A major autumn feeding ground for fin whales, southern fulmars and grey-headed albatrosses around the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica
The main aim of our long-term study on the at-sea distribution of the upper trophic levels in polar marine ecosystems is to deepen the understanding of the basic mechanisms affecting their distribution, i.e. hydrological factors such as water masses and fronts, pack ice and ice edge, eddies. A secon...
Published in: | Polar Biology |
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Language: | English |
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2013
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ftvliz:oai:oma.vliz.be:227976 2023-05-15T13:33:16+02:00 A major autumn feeding ground for fin whales, southern fulmars and grey-headed albatrosses around the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica Joiris, C.R. Dochy, O. 2013 http://www.vliz.be/nl/open-marien-archief?module=ref&refid=227976 en eng info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/wos/000326049100010 info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/oi.org/10.1007/s00300-013-1383-8 http://www.vliz.be/nl/open-marien-archief?module=ref&refid=227976 info:eu-repo/semantics/restrictedAccess %3Ci%3EPolar+Biol.+36%2811%29%3C%2Fi%3E%3A+1649-1658.+%3Ca+href%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1007%2Fs00300-013-1383-8%22+target%3D%22_blank%22%3Ehttp%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1007%2Fs00300-013-1383-8%3C%2Fa%3E Marine birds Marine mammals ANE British Isles Scotland Shetland I Antarctica info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion 2013 ftvliz https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-013-1383-8 2022-05-01T10:02:35Z The main aim of our long-term study on the at-sea distribution of the upper trophic levels in polar marine ecosystems is to deepen the understanding of the basic mechanisms affecting their distribution, i.e. hydrological factors such as water masses and fronts, pack ice and ice edge, eddies. A second goal consists in detecting spatial and temporal changes, with special attention to global climate changes, as well as possible consequences of (krill) fisheries. Seabirds and marine mammals were recorded during an autumn expedition of icebreaking RV Polarstern between Punta Arenas and the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica in March/ April 2012. During a total of 333 half-an-hour transect counts without width limitation, 113,500 seabirds were encountered, belonging to 40 species. The vast majority were southern fulmars and grey-headed albatross around the South Shetland Islands, with 76,800 and 7,000 individuals, respectively. Fin whale was by far the most abundant cetacean with 300 identified individuals in the same area, of which 100 in one count. These exceptional concentrations of fin whale seem to reflect an autumn pre-migration feeding aggregation. For most species, the majority was concentrated in very few counts, reflecting a very high patchiness and, as upper trophic levels, an important prey availability—mainly krill, nekton and small fish. Low biodiversity was reflected by both the low number of species and the fact that a few species represent the vast majority in numbers. It is suggested that the area deserves future biological studies, especially in autumn, and a special protection management. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctica Fin whale South Shetland Islands Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ): Open Marine Archive (OMA) South Shetland Islands Polar Biology 36 11 1649 1658 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ): Open Marine Archive (OMA) |
op_collection_id |
ftvliz |
language |
English |
topic |
Marine birds Marine mammals ANE British Isles Scotland Shetland I Antarctica |
spellingShingle |
Marine birds Marine mammals ANE British Isles Scotland Shetland I Antarctica Joiris, C.R. Dochy, O. A major autumn feeding ground for fin whales, southern fulmars and grey-headed albatrosses around the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica |
topic_facet |
Marine birds Marine mammals ANE British Isles Scotland Shetland I Antarctica |
description |
The main aim of our long-term study on the at-sea distribution of the upper trophic levels in polar marine ecosystems is to deepen the understanding of the basic mechanisms affecting their distribution, i.e. hydrological factors such as water masses and fronts, pack ice and ice edge, eddies. A second goal consists in detecting spatial and temporal changes, with special attention to global climate changes, as well as possible consequences of (krill) fisheries. Seabirds and marine mammals were recorded during an autumn expedition of icebreaking RV Polarstern between Punta Arenas and the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica in March/ April 2012. During a total of 333 half-an-hour transect counts without width limitation, 113,500 seabirds were encountered, belonging to 40 species. The vast majority were southern fulmars and grey-headed albatross around the South Shetland Islands, with 76,800 and 7,000 individuals, respectively. Fin whale was by far the most abundant cetacean with 300 identified individuals in the same area, of which 100 in one count. These exceptional concentrations of fin whale seem to reflect an autumn pre-migration feeding aggregation. For most species, the majority was concentrated in very few counts, reflecting a very high patchiness and, as upper trophic levels, an important prey availability—mainly krill, nekton and small fish. Low biodiversity was reflected by both the low number of species and the fact that a few species represent the vast majority in numbers. It is suggested that the area deserves future biological studies, especially in autumn, and a special protection management. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Joiris, C.R. Dochy, O. |
author_facet |
Joiris, C.R. Dochy, O. |
author_sort |
Joiris, C.R. |
title |
A major autumn feeding ground for fin whales, southern fulmars and grey-headed albatrosses around the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica |
title_short |
A major autumn feeding ground for fin whales, southern fulmars and grey-headed albatrosses around the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica |
title_full |
A major autumn feeding ground for fin whales, southern fulmars and grey-headed albatrosses around the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica |
title_fullStr |
A major autumn feeding ground for fin whales, southern fulmars and grey-headed albatrosses around the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica |
title_full_unstemmed |
A major autumn feeding ground for fin whales, southern fulmars and grey-headed albatrosses around the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica |
title_sort |
major autumn feeding ground for fin whales, southern fulmars and grey-headed albatrosses around the south shetland islands, antarctica |
publishDate |
2013 |
url |
http://www.vliz.be/nl/open-marien-archief?module=ref&refid=227976 |
geographic |
South Shetland Islands |
geographic_facet |
South Shetland Islands |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctica Fin whale South Shetland Islands |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctica Fin whale South Shetland Islands |
op_source |
%3Ci%3EPolar+Biol.+36%2811%29%3C%2Fi%3E%3A+1649-1658.+%3Ca+href%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1007%2Fs00300-013-1383-8%22+target%3D%22_blank%22%3Ehttp%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1007%2Fs00300-013-1383-8%3C%2Fa%3E |
op_relation |
info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/wos/000326049100010 info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/oi.org/10.1007/s00300-013-1383-8 http://www.vliz.be/nl/open-marien-archief?module=ref&refid=227976 |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/restrictedAccess |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-013-1383-8 |
container_title |
Polar Biology |
container_volume |
36 |
container_issue |
11 |
container_start_page |
1649 |
op_container_end_page |
1658 |
_version_ |
1766040810877353984 |