Migrations of Blue whales (Balaenoptera musculus) in the Eastern South Pacific connect multiple South American jurisdictions with the High Seas: A case study illustrating ecological connectivity in areas beyond national jurisdiction : Case studies of ecological connectivity in areas beyond national jurisdiction. Migrations of Blue whales (Balaenoptera musculus) in the Eastern South Pacific connect multiple South American jurisdictions with the High Seas

• Main Authors: Herrero Palacio, Alejandro, Heywood, Eleanor
• Format: Report
• Language: English
• Published: United Nations Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre 2019
• Subjects: Pacific; Balaenoptera musculus; baleen whales
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.34892/bddf-pa37; https://wcmc.io/ABNJ_connectivity_bluewhales

​The ocean is home to many marine animals which embark upon migrations, connecting different parts of the ocean. These migration pathways do not recognise human-made boundaries and often include both coastal and oceanic habitats. These case studies use data from Migratory Connectivity in the Ocean (MiCO) to show the journeys of three highly migratory marine species. Baleen whales are traditionally understood to migrate long distances between their summer feeding and winter breeding grounds; many exceptions to this pattern have however been recorded throughout the years, such as individuals that forgo migration to take advantage of abundant resources on the feeding grounds (Barendse et al. 2010) or even records of individuals performing longitudinal inter-oceanic exchanges (Stevick et al. 2014). A deeper understanding of migratory species and their transboundary connections is thus important to underpin regional and national management (Hucke-Gaete et al. 2018).