Threshold foraging by gray whales in response to fine scale variations in mysid density
Abstract The gray whale ( Eschrichtius robustus ) is a coastal species whose nearshore summer foraging grounds off the coast of British Columbia offer an opportunity to study the fine scale foraging response of baleen whales. We explore the relationship between prey density and gray whale foraging s...
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crwiley:10.1111/mms.12178 2024-05-19T07:38:01+00:00 Threshold foraging by gray whales in response to fine scale variations in mysid density Feyrer, Laura J. Duffus, David A. 2014 http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/mms.12178 https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1111%2Fmms.12178 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/mms.12178 en eng Wiley http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor Marine Mammal Science volume 31, issue 2, page 560-578 ISSN 0824-0469 1748-7692 journal-article 2014 crwiley https://doi.org/10.1111/mms.12178 2024-04-25T08:30:22Z Abstract The gray whale ( Eschrichtius robustus ) is a coastal species whose nearshore summer foraging grounds off the coast of British Columbia offer an opportunity to study the fine scale foraging response of baleen whales. We explore the relationship between prey density and gray whale foraging starting with regional scale (10 km) assessments of whale density (per square kilometer) and foraging effort as a response to regional mysid density (per cubic meter), between 2006 and 2007. In addition we measure prey density at a local scale (100 m), while following foraging whales during focal surveys. We found regional mysid density had a significant positive relationship with both gray whale density and foraging effort. We identify a threshold response to regional mysid density for both whale density and foraging effort. In 2008 the lowest average local prey density measured beside a foraging whale was 2,300 mysids/m 3 . This level was maintained even when regional prey density was found to be substantially lower. Similar to other baleen whales, the foraging behavior of gray whales suggests a threshold response to prey density and a complex appreciation of prey availability across fine scales. Article in Journal/Newspaper baleen whales Wiley Online Library Marine Mammal Science 31 2 560 578 |
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Open Polar |
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Wiley Online Library |
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language |
English |
description |
Abstract The gray whale ( Eschrichtius robustus ) is a coastal species whose nearshore summer foraging grounds off the coast of British Columbia offer an opportunity to study the fine scale foraging response of baleen whales. We explore the relationship between prey density and gray whale foraging starting with regional scale (10 km) assessments of whale density (per square kilometer) and foraging effort as a response to regional mysid density (per cubic meter), between 2006 and 2007. In addition we measure prey density at a local scale (100 m), while following foraging whales during focal surveys. We found regional mysid density had a significant positive relationship with both gray whale density and foraging effort. We identify a threshold response to regional mysid density for both whale density and foraging effort. In 2008 the lowest average local prey density measured beside a foraging whale was 2,300 mysids/m 3 . This level was maintained even when regional prey density was found to be substantially lower. Similar to other baleen whales, the foraging behavior of gray whales suggests a threshold response to prey density and a complex appreciation of prey availability across fine scales. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Feyrer, Laura J. Duffus, David A. |
spellingShingle |
Feyrer, Laura J. Duffus, David A. Threshold foraging by gray whales in response to fine scale variations in mysid density |
author_facet |
Feyrer, Laura J. Duffus, David A. |
author_sort |
Feyrer, Laura J. |
title |
Threshold foraging by gray whales in response to fine scale variations in mysid density |
title_short |
Threshold foraging by gray whales in response to fine scale variations in mysid density |
title_full |
Threshold foraging by gray whales in response to fine scale variations in mysid density |
title_fullStr |
Threshold foraging by gray whales in response to fine scale variations in mysid density |
title_full_unstemmed |
Threshold foraging by gray whales in response to fine scale variations in mysid density |
title_sort |
threshold foraging by gray whales in response to fine scale variations in mysid density |
publisher |
Wiley |
publishDate |
2014 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/mms.12178 https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1111%2Fmms.12178 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/mms.12178 |
genre |
baleen whales |
genre_facet |
baleen whales |
op_source |
Marine Mammal Science volume 31, issue 2, page 560-578 ISSN 0824-0469 1748-7692 |
op_rights |
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1111/mms.12178 |
container_title |
Marine Mammal Science |
container_volume |
31 |
container_issue |
2 |
container_start_page |
560 |
op_container_end_page |
578 |
_version_ |
1799477416039546880 |