Killer whale abundance and predicted narwhal consumption in the Canadian Arctic
Abstract Range expansions and increases in the frequency of killer whale ( Orcinus orca ) sightings have been documented in the eastern Canadian Arctic, presumably the result of climate change‐related sea‐ice declines. However, the effects of increased predator occurrence on this marine ecosystem re...
Published in: | Global Change Biology |
---|---|
Main Authors: | , , |
Other Authors: | , , , , , |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Wiley
2020
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/gcb.15152 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/gcb.15152 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full-xml/10.1111/gcb.15152 |
id |
crwiley:10.1111/gcb.15152 |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
crwiley:10.1111/gcb.15152 2024-09-15T18:02:10+00:00 Killer whale abundance and predicted narwhal consumption in the Canadian Arctic Lefort, Kyle J. Garroway, Colin J. Ferguson, Steven H. Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada World Wildlife Fund Fisheries and Oceans Canada Nunavut Wildlife Research Trust W. Garfield Weston Foundation ArcticNet 2020 http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/gcb.15152 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/gcb.15152 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full-xml/10.1111/gcb.15152 en eng Wiley http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor Global Change Biology volume 26, issue 8, page 4276-4283 ISSN 1354-1013 1365-2486 journal-article 2020 crwiley https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.15152 2024-08-15T04:21:32Z Abstract Range expansions and increases in the frequency of killer whale ( Orcinus orca ) sightings have been documented in the eastern Canadian Arctic, presumably the result of climate change‐related sea‐ice declines. However, the effects of increased predator occurrence on this marine ecosystem remain largely unknown. We explore the consequences of climate change‐related range expansions by a top predator by estimating killer whale abundance and their possible consumptive effects on narwhal ( Monodon monoceros ) in the Canadian Arctic. Individual killer whales can be identified using characteristics such as acquired scars and variation in the shape and size of their dorsal fins. Capture–mark–recapture analysis of 63 individually identifiable killer whales photographed between 2009 and 2018 suggests a population size of 163 ± 27. This number of killer whales could consume >1,000 narwhal during their seasonal residency in Arctic waters. The effects of such mortality at the ecosystem level are uncertain, but trophic cascades caused by top predators, including killer whales, have been documented elsewhere. These findings illustrate the magnitude of ecosystem‐level modifications that can occur with climate change‐related shifts in predator distributions. Article in Journal/Newspaper Climate change Killer Whale Monodon monoceros narwhal* Orca Orcinus orca Sea ice Killer whale Wiley Online Library Global Change Biology 26 8 4276 4283 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Wiley Online Library |
op_collection_id |
crwiley |
language |
English |
description |
Abstract Range expansions and increases in the frequency of killer whale ( Orcinus orca ) sightings have been documented in the eastern Canadian Arctic, presumably the result of climate change‐related sea‐ice declines. However, the effects of increased predator occurrence on this marine ecosystem remain largely unknown. We explore the consequences of climate change‐related range expansions by a top predator by estimating killer whale abundance and their possible consumptive effects on narwhal ( Monodon monoceros ) in the Canadian Arctic. Individual killer whales can be identified using characteristics such as acquired scars and variation in the shape and size of their dorsal fins. Capture–mark–recapture analysis of 63 individually identifiable killer whales photographed between 2009 and 2018 suggests a population size of 163 ± 27. This number of killer whales could consume >1,000 narwhal during their seasonal residency in Arctic waters. The effects of such mortality at the ecosystem level are uncertain, but trophic cascades caused by top predators, including killer whales, have been documented elsewhere. These findings illustrate the magnitude of ecosystem‐level modifications that can occur with climate change‐related shifts in predator distributions. |
author2 |
Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada World Wildlife Fund Fisheries and Oceans Canada Nunavut Wildlife Research Trust W. Garfield Weston Foundation ArcticNet |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Lefort, Kyle J. Garroway, Colin J. Ferguson, Steven H. |
spellingShingle |
Lefort, Kyle J. Garroway, Colin J. Ferguson, Steven H. Killer whale abundance and predicted narwhal consumption in the Canadian Arctic |
author_facet |
Lefort, Kyle J. Garroway, Colin J. Ferguson, Steven H. |
author_sort |
Lefort, Kyle J. |
title |
Killer whale abundance and predicted narwhal consumption in the Canadian Arctic |
title_short |
Killer whale abundance and predicted narwhal consumption in the Canadian Arctic |
title_full |
Killer whale abundance and predicted narwhal consumption in the Canadian Arctic |
title_fullStr |
Killer whale abundance and predicted narwhal consumption in the Canadian Arctic |
title_full_unstemmed |
Killer whale abundance and predicted narwhal consumption in the Canadian Arctic |
title_sort |
killer whale abundance and predicted narwhal consumption in the canadian arctic |
publisher |
Wiley |
publishDate |
2020 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/gcb.15152 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/gcb.15152 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full-xml/10.1111/gcb.15152 |
genre |
Climate change Killer Whale Monodon monoceros narwhal* Orca Orcinus orca Sea ice Killer whale |
genre_facet |
Climate change Killer Whale Monodon monoceros narwhal* Orca Orcinus orca Sea ice Killer whale |
op_source |
Global Change Biology volume 26, issue 8, page 4276-4283 ISSN 1354-1013 1365-2486 |
op_rights |
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.15152 |
container_title |
Global Change Biology |
container_volume |
26 |
container_issue |
8 |
container_start_page |
4276 |
op_container_end_page |
4283 |
_version_ |
1810439477962735616 |