Summer spatial distribution of cetaceans in the Strait of Gibraltar in relation to the oceanographic context
International audience The Strait of Gibraltar, the only passage between the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, and characterised by a surface inflow of Atlantic waters and a deep outflow of Mediterranean waters, is inhabited by a large number of cetacean species. The present study focuses on...
Published in: | Marine Ecology Progress Series |
---|---|
Main Authors: | , , , , , |
Other Authors: | , , , , , |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
Published: |
HAL CCSD
2008
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://hal.science/hal-00265928 https://doi.org/10.3354/meps07164 |
id |
ftunivnantes:oai:HAL:hal-00265928v1 |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
ftunivnantes:oai:HAL:hal-00265928v1 2023-05-15T17:53:40+02:00 Summer spatial distribution of cetaceans in the Strait of Gibraltar in relation to the oceanographic context de Stephanis, Renaud de Cornulier, Thomas Verborg, Philippe Salazar, Sierra Juanma Gimeno Neus, Pérez Guinet, Christophe CIRCé Sociedad Española de Cetáceos Centre d'Études Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC) Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) School of Biological Sciences Laboratorio de Ingeniería Acústica de la Universidad de Cádiz (LAV) 2008-01-21 https://hal.science/hal-00265928 https://doi.org/10.3354/meps07164 en eng HAL CCSD Inter Research info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.3354/meps07164 hal-00265928 https://hal.science/hal-00265928 doi:10.3354/meps07164 ISSN: 0171-8630 EISSN: 1616-1599 Marine Ecology Progress Series https://hal.science/hal-00265928 Marine Ecology Progress Series, 2008, 353, pp.275-288. ⟨10.3354/meps07164⟩ Cetacean · Strait of Gibraltar · Spatial distribution · Feeding ecology · Fisheries interaction [SDE.BE]Environmental Sciences/Biodiversity and Ecology [SDE.ES]Environmental Sciences/Environmental and Society [SDE.MCG]Environmental Sciences/Global Changes info:eu-repo/semantics/article Journal articles 2008 ftunivnantes https://doi.org/10.3354/meps07164 2023-02-08T06:33:45Z International audience The Strait of Gibraltar, the only passage between the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, and characterised by a surface inflow of Atlantic waters and a deep outflow of Mediterranean waters, is inhabited by a large number of cetacean species. The present study focuses on the occurrence and the spatial distribution of cetacean species within the strait in relation to oceanographic features. Shipboard visual surveys were conducted during the summers of 2001 to 2004, covering 4926 km. A total of 616 sightings of 7 cetacean species were made. The spatial distributions of 6 species (short-beaked common dolphins Delphinus delphis, striped dolphins Stenella coeruleoalba, bottlenose dolphins Tursiops truncatus, long-finned pilot whales Globicephala melas, sperm whales Physeter macrocephalus and killer whales Orcinus orca) were examined with respect to depth and slope. The analyses indicate that these species could be ordered into 3 groups. A first group, with a northward tendency, is composed of common and striped dolphins. Due to its at-sea location and feeding habits, this group is likely to feed on mesopelagic fishes or squids associated with the surface Atlantic waters. The second group, constituted by bottlenose dolphins, long-finned pilot whales and sperm whales, is mainly found over the deep waters of the central part of the strait. While the foraging ecology of bottlenose dolphins is still unclear, both sperm whales and pilot whales are most likely to feed on squids occurring in deep Mediterranean waters. The third group, formed by killer whales Orcinus orca, was associated with blue fin tuna Thunnus thynnus fisheries in the southwestern part of the strait. Article in Journal/Newspaper Orca Orcinus orca Physeter macrocephalus Université de Nantes: HAL-UNIV-NANTES Marine Ecology Progress Series 353 275 288 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Université de Nantes: HAL-UNIV-NANTES |
op_collection_id |
ftunivnantes |
language |
English |
topic |
Cetacean · Strait of Gibraltar · Spatial distribution · Feeding ecology · Fisheries interaction [SDE.BE]Environmental Sciences/Biodiversity and Ecology [SDE.ES]Environmental Sciences/Environmental and Society [SDE.MCG]Environmental Sciences/Global Changes |
spellingShingle |
