scholarly journals Cetacean records along a coastal-offshore gradient in the Vitória-Trindade Chain, western South Atlantic Ocean

2014 ◽  
Vol 74 (1) ◽  
pp. 137-144 ◽  
Author(s):  
LL Wedekin ◽  
MR Rossi-Santos ◽  
C Baracho ◽  
AL Cypriano-Souza ◽  
PC Simões-Lopes
Keyword(s):  
Humpback Whale ◽  
South Atlantic ◽  
Breeding Habitat ◽  
Humpback Whales ◽  
Balaenoptera Physalus ◽  
Fin Whale ◽  
Antarctic Minke Whale ◽  
Trindade Island ◽  
The Antarctic ◽  
Species Being

Oceanic waters are difficult to assess, and there are many gaps in knowledge regarding cetacean occurrence. To fill some of these gaps, this article provides important cetacean records obtained in the winter of 2010 during a dedicated expedition to collect visual and acoustic information in the Vitória-Trindade seamounts. We observed 19 groups of cetaceans along a 1300-km search trajectory, with six species being identified: the humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae, N = 9 groups), the fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus, N = 1), the Antarctic minke whale (Balaenoptera bonaerensis, N = 1), the rough-toothed dolphin (Steno bredanensis, N = 1), the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus, N = 2), and the killer whale (Orcinus orca, N = 1). Most humpback whale groups (N = 7; 78%) were observed in the Vitória-Trindade seamounts, especially the mounts close to the Abrolhos Bank. Only one lone humpback whale was observed near Trindade Island after a search effort encompassing more than 520 km. From a total of 28 acoustic stations, humpback whale songs were only detected near the seamounts close to the Abrolhos Bank, where most groups of this species were visually detected (including a competitive group and groups with calves). The presence of humpback whales at the Trindade Island and surroundings is most likely occasional, with few sightings and low density. Finally, we observed a significant number of humpback whales along the seamounts close to the Abrolhos Bank, which may function as a breeding habitat for this species. We also added important records regarding the occurrence of cetaceans in these mounts and in the Western South Atlantic, including the endangered fin whale.

scholarly journals A description and summary of the Antarctic Humpback Whale Catalogue

2020 ◽  
pp. 95-99
Author(s):  
Judith Allen ◽  
Carole Carlson ◽  
Peter T. Stevick
Keyword(s):  
South America ◽  
Southern Ocean ◽  
Antarctic Peninsula ◽  
Humpback Whale ◽  
Humpback Whales ◽  
Western Coast ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
Dorsal Fin ◽  
Feeding Area ◽  
The Antarctic

The Antarctic Humpback Whale Catalogue (AHWC) is an international collaborative project investigating movement patterns of humpback whales in the Southern Ocean and corresponding lower latitude waters. The collection contains records contributed by 261 researchers and opportunistic sources. Photographs come from all of the Antarctic management areas, the feeding grounds in southern Chile and also most of the known or suspected low-latitude breeding areas and span more than two decades. This allows comparisons to be made over all of the major regions used by  Southern Hemisphere humpback whales. The fluke, left dorsal fin/flank and right dorsal fin/flank collections represent 3,655, 413 and 407 individual whales respectively. There were 194 individuals resighted in more than one year, and 82 individuals resighted in more than one region. Resightings document movement along the western coast of South America and movement between the Antarctic Peninsula and western coast of South America and Central America. A single individual from Brazil was resighted off South Georgia, representing the first documented link between the Brazilian breeding ground and any feeding area. A second individual from Brazil was resighted off Madagascar, documenting long distance movement of a female between non-adjacent breeding areas. Resightings also include two matches between American Samoa and the Antarctic Peninsula, documenting the first known feeding site for American Somoa and setting a new long distance seasonal migration record. Three matches between Sector V and eastern Australia support earlier evidence provided by Discovery tags. Multiple resightings of individuals in the Antarctic Peninsula during more than one season indicate that humpback whales in this area show some degree of regional feeding area fidelity. The AHWC provides a powerful non-lethal and non-invasive tool for investigating the movements and population structure of the whales utilising the Southern Ocean Sanctuary. Through this methodical, coordinated comparison and maintenance of collections from across the hemisphere, large-scale movement patterns may be examined, both within the Antarctic, and from the Antarctic to breeding grounds at low latitudes.

