Cost of migration and migratory timing in Western Australian humpback whales
Abstract Migratory humpback whales ( Megaptera novaeangliae ) cover the cost of reproduction in low‐latitude breeding grounds with stored energy accumulated from polar feeding grounds. The ability to accumulate sufficient energy reserves during feeding periods is vital for key life history stages du...
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Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/mms.13074 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/mms.13074 |
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crwiley:10.1111/mms.13074 2024-09-15T18:18:27+00:00 Cost of migration and migratory timing in Western Australian humpback whales Russell, Grace Cagnazzi, Daniele Colefax, Andrew Sprogis, Kate R. Christiansen, Fredrik Holsworth Wildlife Research Endowment 2023 http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/mms.13074 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/mms.13074 en eng Wiley http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ Marine Mammal Science volume 40, issue 2 ISSN 0824-0469 1748-7692 journal-article 2023 crwiley https://doi.org/10.1111/mms.13074 2024-07-25T04:22:18Z Abstract Migratory humpback whales ( Megaptera novaeangliae ) cover the cost of reproduction in low‐latitude breeding grounds with stored energy accumulated from polar feeding grounds. The ability to accumulate sufficient energy reserves during feeding periods is vital for key life history stages during migration, including mating, calving, and lactation. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between migration timing and body condition of Western Australian humpback whales. We used unmanned aerial vehicles to measure body condition (residual of body volume vs. length) in 2017 and 2021. Morphometric measurements were obtained from 460 individuals (71 calves, 83 juveniles, 235 adults, and 71 lactating females) during the northbound (toward breeding grounds) and southbound (toward feeding grounds) migration between May and November. Body condition decreased by 23 and 13 percentage points for juveniles and adults, respectively. The body condition of juveniles was shown to be correlated with migration timing for their northern migration, with individuals in better body condition migrating to the breeding grounds earlier. While stored energy is vital for humpback whales to successfully complete their vast migration to‐and‐from breeding grounds, we found no evidence that body condition affects the migration timing for adults, lactating females, and calves. Article in Journal/Newspaper Megaptera novaeangliae Wiley Online Library Marine Mammal Science 40 2 |
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Wiley Online Library |
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crwiley |
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English |
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Abstract Migratory humpback whales ( Megaptera novaeangliae ) cover the cost of reproduction in low‐latitude breeding grounds with stored energy accumulated from polar feeding grounds. The ability to accumulate sufficient energy reserves during feeding periods is vital for key life history stages during migration, including mating, calving, and lactation. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between migration timing and body condition of Western Australian humpback whales. We used unmanned aerial vehicles to measure body condition (residual of body volume vs. length) in 2017 and 2021. Morphometric measurements were obtained from 460 individuals (71 calves, 83 juveniles, 235 adults, and 71 lactating females) during the northbound (toward breeding grounds) and southbound (toward feeding grounds) migration between May and November. Body condition decreased by 23 and 13 percentage points for juveniles and adults, respectively. The body condition of juveniles was shown to be correlated with migration timing for their northern migration, with individuals in better body condition migrating to the breeding grounds earlier. While stored energy is vital for humpback whales to successfully complete their vast migration to‐and‐from breeding grounds, we found no evidence that body condition affects the migration timing for adults, lactating females, and calves. |
author2 |
Holsworth Wildlife Research Endowment |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Russell, Grace Cagnazzi, Daniele Colefax, Andrew Sprogis, Kate R. Christiansen, Fredrik |
spellingShingle |
Russell, Grace Cagnazzi, Daniele Colefax, Andrew Sprogis, Kate R. Christiansen, Fredrik Cost of migration and migratory timing in Western Australian humpback whales |
author_facet |
Russell, Grace Cagnazzi, Daniele Colefax, Andrew Sprogis, Kate R. Christiansen, Fredrik |
author_sort |
Russell, Grace |
title |
Cost of migration and migratory timing in Western Australian humpback whales |
title_short |
Cost of migration and migratory timing in Western Australian humpback whales |
title_full |
Cost of migration and migratory timing in Western Australian humpback whales |
title_fullStr |
Cost of migration and migratory timing in Western Australian humpback whales |
title_full_unstemmed |
Cost of migration and migratory timing in Western Australian humpback whales |
title_sort |
cost of migration and migratory timing in western australian humpback whales |
publisher |
Wiley |
publishDate |
2023 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/mms.13074 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/mms.13074 |
genre |
Megaptera novaeangliae |
genre_facet |
Megaptera novaeangliae |
op_source |
Marine Mammal Science volume 40, issue 2 ISSN 0824-0469 1748-7692 |
op_rights |
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1111/mms.13074 |
container_title |
Marine Mammal Science |
container_volume |
40 |
container_issue |
2 |
_version_ |
1810456578907701248 |