Foraging behaviour and reproductive season habitat selection of northeast pacific porpoises ...

• Main Author: Hall, Anna Marie
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: University of British Columbia 2011
• Subjects: Pacific; Harbour porpoise; Phocoena phocoena
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.14288/1.0072206; https://doi.library.ubc.ca/10.14288/1.0072206

Behavioural observations are fundamental to understanding and defining the habitat needs of animals. I compiled the behavioural repertoires reported for harbour (Phocoena phocoena) and Dall’s porpoise (Phocoenoides dalli) by classifying the life processes of phocoenids into 12 descriptive categories. This range-wide review revealed complex sexual and social behaviours, similar foraging behaviours and breeding site fidelity, as well as differences in habitat selection between these two northern hemisphere species. I also conducted a fine-scale field study of harbour porpoise foraging behaviour at two sites in Juan de Fuca Strait (British Columbia) using point transect survey data (2007–2008), and platforms of opportunity data (1995–1996, 1998–2008) to determine the physical conditions under which harbour porpoise foraged and the extent to which they displayed specialised behaviours. I examined harbour porpoise presence, density and group sizes relative to tidal currents, tidal variation, lunar phase, lunar ...