scholarly journals The 2005 Galápagos humpback whale expedition: a first attempt to assess and characterise the population in the Archipelago

2020 ◽  
pp. 291-299
Author(s):  
Fernando Félix ◽  
Daniel M. Palacios ◽  
Sandie K. Salazar ◽  
Susana Caballero ◽  
Ben Haase ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Humpback Whale ◽  
Humpback Whales ◽  
Encounter Rate ◽  
Santa Fe ◽  
Frequency Range ◽  
Breeding Area ◽  
Skin Sample ◽  
Breeding Stock ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
The Antarctic

It has been known for some time that humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) occur in waters of the Galápagos Islands, an oceanic archipelagolocated 1,000km west of Ecuador, South America (1°S, 91°W), but their presence there has been poorly documented. Although presumed, nolinkage has been established between Galápagos and southeast Pacific humpback whales (Breeding Stock G), the nearest breeding stock. Anexpedition to Galápagos was carried out between 31 August and 10 September 2005 to document the presence of humpback whales, their distribution,and their relationship to other stocks in the Pacific. Surveys covered 722km of the central and southern parts of the archipelago. Only one adultwith a newborn calf was found at Santa Fé Island (0°47’S, 90°05.1’W), yielding an encounter rate of 0.27 whales per 100km of survey. A hydrophonewith a response frequency range of 0.25–25kHz was dropped 25 times, but no whale sounds were heard. A skin sample was obtained by darting ofthe adult at Santa Fé, and was used for genetic analysis of the mtDNA control region. The haplotype of the Galápagos specimen has been found ina few individuals sampled previously off Colombia, Ecuador and the Antarctic Peninsula, thus establishing at least some degree of relatedness withBreeding Stock G. The observations, combined with a compilation of historical and recent sighting information in the archipelago, support the ideathat Galápagos is a breeding area for the species. Further studies are needed to establish the level of discreteness, size and other basic aspects of theGalápagos humpback whale population.

scholarly journals Feeding Hotspots and Distribution of Fin and Humpback Whales in the Norwegian Sea From 2013 to 2018

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sunniva Løviknes ◽  
Knut H. Jensen ◽  
Bjørn A. Krafft ◽  
Valantine Anthonypillai ◽  
Leif Nøttestad
Keyword(s):  
Interspecific Interactions ◽  
Humpback Whale ◽  
Clupea Harengus ◽  
Fish Distribution ◽  
Humpback Whales ◽  
Impact Factors ◽  
Shelf Area ◽  
Fin Whale ◽  
Norwegian Sea ◽  
Fin Whales

Fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus) and humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) are commonly found in the Norwegian Sea during the summer months. Records from around 1995 to 2004 show that their distribution patterns were mainly associated with those of macro-zooplankton. More recent studies conducted from 2009 to 2012 demonstrate marked shifts, with fin whale distribution related to pelagic fish distribution, decreasing densities of humpbacks, and increased densities of toothed whales. During the same period, historically large abundances of pelagic planktivorous fish in the Norwegian Sea were reported. The goals of this study were to examine the summer distribution of fin and humpback whales from 2013 to 2018 and to assess the potential association between distribution and environmental impact factors. Results suggest a pronounced northerly shift in distribution for both species, a feeding hotspot for fin whales at the shelf area between Svalbard and Norway, and one near Bear Island for humpback whales. Fin whale distribution was associated with that of blue whiting (Micromesistius poutassou) and capelin (Mallotus villosus), whereas humpback whale distribution was associated with that of euphausiids (Meganyctiphanes norvegica, Thysanoessa longicaudata, and Thysanoessa inermis), capelin, and herring (Clupea harengus). However, a significant negative spatial correlation was found between whale occurrence and the widely expanding population of northeast Atlantic mackerel (Scomber scombrus). The results of this study suggest that the prey composition of fin and humpback whales in recent years contain a large proportion of fish. The apparent northerly shift in the distribution of these whale species is largely determined by the availability of prey, but it likely is also impacted by direct or indirect interspecific interactions, especially with killer whales (Orcinus orca). Such large-scale pronounced changes in distribution seem to confirm a high degree of plasticity in fin and humpback whale feeding in the Norwegian Sea.

