Aerial surveys for Antarctic minke whales (Balaenoptera bonaerensis) reveal sea ice dependent distribution patterns
Abstract This study investigates the distribution of Antarctic minke whales (AMW) in relation to sea ice concentration and variations therein. Information on AMW densities in the sea ice‐covered parts of the Southern Ocean is required to contextualize abundance estimates obtained from circumpolar sh...
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:a31145253b9b4c969bb0877873549a19 2023-05-15T13:58:39+02:00 Aerial surveys for Antarctic minke whales (Balaenoptera bonaerensis) reveal sea ice dependent distribution patterns Helena Herr Natalie Kelly Boris Dorschel Marcus Huntemann Karl‐Hermann Kock Linn Sophia Lehnert Ursula Siebert Sacha Viquerat Rob Williams Meike Scheidat 2019-05-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.5149 https://doaj.org/article/a31145253b9b4c969bb0877873549a19 EN eng Wiley https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.5149 https://doaj.org/toc/2045-7758 2045-7758 doi:10.1002/ece3.5149 https://doaj.org/article/a31145253b9b4c969bb0877873549a19 Ecology and Evolution, Vol 9, Iss 10, Pp 5664-5682 (2019) Antarctic minke whale distribution density surface models distance sampling marginal ice zone ship‐based helicopter surveys Southern Ocean Ecology QH540-549.5 article 2019 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.5149 2022-12-31T04:24:38Z Abstract This study investigates the distribution of Antarctic minke whales (AMW) in relation to sea ice concentration and variations therein. Information on AMW densities in the sea ice‐covered parts of the Southern Ocean is required to contextualize abundance estimates obtained from circumpolar shipboard surveys in open waters, suggesting a 30% decline in AMW abundance. Conventional line‐transect shipboard surveys for density estimation are impossible in ice‐covered regions, therefore we used icebreaker‐supported helicopter surveys to obtain information on AMW densities along gradients of 0%–100% of ice concentration. We conducted five helicopter surveys in the Southern Ocean, between 2006 and 2013. Distance sampling data, satellite‐derived sea‐ice data, and bathymetric parameters were used in generalized additive models (GAMs) to produce predictions on how the density of AMWs varied over space and time, and with environmental covariates. Ice concentration, distance to the ice edge and distance from the shelf break were found to describe the distribution of AMWs. Highest densities were predicted at the ice edge and through to medium ice concentrations. Medium densities were found up to 500 km into the ice edge in all concentrations of ice. Very low numbers of AMWs were found in the ice‐free waters of the West Antarctic Peninsula (WAP). A consistent relationship between AMW distribution and sea ice concentration weakens the support for the hypothesis that varying numbers of AMWs in ice‐covered waters were responsible for observed changes in estimated abundance. The potential decline in AMW abundance stresses the need for conservation measures and further studies into the AMW population status. Very low numbers of AMWs recorded in the ice‐free waters along the WAP support the hypothesis that this species is strongly dependent on sea ice and that forecasted sea ice changes have the potential of heavily impacting AMWs. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic Antarctic Minke whale Antarctic Peninsula Balaenoptera bonaerensis Icebreaker minke whale Sea ice Southern Ocean ice covered waters Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Antarctic Southern Ocean Antarctic Peninsula Ecology and Evolution 9 10 5664 5682 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
op_collection_id |
ftdoajarticles |
language |
English |
topic |
Antarctic minke whale distribution density surface models distance sampling marginal ice zone ship‐based helicopter surveys Southern Ocean Ecology QH540-549.5 |
spellingShingle |
Antarctic minke whale distribution density surface models distance sampling marginal ice zone ship‐based helicopter surveys Southern Ocean Ecology QH540-549.5 Helena Herr Natalie Kelly Boris Dorschel Marcus Huntemann Karl‐Hermann Kock Linn Sophia Lehnert Ursula Siebert Sacha Viquerat Rob Williams Meike Scheidat Aerial surveys for Antarctic minke whales (Balaenoptera bonaerensis) reveal sea ice dependent distribution patterns |
topic_facet |
