The predictable narwhal: satellite tracking shows behavioural similarities between isolated subpopulations

• Published in: Journal of Zoology
• Main Authors: Heide-Jørgensen, M. P., Nielsen, N.H., Hansen, R. G., Schmidt, H. C., Blackwell, S. B., Jørgensen, Ole A
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: 2015
• Subjects: ZOOLOGY; MONODON-MONOCEROS; ADJACENT WATERS; EAST GREENLAND; BAFFIN-ISLAND; MOVEMENTS; WHALES; ABUNDANCE; CLIMATE; AREAS; BAY; Scoresby Sound; whale migration; satellite tracking; Greenland halibut; dive behaviour; site fidelity; /dk/atira/pure/sustainabledevelopmentgoals/climate_action; name=SDG 13 - Climate Action; Baffin Island; Greenland; Scoresby; Baffin; East Greenland; Monodon monoceros; narwhal*
• Online Access: https://orbit.dtu.dk/en/publications/92af9c33-ba50-4d3e-8f20-df35f27b8215; https://doi.org/10.1111/jzo.12257

Comparison of behavioural similarities between subpopulations of species that have been isolated for a long time is important for understanding the general ecology of species that are under pressure from large-scale changes in habitats. Narwhals (Monodon monoceros) east and west of Greenland are examples of separated populations that, in different ocean parts, will be coping with similar anthropogenic and climate-driven habitat alterations. To study this, 28 narwhals from the Scoresby Sound fjord system were tracked by satellite in 2010-2013. The average duration of contact with the whales was 124 days with one tag lasting 305 days and one whale recaptured