Extended seasonal occurrence of humpback whales in Massachusetts Bay
Humpback whales ( Megaptera novaeangliae ) are known to utilize Massachusetts Bay as a feeding ground in the spring and summer, during the annual migration of the Gulf of Maine sub-population. However, there is a limited understanding of the pattern of humpback whale occurrence in this region outsid...
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Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0025315412001968 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0025315412001968 |
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crcambridgeupr:10.1017/s0025315412001968 2024-03-03T08:45:15+00:00 Extended seasonal occurrence of humpback whales in Massachusetts Bay Murray, Anita Rice, Aaron N. Clark, Christopher W. 2013 http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0025315412001968 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0025315412001968 en eng Cambridge University Press (CUP) https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom volume 94, issue 6, page 1117-1125 ISSN 0025-3154 1469-7769 Aquatic Science journal-article 2013 crcambridgeupr https://doi.org/10.1017/s0025315412001968 2024-02-08T08:27:11Z Humpback whales ( Megaptera novaeangliae ) are known to utilize Massachusetts Bay as a feeding ground in the spring and summer, during the annual migration of the Gulf of Maine sub-population. However, there is a limited understanding of the pattern of humpback whale occurrence in this region outside of the feeding period. Passive acoustic monitoring of Massachusetts Bay over a two-year period, revealed an extended presence of acoustically active humpback whales throughout a majority of the study period (87%; 633 days of presence out of 725 days of acoustic monitoring). Humpback whale presence oscillated between lengthy periods of consistent presence (April to December) and relatively shorter periods of variable presence (December to March). Seasonal variation in presence was evident during three distinct phases: (1) maximum-presence from spring to early winter; (2) variable-presence in early winter and early spring; and (3) minimum-presence mid-winter. The variation in seasonal presence was concurrent with coarse migratory patterns of humpback whales, and yearly variations in presence presumably reflect a shift in the influx and efflux of whales between years. The extended presence of humpbacks in this area suggests that Massachusetts Bay is an important, year-round habitat for the Gulf of Maine sub-population, and may warrant revision of management and regulatory practices to reflect this presence. Article in Journal/Newspaper Humpback Whale Megaptera novaeangliae Cambridge University Press Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 94 6 1117 1125 |
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English |
topic |
Aquatic Science |
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Aquatic Science Murray, Anita Rice, Aaron N. Clark, Christopher W. Extended seasonal occurrence of humpback whales in Massachusetts Bay |
topic_facet |
Aquatic Science |
description |
Humpback whales ( Megaptera novaeangliae ) are known to utilize Massachusetts Bay as a feeding ground in the spring and summer, during the annual migration of the Gulf of Maine sub-population. However, there is a limited understanding of the pattern of humpback whale occurrence in this region outside of the feeding period. Passive acoustic monitoring of Massachusetts Bay over a two-year period, revealed an extended presence of acoustically active humpback whales throughout a majority of the study period (87%; 633 days of presence out of 725 days of acoustic monitoring). Humpback whale presence oscillated between lengthy periods of consistent presence (April to December) and relatively shorter periods of variable presence (December to March). Seasonal variation in presence was evident during three distinct phases: (1) maximum-presence from spring to early winter; (2) variable-presence in early winter and early spring; and (3) minimum-presence mid-winter. The variation in seasonal presence was concurrent with coarse migratory patterns of humpback whales, and yearly variations in presence presumably reflect a shift in the influx and efflux of whales between years. The extended presence of humpbacks in this area suggests that Massachusetts Bay is an important, year-round habitat for the Gulf of Maine sub-population, and may warrant revision of management and regulatory practices to reflect this presence. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Murray, Anita Rice, Aaron N. Clark, Christopher W. |
author_facet |
Murray, Anita Rice, Aaron N. Clark, Christopher W. |
author_sort |
Murray, Anita |
title |
Extended seasonal occurrence of humpback whales in Massachusetts Bay |
title_short |
Extended seasonal occurrence of humpback whales in Massachusetts Bay |
title_full |
Extended seasonal occurrence of humpback whales in Massachusetts Bay |
title_fullStr |
Extended seasonal occurrence of humpback whales in Massachusetts Bay |
title_full_unstemmed |
Extended seasonal occurrence of humpback whales in Massachusetts Bay |
title_sort |
extended seasonal occurrence of humpback whales in massachusetts bay |
publisher |
Cambridge University Press (CUP) |
publishDate |
2013 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0025315412001968 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0025315412001968 |
genre |
Humpback Whale Megaptera novaeangliae |
genre_facet |
Humpback Whale Megaptera novaeangliae |
op_source |
Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom volume 94, issue 6, page 1117-1125 ISSN 0025-3154 1469-7769 |
op_rights |
https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1017/s0025315412001968 |
container_title |
Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom |
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94 |
container_issue |
6 |
container_start_page |
1117 |
op_container_end_page |
1125 |
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1792500777891135488 |