Impacts of cetaceans on the structure of Southern Ocean food webs

Recently, Ballance et al. (2006) revived the hypothesis that cetaceans were a majorforce in the structuring of Southern Ocean food webs, and suggested that they arestill playing a keystone role even as their loss continues (see also review in Mori andButterworth 2006), a subject that we herein would...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Marine Mammal Science
Main Authors: Ainley, D, Ballard, G, Blight, LK, Ackley, S, Emslie, ST, Lescroel, A, Olmastroni, S, Townsend, SE, Tynan, CT, Wilson, P, Woehler, E
Format: Text
Language:English
Published: Soc Marine Mammalogy 2010
Subjects:
Biological Sciences
Ecology
Marine and Estuarine Ecology (incl. Marine Ichthyology)
Antarctic
Southern Ocean
Antarc*
Antarctic Krill
Balaenoptera musculus
Euphausia superba
Megaptera novaeangliae
Online Access:http://www.interscience.wiley.com
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1748-7692.2009.00337.x
http://ecite.utas.edu.au/62163
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Summary:Recently, Ballance et al. (2006) revived the hypothesis that cetaceans were a majorforce in the structuring of Southern Ocean food webs, and suggested that they arestill playing a keystone role even as their loss continues (see also review in Mori andButterworth 2006), a subject that we herein would like to emphasize. Accordingto this hypothesis, following 60 yr of directed industrial whaling (Tnnessen andJohnsen 1982, Baker and Clapham 2002), the demise of the great whales (blue,Balaenoptera musculus intermedia; fin, B. physalus; and humpback, Megaptera novaeangliae)led to changes in populations and demographic parameters among penguins,seals, and minke whales (B. bonaerensis; see also Laws 1977, Bengtson and Laws1985). These changes to populations of the great whales competitors came aboutupon release from trophic competition as a result of the krill surplus that ensued(i.e., of Antarctic krill, Euphausia superba; Bengtson and Laws 1985).

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