Using passive acoustics to identify a quiet winter foraging refuge for an endangered beluga whale population in Alaska
Cook Inlet beluga (CIB), Delphinapterus leucas , have not recovered from subsistence overharvest despite conservation efforts initiated in 2000. Reasons for this lack of recovery are still unclear with anthropogenic noise identified as a high threat in this population’s recovery plan. Baseline infor...
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Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2024.1393380 https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2024.1393380/full |
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crfrontiers:10.3389/fmars.2024.1393380 2024-09-15T17:59:00+00:00 Using passive acoustics to identify a quiet winter foraging refuge for an endangered beluga whale population in Alaska Castellote, Manuel Gill, Verena A. Garner, Christopher D. Gilstad, Andrea J Hou, Benjamin X. Brewer, Arial M. Knoth, Jessica M. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management 2024 http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2024.1393380 https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2024.1393380/full unknown Frontiers Media SA https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Frontiers in Marine Science volume 11 ISSN 2296-7745 journal-article 2024 crfrontiers https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2024.1393380 2024-07-23T04:03:01Z Cook Inlet beluga (CIB), Delphinapterus leucas , have not recovered from subsistence overharvest despite conservation efforts initiated in 2000. Reasons for this lack of recovery are still unclear with anthropogenic noise identified as a high threat in this population’s recovery plan. Baseline information on CIB habitat use and soundscape characterization is crucial in evaluating impacts from anthropogenic activities. Using passive acoustic monitoring, we documented the seasonality and foraging occurrence of CIB, together with killer whale ( Orcinus orca ), harbor porpoise ( Phocoena phocoena ) and humpback whale ( Megaptera novaeangliae ), for one year in Chinitna and Tuxedni bays and rivers, two historically important but recently overlooked areas of their critical habitat in western lower Cook Inlet, Alaska. This area’s ecological interest converges with planned mining, marine renewable energy, offshore oil and gas production, and commercial shipping. Results revealed higher presence of harbor porpoise, killer whale, and humpback whale in Chinitna compared to Tuxedni but much lower CIB presence. CIB were not detected in Chinitna Bay but were in the river on 21 days September-February and one day in June. However, CIB were never detected feeding in Chinitna River. CIB acoustic crypsis and preferential use of very shallow habitat in Chinitna revealed a perceived predation risk from killer whales. In contrast, CIB were recorded foraging in both Tuxedni Bay and River and were detected September-April on 127 days making it an important winter foraging ground. Low levels of anthropogenic noise disturbance were quantified in both bays making them some of the most undisturbed sections of their critical habitat, but at the same time highly sensitive to further noise disturbance. Commercial shipping was the main noise source likely causing acoustic disturbance to CIB due to communication masking despite current low levels of temporal overlap with beluga presence. We recommend that applicable regulators consider ... Article in Journal/Newspaper Beluga Beluga whale Beluga* Delphinapterus leucas Humpback Whale Killer Whale Megaptera novaeangliae Orca Orcinus orca Phocoena phocoena Alaska Killer whale Frontiers (Publisher) Frontiers in Marine Science 11 |
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Open Polar |
collection |
Frontiers (Publisher) |
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crfrontiers |
language |
unknown |
description |
Cook Inlet beluga (CIB), Delphinapterus leucas , have not recovered from subsistence overharvest despite conservation efforts initiated in 2000. Reasons for this lack of recovery are still unclear with anthropogenic noise identified as a high threat in this population’s recovery plan. Baseline information on CIB habitat use and soundscape characterization is crucial in evaluating impacts from anthropogenic activities. Using passive acoustic monitoring, we documented the seasonality and foraging occurrence of CIB, together with killer whale ( Orcinus orca ), harbor porpoise ( Phocoena phocoena ) and humpback whale ( Megaptera novaeangliae ), for one year in Chinitna and Tuxedni bays and rivers, two historically important but recently overlooked areas of their critical habitat in western lower Cook Inlet, Alaska. This area’s ecological interest converges with planned mining, marine renewable energy, offshore oil and gas production, and commercial shipping. Results revealed higher presence of harbor porpoise, killer whale, and humpback whale in Chinitna compared to Tuxedni but much lower CIB presence. CIB were not detected in Chinitna Bay but were in the river on 21 days September-February and one day in June. However, CIB were never detected feeding in Chinitna River. CIB acoustic crypsis and preferential use of very shallow habitat in Chinitna revealed a perceived predation risk from killer whales. In contrast, CIB were recorded foraging in both Tuxedni Bay and River and were detected September-April on 127 days making it an important winter foraging ground. Low levels of anthropogenic noise disturbance were quantified in both bays making them some of the most undisturbed sections of their critical habitat, but at the same time highly sensitive to further noise disturbance. Commercial shipping was the main noise source likely causing acoustic disturbance to CIB due to communication masking despite current low levels of temporal overlap with beluga presence. We recommend that applicable regulators consider ... |
author2 |
Bureau of Ocean Energy Management |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Castellote, Manuel Gill, Verena A. Garner, Christopher D. Gilstad, Andrea J Hou, Benjamin X. Brewer, Arial M. Knoth, Jessica M. |
spellingShingle |
Castellote, Manuel Gill, Verena A. Garner, Christopher D. Gilstad, Andrea J Hou, Benjamin X. Brewer, Arial M. Knoth, Jessica M. Using passive acoustics to identify a quiet winter foraging refuge for an endangered beluga whale population in Alaska |
author_facet |
Castellote, Manuel Gill, Verena A. Garner, Christopher D. Gilstad, Andrea J Hou, Benjamin X. Brewer, Arial M. Knoth, Jessica M. |
author_sort |
Castellote, Manuel |
title |
Using passive acoustics to identify a quiet winter foraging refuge for an endangered beluga whale population in Alaska |
title_short |
Using passive acoustics to identify a quiet winter foraging refuge for an endangered beluga whale population in Alaska |
title_full |
Using passive acoustics to identify a quiet winter foraging refuge for an endangered beluga whale population in Alaska |
title_fullStr |
Using passive acoustics to identify a quiet winter foraging refuge for an endangered beluga whale population in Alaska |
title_full_unstemmed |
Using passive acoustics to identify a quiet winter foraging refuge for an endangered beluga whale population in Alaska |
title_sort |
using passive acoustics to identify a quiet winter foraging refuge for an endangered beluga whale population in alaska |
publisher |
Frontiers Media SA |
publishDate |
2024 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2024.1393380 https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2024.1393380/full |
genre |
Beluga Beluga whale Beluga* Delphinapterus leucas Humpback Whale Killer Whale Megaptera novaeangliae Orca Orcinus orca Phocoena phocoena Alaska Killer whale |
genre_facet |
Beluga Beluga whale Beluga* Delphinapterus leucas Humpback Whale Killer Whale Megaptera novaeangliae Orca Orcinus orca Phocoena phocoena Alaska Killer whale |
op_source |
Frontiers in Marine Science volume 11 ISSN 2296-7745 |
op_rights |
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2024.1393380 |
container_title |
Frontiers in Marine Science |
container_volume |
11 |
_version_ |
1810435958486597632 |