Whale Migration Research Articles

High suckling rates and acoustic crypsis of humpback whale neonates maximise potential for mother–calf energy transfer

Summary The migration of humpback whales to and from their breeding grounds results in a short, critical time period during which neonatal calves must acquire sufficient energy via suckling from their fasting mothers to survive the long return journey. Understanding neonate suckling behaviour is critical for understanding the energetics and evolution of humpback whale migratory behaviour and for informing conservation efforts, but despite its importance, very little is known about the details, rate and behavioural context of this critical energy transfer. To address this pertinent data gap on calf suckling behaviour, we deployed multi‐sensor Dtags on eight humpback whale calves and two mothers allowing us to analyse detailed suckling and acoustic behaviour for a total of 68·8 h. Suckling dives were performed 20·7 ± 7% of the total tagging time with the mothers either resting at the surface or at depth with the calves hanging motionless with roll and pitch angles close to zero. Vocalisations between mother and calf, which included very weak tonal and grunting sounds, were produced more frequently during active dives than suckling dives, suggesting that mechanical stimuli rather than acoustic cues are used to initiate nursing. Use of mechanical cues for initiating suckling and low level vocalisations with an active space of <100 m indicate a strong selection pressure for acoustic crypsis. Such inconspicuous behaviour likely reduces the risk of exposure to eavesdropping predators and male humpback whale escorts that may disrupt the high proportion of time spent nursing and resting, and hence ultimately compromise calf fitness. The small active space of the weak calls between mother and calf is very sensitive to increases in ambient noise from human encroachment thereby increasing the risk of mother–calf separation. A lay summary is available for this article.

Contemporary migration of fin whales through the Strait of Gibraltar

Contemporary migration of fin whales through the Strait of Gibraltar

Decadal shifts in autumn migration timing by Pacific Arctic beluga whales are related to delayed annual sea ice formation.

Migrations are often influenced by seasonal environmental gradients that are increasingly being altered by climate change. The consequences of rapid changes in Arctic sea ice have the potential to affect migrations of a number of marine species whose timing is temporally matched to seasonal sea ice cover. This topic has not been investigated for Pacific Arctic beluga whales (Delphinapterus leucas) that follow matrilineally maintained autumn migrations in the waters around Alaska and Russia. For the sympatric Eastern Chukchi Sea ('Chukchi') and Eastern Beaufort Sea ('Beaufort') beluga populations, we examined changes in autumn migration timing as related to delayed regional sea ice freeze-up since the 1990s, using two independent data sources (satellite telemetry data and passive acoustics) for both populations. We compared dates of migration between 'early' (1993-2002) and 'late' (2004-2012) tagging periods. During the late tagging period, Chukchi belugas had significantly delayed migrations (by 2 to >4weeks, depending on location) from the Beaufort and Chukchi seas. Spatial analyses also revealed that departure from Beaufort Sea foraging regions by Chukchi whales was postponed in the late period. Chukchi beluga autumn migration timing occurred significantly later as regional sea ice freeze-up timing became later in the Beaufort, Chukchi, and Bering seas. In contrast, Beaufort belugas did not shift migration timing between periods, nor was migration timing related to freeze-up timing, other than for southward migration at the Bering Strait. Passive acoustic data from 2008 to 2014 provided independent and supplementary support for delayed migration from the Beaufort Sea (4dayyr-1 ) by Chukchi belugas. Here, we report the first phenological study examining beluga whale migrations within the context of their rapidly transforming Pacific Arctic ecosystem, suggesting flexible responses that may enable their persistence yetalso complicate predictions of how belugas may fare in the future.

Winter distribution and migrations of beluga whales (Delphinapterus leucas) in the White Sea based on satellite tracking data

Based on satellite tracking of eight beluga whale males in the White Sea, their habitats in the autumn, winter, and spring periods have been identified. A correlation between the distribution of beluga whales, ice dynamics, and migration of Atlantic salmon has been revealed. It has been found than beluga whale males do not leave the White Sea during the entire ice period. The results obtained confirm the hypothesis that the White Sea population of beluga whales is isolated.

