Application of Suction-cup-attached VHF Transmitters to the Study of Beluga, Delphinapterus leucas, Surfacing Behavior in Cook Inlet, Alaska
Suction-cup-attached VHF radio transmittes were deployed on belugas, Delphinapterus leucas, in Cook Inlet, Alaska, in 1994 and 1995 to characterize the whales' surfacing behavior. Data from video recordings were also used to characterize behavior of undisturbed whales and whales actively pursue...
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ftoceandocs:oai:aquadocs.org:1834/26387 2023-05-15T15:41:54+02:00 Application of Suction-cup-attached VHF Transmitters to the Study of Beluga, Delphinapterus leucas, Surfacing Behavior in Cook Inlet, Alaska Lerczak, James A. Shelden, Kim E. W. Hobbs, Roderick C. 2000 application/pdf 99-111 http://hdl.handle.net/1834/26387 en eng http://spo.nwr.noaa.gov/mfr623/mfr6239.pdf 0090-1830 http://hdl.handle.net/1834/26387 http://aquaticcommons.org/id/eprint/9773 403 2012-08-14 20:25:19 9773 United States National Marine Fisheries Service Biology Ecology Fisheries article TRUE 2000 ftoceandocs 2023-04-06T17:03:10Z Suction-cup-attached VHF radio transmittes were deployed on belugas, Delphinapterus leucas, in Cook Inlet, Alaska, in 1994 and 1995 to characterize the whales' surfacing behavior. Data from video recordings were also used to characterize behavior of undisturbed whales and whales actively pursued for tagging. Statistics for dive intervals (time between the midpoints of contiguous surfacings) and surfacing intevals (time at the surface per surfacing) were estimated. Operations took place on the tidal delta of the Susitna and Little Susitna Rivers. During the 2-yr study, eight whales were successfully tagged, five tags remained attached for >60 min, and data from these were used in the analyses. Mean dive interval was 24.1 sec (interwhale SD=6.4 sec, n=5). The mean surfacing interval, as determined from the duration of signals received from the radio transmitters, was 1.8 sec (SD=0.3 sec, n=125) for one of the whales. Videotaped behaviors were categorized as "head-lifts" or "slow-rolls." Belugas were more likely to head-lift than to slow-roll during vessel approaches and tagging attempts when compared to undisturbed whales. In undisturbed groups, surfacing intervals determined from video records were significantly different between head-lifting (average = 1.02 sect, SD=0.38 sed, n=28) and slow-rolling whales (average = 2.45 sec, SD=0.37 sec, n=106). Undisturbed juveniles exhibited shorter slow-roll surfacing intervals (average = 2.25 sec, SD=0.32 sec, n=36) than adults (average = 2.55 sec, SD=0.36 sec, n=70). We did not observe strong reactions by the belugas to the suction-cup tags. This tagging method shows promise for obtaining surfacing data for durations of several days. Article in Journal/Newspaper Beluga Beluga* Delphinapterus leucas Alaska IODE-UNESCO: OceanDocs - E-Repository of Ocean Publications |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
IODE-UNESCO: OceanDocs - E-Repository of Ocean Publications |
op_collection_id |
ftoceandocs |
language |
English |
topic |
Biology Ecology Fisheries |
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Biology Ecology Fisheries Lerczak, James A. Shelden, Kim E. W. Hobbs, Roderick C. Application of Suction-cup-attached VHF Transmitters to the Study of Beluga, Delphinapterus leucas, Surfacing Behavior in Cook Inlet, Alaska |
topic_facet |
Biology Ecology Fisheries |
description |
Suction-cup-attached VHF radio transmittes were deployed on belugas, Delphinapterus leucas, in Cook Inlet, Alaska, in 1994 and 1995 to characterize the whales' surfacing behavior. Data from video recordings were also used to characterize behavior of undisturbed whales and whales actively pursued for tagging. Statistics for dive intervals (time between the midpoints of contiguous surfacings) and surfacing intevals (time at the surface per surfacing) were estimated. Operations took place on the tidal delta of the Susitna and Little Susitna Rivers. During the 2-yr study, eight whales were successfully tagged, five tags remained attached for >60 min, and data from these were used in the analyses. Mean dive interval was 24.1 sec (interwhale SD=6.4 sec, n=5). The mean surfacing interval, as determined from the duration of signals received from the radio transmitters, was 1.8 sec (SD=0.3 sec, n=125) for one of the whales. Videotaped behaviors were categorized as "head-lifts" or "slow-rolls." Belugas were more likely to head-lift than to slow-roll during vessel approaches and tagging attempts when compared to undisturbed whales. In undisturbed groups, surfacing intervals determined from video records were significantly different between head-lifting (average = 1.02 sect, SD=0.38 sed, n=28) and slow-rolling whales (average = 2.45 sec, SD=0.37 sec, n=106). Undisturbed juveniles exhibited shorter slow-roll surfacing intervals (average = 2.25 sec, SD=0.32 sec, n=36) than adults (average = 2.55 sec, SD=0.36 sec, n=70). We did not observe strong reactions by the belugas to the suction-cup tags. This tagging method shows promise for obtaining surfacing data for durations of several days. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Lerczak, James A. Shelden, Kim E. W. Hobbs, Roderick C. |
author_facet |
Lerczak, James A. Shelden, Kim E. W. Hobbs, Roderick C. |
author_sort |
Lerczak, James A. |
title |
Application of Suction-cup-attached VHF Transmitters to the Study of Beluga, Delphinapterus leucas, Surfacing Behavior in Cook Inlet, Alaska |
title_short |
Application of Suction-cup-attached VHF Transmitters to the Study of Beluga, Delphinapterus leucas, Surfacing Behavior in Cook Inlet, Alaska |
title_full |
Application of Suction-cup-attached VHF Transmitters to the Study of Beluga, Delphinapterus leucas, Surfacing Behavior in Cook Inlet, Alaska |
title_fullStr |
Application of Suction-cup-attached VHF Transmitters to the Study of Beluga, Delphinapterus leucas, Surfacing Behavior in Cook Inlet, Alaska |
title_full_unstemmed |
Application of Suction-cup-attached VHF Transmitters to the Study of Beluga, Delphinapterus leucas, Surfacing Behavior in Cook Inlet, Alaska |
title_sort |
application of suction-cup-attached vhf transmitters to the study of beluga, delphinapterus leucas, surfacing behavior in cook inlet, alaska |
publishDate |
2000 |
url |
http://hdl.handle.net/1834/26387 |
genre |
Beluga Beluga* Delphinapterus leucas Alaska |
genre_facet |
Beluga Beluga* Delphinapterus leucas Alaska |
op_source |
http://aquaticcommons.org/id/eprint/9773 403 2012-08-14 20:25:19 9773 United States National Marine Fisheries Service |
op_relation |
http://spo.nwr.noaa.gov/mfr623/mfr6239.pdf 0090-1830 http://hdl.handle.net/1834/26387 |
_version_ |
1766374784788070400 |