On the occurrence of the fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) in the northern Adriatic

2004 ◽  
Vol 84 (4) ◽  
pp. 861-862 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lovrenc Lipej ◽  
Jakov Dulčić ◽  
Boris Kryštufek
Keyword(s):  
Humpback Whale ◽  
Eastern Coast ◽  
Zooplankton Abundance ◽  
Balaenoptera Physalus ◽  
Northern Adriatic ◽  
Fin Whale ◽  
Fin Whales ◽  
Basking Shark

Twenty-three observations of 26 fin whales Balaenoptera physalus are documented for the northern Adriatic. Records were more common along the eastern coast and have increased over the last decades. The latter coincides with the increased presence of other planktivorous vertebrates (humpback whale, basking shark) and possibly follow changes in the zooplankton abundance.

scholarly journals Migration and summer destinations of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) in the western South Atlantic Ocean

2020 ◽  
pp. 113-118
Author(s):  
Alexandre N. Zerbini ◽  
Artur Andriolo ◽  
Mads Peter Heide-Jorgensen ◽  
Sergio C. Moreira ◽  
Jose Luis Pizzorno ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
South America ◽  
Atlantic Ocean ◽  
Satellite Telemetry ◽  
South Atlantic ◽  
South Atlantic Ocean ◽  
Humpback Whales ◽  
Telemetry Data ◽  
The South ◽  
The Antarctic ◽  
Feeding Grounds

Southern Hemisphere humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) migrate from wintering grounds in tropical latitudes to feeding areas in the Antarctic Ocean. In 2003 and 2005, satellite transmitters were deployed on humpback whales on their wintering grounds off the eastern coast of South America (Breeding Stock A). Seven whales were tracked for a period of 16 to 205 days travelling between 902 and 7,258km. The tracks of these whales provided partial or full information on the migratory schedule, migration routes and location of the feeding ground in the Southern Oceans. Whales departed from the coast of Brazil from late October to late December between 20˚ and 25˚S and gradually moved away from the South American coast as they moved towards high latitudes. They followed a somewhat direct, linear path, with an approximate geographic heading of 170˚. Satellite telemetry data indicated that the migratory corridors are restricted to a relatively narrow (~500–800km) strip in the South Atlantic Ocean. Migration speed to the feeding grounds averaged 80.2km/day and lasted from 40–58 days. Four individuals arrived at the feeding ground located to the north of the South Sandwich Islands, where they were tracked up to 102 days. Movements in this area were erratic at a mean travelling speed of 22.3km/day. Satellite telemetry data indicate that the main feeding grounds for the population wintering off eastern South America lie between 22˚W and 33˚W and in the southern South Atlantic Ocean south of the Antarctic Convergence but north of 60˚S. This is only partially consistent with the currently proposed stock boundaries for this population on the feeding grounds.

Polymorphic microsatellite loci isolated from humpback whale, Megaptera novaeangliae and fin whale, balaenoptera physalus

2005 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 631-636 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martine Bérubé ◽  
Mary Beth Rew ◽  
Hans Skaug ◽  
Hanne Jørgensen ◽  
Jooke Robbins ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Microsatellite Loci ◽  
Humpback Whale ◽  
Megaptera Novaeangliae ◽  
Balaenoptera Physalus ◽  
Fin Whale ◽  
Polymorphic Microsatellite

scholarly journals Influence of environmental parameters on movements and habitat utilization of humpback whales ( Megaptera novaeangliae ) in the Madagascar breeding ground

2016 ◽  
Vol 3 (12) ◽  
pp. 160616 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laurène Trudelle ◽  
Salvatore Cerchio ◽  
Alexandre N. Zerbini ◽  
Ygor Geyer ◽  
François-Xavier Mayer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Swimming Speed ◽  
Environmental Parameters ◽  
Humpback Whale ◽  
Breeding Habitat ◽  
Humpback Whales ◽  
Movement Speed ◽  
Shallow Waters ◽  
Habitat Features ◽  
Core Habitat ◽  
Active Swimming