Seasonal and Diel Vocalization Patterns of Antarctic Blue Whale (Balaenoptera musculus intermedia) in the Southern Indian Ocean: A Multi-Year and Multi-Site Study.

Passive acoustic monitoring is an efficient way to provide insights on the ecology of large whales. This approach allows for long-term and species-specific monitoring over large areas. In this study, we examined six years (2010 to 2015) of continuous acoustic recordings at up to seven different locations in the Central and Southern Indian Basin to assess the peak periods of presence, seasonality and migration movements of Antarctic blue whales (Balaenoptera musculus intermedia). An automated method is used to detect the Antarctic blue whale stereotyped call, known as Z-call. Detection results are analyzed in terms of distribution, seasonal presence and diel pattern of emission at each site. Z-calls are detected year-round at each site, except for one located in the equatorial Indian Ocean, and display highly seasonal distribution. This seasonality is stable across years for every site, but varies between sites. Z-calls are mainly detected during autumn and spring at the subantarctic locations, suggesting that these sites are on the Antarctic blue whale migration routes, and mostly during winter at the subtropical sites. In addition to these seasonal trends, there is a significant diel pattern in Z-call emission, with more Z-calls in daytime than in nighttime. This diel pattern may be related to the blue whale feeding ecology.

Genetic profiling links changing sea-ice to shifting beluga whale migration patterns

There is increasing concern over how Arctic fauna will adapt to climate related changes in sea-ice. We used long-term sighting and genetic data on beluga whales (Delphinapterus leucas) in conjunction with multi-decadal patterns of sea-ice in the Pacific Arctic to investigate the influence of sea-ice on spring migration and summer residency patterns. Substantial variations in sea-ice conditions were detected across seasons, years and sub-regions, revealing ice–ocean dynamics more complex than Arctic-wide trends suggest. This variation contrasted with a highly consistent pattern of migration and residency by several populations, indicating that belugas can accommodate widely varying sea-ice conditions to perpetuate philopatry to coastal migration destinations. However, a number of anomalous migration and residency events were detected and coincided with anomalous ice years, and in one case with an increase in killer whale (Orcinus orca) sightings and reported predation on beluga whales. The behavioural shifts were likely driven by changing sea-ice and associated changes in resource dispersion and predation risk. Continued reductions in sea-ice may result in increased predation at key aggregation areas and shifts in beluga whale behaviour with implications for population viability, ecosystem structure and the subsistence cultures that rely on them.

First records of Balaenoptera edeni (Cetartiodactyla: Balaenopteridae) in the coast of Oaxaca, Mexico

To date, few studies have focused on the Bryde’s whale, Balaenoptera edeni, one of the nine species comprising the family Balaenopteridae. This species can be distinguished from other rorquals by the presence of three parallel longitudinal ridges on top of the rostrum, whereas other rorquals possess only one. The potential distribution of this species in the Mexican Pacific is thought to extend south from 26° N, along the coast of Mexico from Baja California to the border with Guatemala. Our knowledge about this species in the Mexican South Pacific is limited, particularly off the coast of Oaxaca where no previous sightings have been reported. The sightings were recorded during oceanic trips to monitor humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) migrations off the central coast of Oaxaca, Mexico, between December 2011 and January 2012. The observation platforms were 6 m fiberglass boats with a 60 hp outboard engine. The geographical coordinates were registered with a handheld GPS; also recorded were sea surface temperature and the behavior of rorqual specimens. The initial species identification was based on the presence of three parallel longitudinal ridges on the head, and was subsequently corroborated by comparing the photographs and video taken during the sightings with field guides. Four separate rorqual sightings were documented between 1.3 and 7.1 km from the coast of Estacahuite, Zipolite, and Ventanilla, Oaxaca, Mexico. Two sightings involved groups with calves; during one sighting, three killer whales, Orcinus orca, were also observed, although neither predatory behavior nor other interaction occurred. The behaviors observed included breaches by calves, surface activity, and slow and erratic movements with sudden changes of direction in response to the presence of the research boat. During surface exhalations, one individual produced vocalizations that were audible at the surface. The presence of B. edeni off the central coast of Oaxaca, Mexico, may be associated with the oceanographic characteristics and high productivity of the Gulf of Tehuantepec. All behaviors observed during the sightings were typical of the species, including evasive maneuvers and sudden changes of direction with respect to the boat. The fortuitous recording of audible vocalizations clearly recognizable from the research boat during surface exhalations is remarkable. These sightings are the first reports of B. edeni for the state of Oaxaca and the Mexican South Pacific. Thus, there is a clear need to increase intensive, long-term monitoring efforts in order to better understand the ecological implications and other aspects related to the presence of the Bryde’s whale and other marine mammals in the region. Future research should focus on assessing the spatial and temporal occurrence of B. edeni in this region.

