Low latitude habitat use patterns of a recovering population of humpback whales
The coast of Brazil is an important low latitude nursery ground for humpback whales ( Megaptera novaeangliae ). The number of humpback whales in this region has increased and its population is reoccupying areas where it has been depleted during the whaling period. The goal of this study was to condu...
Published in: | Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom |
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Cambridge University Press (CUP)
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Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0025315418000255 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0025315418000255 |
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crcambridgeupr:10.1017/s0025315418000255 2024-09-15T18:18:28+00:00 Low latitude habitat use patterns of a recovering population of humpback whales Gonçalves, Maria Isabel Carvalho De Sousa-Lima, Renata Santoro Teixeira, Niel Nascimento Morete, Maria Emilia De Carvalho, Gustavo Henrique Ferreira, Harildon Machado Baumgarten, Julio Ernesto 2018 http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0025315418000255 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0025315418000255 en eng Cambridge University Press (CUP) https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom volume 98, issue 5, page 1087-1096 ISSN 0025-3154 1469-7769 journal-article 2018 crcambridgeupr https://doi.org/10.1017/s0025315418000255 2024-07-31T04:02:24Z The coast of Brazil is an important low latitude nursery ground for humpback whales ( Megaptera novaeangliae ). The number of humpback whales in this region has increased and its population is reoccupying areas where it has been depleted during the whaling period. The goal of this study was to conduct land-based observations during 2014 and 2015 to characterize patterns of habitat use and relative abundance of humpback whales that migrate to one of these reoccupation areas: Serra Grande, Bahia state. The observed mean group size was 2.12 ± 0.96 individuals and did not vary through the reproductive season nor between years. Dyads (32.9%) and singletons (26.7%) were more frequently observed, and groups with calves represented 21.2% of the sightings. The mean number of whales counted per hour increased from 2014 (3.44 ± 3.35) to 2015 (5.12 ± 4.18). Habitat use varied during the season; whales used shallower waters closer to shore as the season progressed. The spatial distribution of groups with calves was dependent on the presence and number of escorts. Spatial segregation of groups with calves closer to shore is a key factor in understanding the overall distribution of whales in the area, suggesting that social strategies are affected by environmental factors, as seen in other wintering grounds. Small-scale studies from land-based stations, in areas such as this where there is no previous knowledge about the species, are cost effective. They provide information about the overall behavioural and spatial patterns while anthropogenic activity is still low, allowing habitat protection and management decisions before implementation and increase of human activities. Article in Journal/Newspaper Megaptera novaeangliae Cambridge University Press Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 98 5 1087 1096 |
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Open Polar |
collection |
Cambridge University Press |
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crcambridgeupr |
language |
English |
description |
The coast of Brazil is an important low latitude nursery ground for humpback whales ( Megaptera novaeangliae ). The number of humpback whales in this region has increased and its population is reoccupying areas where it has been depleted during the whaling period. The goal of this study was to conduct land-based observations during 2014 and 2015 to characterize patterns of habitat use and relative abundance of humpback whales that migrate to one of these reoccupation areas: Serra Grande, Bahia state. The observed mean group size was 2.12 ± 0.96 individuals and did not vary through the reproductive season nor between years. Dyads (32.9%) and singletons (26.7%) were more frequently observed, and groups with calves represented 21.2% of the sightings. The mean number of whales counted per hour increased from 2014 (3.44 ± 3.35) to 2015 (5.12 ± 4.18). Habitat use varied during the season; whales used shallower waters closer to shore as the season progressed. The spatial distribution of groups with calves was dependent on the presence and number of escorts. Spatial segregation of groups with calves closer to shore is a key factor in understanding the overall distribution of whales in the area, suggesting that social strategies are affected by environmental factors, as seen in other wintering grounds. Small-scale studies from land-based stations, in areas such as this where there is no previous knowledge about the species, are cost effective. They provide information about the overall behavioural and spatial patterns while anthropogenic activity is still low, allowing habitat protection and management decisions before implementation and increase of human activities. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Gonçalves, Maria Isabel Carvalho De Sousa-Lima, Renata Santoro Teixeira, Niel Nascimento Morete, Maria Emilia De Carvalho, Gustavo Henrique Ferreira, Harildon Machado Baumgarten, Julio Ernesto |
spellingShingle |
Gonçalves, Maria Isabel Carvalho De Sousa-Lima, Renata Santoro Teixeira, Niel Nascimento Morete, Maria Emilia De Carvalho, Gustavo Henrique Ferreira, Harildon Machado Baumgarten, Julio Ernesto Low latitude habitat use patterns of a recovering population of humpback whales |
author_facet |
Gonçalves, Maria Isabel Carvalho De Sousa-Lima, Renata Santoro Teixeira, Niel Nascimento Morete, Maria Emilia De Carvalho, Gustavo Henrique Ferreira, Harildon Machado Baumgarten, Julio Ernesto |
author_sort |
Gonçalves, Maria Isabel Carvalho |
title |
Low latitude habitat use patterns of a recovering population of humpback whales |
title_short |
Low latitude habitat use patterns of a recovering population of humpback whales |
title_full |
Low latitude habitat use patterns of a recovering population of humpback whales |
title_fullStr |
Low latitude habitat use patterns of a recovering population of humpback whales |
title_full_unstemmed |
Low latitude habitat use patterns of a recovering population of humpback whales |
title_sort |
low latitude habitat use patterns of a recovering population of humpback whales |
publisher |
Cambridge University Press (CUP) |
publishDate |
2018 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0025315418000255 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0025315418000255 |
genre |
Megaptera novaeangliae |
genre_facet |
Megaptera novaeangliae |
op_source |
Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom volume 98, issue 5, page 1087-1096 ISSN 0025-3154 1469-7769 |
op_rights |
https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1017/s0025315418000255 |
container_title |
Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom |
container_volume |
98 |
container_issue |
5 |
container_start_page |
1087 |
op_container_end_page |
1096 |
_version_ |
1810456584357150720 |