Assessing the movement patterns and key habitat features of breeding humpback whales is a prerequisite for the conservation management of this philopatric species. To investigate the interactions between humpback whale movements and environmental conditions off Madagascar, we deployed 25 satellite tags in the northeast and southwest coast of Madagascar. For each recorded position, we collated estimates of environmental variables and computed two behavioural metrics: behavioural state of ‘transiting’ (consistent/directional) versus ‘localized’ (variable/non-directional), and active swimming speed (i.e. speed relative to the current). On coastal habitats (i.e. bathymetry < 200 m and in adjacent areas), females showed localized behaviour in deep waters (191 ± 20 m) and at large distances (14 ± 0.6 km) from shore, suggesting that their breeding habitat extends beyond the shallowest waters available close to the coastline. Males' active swimming speed decreased in shallow waters, but environmental parameters did not influence their likelihood to exhibit localized movements, which was probably dominated by social factors instead. In oceanic habitats, both males and females showed localized behaviours in shallow waters and favoured high chlorophyll- a concentrations. Active swimming speed accounts for a large proportion of observed movement speed; however, breeding humpback whales probably exploit prevailing ocean currents to maximize displacement. This study provides evidence that coastal areas, generally subject to strong human pressure, remain the core habitat of humpback whales off Madagascar. Our results expand the knowledge of humpback whale habitat use in oceanic habitat and response to variability of environmental factors such as oceanic current and chlorophyll level.

scholarly journals The Existence of different Fin Whale, Balaenoptera Physalus, populations in South Atlantic waters.

1984 ◽  
Vol 54 (1) ◽  
pp. 127-138
Author(s):  
J.G. van Beek ◽  
W.L. van Utrecht
Keyword(s):  
Southern Hemisphere ◽  
South Atlantic ◽  
Baleen Whale ◽  
Balaenoptera Physalus ◽  
Fin Whale ◽  
Feeding Grounds

The southern hemisphere has been divided into six Areas for baleen whale management purposes. It was assumed that of the different baleen whale species one population lives in each Area. However, evidence exists which suggests that different Fin Whale populations intermingle on the feeding grounds of anArea. This obviously would have implications with respect to Fin Whale management.

scholarly journals Combining Regional Habitat Selection Models for Large-Scale Prediction: Circumpolar Habitat Selection of Southern Ocean Humpback Whales

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (11) ◽  
pp. 2074
Author(s):  
Ryan R. Reisinger ◽  
Ari S. Friedlaender ◽  
Alexandre N. Zerbini ◽  
Daniel M. Palacios ◽  
Virginia Andrews-Goff ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Selection ◽  
Predictive Models ◽  
Regional Variation ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Predictive Performance ◽  
Humpback Whale ◽  
Machine Learning Algorithms ◽  
Humpback Whales ◽  
Environmental Covariates ◽  
Animal Habitat

Machine learning algorithms are often used to model and predict animal habitat selection—the relationships between animal occurrences and habitat characteristics. For broadly distributed species, habitat selection often varies among populations and regions; thus, it would seem preferable to fit region- or population-specific models of habitat selection for more accurate inference and prediction, rather than fitting large-scale models using pooled data. However, where the aim is to make range-wide predictions, including areas for which there are no existing data or models of habitat selection, how can regional models best be combined? We propose that ensemble approaches commonly used to combine different algorithms for a single region can be reframed, treating regional habitat selection models as the candidate models. By doing so, we can incorporate regional variation when fitting predictive models of animal habitat selection across large ranges. We test this approach using satellite telemetry data from 168 humpback whales across five geographic regions in the Southern Ocean. Using random forests, we fitted a large-scale model relating humpback whale locations, versus background locations, to 10 environmental covariates, and made a circumpolar prediction of humpback whale habitat selection. We also fitted five regional models, the predictions of which we used as input features for four ensemble approaches: an unweighted ensemble, an ensemble weighted by environmental similarity in each cell, stacked generalization, and a hybrid approach wherein the environmental covariates and regional predictions were used as input features in a new model. We tested the predictive performance of these approaches on an independent validation dataset of humpback whale sightings and whaling catches. These multiregional ensemble approaches resulted in models with higher predictive performance than the circumpolar naive model. These approaches can be used to incorporate regional variation in animal habitat selection when fitting range-wide predictive models using machine learning algorithms. This can yield more accurate predictions across regions or populations of animals that may show variation in habitat selection.

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