Historical baleen plates indicate that once abundant Antarctic blue and fin whales demonstrated distinct migratory and foraging strategies
Abstract Southern hemisphere blue ( Balaenoptera musculus intermedia ) and fin ( Balaenoptera physalus ) whales are the largest predators in the Southern Ocean, with similarities in morphology and distribution. Yet, understanding of their life history and foraging is limited due to current low abund...
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Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ece3.11376 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/ece3.11376 |
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crwiley:10.1002/ece3.11376 2024-10-13T14:02:24+00:00 Historical baleen plates indicate that once abundant Antarctic blue and fin whales demonstrated distinct migratory and foraging strategies Smith, Malia E. K. Ososky, John J. Hunt, Kathleen E. Cioffi, William R. Read, Andy J. Friedlaender, Ari S. McCarthy, Matt Fleming, Alyson H. National Science Foundation 2024 http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ece3.11376 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/ece3.11376 en eng Wiley http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Ecology and Evolution volume 14, issue 5 ISSN 2045-7758 2045-7758 journal-article 2024 crwiley https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.11376 2024-09-19T04:19:44Z Abstract Southern hemisphere blue ( Balaenoptera musculus intermedia ) and fin ( Balaenoptera physalus ) whales are the largest predators in the Southern Ocean, with similarities in morphology and distribution. Yet, understanding of their life history and foraging is limited due to current low abundances and limited ecological data. To address these gaps, historic Antarctic blue ( n = 5) and fin ( n = 5) whale baleen plates, collected in 1947–1948 and recently rediscovered in the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, were analyzed for bulk (δ 13 C and δ 15 N) stable isotopes. Regular oscillations in isotopic ratios, interpreted as annual cycles, revealed that baleen plates contain approximately 6 years (14.35 ± 1.20 cm year −1 ) of life history data in blue whales and 4 years (16.52 ± 1.86 cm year −1 ) in fin whales. Isotopic results suggest that: (1) while in the Southern Ocean, blue and fin whales likely fed at the same trophic level but demonstrated niche differentiation; (2) fin whales appear to have had more regular annual migrations; and (3) fin whales may have migrated to ecologically distinct sub‐Antarctic waters annually while some blue whales may have resided year‐round in the Southern Ocean. These results reveal differences in ecological niche and life history strategies between Antarctic blue and fin whales during a time period when their populations were more abundant than today, and before major human‐driven climatic changes occurred in the Southern Ocean. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic Balaenoptera musculus Balaenoptera physalus Southern Ocean Wiley Online Library Antarctic Southern Ocean Ecology and Evolution 14 5 |
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English |
description |
Abstract Southern hemisphere blue ( Balaenoptera musculus intermedia ) and fin ( Balaenoptera physalus ) whales are the largest predators in the Southern Ocean, with similarities in morphology and distribution. Yet, understanding of their life history and foraging is limited due to current low abundances and limited ecological data. To address these gaps, historic Antarctic blue ( n = 5) and fin ( n = 5) whale baleen plates, collected in 1947–1948 and recently rediscovered in the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, were analyzed for bulk (δ 13 C and δ 15 N) stable isotopes. Regular oscillations in isotopic ratios, interpreted as annual cycles, revealed that baleen plates contain approximately 6 years (14.35 ± 1.20 cm year −1 ) of life history data in blue whales and 4 years (16.52 ± 1.86 cm year −1 ) in fin whales. Isotopic results suggest that: (1) while in the Southern Ocean, blue and fin whales likely fed at the same trophic level but demonstrated niche differentiation; (2) fin whales appear to have had more regular annual migrations; and (3) fin whales may have migrated to ecologically distinct sub‐Antarctic waters annually while some blue whales may have resided year‐round in the Southern Ocean. These results reveal differences in ecological niche and life history strategies between Antarctic blue and fin whales during a time period when their populations were more abundant than today, and before major human‐driven climatic changes occurred in the Southern Ocean. |
author2 |
National Science Foundation |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Smith, Malia E. K. Ososky, John J. Hunt, Kathleen E. Cioffi, William R. Read, Andy J. Friedlaender, Ari S. McCarthy, Matt Fleming, Alyson H. |
spellingShingle |
Smith, Malia E. K. Ososky, John J. Hunt, Kathleen E. Cioffi, William R. Read, Andy J. Friedlaender, Ari S. McCarthy, Matt Fleming, Alyson H. Historical baleen plates indicate that once abundant Antarctic blue and fin whales demonstrated distinct migratory and foraging strategies |
author_facet |
Smith, Malia E. K. Ososky, John J. Hunt, Kathleen E. Cioffi, William R. Read, Andy J. Friedlaender, Ari S. McCarthy, Matt Fleming, Alyson H. |
author_sort |
Smith, Malia E. K. |
title |
Historical baleen plates indicate that once abundant Antarctic blue and fin whales demonstrated distinct migratory and foraging strategies |
title_short |
Historical baleen plates indicate that once abundant Antarctic blue and fin whales demonstrated distinct migratory and foraging strategies |
title_full |
Historical baleen plates indicate that once abundant Antarctic blue and fin whales demonstrated distinct migratory and foraging strategies |
title_fullStr |
Historical baleen plates indicate that once abundant Antarctic blue and fin whales demonstrated distinct migratory and foraging strategies |
title_full_unstemmed |
Historical baleen plates indicate that once abundant Antarctic blue and fin whales demonstrated distinct migratory and foraging strategies |
title_sort |
historical baleen plates indicate that once abundant antarctic blue and fin whales demonstrated distinct migratory and foraging strategies |
publisher |
Wiley |
publishDate |
2024 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ece3.11376 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/ece3.11376 |
geographic |
Antarctic Southern Ocean |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic Southern Ocean |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic Balaenoptera musculus Balaenoptera physalus Southern Ocean |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic Balaenoptera musculus Balaenoptera physalus Southern Ocean |
op_source |
Ecology and Evolution volume 14, issue 5 ISSN 2045-7758 2045-7758 |
op_rights |
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.11376 |
container_title |
Ecology and Evolution |
container_volume |
14 |
container_issue |
5 |
_version_ |
1812816938732093440 |