Spring conditions and habitat use of beluga whales (Delphinapterus leucas) during arrival to the Mackenzie River Estuary

Polar Biology ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 39 (12) ◽  
pp. 2319-2334 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claire A. Hornby ◽  
Carie Hoover ◽  
John Iacozza ◽  
David G. Barber ◽  
Lisa L. Loseto
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Use ◽  
River Estuary ◽  
Delphinapterus Leucas ◽  
Beluga Whales ◽  
Mackenzie River

scholarly journals Upriver sightings of beluga whales (Delphinapterus leucas) follow storm surges and high water in the Mackenzie Delta, Northwest Territories, Canada

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Kevin C. Scharffenberg ◽  
Shannon A. MacPhee ◽  
Lisa L. Loseto
Keyword(s):  
Monitoring Program ◽  
River Estuary ◽  
Storm Surges ◽  
High Water ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Water Levels ◽  
River Delta ◽  
Delphinapterus Leucas ◽  
Beluga Whales ◽  
Mackenzie River

Each summer, Eastern Beaufort Sea beluga whales (Delphinapterus leucas (Pallas, 1776)) form a large congregation in the Tarium Niryutait Marine Protected Area (TNMPA) in the Mackenzie River estuary, a behaviour thought to be linked to warm, freshwater conditions. In 2018, >50 belugas were observed upriver near Aklavik in the Mackenzie River Delta. Community members noted that this upriver occurrence of belugas was unusual and suggested that wind-driven high water levels in the Mackenzie River were a primary driver. We investigated this explanation by searching past communications and reports for documentation of beluga sightings upriver and identifying storm surges and water-level changes at six hydrometric stations in the Mackenzie River Delta. We found three previous occurrences of belugas upriver dating back to 2000, all of which followed prominent surges in river level attributable to coastal storms. Although acknowledging a small sample size, we suggest that upriver occurrences of beluga whales warrant further investigation through extension of the TNMPA beluga monitoring program. As climate-driven changes cause more frequent and intense Arctic storm surges, we expect storm events to increasingly overlap with the annual summer beluga congregation. This may cause upriver movements to become more common, and population-level implications are not known.

scholarly journals The summer soundscape of a shallow-water estuary used by beluga whales in the western Canadian Arctic

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 361-383 ◽  
Author(s):  
William D. Halliday ◽  
Kevin Scharffenberg ◽  
Dustin Whalen ◽  
Shannon A. MacPhee ◽  
Lisa L. Loseto ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Marine Protected Area ◽  
River Estuary ◽  
Canadian Arctic ◽  
Time Of Day ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Delphinapterus Leucas ◽  
Marine Animals ◽  
Frequency Bands ◽  
Beluga Whales ◽  
Important Habitat

The soundscape is an important habitat component for marine animals. In the Arctic, marine conditions are changing rapidly due to sea ice loss and increased anthropogenic activities such as shipping, which will influence the soundscape. Here, we assess the contributors to the summer soundscape in the shallow waters of the Mackenzie River estuary within the Tarium Niryutait Marine Protected Area in the western Canadian Arctic, a core summering habitat for beluga whales (Delphinapterus leucas Pallas, 1776). We collected passive acoustic data during the summer over four years, and assessed the influence of physical variables, beluga whale vocalizations, and boat noise on sound pressure levels in three frequency bands (low: 0.2–1 kHz; medium: 1–10 kHz; high: 10–48 kHz) to quantify the soundscape. Wind speed, wave height, beluga vocalizations, and boat noise were all large contributors to the soundscape in various frequency bands. The soundscape varied to a lesser degree between sites, time of day, and with tide height, but remained relatively constant between years. This study is the first detailed description of a shallow summer soundscape in the western Canadian Arctic, an important habitat for beluga whales, and can be used as a baseline to monitor future changes during this season.

PCBs and organochlorine pesticides in blubber biopsies from free-ranging St. Lawrence River Estuary beluga whales (Delphinapterus leucas), 1994–1998

2003 ◽  
Vol 122 (2) ◽  
pp. 291-302 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen E Hobbs ◽  
Derek C.G Muir ◽  
Robert Michaud ◽  
Pierre Béland ◽  
Robert J Letcher ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Organochlorine Pesticides ◽  
River Estuary ◽  
Delphinapterus Leucas ◽  
Beluga Whales ◽  
Free Ranging ◽  
St Lawrence River

scholarly journals Beluga Vocalizations Decrease in Response to Vessel Traffic in the Mackenzie River Estuary

ARCTIC ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 72 (4) ◽  
pp. 337-346 ◽  
Author(s):  
William D. Halliday ◽  
Kevin Scharffenberg ◽  
Shannon MacPhee ◽  
R. Casey Hilliard ◽  
Xavier Mouy ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Marine Mammals ◽  
Marine Protected Area ◽  
Oil Spills ◽  
River Estuary ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Beluga Whales ◽  
Management Measures ◽  
Future Work ◽  
Mackenzie River

Vessel traffic negatively affects marine mammals by causing behavioural disturbance, acoustic masking, contamination (i.e., oil spills), and ship strikes. Few studies have examined the effects of vessels on marine mammals in the Arctic, but beluga whales appear to be especially sensitive to vessel traffic. We examine how the vocalizations of belugas are impacted by vessel traffic in the Tarium Niryutait Marine Protected Area in the Mackenzie River estuary of the western Canadian Arctic. Between one and four acoustic recorders were deployed between June and August each year between 2015 and 2018 near the only shipping channel at this site. We examined beluga vocalizations from acoustic recordings over four summers and assessed how the distance to the nearest vessel passing the acoustic recorder affected the number of vocalizations. Beluga vocalizations within the range of the acoustic recorder decreased significantly when vessels were within 5 km of the acoustic recorder. This result suggests either that belugas are avoiding the vessel or that they reduce their vocalization in response to vessel traffic. Future work is needed to assess exactly how belugas are reacting to vessel traffic in this area and what the long-term consequences of these reactions are. Management measures for reducing these impacts must be carefully considered, especially since these vessels are very restricted in where they can travel, and many of the vessels are necessary for the livelihoods of local communities.

scholarly journals Belugas in the Mackenzie River estuary, NT, Canada: Habitat use and hot spots in the Tarium Niryutait Marine Protected Area

2014 ◽  
Vol 100 ◽  
pp. 128-138 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lois A. Harwood ◽  
John Iacozza ◽  
James C. Auld ◽  
Pamela Norton ◽  
Lisa Loseto
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Use ◽  
Hot Spots ◽  
Protected Area ◽  
Marine Protected Area ◽  
River Estuary ◽  
Mackenzie River
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