Influence of sea-ice structure on minke whale and other krill-predator distribution

• Main Author: Maria I. Garcia-Rojas
• Format: Thesis
• Language: unknown
• Published: 2012
• Subjects: Ecosystem Function; Marine and Estuarine Ecology (incl. Marine Ichthyology); Applied Statistics; Krill; Minke whales; Ice structure; Feeding habits; Antarctic; Sea-ice; Penguins; Seals; The Antarctic; Antarc*; Antarctic Minke whale; Balaenoptera bonaerensis; Crabeater Seals; minke whale; Sea ice
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10536/DRO/DU:30056798; https://figshare.com/articles/thesis/Influence_of_sea-ice_structure_on_minke_whale_and_other_krill-predator_distribution/21102823

This thesis investigated the extent to which sea-ice structure and complexity could be measured to identify suitable feeding habitat for krill-eating predators such as the Antarctic minke whale (Balaenoptera bonaerensis). The results of this study suggest that the distribution and movement of minke whales is limited by the structure of the sea ice and that the sea ice influences minke whales' habitat use more than their overall distribution. Similar relationships were found for other krill predators such as Adelie penguins and crabeater seals.