The whale barnacle Cryptolepas rhachianecti (Cirripedia: Coronulidae), a phoront of the grey whale Eschrichtius robustus (Cetacea: Eschrichtiidae), from a sandy beach in The Netherlands.

An isolated compartment of a whale barnacle is herein described from Recent beach deposits in Zoutelande (Walcheren, The Netherlands). This specimen is identified as belonging to the extant coronulid species Cryptolepas rhachianecti, currently known as an epizoic symbiont of the grey whale Eschrichtius robustus. This find represents the first occurrence of C. rhachianecti outside the North Pacific, and the first one as a (sub)fossil. In view of the fact that E. robustus, which is currently confined to the North Pacific, is known as a subfossil from the northeastern Atlantic between late Late Pleistocene (c. 45,000 years ago) and historical (c. 1700 AD) times, we propose a similar (late Quaternary) age for the isolated compartment. The find indicates that the extinct late Quaternary northeastern Atlantic population of E. robustus was infected by Cryptolepas rhachianecti. Our find is, therefore, compatible with the hypothesis of an ancient grey whale migration route running between the subtropical/temperate waters of the northeast Atlantic (or Mediterranean Basin), and the cold waters of the Baltic Sea (or southern Arctic Ocean), through the southern North Sea. Finally, we discuss the systematic placement of the fossil barnacle species Cryptolepas murata and propose the possibility of its removal from the genus Cryptolepas pending further investigations.

Distribution and seasonal abundance of large cetaceans in the Durban whaling grounds off KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, 1972–1975

Daily charts of the aerial search effort (432 206 nautical miles) of the Union Whaling Company and 1 099 sightings of 10 497 whales were available from 628 flights off Durban between 1972 and 1975. Densities of whales were analysed by month and water depth distribution over the four-year period. Low observed densities of blue Balaenoptera musculus, right Eubalaena australis, sei B. borealis and humpback Megaptera novaeangliae whales most likely resulted from earlier whaling pressure. Seasonality of blue, sei and humpback whales was bimodal, indicative of winter migrations to the north of the Durban whaling grounds, whereas the unimodal seasonality of fin whales B. physalus and minke whales B. bonaerensis or B. acutorostrata suggest the offshore region as the northern terminus of their migrations. Sperm whales Physeter macrocephalus migrate northwards offshore of the KwaZulu-Natal coast in autumn/early winter and southwards in late winter/spring, with larger males migrating later than the smaller males and females. Killer whale Orcinus orca presence was coincident with that of offshore minke whales and the southward migrations of other baleen whales, whereas densities of animals deemed as bottlenose whale Hyperoodon planifrons suggest strong early and late summer seasonal abundance in the offshore region. Such extensive surveys offshore of the KwaZulu-Natal coast are unlikely to be repeated; hence, data-extraction of whaling records provides a valuable source of seasonal and distributional information for marine management.

Mysticete migration revisited: are Mediterranean fin whales an anomaly?

