The Significance of the North Water Polynya to Arctic Top Predators
The North Water polynya (~76°N to 79°N and 70°W to 80°W) is known to be an important habitat for several species of marine mammals and sea birds. For millennia, it has provided the basis for subsistence hunting and human presence in the northernmost part of Baffin Bay. The abundance of air-breathing...
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ftpubmed:oai:pubmedcentral.nih.gov:3698320 2023-05-15T13:16:23+02:00 The Significance of the North Water Polynya to Arctic Top Predators Heide-Jørgensen, Mads Peter Burt, Louise M. Hansen, Rikke Guldborg Nielsen, Nynne Hjort Rasmussen, Marianne Fossette, Sabrina Stern, Harry 2012-12-28 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3698320 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23271401 https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-012-0357-3 en eng Springer Netherlands http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23271401 http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s13280-012-0357-3 © Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences 2012 Report Text 2012 ftpubmed https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-012-0357-3 2014-09-07T00:43:01Z The North Water polynya (~76°N to 79°N and 70°W to 80°W) is known to be an important habitat for several species of marine mammals and sea birds. For millennia, it has provided the basis for subsistence hunting and human presence in the northernmost part of Baffin Bay. The abundance of air-breathing top predators also represents a potential source of nutrient cycling that maintains primary production. In this study, aerial surveys conducted in 2009 and 2010 were used for the first time to map the distribution and estimate the abundance of top predators during spring in the North Water. Belugas (Delphinapterus leucas) were not detected north of 77°20′N but were found along the coast of West Greenland and offshore in the middle of the North Water with an abundance estimated at 2245 (95 % CI 1811–2783). Narwhals (Monodon monoceros) were widely distributed on the eastern side of the North Water with an estimate of abundance of 7726 (3761–15 870). Walruses (Odobenus rosmarus) were found across the North Water over both shallow and deep (>500 m) water with an estimated abundance of 1499 (1077–2087). Bearded (Erignathus barbatus) and ringed seals (Phoca hispida) used the large floes of ice in the southeastern part of the North Water for hauling out. Most polar bears (Ursus maritimus) were detected in the southern part of the polynya. The abundances of bearded and ringed seals were 6016 (3322–10 893) and 9529 (5460–16 632), respectively, and that of polar bears was 60 (12–292). Three sea bird species were distributed along the Greenland coast (eiders, Somateria spp.), in leads and cracks close to the Greenland coast (little auks, Alle alle) or widely in open water (thick-billed guillemots, Uria lomvia). Text Alle alle Arctic Baffin Bay Baffin Bay Baffin Beluga* Delphinapterus leucas Erignathus barbatus Greenland Monodon monoceros narwhal* Odobenus rosmarus Phoca hispida Uria lomvia Ursus maritimus uria walrus* PubMed Central (PMC) Arctic Baffin Bay Greenland AMBIO 42 5 596 610 |
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Report Heide-Jørgensen, Mads Peter Burt, Louise M. Hansen, Rikke Guldborg Nielsen, Nynne Hjort Rasmussen, Marianne Fossette, Sabrina Stern, Harry The Significance of the North Water Polynya to Arctic Top Predators |
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Report |
description |
The North Water polynya (~76°N to 79°N and 70°W to 80°W) is known to be an important habitat for several species of marine mammals and sea birds. For millennia, it has provided the basis for subsistence hunting and human presence in the northernmost part of Baffin Bay. The abundance of air-breathing top predators also represents a potential source of nutrient cycling that maintains primary production. In this study, aerial surveys conducted in 2009 and 2010 were used for the first time to map the distribution and estimate the abundance of top predators during spring in the North Water. Belugas (Delphinapterus leucas) were not detected north of 77°20′N but were found along the coast of West Greenland and offshore in the middle of the North Water with an abundance estimated at 2245 (95 % CI 1811–2783). Narwhals (Monodon monoceros) were widely distributed on the eastern side of the North Water with an estimate of abundance of 7726 (3761–15 870). Walruses (Odobenus rosmarus) were found across the North Water over both shallow and deep (>500 m) water with an estimated abundance of 1499 (1077–2087). Bearded (Erignathus barbatus) and ringed seals (Phoca hispida) used the large floes of ice in the southeastern part of the North Water for hauling out. Most polar bears (Ursus maritimus) were detected in the southern part of the polynya. The abundances of bearded and ringed seals were 6016 (3322–10 893) and 9529 (5460–16 632), respectively, and that of polar bears was 60 (12–292). Three sea bird species were distributed along the Greenland coast (eiders, Somateria spp.), in leads and cracks close to the Greenland coast (little auks, Alle alle) or widely in open water (thick-billed guillemots, Uria lomvia). |
format |
Text |
author |
Heide-Jørgensen, Mads Peter Burt, Louise M. Hansen, Rikke Guldborg Nielsen, Nynne Hjort Rasmussen, Marianne Fossette, Sabrina Stern, Harry |
author_facet |
Heide-Jørgensen, Mads Peter Burt, Louise M. Hansen, Rikke Guldborg Nielsen, Nynne Hjort Rasmussen, Marianne Fossette, Sabrina Stern, Harry |
author_sort |
Heide-Jørgensen, Mads Peter |
title |
The Significance of the North Water Polynya to Arctic Top Predators |
title_short |
The Significance of the North Water Polynya to Arctic Top Predators |
title_full |
The Significance of the North Water Polynya to Arctic Top Predators |
title_fullStr |
The Significance of the North Water Polynya to Arctic Top Predators |
title_full_unstemmed |
The Significance of the North Water Polynya to Arctic Top Predators |
title_sort |
significance of the north water polynya to arctic top predators |
publisher |
Springer Netherlands |
publishDate |
2012 |
url |
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3698320 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23271401 https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-012-0357-3 |
geographic |
Arctic Baffin Bay Greenland |
geographic_facet |
Arctic Baffin Bay Greenland |
genre |
Alle alle Arctic Baffin Bay Baffin Bay Baffin Beluga* Delphinapterus leucas Erignathus barbatus Greenland Monodon monoceros narwhal* Odobenus rosmarus Phoca hispida Uria lomvia Ursus maritimus uria walrus* |
genre_facet |
Alle alle Arctic Baffin Bay Baffin Bay Baffin Beluga* Delphinapterus leucas Erignathus barbatus Greenland Monodon monoceros narwhal* Odobenus rosmarus Phoca hispida Uria lomvia Ursus maritimus uria walrus* |
op_relation |
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23271401 http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s13280-012-0357-3 |
op_rights |
© Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences 2012 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-012-0357-3 |
container_title |
AMBIO |
container_volume |
42 |
container_issue |
5 |
container_start_page |
596 |
op_container_end_page |
610 |
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1766273747821527040 |