Line transects, environmental data and GIS: Cetacean distribution, habitat and prey selection along the Barents Sea shelf edge
Cetacean observations obtained during sighting surveys for abundance estimation can also be used to investigate cetacean habitat and prey selection, the principal processes underlying cetacean distributions. In this paper, we investigate habitat and prey selection of minke (Balaenoptera acutorostrat...
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Language: | English |
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2009
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Online Access: | https://septentrio.uit.no/index.php/NAMMCOSP/article/view/2713 https://doi.org/10.7557/3.2713 |
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ftunitroemsoe:oai:ojs.henry.ub.uit.no:article/2713 2023-05-15T15:36:10+02:00 Line transects, environmental data and GIS: Cetacean distribution, habitat and prey selection along the Barents Sea shelf edge Skern-Mauritzen, Mette Skaug, Hans Julius Øien, Nils 2009-09-01 application/pdf https://septentrio.uit.no/index.php/NAMMCOSP/article/view/2713 https://doi.org/10.7557/3.2713 eng eng Septentrio Academic Publishing https://septentrio.uit.no/index.php/NAMMCOSP/article/view/2713/2563 https://septentrio.uit.no/index.php/NAMMCOSP/article/view/2713 doi:10.7557/3.2713 Copyright (c) 2009 Mette Skern-Mauritzen, Hans Julius Skaug, Nils Øien http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ CC-BY NAMMCO Scientific Publications; Vol 7: North Atlantic Sightings Surveys: Counting whales in the North Atlantic, 1987-2001; 179-200 2309-2491 1560-2206 10.7557/3.7 surveys cetaceans habitat selection prey selection info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion 2009 ftunitroemsoe https://doi.org/10.7557/3.2713 https://doi.org/10.7557/3.7 2021-08-16T16:39:00Z Cetacean observations obtained during sighting surveys for abundance estimation can also be used to investigate cetacean habitat and prey selection, the principal processes underlying cetacean distributions. In this paper, we investigate habitat and prey selection of minke (Balaenoptera acutorostrata), fin (B. physalus) and sperm (Physeter macrocephalus) whales and Lagenorhynchus (Atlantic white-sided L. acutus and white-beaked L. albirostris) dolphins observed along predetermined cruise tracks along the Barents Sea shelf edge in 2000, 2001 and 2002. The observations were combined with simultaneously collected data on habitat (depth, sea surface temperature, and temperature gradients) and prey (plankton, 0-group fish, capelin and herring) distributions in a GeographicInformation System (GIS) to investigate habitat and prey selection. Minke whales were associated with cold waters and herring, and capelin in years with low herring abundance. Fin whales were mainly associated with northern cold and deep waters, as well as capelin, 0-group fish and plankton. Lagenorhynchus dolphins were associated with capelin. Finally, sperm whales were associated with deep waters and 0-group fish. Sperm whales were probably indirectly attracted to 0-group fish through preying on predatory fish such as Sebastes spp. and the squid Gonatus spp. The cetacean species responded differently to annual variation in habitat and prey distributions. Minke and fin whale distributions and abundances remained similar between years within the study area, suggestingthat these species are generalists responding to environmental changes by switching between prey species. Conversely, Lagenorhynchus dolphins shifted northwards, likely due to tracking the shifting capelin distributions. The results are discussed in light of how such cetacean habitat and cetacean prey relationships can be valuable for the proper assessment of population sizes and trends, both through guiding the design of sighting surveys and assessing whether changes in abundances within fixed surveyed areas are due to distribution shifts or changes in population sizes. Article in Journal/Newspaper Balaenoptera acutorostrata Barents Sea Fin whale Physeter macrocephalus University of Tromsø: Septentrio Academic Publishing Barents Sea NAMMCO Scientific Publications 7 179 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
University of Tromsø: Septentrio Academic Publishing |
op_collection_id |
ftunitroemsoe |
language |
English |
topic |
surveys cetaceans habitat selection prey selection |
spellingShingle |