Abstract The generally accepted model of Mysticete whale migration is that most individuals undertake seasonal migrations between high and low latitudes. Although numerous exceptions have been described in the literature, the traditional model remains unexamined. This paper represents the first ‘official’ challenge to the traditional model of Mysticete migration. We set out to review the current state of knowledge on the Mediterranean fin whale migratory pattern, and to examine whether the small, resident population in the Mediterranean is an anomaly within the framework of the traditional model of Mysticete migration. We investigated the prevalence of alternative migratory strategies among the Mysticete whales, reviewing the migratory habits of the Mediterranean fin whales and those of other fin whale and baleen whale populations. We reach three main conclusions. First, the seasonal behaviour of the resident Mediterranean fin whales is highly dynamic, and a decade of research has not clarified prevailing uncertainties regarding migration patterns. Second, migration strategies similar to those observed in the Mediterranean fin whales are commonly seen in other populations of baleen whales. Third, the traditional model of whale migration is too simplified to describe the repertoire of Mysticete migratory behaviours accurately. We argue that the paradigm of baleen whale migration warrants further scrutiny to account for more complex movement strategies. We suggest that Mysticete migration should be thought of as a continuum of different strategies that have evolved in the face of different selective pressures. Instead of representing an exception to the rule, the resident Mediterranean fin whales may in fact fall towards one end of a larger spectrum of migratory behaviours. A greater knowledge of ecological factors, reproductive patterns, and local adaptations will be needed to understand the evolutionary mechanisms behind the diversity of migratory habits.

A new whale barnacle from the early Pleistocene of Italy suggests an ancient right whale breeding ground in the Mediterranean

The fragmentary fossil history of whale barnacles (Cirripedia: Coronulidae) is mainly constituted by remains of Coronula spp. in Plio-Pleistocene deposits found along extant humpback whale migration routes, and especially in occurrence of breeding areas. Here we report the presence of a single compartment of Cetopirus along with remains of Coronula bifida in Lower Pleistocene open shelf deposits of Salento (South Italy). This is the first occurrence of the genus Cetopirus prior to the Late Glacial period (ca. 15–10ky before Present), and the specimen here studied is designated as the holotype of the new fossil species Cetopirus fragilis. Since Cetopirus is currently found exclusively inhabiting the skin of the right whales (Eubalaena spp.), the fossil material here studied suggests the persistence of Balaenidae in the Mediterranean Basin during the Early Pleistocene and supports the existence of a baleen whale migratory route active between the central Mediterranean and the North Atlantic during the Plio-Pleistocene.

The migration of fin whales into the southern Chukchi Sea as monitored with passive acoustics

AbstractFin whales (Balaenoptera physalus) undergo seasonal migration in the Arctic Sea. Because their migration and distribution is likely affected by changes in global climate, we aimed to examine the migration timing of fin whales, and the relationship with prey availability within the oceanographic environment of the Arctic Sea, using passive and active acoustic monitoring methods. Automatic Underwater Sound Monitoring Systems were deployed in the southern Chukchi Sea from July 2012 to 2014 to determine the acoustic presence of fin whales. Furthermore, water temperature and salinity were recorded by a fixed data logger. An Acoustic Zooplankton Fish Profiler was additionally deployed to estimate prey abundance through backscattering strength. Sea ice concentrations were obtained by remote sensing data. Fin whale calls were automatically detected using a custom-made software, and the per cent of half-hours containing calls were counted. Fin whale calls were detected from 4 August to 20 October 2012 (78 d) and 25 July to 1 November 2013 (100 d). The extended period of acoustic presence of fin whales during 2013 when compared with 2012 is likely related to a longer ice-free period during 2013. Furthermore, generalized linear model analyses showed that half-hour periods containing calls increased with a rise in water temperature and zooplankton abundance during the initial call presence period, while they decreased with a decrease in water temperature and salinity during the end of the call presence period. Our results suggest that the rise in water temperature and zooplankton abundance affect the timing of migration of fin whales in a way that is consistent with the expansion of their suitable habitats and the extension of their presence in the Arctic Sea.

