Noninvasive unmanned aerial vehicle provides estimates of the energetic cost of reproduction in humpback whales
An animal's body condition will affect its survival and reproductive success, which influences population dynamics. Despite its importance, relatively little is known about the body condition of large whales and its relationship to reproduction. We assessed the body condition of humpback whales...
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ftdeakinunifig:oai:figshare.com:article/20866954 2024-06-23T07:51:32+00:00 Noninvasive unmanned aerial vehicle provides estimates of the energetic cost of reproduction in humpback whales F Christiansen AM Dujon KR Sprogis John Arnould L Bejder 2016-10-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/10536/DRO/DU:30089359 https://figshare.com/articles/journal_contribution/Noninvasive_unmanned_aerial_vehicle_provides_estimates_of_the_energetic_cost_of_reproduction_in_humpback_whales/20866954 unknown http://hdl.handle.net/10536/DRO/DU:30089359 https://figshare.com/articles/journal_contribution/Noninvasive_unmanned_aerial_vehicle_provides_estimates_of_the_energetic_cost_of_reproduction_in_humpback_whales/20866954 All Rights Reserved Ecology not elsewhere classified Zoology not elsewhere classified Ecological applications not elsewhere classified Science & Technology Life Sciences & Biomedicine Ecology Environmental Sciences & Ecology baleen whales bioenergetics body condition body morphometrics breeding ground drones energy storage energy transfer life history Megaptera novaeangliae photogrammetry BODY-FAT CONDITION MATERNAL INVESTMENT EUBALAENA-GLACIALIS MINKE WHALES BALAENOPTERA-ACUTOROSTRATA PARTURITION DATE FIN WHALES SUCCESS BLUBBER GROWTH 050199 Ecological Applications not elsewhere classified 060205 Marine and Estuarine Ecology (incl Marine Ichthyology) 970106 Expanding Knowledge in the Biological Sciences School of Life and Environmental Sciences 3103 Ecology 3109 Zoology Text Journal contribution 2016 ftdeakinunifig 2024-06-06T02:05:01Z An animal's body condition will affect its survival and reproductive success, which influences population dynamics. Despite its importance, relatively little is known about the body condition of large whales and its relationship to reproduction. We assessed the body condition of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) at a breeding/resting ground from aerial photographs recorded using an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). Photogrammetry methods were used to measure the surface area of individual whales, which was used as an index for body condition. Repeated measurements of the same individuals were not possible; hence, this study represents a cross-sectional sample of the population. Intraseasonal changes in the body condition of four reproductive classes (calves, immature, mature, and lactating) were investigated to infer the relative energetic cost that each class faces during the breeding season. To better understand the costs of reproduction, we investigated the relationship between female body condition (FBC) and the linear growth and body condition of their dependent calves (CBC). We documented a linear decline in the body condition of mature whales (0.027 m2/d; n = 20) and lactating females (0.032 m2/d; n = 31) throughout the breeding season, while there was no change in body condition of immature whales (n = 51) and calves (n = 32). The significant decline in mature and lactating female's body condition implies substantial energetic costs for these reproductive classes. In support of this, we found a positive linear relationship between FBC and CBC. This suggests that females in poorer body condition may not have sufficient energy stores to invest as much energy into their offspring as better conditioned females without jeopardizing their own body condition and survival probability. Measurement precision was investigated from repeated measurements of the same animals both from the same and different photographs, and by looking at residual errors in relation to the positioning of the whales in the ... Article in Journal/Newspaper Balaenoptera acutorostrata baleen whales Eubalaena glacialis Megaptera novaeangliae DRO - Deakin Research Online |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
DRO - Deakin Research Online |
op_collection_id |
ftdeakinunifig |
language |
unknown |
topic |
Ecology not elsewhere classified Zoology not elsewhere classified Ecological applications not elsewhere classified Science & Technology Life Sciences & Biomedicine Ecology Environmental Sciences & Ecology baleen whales bioenergetics body condition body morphometrics breeding ground drones energy storage energy transfer life history Megaptera novaeangliae photogrammetry BODY-FAT CONDITION MATERNAL INVESTMENT EUBALAENA-GLACIALIS MINKE WHALES BALAENOPTERA-ACUTOROSTRATA PARTURITION DATE FIN WHALES SUCCESS BLUBBER GROWTH 050199 Ecological Applications not elsewhere classified 060205 Marine and Estuarine Ecology (incl Marine Ichthyology) 970106 Expanding Knowledge in the Biological Sciences School of Life and Environmental Sciences 3103 Ecology 3109 Zoology |
spellingShingle |
