Marine mammal hotspots in the Greenland and Barents Seas

• Published in: Marine Ecology Progress Series
• Main Authors: Hamilton, Charmain Danielle, Lydersen, Christian, Aars, Jon, Biuw, Martin, Boltunov, Andrei, Born, Erik W., Dietz, Rune, Folkow, Lars, Glazov, Dmitry M., Haug, Tore, Heide-Jørgensen, Mads-Peter, Kettemer, Lisa Elena, Laidre, Kristin L., Øien, Nils Inge, Nordøy, Erling Sverre, Rikardsen, Audun H., Rosing-Asvid, Aqqalu, Semenova, Varvara, Shpak, Olga V., Sveegaard, Signe, Ugarte, Fernando, Wiig, Øystein, Kovacs, Kit M.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Inter Research 2021
• Subjects: VDP::Matematikk og naturvitenskap: 400::Zoologiske og botaniske fag: 480::Marinbiologi: 497; VDP::Mathematics and natural scienses: 400::Zoology and botany: 480::Marine biology: 497; Arktis / Arctic; Klimaendringer / Climate change; Sjøpattedyr / Marine mammals; Arctic; Barents Sea; Greenland; Svalbard; Arktis; Arktis*; Balaena mysticetus; Balaenoptera musculus; bearded seal; Blue whale; bowhead whale; Climate change; Delphinapterus leucas; Erignathus barbatus; Fin whale; Greenland Sea; harbour seal; Harp Seal; hooded seal; Humpback Whale; Megaptera novaeangliae; narwhal*; Odobenus rosmarus; Pagophilus groenlandicus; Phoca vitulina; polar bear; Pusa hispida; ringed seal; Ursus maritimus; White whale; walrus*
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10037/24281; https://doi.org/10.3354/meps13584

Environmental change and increasing levels of human activity are threats to marine mam- mals in the Arctic. Identifying marine mammal hot - spots and areas of high species richness are essential to help guide management and conservation efforts. Herein, space use based on biotelemetric tracking devices deployed on 13 species (ringed seal Pusa hispida , bearded seal Erignathus barbatus , harbour seal Phoca vitulina , walrus Odobenus rosmarus , harp seal Pagophilus groenlandicus , hooded seal Cysto - phora cristata , polar bear Ursus maritimus , bowhead whale Balaena mysticetus , narwhal Monodon mono- ceros , white whale Delphinapterus leucas , blue whale Balaenoptera musculus , fin whale Balaeno - ptera phy salus and humpback whale Megaptera novaeangliae total = 585 individuals) in the Green- land and northern Barents Seas between 2005 and 2018 is reported. Getis−Ord Gi* hotspots were calcu- lated for each species as well as all species combined, and areas of high species richness were identified for summer/autumn (Jun−Dec), winter/spring (Jan− May) and the entire year. The marginal ice zone (MIZ) of the Greenland Sea and northern Barents Sea, the waters surrounding the Svalbard Archipel- ago and a few Northeast Greenland coastal sites were identified as key marine mammal hotspots and areas of high species richness in this region. Individ- ual hotspots identified areas important for most of the tagged animals, such as common resting, nursing, moulting and foraging areas. Location hotspots iden- tified areas heavily used by segments of the tagged populations, including denning areas for polar bears and foraging areas. The hotspots identified herein are also important habitats for seabirds and fishes, and thus conservation and management measures targeting these regions would benefit multiple groups of Arctic animals.