Sunlight on the Sea of Cortez

Sunlight on the Sea of Cortez George Keithley (bio) Seeking Warm Water The annual migration of Pacific grey whales begins in the fall, when they leave their feeding-bed in the Bering Sea as the ice floes thicken. Navigating the strait between Siberia and Alaska in the cold blue furrows among the Aleutian islands, small groups of pregnant females lead the way—their progress toward warmer water for birthing is the most urgent. Each of these pilot groups is followed by a dozen males and females, feeding and courting, while their young trail behind them, straying but hurrying to keep up. Similar to the adults, the youngest whales descend to depths of one hundred to three hundred feet as they swim southward to the subtropical coast of Mexico. Many of the expectant mothers will deliver their calves in the warm lagoons on the western brim of Baja California. Birthing and breeding occur in these waters from late winter into the first weeks of spring. For several hundred thousand years Pacific grey whales have made this migration, navigating by the distinct shape and feel of the ocean floor beneath their route; by the arc of the sun; by the coastal currents that envelop them; and by rarely halting to feed but extracting plankton from tons of seawater as they move along. And each year they communicate this learning to their offspring. Jaws, Lungs, Heart The mature grey whale is forty to forty-five feet in length. It feeds on huge quantities of miniscule life-forms. Other than plankton, its diet is mainly krill, shrimp-like creatures that attach themselves to the ocean floor. A toothless bottom-feeder, the grey whale has a shovel-shaped [End Page 440] lower jaw with which it scoops its food from the seabed. Each whale takes in huge mouthfuls. Then, using its tongue, it pushes silty water out through more than one hundred thin plates of baleen—whalebone that hangs from its upper jaw to form a filtering grille, or sieve—trapping plankton or krill but expelling the rest. As the whale dives, its powerful lungs contract. And while it swims and feeds beneath the sea’s currents, the grey’s heart rate drops drastically; the grey then uses the oxygen stored in its muscles and blood to remain underwater. When, eventually, it surfaces the pent-up oxygen is thrust out of a pair of blowholes on the top of its head in a forceful exhalation—that bright pale spume that we see rising above the waves. After Long Courtship In January and February many grey whales breed or give birth in the lagoons or near the islands off the west coast of the Baja Peninsula—San Martin, San Benito, Cedros—or in pristine blue water in the San Ignacio Lagoon, a haven the size of San Francisco Bay. One such island, San Martin, is actually a cluster of volcanic rock covered with lichens. Guadalupe fur seals seek the sun on these rocks. Here the sea is always moving, erupting from blowholes, streaming through tunnels, flowing out of the mouths of caves. And everywhere it has deposited shells of tender or delicate colors and gracefully ribbed arcs. There are large abalone shells, California Venus, Western calico scallop, and cowry. In the protected water, after long deep-sea courtships the urgent mating of the whales is an energetic embrace, seeking and clasping. Their moment of climax occurs; their clutching is sustained. Then tension and stillness, and the pair slip apart. As the young develop, they begin to feed on small crabs gathered from the ocean floor or from the floor of the coastal lagoon—scooping, sifting, consuming, and spewing out, as they are taught. From this point on a few pregnant females—“maverick moms,” the locals in Cabo San Lucas call them—will continue southward beyond the tip of the peninsula. [End Page 441] Rounding Cabo and coming almost to a halt, they will give birth in sheltered waters warmed by abundant sunlight on the Sea of Cortez: a downpouring light that appears to rise from the clear water into the air. The Pacific grey whales are annual visitors, but huge humpback whales are native to...

The Behavioural Response of Humpback Whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) to a 20 Cubic Inch Air Gun

Seismic surveys are widely used for exploration for oil and gas deposits below the sea floor. Despite concern they may have an impact on whale behaviour, our knowledge of marine mammal responses is limited. In the first of a series of experiments (the last one involving a full seismic array), this study tested the response of migrating humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) groups to a 20 cubic inch air gun. Experiments were carried out during the southward migration of humpback whales along the east coast of Australia. Groups of whales were focally followed from land stations and/or small boats with observations before, during, and after exposure to a vessel towing the air gun. The source vessel moved either eastwards across the, migratory flow or northwards into the migratory flow In total, there were 18 control trials (where the source vessel ran the compressor and towed the air gun without it firing; n = 35 whale groups) and 16 active trials (where the air gun was firing every 11 s; a = 32 whale groups). The air gun source level was 199 dB re 1 mu Pa(2.)s (Sound Exposure Level [SEC]) at 1 m, and SELs received by the whales varied from 105 to 156 dB re 1 mu Pa(2.)s (modal value 128 dB re mu Pa(2.)s) for SELs at least 10 dB above the background noise (measured as dB re 1 mu Pa). Other baseline groups were focal followed when there was no source vessel in the area (n = 25). Results suggested that humpback whale, groups responded by decreasing both dive time and speed of southwards movement though the response magnitude was not found to be related to the proximity of the source vessel, the received level of the air gun, the tow path direction, or the exposure time, within the during phase. There was no evidence of orientation of the groups towards, or away from, the source vessel in the during phase. Interestingly, this behavioural response was found in the control trials as well as the active trials suggesting a response to the source vessel.