Antarctic minke whale distribution density surface models distance sampling marginal ice zone ship‐based helicopter surveys Southern Ocean Ecology QH540-549.5 |
description |
Abstract This study investigates the distribution of Antarctic minke whales (AMW) in relation to sea ice concentration and variations therein. Information on AMW densities in the sea ice‐covered parts of the Southern Ocean is required to contextualize abundance estimates obtained from circumpolar shipboard surveys in open waters, suggesting a 30% decline in AMW abundance. Conventional line‐transect shipboard surveys for density estimation are impossible in ice‐covered regions, therefore we used icebreaker‐supported helicopter surveys to obtain information on AMW densities along gradients of 0%–100% of ice concentration. We conducted five helicopter surveys in the Southern Ocean, between 2006 and 2013. Distance sampling data, satellite‐derived sea‐ice data, and bathymetric parameters were used in generalized additive models (GAMs) to produce predictions on how the density of AMWs varied over space and time, and with environmental covariates. Ice concentration, distance to the ice edge and distance from the shelf break were found to describe the distribution of AMWs. Highest densities were predicted at the ice edge and through to medium ice concentrations. Medium densities were found up to 500 km into the ice edge in all concentrations of ice. Very low numbers of AMWs were found in the ice‐free waters of the West Antarctic Peninsula (WAP). A consistent relationship between AMW distribution and sea ice concentration weakens the support for the hypothesis that varying numbers of AMWs in ice‐covered waters were responsible for observed changes in estimated abundance. The potential decline in AMW abundance stresses the need for conservation measures and further studies into the AMW population status. Very low numbers of AMWs recorded in the ice‐free waters along the WAP support the hypothesis that this species is strongly dependent on sea ice and that forecasted sea ice changes have the potential of heavily impacting AMWs. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Helena Herr Natalie Kelly Boris Dorschel Marcus Huntemann Karl‐Hermann Kock Linn Sophia Lehnert Ursula Siebert Sacha Viquerat Rob Williams Meike Scheidat |
author_facet |
Helena Herr Natalie Kelly Boris Dorschel Marcus Huntemann Karl‐Hermann Kock Linn Sophia Lehnert Ursula Siebert Sacha Viquerat Rob Williams Meike Scheidat |
author_sort |
Helena Herr |
title |
Aerial surveys for Antarctic minke whales (Balaenoptera bonaerensis) reveal sea ice dependent distribution patterns |
title_short |
Aerial surveys for Antarctic minke whales (Balaenoptera bonaerensis) reveal sea ice dependent distribution patterns |
title_full |
Aerial surveys for Antarctic minke whales (Balaenoptera bonaerensis) reveal sea ice dependent distribution patterns |
title_fullStr |
Aerial surveys for Antarctic minke whales (Balaenoptera bonaerensis) reveal sea ice dependent distribution patterns |
title_full_unstemmed |
Aerial surveys for Antarctic minke whales (Balaenoptera bonaerensis) reveal sea ice dependent distribution patterns |
title_sort |
aerial surveys for antarctic minke whales (balaenoptera bonaerensis) reveal sea ice dependent distribution patterns |
publisher |
Wiley |
publishDate |
2019 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.5149 https://doaj.org/article/a31145253b9b4c969bb0877873549a19 |
geographic |
Antarctic Southern Ocean Antarctic Peninsula |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic Southern Ocean Antarctic Peninsula |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctic Minke whale Antarctic Peninsula Balaenoptera bonaerensis Icebreaker minke whale Sea ice Southern Ocean ice covered waters |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctic Minke whale Antarctic Peninsula Balaenoptera bonaerensis Icebreaker minke whale Sea ice Southern Ocean ice covered waters |
op_source |
Ecology and Evolution, Vol 9, Iss 10, Pp 5664-5682 (2019) |
op_relation |
https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.5149 https://doaj.org/toc/2045-7758 2045-7758 doi:10.1002/ece3.5149 https://doaj.org/article/a31145253b9b4c969bb0877873549a19 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.5149 |
container_title |
Ecology and Evolution |
container_volume |
9 |
container_issue |
10 |
container_start_page |
5664 |
op_container_end_page |
5682 |
_version_ |
1766267003003207680 |