Return of large fin whale feeding aggregations to historical whaling grounds in the Southern Ocean
Fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus quoyi) of the Southern Hemisphere were brought to near extinction by twentieth century industrial whaling. For decades, they had all but disappeared from previously highly frequented feeding grounds in Antarctic waters. Our dedicated surveys now confirm their return...
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Online Access: | https://epic.awi.de/id/eprint/56676/ https://epic.awi.de/id/eprint/56676/1/Herr_etal_2022.pdf https://hdl.handle.net/10013/epic.f264677f-d20e-4ab0-87b4-8fe5818d4fa8 https://hdl.handle.net/ |
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ftawi:oai:epic.awi.de:56676 2023-05-15T13:45:22+02:00 Return of large fin whale feeding aggregations to historical whaling grounds in the Southern Ocean Herr, Helena Viquerat, Sacha Devas, Fredi Lees, Abigail Wells, Lucy Gregory, Bertie Giffords, Ted Beecham, Dan Meyer, Bettina 2022-07-07 application/pdf https://epic.awi.de/id/eprint/56676/ https://epic.awi.de/id/eprint/56676/1/Herr_etal_2022.pdf https://hdl.handle.net/10013/epic.f264677f-d20e-4ab0-87b4-8fe5818d4fa8 https://hdl.handle.net/ unknown Nature https://epic.awi.de/id/eprint/56676/1/Herr_etal_2022.pdf https://hdl.handle.net/ Herr, H. , Viquerat, S. , Devas, F. , Lees, A. , Wells, L. , Gregory, B. , Giffords, T. , Beecham, D. and Meyer, B. orcid:0000-0001-6804-9896 (2022) Return of large fin whale feeding aggregations to historical whaling grounds in the Southern Ocean , Scientific repoorts, 12 (9458) . doi:10.1038/s41598-022-13798-7 <https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-13798-7> , hdl:10013/epic.f264677f-d20e-4ab0-87b4-8fe5818d4fa8 EPIC3Scientific repoorts, Nature, 12(9458) Article NonPeerReviewed 2022 ftawi https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-13798-7 2022-07-31T23:12:20Z Fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus quoyi) of the Southern Hemisphere were brought to near extinction by twentieth century industrial whaling. For decades, they had all but disappeared from previously highly frequented feeding grounds in Antarctic waters. Our dedicated surveys now confirm their return to ancestral feeding grounds, gathering at the Antarctic Peninsula in large aggregations to feed. We report on the results of an abundance survey and present the first scientific documentation of large fin whale feeding aggregations at Elephant Island, Antarctica, including the first ever video documentation. We interpret high densities, re-establishment of historical behaviours and the return to ancestral feeding grounds as signs for a recovering population. Recovery of a large whale population has the potential to augment primary productivity at their feeding grounds through the effects of nutrient recycling, known as 'the whale pump'. The recovery of fin whales in that area could thus restore ecosystem functions crucial for atmospheric carbon regulation in the world's most important ocean region for the uptake of anthropogenic CO2. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula Antarctica Balaenoptera physalus Elephant Island Fin whale Southern Ocean Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar- and Marine Research (AWI): ePIC (electronic Publication Information Center) Antarctic Southern Ocean The Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula Elephant Island ENVELOPE(-55.184,-55.184,-61.085,-61.085) Scientific Reports 12 1 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar- and Marine Research (AWI): ePIC (electronic Publication Information Center) |
op_collection_id |
ftawi |
language |
unknown |
description |
Fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus quoyi) of the Southern Hemisphere were brought to near extinction by twentieth century industrial whaling. For decades, they had all but disappeared from previously highly frequented feeding grounds in Antarctic waters. Our dedicated surveys now confirm their return to ancestral feeding grounds, gathering at the Antarctic Peninsula in large aggregations to feed. We report on the results of an abundance survey and present the first scientific documentation of large fin whale feeding aggregations at Elephant Island, Antarctica, including the first ever video documentation. We interpret high densities, re-establishment of historical behaviours and the return to ancestral feeding grounds as signs for a recovering population. Recovery of a large whale population has the potential to augment primary productivity at their feeding grounds through the effects of nutrient recycling, known as 'the whale pump'. The recovery of fin whales in that area could thus restore ecosystem functions crucial for atmospheric carbon regulation in the world's most important ocean region for the uptake of anthropogenic CO2. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Herr, Helena Viquerat, Sacha Devas, Fredi Lees, Abigail Wells, Lucy Gregory, Bertie Giffords, Ted Beecham, Dan Meyer, Bettina |
spellingShingle |
Herr, Helena Viquerat, Sacha Devas, Fredi Lees, Abigail Wells, Lucy Gregory, Bertie Giffords, Ted Beecham, Dan Meyer, Bettina Return of large fin whale feeding aggregations to historical whaling grounds in the Southern Ocean |
author_facet |
Herr, Helena Viquerat, Sacha Devas, Fredi Lees, Abigail Wells, Lucy Gregory, Bertie Giffords, Ted Beecham, Dan Meyer, Bettina |
author_sort |
Herr, Helena |
title |
Return of large fin whale feeding aggregations to historical whaling grounds in the Southern Ocean |
title_short |
Return of large fin whale feeding aggregations to historical whaling grounds in the Southern Ocean |
title_full |
Return of large fin whale feeding aggregations to historical whaling grounds in the Southern Ocean |
title_fullStr |
Return of large fin whale feeding aggregations to historical whaling grounds in the Southern Ocean |
title_full_unstemmed |
Return of large fin whale feeding aggregations to historical whaling grounds in the Southern Ocean |
title_sort |
return of large fin whale feeding aggregations to historical whaling grounds in the southern ocean |
publisher |
Nature |
publishDate |
2022 |
url |
https://epic.awi.de/id/eprint/56676/ https://epic.awi.de/id/eprint/56676/1/Herr_etal_2022.pdf https://hdl.handle.net/10013/epic.f264677f-d20e-4ab0-87b4-8fe5818d4fa8 https://hdl.handle.net/ |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-55.184,-55.184,-61.085,-61.085) |
geographic |
Antarctic Southern Ocean The Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula Elephant Island |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic Southern Ocean The Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula Elephant Island |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula Antarctica Balaenoptera physalus Elephant Island Fin whale Southern Ocean |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula Antarctica Balaenoptera physalus Elephant Island Fin whale Southern Ocean |
op_source |
EPIC3Scientific repoorts, Nature, 12(9458) |
op_relation |
https://epic.awi.de/id/eprint/56676/1/Herr_etal_2022.pdf https://hdl.handle.net/ Herr, H. , Viquerat, S. , Devas, F. , Lees, A. , Wells, L. , Gregory, B. , Giffords, T. , Beecham, D. and Meyer, B. orcid:0000-0001-6804-9896 (2022) Return of large fin whale feeding aggregations to historical whaling grounds in the Southern Ocean , Scientific repoorts, 12 (9458) . doi:10.1038/s41598-022-13798-7 <https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-13798-7> , hdl:10013/epic.f264677f-d20e-4ab0-87b4-8fe5818d4fa8 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-13798-7 |
container_title |
Scientific Reports |
container_volume |
12 |
container_issue |
1 |
_version_ |
1766222919297400832 |