Inversion of normal mode functions and seabed properties using non-linear time sampling of low-frequency bowhead whale calls on a vertical array

Previous research has demonstrated that individual modal components of signals propagating in an acoustic waveguide can be isolated from a single hydrophone using non-linear time sampling (Bonnel et al., 2010) and that mode shape functions can be directly extracted from vertical array data in a laboratory setting (Bonnel et al., 2011). Here, we apply and extend the technique to experimental data collected in 2010 from a 15-element vertical array, covering only 63% of the 53 m water column off the continental slope of the Beaufort Sea, during the fall bowhead whale migration. We demonstrate how up to five distinct mode shapes can be extracted from frequency-modulated bowhead whale calls, along with the vertical array tilt and tilt direction, without resorting to assumptions about mode orthogonality across the array aperture. The extracted mode shapes can then be used to estimate whale call depth. Filtered modes (and mode cutoff information) can also be used to invert for whale call ranges and ocean bottom properties. [Work supported by the North Pacific Research Board and permitted by Shell Exploration and Production Company.]

A seven-year review of ambient acoustic environments in the Beaufort Sea

Over seven seasons (2007 to 2014) Greeneridge Sciences, Inc., deployed passive acoustic recorders (DASARs) between August and October at five sites in the Beaufort Sea off the Alaskan North Slope to collect acoustic data during the fall bowhead whale migration. Each site consisted of 7–11 DASARs, arranged in triangular grids with 7 km spacing between each unit. The shallowest DASAR unit in each set was deployed 15–33 km due north of the coast in 22–39 m of water. The acoustic environments between sites differ due to varying ocean depths and sound source contributions (whales, winds, and human activities). Here, we conduct a multi-year bulk analysis of the summer Beaufort Sea acoustic environment, comparing noise properties as a function of both distance offshore and longitude within a given year, and across sites across all eight seasons. Comparisons were conducted by investigating the percentile distributions of ambient noise intensity over several bandwidths that are representative of the different sound sources present in the Beaufort Sea. Results suggest that variations in the ambient noise field across sites and years create spatially heterogeneous acoustic environments that must be accounted for when addressing responses of bowhead whales to industrial noise.

Long-term measurements of the directionality and active intensity of the underwater noise field in the shallow Beaufort Sea

In each of the past seven years, at least 35 Directional Autonomous Seafloor Acoustic Recorders (DASARs) have been deployed over a 280 km swath of the Beaufort Sea continental shelf (20–55 m depth) during the open-water season to monitor the westward bowhead whale migration. DASARs have one omnidirectional pressure sensor and two orthogonal particle velocity sensors that permit measurements of the azimuths of both transient and continuous sounds, including diffuse ocean noise. Here, we map the azimuthal directionality of the Beaufort ambient noise field as a function of frequency and location across all seven seasons. Dominant directionalities exist in the diffuse ambient noise field, which change with frequency, time, and location. We examine how localized storms, heavy whale calling activity, seismic exploration, and other industrial activities influence the noise directionality. We also examine how both the active and reactive intensity of the noise evolves with frequency and time, by comparing the phase relationships between pressure and particle velocity. The directionality and active intensity help identify source mechanisms and help determine whether long-term changes in the ambient noise environment are occurring. [Work sponsored by the Shell Exploration and Production Company.]

