61°00'W longitude, was used as a study area to develop the model. The validity of the model was tested in a separate area with known right whale distribution, and the results showed that the model predicted sightings where right whales had been observed. Observations had shown that during their seasonal migration, a portion of the population does not appear in the known summering grounds in the Gulf of Maine, Bay of Fundy, and on the Scotian Shelf. New genetic evidence suggested an additional summering ground. Using the model, predictions for the North Atlantic showed possible summering grounds in areas which were historical whaling grounds. The results from the model can be incorporated into the Recovery Plan for this species. GIS offers an inexpensive method to examine marine mammals in relation to environmental and oceanographic features which affect their life histories.