surveys cetaceans habitat selection prey selection Skern-Mauritzen, Mette Skaug, Hans Julius Øien, Nils Line transects, environmental data and GIS: Cetacean distribution, habitat and prey selection along the Barents Sea shelf edge |
topic_facet |
surveys cetaceans habitat selection prey selection |
description |
Cetacean observations obtained during sighting surveys for abundance estimation can also be used to investigate cetacean habitat and prey selection, the principal processes underlying cetacean distributions. In this paper, we investigate habitat and prey selection of minke (Balaenoptera acutorostrata), fin (B. physalus) and sperm (Physeter macrocephalus) whales and Lagenorhynchus (Atlantic white-sided L. acutus and white-beaked L. albirostris) dolphins observed along predetermined cruise tracks along the Barents Sea shelf edge in 2000, 2001 and 2002. The observations were combined with simultaneously collected data on habitat (depth, sea surface temperature, and temperature gradients) and prey (plankton, 0-group fish, capelin and herring) distributions in a GeographicInformation System (GIS) to investigate habitat and prey selection. Minke whales were associated with cold waters and herring, and capelin in years with low herring abundance. Fin whales were mainly associated with northern cold and deep waters, as well as capelin, 0-group fish and plankton. Lagenorhynchus dolphins were associated with capelin. Finally, sperm whales were associated with deep waters and 0-group fish. Sperm whales were probably indirectly attracted to 0-group fish through preying on predatory fish such as Sebastes spp. and the squid Gonatus spp. The cetacean species responded differently to annual variation in habitat and prey distributions. Minke and fin whale distributions and abundances remained similar between years within the study area, suggestingthat these species are generalists responding to environmental changes by switching between prey species. Conversely, Lagenorhynchus dolphins shifted northwards, likely due to tracking the shifting capelin distributions. The results are discussed in light of how such cetacean habitat and cetacean prey relationships can be valuable for the proper assessment of population sizes and trends, both through guiding the design of sighting surveys and assessing whether changes in abundances within fixed surveyed areas are due to distribution shifts or changes in population sizes. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Skern-Mauritzen, Mette Skaug, Hans Julius Øien, Nils |
author_facet |
Skern-Mauritzen, Mette Skaug, Hans Julius Øien, Nils |
author_sort |
Skern-Mauritzen, Mette |
title |
Line transects, environmental data and GIS: Cetacean distribution, habitat and prey selection along the Barents Sea shelf edge |
title_short |
Line transects, environmental data and GIS: Cetacean distribution, habitat and prey selection along the Barents Sea shelf edge |
title_full |
Line transects, environmental data and GIS: Cetacean distribution, habitat and prey selection along the Barents Sea shelf edge |
title_fullStr |
Line transects, environmental data and GIS: Cetacean distribution, habitat and prey selection along the Barents Sea shelf edge |
title_full_unstemmed |
Line transects, environmental data and GIS: Cetacean distribution, habitat and prey selection along the Barents Sea shelf edge |
title_sort |
line transects, environmental data and gis: cetacean distribution, habitat and prey selection along the barents sea shelf edge |
publisher |
Septentrio Academic Publishing |
publishDate |
2009 |
url |
https://septentrio.uit.no/index.php/NAMMCOSP/article/view/2713 https://doi.org/10.7557/3.2713 |
geographic |
Barents Sea |
geographic_facet |
Barents Sea |
genre |
Balaenoptera acutorostrata Barents Sea Fin whale Physeter macrocephalus |
genre_facet |
Balaenoptera acutorostrata Barents Sea Fin whale Physeter macrocephalus |
op_source |
NAMMCO Scientific Publications; Vol 7: North Atlantic Sightings Surveys: Counting whales in the North Atlantic, 1987-2001; 179-200 2309-2491 1560-2206 10.7557/3.7 |
op_relation |
https://septentrio.uit.no/index.php/NAMMCOSP/article/view/2713/2563 https://septentrio.uit.no/index.php/NAMMCOSP/article/view/2713 doi:10.7557/3.2713 |
op_rights |
Copyright (c) 2009 Mette Skern-Mauritzen, Hans Julius Skaug, Nils Øien http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ |
op_rightsnorm |
CC-BY |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.7557/3.2713 https://doi.org/10.7557/3.7 |
container_title |
NAMMCO Scientific Publications |
container_volume |
7 |
container_start_page |
179 |
_version_ |
1766366511177400320 |