Cetacean · Strait of Gibraltar · Spatial distribution · Feeding ecology · Fisheries interaction [SDE.BE]Environmental Sciences/Biodiversity and Ecology [SDE.ES]Environmental Sciences/Environmental and Society [SDE.MCG]Environmental Sciences/Global Changes de Stephanis, Renaud de Cornulier, Thomas Verborg, Philippe Salazar, Sierra Juanma Gimeno Neus, Pérez Guinet, Christophe Summer spatial distribution of cetaceans in the Strait of Gibraltar in relation to the oceanographic context |
topic_facet |
Cetacean · Strait of Gibraltar · Spatial distribution · Feeding ecology · Fisheries interaction [SDE.BE]Environmental Sciences/Biodiversity and Ecology [SDE.ES]Environmental Sciences/Environmental and Society [SDE.MCG]Environmental Sciences/Global Changes |
description |
International audience The Strait of Gibraltar, the only passage between the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, and characterised by a surface inflow of Atlantic waters and a deep outflow of Mediterranean waters, is inhabited by a large number of cetacean species. The present study focuses on the occurrence and the spatial distribution of cetacean species within the strait in relation to oceanographic features. Shipboard visual surveys were conducted during the summers of 2001 to 2004, covering 4926 km. A total of 616 sightings of 7 cetacean species were made. The spatial distributions of 6 species (short-beaked common dolphins Delphinus delphis, striped dolphins Stenella coeruleoalba, bottlenose dolphins Tursiops truncatus, long-finned pilot whales Globicephala melas, sperm whales Physeter macrocephalus and killer whales Orcinus orca) were examined with respect to depth and slope. The analyses indicate that these species could be ordered into 3 groups. A first group, with a northward tendency, is composed of common and striped dolphins. Due to its at-sea location and feeding habits, this group is likely to feed on mesopelagic fishes or squids associated with the surface Atlantic waters. The second group, constituted by bottlenose dolphins, long-finned pilot whales and sperm whales, is mainly found over the deep waters of the central part of the strait. While the foraging ecology of bottlenose dolphins is still unclear, both sperm whales and pilot whales are most likely to feed on squids occurring in deep Mediterranean waters. The third group, formed by killer whales Orcinus orca, was associated with blue fin tuna Thunnus thynnus fisheries in the southwestern part of the strait. |
author2 |
CIRCé Sociedad Española de Cetáceos Centre d'Études Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC) Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) School of Biological Sciences Laboratorio de Ingeniería Acústica de la Universidad de Cádiz (LAV) |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
de Stephanis, Renaud de Cornulier, Thomas Verborg, Philippe Salazar, Sierra Juanma Gimeno Neus, Pérez Guinet, Christophe |
author_facet |
de Stephanis, Renaud de Cornulier, Thomas Verborg, Philippe Salazar, Sierra Juanma Gimeno Neus, Pérez Guinet, Christophe |
author_sort |
de Stephanis, Renaud |
title |
Summer spatial distribution of cetaceans in the Strait of Gibraltar in relation to the oceanographic context |
title_short |
Summer spatial distribution of cetaceans in the Strait of Gibraltar in relation to the oceanographic context |
title_full |
Summer spatial distribution of cetaceans in the Strait of Gibraltar in relation to the oceanographic context |
title_fullStr |
Summer spatial distribution of cetaceans in the Strait of Gibraltar in relation to the oceanographic context |
title_full_unstemmed |
Summer spatial distribution of cetaceans in the Strait of Gibraltar in relation to the oceanographic context |
title_sort |
summer spatial distribution of cetaceans in the strait of gibraltar in relation to the oceanographic context |
publisher |
HAL CCSD |
publishDate |
2008 |
url |
https://hal.science/hal-00265928 https://doi.org/10.3354/meps07164 |
genre |
Orca Orcinus orca Physeter macrocephalus |
genre_facet |
Orca Orcinus orca Physeter macrocephalus |
op_source |
ISSN: 0171-8630 EISSN: 1616-1599 Marine Ecology Progress Series https://hal.science/hal-00265928 Marine Ecology Progress Series, 2008, 353, pp.275-288. ⟨10.3354/meps07164⟩ |
op_relation |
info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.3354/meps07164 hal-00265928 https://hal.science/hal-00265928 doi:10.3354/meps07164 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.3354/meps07164 |
container_title |
Marine Ecology Progress Series |
container_volume |
353 |
container_start_page |
275 |
op_container_end_page |
288 |
_version_ |
1766161367679631360 |