Ecology not elsewhere classified Zoology not elsewhere classified Ecological applications not elsewhere classified Science & Technology Life Sciences & Biomedicine Ecology Environmental Sciences & Ecology baleen whales bioenergetics body condition body morphometrics breeding ground drones energy storage energy transfer life history Megaptera novaeangliae photogrammetry BODY-FAT CONDITION MATERNAL INVESTMENT EUBALAENA-GLACIALIS MINKE WHALES BALAENOPTERA-ACUTOROSTRATA PARTURITION DATE FIN WHALES SUCCESS BLUBBER GROWTH 050199 Ecological Applications not elsewhere classified 060205 Marine and Estuarine Ecology (incl Marine Ichthyology) 970106 Expanding Knowledge in the Biological Sciences School of Life and Environmental Sciences 3103 Ecology 3109 Zoology F Christiansen AM Dujon KR Sprogis John Arnould L Bejder Noninvasive unmanned aerial vehicle provides estimates of the energetic cost of reproduction in humpback whales |
topic_facet |
Ecology not elsewhere classified Zoology not elsewhere classified Ecological applications not elsewhere classified Science & Technology Life Sciences & Biomedicine Ecology Environmental Sciences & Ecology baleen whales bioenergetics body condition body morphometrics breeding ground drones energy storage energy transfer life history Megaptera novaeangliae photogrammetry BODY-FAT CONDITION MATERNAL INVESTMENT EUBALAENA-GLACIALIS MINKE WHALES BALAENOPTERA-ACUTOROSTRATA PARTURITION DATE FIN WHALES SUCCESS BLUBBER GROWTH 050199 Ecological Applications not elsewhere classified 060205 Marine and Estuarine Ecology (incl Marine Ichthyology) 970106 Expanding Knowledge in the Biological Sciences School of Life and Environmental Sciences 3103 Ecology 3109 Zoology |
description |
An animal's body condition will affect its survival and reproductive success, which influences population dynamics. Despite its importance, relatively little is known about the body condition of large whales and its relationship to reproduction. We assessed the body condition of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) at a breeding/resting ground from aerial photographs recorded using an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). Photogrammetry methods were used to measure the surface area of individual whales, which was used as an index for body condition. Repeated measurements of the same individuals were not possible; hence, this study represents a cross-sectional sample of the population. Intraseasonal changes in the body condition of four reproductive classes (calves, immature, mature, and lactating) were investigated to infer the relative energetic cost that each class faces during the breeding season. To better understand the costs of reproduction, we investigated the relationship between female body condition (FBC) and the linear growth and body condition of their dependent calves (CBC). We documented a linear decline in the body condition of mature whales (0.027 m2/d; n = 20) and lactating females (0.032 m2/d; n = 31) throughout the breeding season, while there was no change in body condition of immature whales (n = 51) and calves (n = 32). The significant decline in mature and lactating female's body condition implies substantial energetic costs for these reproductive classes. In support of this, we found a positive linear relationship between FBC and CBC. This suggests that females in poorer body condition may not have sufficient energy stores to invest as much energy into their offspring as better conditioned females without jeopardizing their own body condition and survival probability. Measurement precision was investigated from repeated measurements of the same animals both from the same and different photographs, and by looking at residual errors in relation to the positioning of the whales in the ... |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
F Christiansen AM Dujon KR Sprogis John Arnould L Bejder |
author_facet |
F Christiansen AM Dujon KR Sprogis John Arnould L Bejder |
author_sort |
F Christiansen |
title |
Noninvasive unmanned aerial vehicle provides estimates of the energetic cost of reproduction in humpback whales |
title_short |
Noninvasive unmanned aerial vehicle provides estimates of the energetic cost of reproduction in humpback whales |
title_full |
Noninvasive unmanned aerial vehicle provides estimates of the energetic cost of reproduction in humpback whales |
title_fullStr |
Noninvasive unmanned aerial vehicle provides estimates of the energetic cost of reproduction in humpback whales |
title_full_unstemmed |
Noninvasive unmanned aerial vehicle provides estimates of the energetic cost of reproduction in humpback whales |
title_sort |
noninvasive unmanned aerial vehicle provides estimates of the energetic cost of reproduction in humpback whales |
publishDate |
2016 |
url |
http://hdl.handle.net/10536/DRO/DU:30089359 https://figshare.com/articles/journal_contribution/Noninvasive_unmanned_aerial_vehicle_provides_estimates_of_the_energetic_cost_of_reproduction_in_humpback_whales/20866954 |
genre |
Balaenoptera acutorostrata baleen whales Eubalaena glacialis Megaptera novaeangliae |
genre_facet |
Balaenoptera acutorostrata baleen whales Eubalaena glacialis Megaptera novaeangliae |
op_relation |
http://hdl.handle.net/10536/DRO/DU:30089359 https://figshare.com/articles/journal_contribution/Noninvasive_unmanned_aerial_vehicle_provides_estimates_of_the_energetic_cost_of_reproduction_in_humpback_whales/20866954 |
op_rights |
All Rights Reserved |
_version_ |
1802642637534003200 |