Climate variability, oceanography, bowhead whale distribution, and Iñupiat subsistence whaling near Barrow, Alaska
The annual migration of bowhead whales (Balaena mysticetus) past Barrow, Alaska, has provided subsistence hunting to Iñupiat for centuries. Bowheads recurrently feed on aggregations of zooplankton prey near Barrow in autumn. The mechanisms that form these aggregations, and the associations between w...
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ftnavalpschool:oai:calhoun.nps.edu:10945/62448 2024-06-09T07:41:23+00:00 Climate variability, oceanography, bowhead whale distribution, and Iñupiat subsistence whaling near Barrow, Alaska Ashjian, Carin J. Campbell, Robert G. George, John C. Kruse, Jack Maslowski, Wieslaw Moore, Sue E. Nicolson, Craig R. Okkonen, Stephen R. Sherr, Barry F. Sherr, Evelyn B. Spitz, Yvette H. 2010-06 application/pdf https://hdl.handle.net/10945/62448 en_US eng Arctic Institute of North America Arctic 63 (2010): 179-194. Arctic 63 (2010): 179-194 https://hdl.handle.net/10945/62448 Bowhead whale Plankton Oceanography Beaufort Sea Subsistence whaling Article 2010 ftnavalpschool 2024-05-15T00:31:03Z The annual migration of bowhead whales (Balaena mysticetus) past Barrow, Alaska, has provided subsistence hunting to Iñupiat for centuries. Bowheads recurrently feed on aggregations of zooplankton prey near Barrow in autumn. The mechanisms that form these aggregations, and the associations between whales and oceanography, were investigated using field sampling, retrospective analysis, and traditional knowledge interviews. Oceanographic and aerial surveys were conducted near Barrow during August and September in 2005 and 2006. Multiple water masses were observed, and close coupling between water mass type and biological characteristics was noted. Short-term variability in hydrography was associated with changes in wind speed and direction that profoundly affected plankton taxonomic composition. Aggregations of ca. 50–100 bowhead whales were observed in early September of both years at locations consistent with traditional knowledge. Retrospective analyses of records for 1984–2004 also showed that annual aggregations of whales near Barrow were associated with wind speed and direction. Euphausiids and copepods appear to be upwelled onto the Beaufort Sea shelf during Eor SEwinds. A favorable feeding environment is produced when these plankton are retained and concentrated on the shelf by the prevailing westward Beaufort Sea shelf currents that converge with the Alaska Coastal Current flowing to the northeast along the eastern edge of Barrow Canyon. This work was supported by NSF Grants OPPPP-0436131 to C. Ashjian (S. Braund Subcontract), OPPPP-0436110 to R. Campbell, OPPPP-0436127 to W. Maslowski, OPPPP-0436009 to C. Nicolson and J. Kruse, OPPPP-043166 to S. Okkonen, and OPPPP-0435956 to Y. Spitz, E. Sherr, and B. Sherr. Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Balaena mysticetus Barrow Beaufort Sea bowhead whale Alaska Copepods Naval Postgraduate School: Calhoun Barrow Canyon ENVELOPE(-154.000,-154.000,72.500,72.500) |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Naval Postgraduate School: Calhoun |
op_collection_id |
ftnavalpschool |
language |
English |
topic |
Bowhead whale Plankton Oceanography Beaufort Sea Subsistence whaling |
spellingShingle |
Bowhead whale Plankton Oceanography Beaufort Sea Subsistence whaling Ashjian, Carin J. Campbell, Robert G. George, John C. Kruse, Jack Maslowski, Wieslaw Moore, Sue E. Nicolson, Craig R. Okkonen, Stephen R. Sherr, Barry F. Sherr, Evelyn B. Spitz, Yvette H. Climate variability, oceanography, bowhead whale distribution, and Iñupiat subsistence whaling near Barrow, Alaska |
topic_facet |
Bowhead whale Plankton Oceanography Beaufort Sea Subsistence whaling |
description |
The annual migration of bowhead whales (Balaena mysticetus) past Barrow, Alaska, has provided subsistence hunting to Iñupiat for centuries. Bowheads recurrently feed on aggregations of zooplankton prey near Barrow in autumn. The mechanisms that form these aggregations, and the associations between whales and oceanography, were investigated using field sampling, retrospective analysis, and traditional knowledge interviews. Oceanographic and aerial surveys were conducted near Barrow during August and September in 2005 and 2006. Multiple water masses were observed, and close coupling between water mass type and biological characteristics was noted. Short-term variability in hydrography was associated with changes in wind speed and direction that profoundly affected plankton taxonomic composition. Aggregations of ca. 50–100 bowhead whales were observed in early September of both years at locations consistent with traditional knowledge. Retrospective analyses of records for 1984–2004 also showed that annual aggregations of whales near Barrow were associated with wind speed and direction. Euphausiids and copepods appear to be upwelled onto the Beaufort Sea shelf during Eor SEwinds. A favorable feeding environment is produced when these plankton are retained and concentrated on the shelf by the prevailing westward Beaufort Sea shelf currents that converge with the Alaska Coastal Current flowing to the northeast along the eastern edge of Barrow Canyon. This work was supported by NSF Grants OPPPP-0436131 to C. Ashjian (S. Braund Subcontract), OPPPP-0436110 to R. Campbell, OPPPP-0436127 to W. Maslowski, OPPPP-0436009 to C. Nicolson and J. Kruse, OPPPP-043166 to S. Okkonen, and OPPPP-0435956 to Y. Spitz, E. Sherr, and B. Sherr. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Ashjian, Carin J. Campbell, Robert G. George, John C. Kruse, Jack Maslowski, Wieslaw Moore, Sue E. Nicolson, Craig R. Okkonen, Stephen R. Sherr, Barry F. Sherr, Evelyn B. Spitz, Yvette H. |
author_facet |
Ashjian, Carin J. Campbell, Robert G. George, John C. Kruse, Jack Maslowski, Wieslaw Moore, Sue E. Nicolson, Craig R. Okkonen, Stephen R. Sherr, Barry F. Sherr, Evelyn B. Spitz, Yvette H. |
author_sort |
Ashjian, Carin J. |
title |
Climate variability, oceanography, bowhead whale distribution, and Iñupiat subsistence whaling near Barrow, Alaska |
title_short |
Climate variability, oceanography, bowhead whale distribution, and Iñupiat subsistence whaling near Barrow, Alaska |
title_full |
Climate variability, oceanography, bowhead whale distribution, and Iñupiat subsistence whaling near Barrow, Alaska |
title_fullStr |
Climate variability, oceanography, bowhead whale distribution, and Iñupiat subsistence whaling near Barrow, Alaska |
title_full_unstemmed |
Climate variability, oceanography, bowhead whale distribution, and Iñupiat subsistence whaling near Barrow, Alaska |
title_sort |
climate variability, oceanography, bowhead whale distribution, and iñupiat subsistence whaling near barrow, alaska |
publisher |
Arctic Institute of North America |
publishDate |
2010 |
url |
https://hdl.handle.net/10945/62448 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-154.000,-154.000,72.500,72.500) |
geographic |
Barrow Canyon |
geographic_facet |
Barrow Canyon |
genre |
Arctic Balaena mysticetus Barrow Beaufort Sea bowhead whale Alaska Copepods |
genre_facet |
Arctic Balaena mysticetus Barrow Beaufort Sea bowhead whale Alaska Copepods |
op_relation |
Arctic 63 (2010): 179-194. Arctic 63 (2010): 179-194 https://hdl.handle.net/10945/62448 |
_version_ |
1801369891710697472 |