Segregation of Beaufort Sea beluga whales during the open-water season
Population segregation by habitat use occurs because energy requirements and survival strategies vary with age, sex, size, and reproductive stage. From late summer to early fall in 1993, 1995, and 1997, relative length (age), sex, and reproductive status of satellite-tagged beluga whales ( Delphinap...
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2006
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crcansciencepubl:10.1139/z06-160 2024-06-23T07:48:51+00:00 Segregation of Beaufort Sea beluga whales during the open-water season Loseto, L.L. Richard, P. Stern, G.A. Orr, J. Ferguson, S.H. 2006 http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/z06-160 http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/full-xml/10.1139/z06-160 http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/z06-160 en eng Canadian Science Publishing http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/page/about/CorporateTextAndDataMining Canadian Journal of Zoology volume 84, issue 12, page 1743-1751 ISSN 0008-4301 1480-3283 journal-article 2006 crcansciencepubl https://doi.org/10.1139/z06-160 2024-06-06T04:11:16Z Population segregation by habitat use occurs because energy requirements and survival strategies vary with age, sex, size, and reproductive stage. From late summer to early fall in 1993, 1995, and 1997, relative length (age), sex, and reproductive status of satellite-tagged beluga whales ( Delphinapterus leucas (Pallas, 1776)) in the eastern Beaufort Sea were tested for habitat segregation. We used (i) resource selection function models to evaluate how belugas used areas of varying sea ice concentration and shelf habitat and (ii) distance analysis to measure the selection of areas varying in distance to mainland and island coastlines. Resource selection functions and distance analysis established that habitat selection differed with length, sex, and reproductive status of whales: (i) females with calves and smaller males selected open-water habitats near the mainland; (ii) large males selected closed sea ice cover in and near the Arctic Archipelago; and (iii) smaller males and two females with calves (not newborn) selected habitat near the ice edge. The segregation of habitat use according to sex, age, and reproductive status relates to the different resources required at different life stages and may represent characteristics of beluga social structure. We discuss our results in the context of two common sexual segregation hypotheses and conclude that summer habitat segregation of belugas reflects differences in foraging ecology, risk of predation, and reproduction. Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Archipelago Arctic Beaufort Sea Beluga Beluga* Delphinapterus leucas Sea ice Canadian Science Publishing Arctic Canadian Journal of Zoology 84 12 1743 1751 |
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Open Polar |
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Canadian Science Publishing |
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crcansciencepubl |
language |
English |
description |
Population segregation by habitat use occurs because energy requirements and survival strategies vary with age, sex, size, and reproductive stage. From late summer to early fall in 1993, 1995, and 1997, relative length (age), sex, and reproductive status of satellite-tagged beluga whales ( Delphinapterus leucas (Pallas, 1776)) in the eastern Beaufort Sea were tested for habitat segregation. We used (i) resource selection function models to evaluate how belugas used areas of varying sea ice concentration and shelf habitat and (ii) distance analysis to measure the selection of areas varying in distance to mainland and island coastlines. Resource selection functions and distance analysis established that habitat selection differed with length, sex, and reproductive status of whales: (i) females with calves and smaller males selected open-water habitats near the mainland; (ii) large males selected closed sea ice cover in and near the Arctic Archipelago; and (iii) smaller males and two females with calves (not newborn) selected habitat near the ice edge. The segregation of habitat use according to sex, age, and reproductive status relates to the different resources required at different life stages and may represent characteristics of beluga social structure. We discuss our results in the context of two common sexual segregation hypotheses and conclude that summer habitat segregation of belugas reflects differences in foraging ecology, risk of predation, and reproduction. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Loseto, L.L. Richard, P. Stern, G.A. Orr, J. Ferguson, S.H. |
spellingShingle |
Loseto, L.L. Richard, P. Stern, G.A. Orr, J. Ferguson, S.H. Segregation of Beaufort Sea beluga whales during the open-water season |
author_facet |
Loseto, L.L. Richard, P. Stern, G.A. Orr, J. Ferguson, S.H. |
author_sort |
Loseto, L.L. |
title |
Segregation of Beaufort Sea beluga whales during the open-water season |
title_short |
Segregation of Beaufort Sea beluga whales during the open-water season |
title_full |
Segregation of Beaufort Sea beluga whales during the open-water season |
title_fullStr |
Segregation of Beaufort Sea beluga whales during the open-water season |
title_full_unstemmed |
Segregation of Beaufort Sea beluga whales during the open-water season |
title_sort |
segregation of beaufort sea beluga whales during the open-water season |
publisher |
Canadian Science Publishing |
publishDate |
2006 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/z06-160 http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/full-xml/10.1139/z06-160 http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/z06-160 |
geographic |
Arctic |
geographic_facet |
Arctic |
genre |
Arctic Archipelago Arctic Beaufort Sea Beluga Beluga* Delphinapterus leucas Sea ice |
genre_facet |
Arctic Archipelago Arctic Beaufort Sea Beluga Beluga* Delphinapterus leucas Sea ice |
op_source |
Canadian Journal of Zoology volume 84, issue 12, page 1743-1751 ISSN 0008-4301 1480-3283 |
op_rights |
http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/page/about/CorporateTextAndDataMining |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1139/z06-160 |
container_title |
Canadian Journal of Zoology |
container_volume |
84 |
container_issue |
12 |
container_start_page |
1743 |
op_container_end_page |
1751 |
_version_ |
1802639183066431488 |