Modeling predator and prey hotspots: Management implications of baleen whale co-occurrence with krill in Central California
As global ocean-bound commerce increases, managing human activities has become important in reducing conflict with threatened wildlife. This study investigates environmental factors determining abundance and distribution of blue whales (Balaenoptera musculus), humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae...
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ftpubmed:oai:pubmedcentral.nih.gov:7340285 2023-05-15T15:36:24+02:00 Modeling predator and prey hotspots: Management implications of baleen whale co-occurrence with krill in Central California Rockwood, R. Cotton Elliott, Meredith L. Saenz, Benjamin Nur, Nadav Jahncke, Jaime 2020-07-07 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7340285/ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32634142 https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0235603 en eng Public Library of Science http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7340285/ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32634142 http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0235603 © 2020 Rockwood et al http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) , which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. CC-BY PLoS One Research Article Text 2020 ftpubmed https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0235603 2020-07-19T00:25:34Z As global ocean-bound commerce increases, managing human activities has become important in reducing conflict with threatened wildlife. This study investigates environmental factors determining abundance and distribution of blue whales (Balaenoptera musculus), humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) and their prey (Euphausia pacifica and Thysanoessa spinifera) in central California. We provide insights into environmental drivers of the ecology and distribution of these species, model whale distributions and determine coincident hotspots of whales and their prey that will help decrease human threats to whales and protect critical feeding habitat. We developed separate predictive models of whale abundances (using negative binomial regression on count data) and krill abundance (using a two-part hurdlemodel combining logistic and negative binomial regressions) over a 14 year period (2004–2017). Variables included in situ surface and midwater oceanographic measures (temperature, salinity, and fluorescence), basin-scale climate indices, and bathymetric- and distance-related data. Predictions were applied to 1 km(2) cells spanning the study area for May, June, July, and September during each of the 14 years of surveys to identify persistent distribution patterns. Both whales and krill were found to consistently use the northeast region of Cordell Bank, the Farallon Escarpment, and the shelf-break waters. The main identified blue whale hotspots were also krill hotspots, while co-occurrence was more limited and varied seasonally for humpback whales and krill. These results are valuable in identifying patterns in important areas of ecological interaction to assist management of whales. Areas north of Cordell Bank are of particular management concern since they overlap with the end of the San Francisco Bay northern shipping lane. Our findings can help decrease threats to whales, particularly in important foraging areas, by supporting implementation of vessel management and informing potential conflicts with other human ... Text Balaenoptera musculus baleen whale Blue whale Megaptera novaeangliae PubMed Central (PMC) PLOS ONE 15 7 e0235603 |
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Research Article Rockwood, R. Cotton Elliott, Meredith L. Saenz, Benjamin Nur, Nadav Jahncke, Jaime Modeling predator and prey hotspots: Management implications of baleen whale co-occurrence with krill in Central California |
topic_facet |
Research Article |
description |
As global ocean-bound commerce increases, managing human activities has become important in reducing conflict with threatened wildlife. This study investigates environmental factors determining abundance and distribution of blue whales (Balaenoptera musculus), humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) and their prey (Euphausia pacifica and Thysanoessa spinifera) in central California. We provide insights into environmental drivers of the ecology and distribution of these species, model whale distributions and determine coincident hotspots of whales and their prey that will help decrease human threats to whales and protect critical feeding habitat. We developed separate predictive models of whale abundances (using negative binomial regression on count data) and krill abundance (using a two-part hurdlemodel combining logistic and negative binomial regressions) over a 14 year period (2004–2017). Variables included in situ surface and midwater oceanographic measures (temperature, salinity, and fluorescence), basin-scale climate indices, and bathymetric- and distance-related data. Predictions were applied to 1 km(2) cells spanning the study area for May, June, July, and September during each of the 14 years of surveys to identify persistent distribution patterns. Both whales and krill were found to consistently use the northeast region of Cordell Bank, the Farallon Escarpment, and the shelf-break waters. The main identified blue whale hotspots were also krill hotspots, while co-occurrence was more limited and varied seasonally for humpback whales and krill. These results are valuable in identifying patterns in important areas of ecological interaction to assist management of whales. Areas north of Cordell Bank are of particular management concern since they overlap with the end of the San Francisco Bay northern shipping lane. Our findings can help decrease threats to whales, particularly in important foraging areas, by supporting implementation of vessel management and informing potential conflicts with other human ... |
format |
Text |
author |
Rockwood, R. Cotton Elliott, Meredith L. Saenz, Benjamin Nur, Nadav Jahncke, Jaime |
author_facet |
Rockwood, R. Cotton Elliott, Meredith L. Saenz, Benjamin Nur, Nadav Jahncke, Jaime |
author_sort |
Rockwood, R. Cotton |
title |
Modeling predator and prey hotspots: Management implications of baleen whale co-occurrence with krill in Central California |
title_short |
Modeling predator and prey hotspots: Management implications of baleen whale co-occurrence with krill in Central California |
title_full |
Modeling predator and prey hotspots: Management implications of baleen whale co-occurrence with krill in Central California |
title_fullStr |
Modeling predator and prey hotspots: Management implications of baleen whale co-occurrence with krill in Central California |
title_full_unstemmed |
Modeling predator and prey hotspots: Management implications of baleen whale co-occurrence with krill in Central California |
title_sort |
modeling predator and prey hotspots: management implications of baleen whale co-occurrence with krill in central california |
publisher |
Public Library of Science |
publishDate |
2020 |
url |
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7340285/ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32634142 https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0235603 |
genre |
Balaenoptera musculus baleen whale Blue whale Megaptera novaeangliae |
genre_facet |
Balaenoptera musculus baleen whale Blue whale Megaptera novaeangliae |
op_source |
PLoS One |
op_relation |
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7340285/ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32634142 http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0235603 |
op_rights |
© 2020 Rockwood et al http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) , which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. |
op_rightsnorm |
CC-BY |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0235603 |
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PLOS ONE |
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15 |
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7 |
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e0235603 |
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