Decline in body condition in the Antarctic minke whale (Balaenoptera bonaerensis) in the Southern Ocean during the 1990s
Abstract Changes in the body condition of Antarctic minke whales ( Balaenoptera bonaerensis ) have been investigated in a number of studies, but remain contested. Here we provide a new analysis of body condition measurements, with particularly careful attention to the statistical model building and...
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Springer Science and Business Media LLC
2021
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crspringernat:10.1007/s00300-020-02783-3 2023-05-15T14:05:45+02:00 Decline in body condition in the Antarctic minke whale (Balaenoptera bonaerensis) in the Southern Ocean during the 1990s Cunen, Céline Walløe, Lars Konishi, Kenji Hjort, Nils Lid Norges Forskningsråd 2021 http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00300-020-02783-3 http://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s00300-020-02783-3.pdf http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00300-020-02783-3/fulltext.html en eng Springer Science and Business Media LLC https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 CC-BY Polar Biology volume 44, issue 2, page 259-273 ISSN 0722-4060 1432-2056 General Agricultural and Biological Sciences journal-article 2021 crspringernat https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-020-02783-3 2022-01-04T16:25:12Z Abstract Changes in the body condition of Antarctic minke whales ( Balaenoptera bonaerensis ) have been investigated in a number of studies, but remain contested. Here we provide a new analysis of body condition measurements, with particularly careful attention to the statistical model building and to model selection issues. We analyse body condition data for a large number (4704) of minke whales caught between 1987 and 2005. The data consist of five different variables related to body condition (fat weight, blubber thickness and girth) and a number of temporal, spatial and biological covariates. The body condition variables are analysed using linear mixed-effects models, for which we provide sound biological motivation. Further, we conduct model selection with the focused information criterion (FIC), reflecting the fact that we have a clearly specified research question, which leads us to a clear focus parameter of particular interest. We find that there has been a substantial decline in body condition over the study period (the net declines are estimated to 10% for fat weight, 7% for blubber thickness and 3% for the girth). Interestingly, there seems to be some differences in body condition trends between males and females and in different regions of the Antarctic. The decline in body condition could indicate major changes in the Antarctic ecosystem, in particular, increased competition from some larger krill-eating whale species. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic Antarctic Minke whale Balaenoptera bonaerensis minke whale Polar Biology Southern Ocean Springer Nature (via Crossref) Antarctic Southern Ocean The Antarctic Polar Biology 44 2 259 273 |
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Open Polar |
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Springer Nature (via Crossref) |
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crspringernat |
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English |
topic |
General Agricultural and Biological Sciences |
spellingShingle |
General Agricultural and Biological Sciences Cunen, Céline Walløe, Lars Konishi, Kenji Hjort, Nils Lid Decline in body condition in the Antarctic minke whale (Balaenoptera bonaerensis) in the Southern Ocean during the 1990s |
topic_facet |
General Agricultural and Biological Sciences |
description |
Abstract Changes in the body condition of Antarctic minke whales ( Balaenoptera bonaerensis ) have been investigated in a number of studies, but remain contested. Here we provide a new analysis of body condition measurements, with particularly careful attention to the statistical model building and to model selection issues. We analyse body condition data for a large number (4704) of minke whales caught between 1987 and 2005. The data consist of five different variables related to body condition (fat weight, blubber thickness and girth) and a number of temporal, spatial and biological covariates. The body condition variables are analysed using linear mixed-effects models, for which we provide sound biological motivation. Further, we conduct model selection with the focused information criterion (FIC), reflecting the fact that we have a clearly specified research question, which leads us to a clear focus parameter of particular interest. We find that there has been a substantial decline in body condition over the study period (the net declines are estimated to 10% for fat weight, 7% for blubber thickness and 3% for the girth). Interestingly, there seems to be some differences in body condition trends between males and females and in different regions of the Antarctic. The decline in body condition could indicate major changes in the Antarctic ecosystem, in particular, increased competition from some larger krill-eating whale species. |
author2 |
Norges Forskningsråd |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Cunen, Céline Walløe, Lars Konishi, Kenji Hjort, Nils Lid |
author_facet |
Cunen, Céline Walløe, Lars Konishi, Kenji Hjort, Nils Lid |
author_sort |
Cunen, Céline |
title |
Decline in body condition in the Antarctic minke whale (Balaenoptera bonaerensis) in the Southern Ocean during the 1990s |
title_short |
Decline in body condition in the Antarctic minke whale (Balaenoptera bonaerensis) in the Southern Ocean during the 1990s |
title_full |
Decline in body condition in the Antarctic minke whale (Balaenoptera bonaerensis) in the Southern Ocean during the 1990s |
title_fullStr |
Decline in body condition in the Antarctic minke whale (Balaenoptera bonaerensis) in the Southern Ocean during the 1990s |
title_full_unstemmed |
Decline in body condition in the Antarctic minke whale (Balaenoptera bonaerensis) in the Southern Ocean during the 1990s |
title_sort |
decline in body condition in the antarctic minke whale (balaenoptera bonaerensis) in the southern ocean during the 1990s |
publisher |
Springer Science and Business Media LLC |
publishDate |
2021 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00300-020-02783-3 http://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s00300-020-02783-3.pdf http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00300-020-02783-3/fulltext.html |
geographic |
Antarctic Southern Ocean The Antarctic |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic Southern Ocean The Antarctic |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctic Minke whale Balaenoptera bonaerensis minke whale Polar Biology Southern Ocean |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctic Minke whale Balaenoptera bonaerensis minke whale Polar Biology Southern Ocean |
op_source |
Polar Biology volume 44, issue 2, page 259-273 ISSN 0722-4060 1432-2056 |
op_rights |
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 |
op_rightsnorm |
CC-BY |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-020-02783-3 |
container_title |
Polar Biology |
container_volume |
44 |
container_issue |
2 |
container_start_page |
259 |
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273 |
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1766277618020122624 |