Stable oxygen and hydrogen isotope analyses of bowhead whale baleen as biochemical recorders of migration and arctic environmental change

An analysis of the stable isotopes of oxygen (δ18O) and hydrogen (δD) was used to examine the linkage between sea ice concentration and the migration of western arctic bowhead whales (Balaena mysticetus; WABW). We compared δ18O and δD variability along the length of WABW baleen with isotopic values of zooplankton prey from different WABW habitat, with published δ13C and δ15N data, and with historical sea ice records. Zooplankton signatures varied widely (δ18O = −13‰–56‰; δD = −220‰ to −75‰), with regional separation between winter (Bering Sea) and summer (eastern Beaufort Sea) habitats of WABW observable in δD. The δ18O and δD of WABW varied significantly along the length of baleen (δ18O = 8–18‰; δD = −180 to −80‰), confirming seasonal migration and reflecting distinct regional dietary variation in isotopes. WABW migration appears to have varied concomitant with temporal sea ice concentration (SIC) changes; in years with high SIC, the difference in δD of WABW baleen between seasonal habitats was significantly greater than low SIC periods. This work shows that SIC is not only a determinant of habitat accessibility for WABW, but baleen may also be a record of historical SIC and Arctic climate.

Seasonal migrations of North Atlantic minke whales: novel insights from large-scale passive acoustic monitoring networks

BackgroundLittle is known about migration patterns and seasonal distribution away from coastal summer feeding habitats of many pelagic baleen whales. Recently, large-scale passive acoustic monitoring networks have become available to explore migration patterns and identify critical habitats of these species. North Atlantic minke whales (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) perform seasonal migrations between high latitude summer feeding and low latitude winter breeding grounds. While the distribution and abundance of the species has been studied across their summer range, data on migration and winter habitat are virtually missing. Acoustic recordings, from 16 different sites from across the North Atlantic, were analyzed to examine the seasonal and geographic variation in minke whale pulse train occurrence, infer information about migration routes and timing, and to identify possible winter habitats.ResultsAcoustic detections show that minke whales leave their winter grounds south of 30° N from March through early April. On their southward migration in autumn, minke whales leave waters north of 40° N from mid-October through early November. In the western North Atlantic spring migrants appear to track the warmer waters of the Gulf Stream along the continental shelf, while whales travel farther offshore in autumn. Abundant detections were found off the southeastern US and the Caribbean during winter. Minke whale pulse trains showed evidence of geographic variation, with longer pulse trains recorded south of 40° N. Very few pulse trains were recorded during summer in any of the datasets.ConclusionThis study highlights the feasibility of using acoustic monitoring networks to explore migration patterns of pelagic marine mammals. Results confirm the presence of minke whales off the southeastern US and the Caribbean during winter months. The absence of pulse train detections during summer suggests either that minke whales switch their vocal behaviour at this time of year, are absent from available recording sites or that variation in signal structure influenced automated detection. Alternatively, if pulse trains are produced in a reproductive context by males, these data may indicate their absence from the selected recording sites. Evidence of geographic variation in pulse train duration suggests different behavioural functions or use of these calls at different latitudes.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s40462-014-0024-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Wintering habitat model for the North Atlantic Right Whale (Eubalaena glacialis) in the southeastern United States.

The coastal waters off the southeastern United States (SEUS) are a primary wintering ground for the endangered North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis), used by calving females along with other adult and juvenile whales. Management actions implemented in this area for the recovery of the right whale population rely on accurate habitat characterization and the ability to predict whale distribution over time. We developed a temporally dynamic habitat model to predict wintering right whale distribution in the SEUS using a generalized additive model framework and aerial survey data from 2003/2004 through 2012/2013. We built upon previous habitat models for right whales in the SEUS and include data from new aerial surveys that extend the spatial coverage of the analysis, particularly in the northern portion of this wintering ground. We summarized whale sightings, survey effort corrected for probability of whale detection, and environmental data at a semimonthly resolution. Consistent with previous studies, sea surface temperature (SST), water depth, and survey year were significant predictors of right whale relative abundance. Additionally, distance to shore, distance to the 22°C SST isotherm, and an interaction between time of year and latitude (to account for the latitudinal migration of whales) were also selected in the analysis presented here. Predictions from the model revealed that the location of preferred habitat differs within and between years in correspondence with variation in environmental conditions. Although cow-calf pairs were rarely sighted in the company of other whales, there was minimal evidence that the preferred habitat of cow-calf pairs was different than that of whale groups without calves at the scale of this study. The results of this updated habitat model can be used to inform management decisions for a migratory species in a dynamic oceanic environment.