Coastal Fronts Utilized by Migrating Humpback Whales, Megaptera novaeangliae, on the Gold Coast, Australia
Large-scale migration patterns of humpback whales, Megaptera novaeangliae, are quite well known; however, small-scale distribution patterns and relationships with environmental conditions have received less attention. Protection from a range of threats, as well as predicting the effects of climate c...
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Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/10072/123822 https://doi.org/10.2112/SI75-111.1 |
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ftgriffithuniv:oai:research-repository.griffith.edu.au:10072/123822 2023-05-15T16:36:05+02:00 Coastal Fronts Utilized by Migrating Humpback Whales, Megaptera novaeangliae, on the Gold Coast, Australia Reinke, Joshua Lemckert, Charles Meynecke, Olaf 2016 http://hdl.handle.net/10072/123822 https://doi.org/10.2112/SI75-111.1 English eng Coastal Education & Research Foundation Journal of Coastal Research Earth Sciences not elsewhere classified Journal article 2016 ftgriffithuniv https://doi.org/10.2112/SI75-111.1 2018-07-30T10:59:44Z Large-scale migration patterns of humpback whales, Megaptera novaeangliae, are quite well known; however, small-scale distribution patterns and relationships with environmental conditions have received less attention. Protection from a range of threats, as well as predicting the effects of climate change, requires knowledge of preferred habitat and environmental conditions. East Australian humpback whales travel from the Southern Ocean towards the Great Barrier Reef to breed. The East Australian coastal environment is dominated by the East Australian Current that carries warm water poleward from the tropics and generates upwelling conditions on the coast. Sharp temperature changes develop at the border of the warm current and the cooler coastal and upwelled waters. This study outlines methodologies and proposes relationships between humpback whale distribution and sea surface temperature (and temperature gradient) on the Gold Coast, Australia. This area is used primarily as a migration route, but also as a resting area for mothers and calves on the southward return journey. The distribution of almost 400 pods favoured cooler waters and areas with a strong temperature gradient. The coastal fronts generated by the East Australian Current generally run parallel to shore and may serve as a tool for navigation, allowing whales to follow the current. Higher productivity in cooler upwelled water and fronts may also provide a chance for opportunistic feeding. Griffith Sciences, Griffith School of Engineering No Full Text Article in Journal/Newspaper Humpback Whale Megaptera novaeangliae Southern Ocean Griffith University: Griffith Research Online Griffith ENVELOPE(-155.500,-155.500,-85.883,-85.883) Southern Ocean Journal of Coastal Research 75 sp1 552 556 |
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Open Polar |
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Griffith University: Griffith Research Online |
op_collection_id |
ftgriffithuniv |
language |
English |
topic |
Earth Sciences not elsewhere classified |
spellingShingle |
Earth Sciences not elsewhere classified Reinke, Joshua Lemckert, Charles Meynecke, Olaf Coastal Fronts Utilized by Migrating Humpback Whales, Megaptera novaeangliae, on the Gold Coast, Australia |
topic_facet |
Earth Sciences not elsewhere classified |
description |
Large-scale migration patterns of humpback whales, Megaptera novaeangliae, are quite well known; however, small-scale distribution patterns and relationships with environmental conditions have received less attention. Protection from a range of threats, as well as predicting the effects of climate change, requires knowledge of preferred habitat and environmental conditions. East Australian humpback whales travel from the Southern Ocean towards the Great Barrier Reef to breed. The East Australian coastal environment is dominated by the East Australian Current that carries warm water poleward from the tropics and generates upwelling conditions on the coast. Sharp temperature changes develop at the border of the warm current and the cooler coastal and upwelled waters. This study outlines methodologies and proposes relationships between humpback whale distribution and sea surface temperature (and temperature gradient) on the Gold Coast, Australia. This area is used primarily as a migration route, but also as a resting area for mothers and calves on the southward return journey. The distribution of almost 400 pods favoured cooler waters and areas with a strong temperature gradient. The coastal fronts generated by the East Australian Current generally run parallel to shore and may serve as a tool for navigation, allowing whales to follow the current. Higher productivity in cooler upwelled water and fronts may also provide a chance for opportunistic feeding. Griffith Sciences, Griffith School of Engineering No Full Text |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Reinke, Joshua Lemckert, Charles Meynecke, Olaf |
author_facet |
Reinke, Joshua Lemckert, Charles Meynecke, Olaf |
author_sort |
Reinke, Joshua |
title |
Coastal Fronts Utilized by Migrating Humpback Whales, Megaptera novaeangliae, on the Gold Coast, Australia |
title_short |
Coastal Fronts Utilized by Migrating Humpback Whales, Megaptera novaeangliae, on the Gold Coast, Australia |
title_full |
Coastal Fronts Utilized by Migrating Humpback Whales, Megaptera novaeangliae, on the Gold Coast, Australia |
title_fullStr |
Coastal Fronts Utilized by Migrating Humpback Whales, Megaptera novaeangliae, on the Gold Coast, Australia |
title_full_unstemmed |
Coastal Fronts Utilized by Migrating Humpback Whales, Megaptera novaeangliae, on the Gold Coast, Australia |
title_sort |
coastal fronts utilized by migrating humpback whales, megaptera novaeangliae, on the gold coast, australia |
publisher |
Coastal Education & Research Foundation |
publishDate |
2016 |
url |
http://hdl.handle.net/10072/123822 https://doi.org/10.2112/SI75-111.1 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-155.500,-155.500,-85.883,-85.883) |
geographic |
Griffith Southern Ocean |
geographic_facet |
Griffith Southern Ocean |
genre |
Humpback Whale Megaptera novaeangliae Southern Ocean |
genre_facet |
Humpback Whale Megaptera novaeangliae Southern Ocean |
op_relation |
Journal of Coastal Research |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.2112/SI75-111.1 |
container_title |
Journal of Coastal Research |
container_volume |
75 |
container_issue |
sp1 |
container_start_page |
552 |
op_container_end_page |
556 |
_version_ |
1766026388197867520 |