Use of glacial fronts by narwhals (Monodon monoceros) in West Greenland

• Published in: Biology Letters
• Main Authors: Mads Peter Heide-Jørgensen, Donna D. W. Hauser, Kristin L. Laidre, Rune Dietz, Richard McGovern, Twila Moon, Ben Hudson
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: 2016
• Subjects: narwhal; Greenland; glacier; /dk/atira/pure/researchoutput/pubmedpublicationtype/D016428; Journal Article; /dk/atira/pure/researchoutput/pubmedpublicationtype/D013486; Research Support; U.S. Gov't; Non-P.H.S; /dk/atira/pure/researchoutput/pubmedpublicationtype/D013485; Non-U.S. Gov't; Special Feature; Agricultural and Biological Sciences (miscellaneous); General Agricultural and Biological Sciences; envir; geo; Arctic; Iceberg*; Monodon monoceros; narwhal*
• Online Access: https://research-information.bris.ac.uk/ws/files/103825043/7088E7A4_5F8D_4681_89FD_6D7A06206522.pdf; https://pure.au.dk/portal/da/publications/use-of-glacial-fronts-by-narwhals-monodon-monoceros-in-west-greenland(ac111ba7-dcb4-4c71-bd29-ca261fda8043).html; https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2016.0457; https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC5095189/; https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/pdf/10.1098/rsbl.2016.0457; https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full-xml/10.1098/rsbl.2016.0457; http://europepmc.org/articles/pmc5095189?pdf=render; https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full/10.1098/rsbl.2016.0457; https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27784729; https://rsbl.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/12/10/20160457; https://research-information.bris.ac.uk/en/publications/use-of-glacial-fronts-by-narwhals-imonodon-monocerosi-in-west-gre; https://academic.microsoft.com/#/detail/2544400339

Glacial fronts are important summer habitat for narwhals ( Monodon monoceros ); however, no studies have quantified which glacial properties attract whales. We investigated the importance of glacial habitats using telemetry data from n = 15 whales tagged in September of 1993, 1994, 2006 and 2007 in Melville Bay, West Greenland. For 41 marine-terminating glaciers, we estimated (i) narwhal presence/absence, (ii) number of 24 h periods spent at glaciers and (iii) the fraction of narwhals that visited each glacier (at 5, 7 and 10 km) in autumn. We also compiled data on glacier width, ice thickness, ice velocity, front advance/retreat, area and extent of iceberg discharge, bathymetry, subglacial freshwater run-off and sediment flux. Narwhal use of glacial habitats expanded in the 2000s probably due to reduced summer fast ice and later autumn freeze-up. Using a generalized multivariate framework, glacier ice front thickness (vertical height in the water column) was a significant covariate in all models. A negative relationship with glacier velocity was included in several models and glacier front width was a significant predictor in the 2000s. Results suggest narwhals prefer glaciers with potential for higher ambient freshwater melt over glaciers with silt-laden discharge. This may represent a preference for summer freshwater habitat, similar to other Arctic monodontids.