scholarly journals Coupled changes between the H‐Print biomarker and δ 15 N indicates a variable sea ice carbon contribution to the diet of Cumberland Sound beluga whales

2017 ◽  
Vol 62 (4) ◽  
pp. 1606-1619 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. A. Brown ◽  
E. Chrystal ◽  
S. H. Ferguson ◽  
D. J. Yurkowski ◽  
C. Watt ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sea Ice ◽  
Beluga Whales ◽  
Cumberland Sound ◽  
Carbon Contribution

scholarly journals Spatio-temporal summer distribution of Cumberland Sound beluga whales (Delphinapterus leucas) in Clearwater Fiord

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karyn Booy ◽  
Xavier Mouy ◽  
Steven H. Ferguson ◽  
Marianne Marcoux
Keyword(s):  
Aerial Survey ◽  
Biological Information ◽  
Delphinapterus Leucas ◽  
Diel Variation ◽  
Beluga Whales ◽  
Cumberland Sound ◽  
Spatio Temporal ◽  
Summer Distribution ◽  
Beluga Whale Delphinapterus Leucas ◽  
Passive Acoustic

The Cumberland Sound (Nunavut, Canada) beluga whale (Delphinapterus leucas) population has been designated as threatened and updated biological information about summer distribution is required for a sound recovery plan. Variation in aerial survey counts are speculated to occur due to movement of belugas in and out of the fiord, and there is still uncertainty related to their distribution within key summer habitat. To address these knowledge gaps, non-invasive passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) systems were deployed in August of 2010 and 2011. An automated detector was used to determine presence/absence and quantify calls by recorder site. Results were verified by partial manual analysis of 20% of the files. The detector had a minimum accuracy of 85% for presence/absence and 42% for call quantification. Belugas were detected primarily at the uppermost site of Clearwater Fiord, with detections subsiding with increasing proximity to the fiord entrance. Diel variation in call patterns were quantified at two separate sites in different years, but no correlation was observed between tidal cycles and number of detections. This study indicates that Cumberland Sound beluga may prefer sites at the head of Clearwater Fiord. Further research is required to identify which environmental variables contribute to this observed summer distribution.

Bowhead and Beluga Whale Distributions, Sighting Rates, and Habitat Associations in the Western Beaufort Sea in Summer and Fall 2009–16, with Comparison to 1982–91

ARCTIC ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 71 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Janet T. Clarke ◽  
Megan C. Ferguson ◽  
Amy L. Willoughby ◽  
Amelia A. Brower
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Use ◽  
Sea Ice ◽  
Continental Slope ◽  
Beaufort Sea ◽  
Habitat Associations ◽  
Bowhead Whale ◽  
Line Transect ◽  
Outer Continental Shelf ◽  
Beluga Whales ◽  
Shallow Habitat

We analyzed data from line-transect aerial surveys for marine mammals conducted in the western Beaufort Sea (shore to 72˚ N, 140˚–157˚ W) from July to October of 2009–16 to investigate the distribution, behaviors, sighting rates, and habitat use preferences of bowhead and beluga whales. The habitat use data allowed for direct comparison with data collected in the same area from 1982 to 1991. Both species are ice-adapted, migrating through leads in sea ice in spring, and are seasonal inhabitants of the western Beaufort Sea during summer and fall. From 2009 to 2016, bowheads were seen in all survey months, with the highest overall sighting rate (whales per km) in August. Bowhead sighting rates were highest in the whales’ preferred habitats: outer shelf habitat (51–200 m depth) in July and inner shelf-shallow habitat (≤ 20 m depth) in August, September, and October. Beluga whales were also seen in all survey months, with highest overall sighting rate in July. Beluga whales were overwhelmingly associated with continental slope habitat (201–2000 m depth) in all months. Bowhead distribution and depth preferences in summer months of 2009–16 differed from those observed in 1982–91, when bowheads were not seen during limited survey effort in July and preferred outer continental shelf habitat in August. These differences indicate that bowhead whale preference for shallow shelf habitat now occurs earlier in summer than it used to. Beluga distribution and depth preference remained similar between 1982–91 and 2009–16, with strong preference for continental slope during both periods. Differences in sea ice cover habitat association for both species are likely due more to the relative lack of sea ice in recent years compared to the earlier period than to shifts in habitat preference. Habitat partitioning between bowhead and beluga whales in the western Beaufort Sea remained evident except in July, when both species used continental slope habitat. In July – October 2009–16, the distribution, sighting rates, and behavior of both bowheads and belugas in the western Beaufort showed considerable interannual variation, which underscores the importance of annual sampling to accurate records of the complex western Beaufort Sea ecosystem.

scholarly journals Subarctic tidal flats in areas of large tidal range, southern Baffin Island, eastern Canada

2011 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
pp. 183-204 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. B. McCann ◽  
J. E. Dale ◽  
P. B. Hale
Keyword(s):  
Sea Ice ◽  
Intertidal Zone ◽  
Tidal Flats ◽  
Tidal Range ◽  
Baffin Island ◽  
Eastern Canada ◽  
Ice Breakup ◽  
Cumberland Sound ◽  
Ice Floes ◽  
Mode Of Transport

Wide, boulder-strewn intertidal flats occur around the head of Frobisher Bay and along parts of the shoreline of Cumberland Sound, in southeast Baffin Island. The coastal environment is characterized by large tidal ranges, severe winter sea ice conditions, and a relative sea level history which involves rapid and then decreasing land emergence during the earlier part of the Holocene, succeeded by slight recent submergence. Summer field investigations were carried out at two sites, Koojesse Inlet on Frobisher Bay, where ice breakup conditions were also monitored, and Pangnirtung Fiord off Cumberland Sound. The results are summarized under three headings: physical and biological zonation across the tidal flats; tidal action and sea ice processes; and geological evolution of the tidal flats. Comparisons are made with similar settings described by others in Labrador and Ungava Bay. The sedimentary shores at both Baffin Island sites exhibit a distinct physical zonation, most evident in the concentration of boulders in the middle tidal flat zone at Koojesse Inlet and in the boulder barricade at the seaward margin of the Pangnirtung flats. Biological observations show a zonation of intertidal flora and fauna across the intertidal zone at Koojesse Inlet. An outstanding problem concerns the mode of transport of very large boulders. Pushing and rolling, by ice floes which are confined to the intertidal zone by the solid ice in the offshore zone during the critical early phase of breakup may be more appropriate processes than ice rafting.

Human geographies of sea ice: freeze/thaw processes around Pangnirtung, Nunavut, Canada

Polar Record ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 44 (4) ◽  
pp. 335-361 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gita J. Laidler ◽  
Andrew Dialla ◽  
Eric Joamie
Keyword(s):  
Sea Ice ◽  
Regional Scale ◽  
Open Water ◽  
Current Strength ◽  
Ice Formation ◽  
Freeze Thaw ◽  
Ice Conditions ◽  
Cumberland Sound ◽  
Nuanced Understanding ◽  
Ocean Environment

ABSTRACTSea ice has been, and continues to be, an integral component of life in the Inuit community of Pangnirtung, Nunavut. Located in a fiord of the same name off the northeastern end of Cumberland Sound, extensive ice formation occurs within the fiord and the sound. This creates an important travel and hunting platform, and enables access to the coastlines of Cumberland Sound, hunting and fishing grounds, and nearby communities. With the combined importance, dynamism, and continuous use of this frozen ocean environment, local Inuit elders and hunters have developed a detailed and nuanced understanding of sea ice conditions, freeze/thaw processes, and the influences of winds and currents on ice conditions. Working collaboratively with the community of Pangnirtung since September 2003, we present the results of 30 semi-directed interviews, 5 sea ice trips, and 2 focus groups to provide a baseline understanding of local freezing processes (near-shore, open water, sea ice thickening, landfast ice, tidal cracks, and the floe edge), melting processes (snow melt, water accumulation and drainage, and break-up), wind influences on sea ice (wind direction and strength affecting sea ice formation and movement), and, current influences on sea ice (tidal variations and current strength affecting sea ice formation, movement, and polynya size/location). Strong emphasis is placed on Inuktitut terminology and spatial delineations of localised ice conditions and features. Therefore, this paper provides insights into local scale ice conditions and dynamics around Pangnirtung that are not captured in regional scale studies of Cumberland Sound and/or Davis Strait. As the third in a series of three papers on the same subject, but from different communities in the Qikiqtaaluk (Baffin) Region of Nunavut, this paper also provides a comparative summary of Inuktitut and scientific sea ice terminology along with an overview of the broader implications of results for collaborative science, education, and heritage initiatives.

scholarly journals Genetic profiling links changing sea-ice to shifting beluga whale migration patterns

2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (11) ◽  
pp. 20160404 ◽  
Author(s):  
Greg O'Corry-Crowe ◽  
Andrew R. Mahoney ◽  
Robert Suydam ◽  
Lori Quakenbush ◽  
Alex Whiting ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sea Ice ◽  
Beluga Whale ◽  
Ocean Dynamics ◽  
Delphinapterus Leucas ◽  
Ecosystem Structure ◽  
Genetic Profiling ◽  
Beluga Whales ◽  
Resource Dispersion ◽  
Ice Conditions ◽  
And Shifts

There is increasing concern over how Arctic fauna will adapt to climate related changes in sea-ice. We used long-term sighting and genetic data on beluga whales ( Delphinapterus leucas ) in conjunction with multi-decadal patterns of sea-ice in the Pacific Arctic to investigate the influence of sea-ice on spring migration and summer residency patterns. Substantial variations in sea-ice conditions were detected across seasons, years and sub-regions, revealing ice–ocean dynamics more complex than Arctic-wide trends suggest. This variation contrasted with a highly consistent pattern of migration and residency by several populations, indicating that belugas can accommodate widely varying sea-ice conditions to perpetuate philopatry to coastal migration destinations. However, a number of anomalous migration and residency events were detected and coincided with anomalous ice years, and in one case with an increase in killer whale ( Orcinus orca ) sightings and reported predation on beluga whales. The behavioural shifts were likely driven by changing sea-ice and associated changes in resource dispersion and predation risk. Continued reductions in sea-ice may result in increased predation at key aggregation areas and shifts in beluga whale behaviour with implications for population viability, ecosystem structure and the subsistence cultures that rely on them.

scholarly journals The effect of sea-ice loss on beluga whales (Delphinapterus leucas) in West Greenland

2010 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 198-208 ◽  
Author(s):  
M.P. Heide-Jørgensen ◽  
K.L. Laidre ◽  
D. Borchers ◽  
T.A. Marques ◽  
H. Stern ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sea Ice ◽  
Delphinapterus Leucas ◽  
West Greenland ◽  
Beluga Whales

scholarly journals Decadal shifts in autumn migration timing by Pacific Arctic beluga whales are related to delayed annual sea ice formation

2016 ◽  
Vol 23 (6) ◽  
pp. 2206-2217 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donna D. W. Hauser ◽  
Kristin L. Laidre ◽  
Kathleen M. Stafford ◽  
Harry L. Stern ◽  
Robert S. Suydam ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sea Ice ◽  
Ice Formation ◽  
Autumn Migration ◽  
Beluga Whales ◽  
Migration Timing
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