The migratory behaviour of narwhals (Monodon monoceros)

2003 ◽  
Vol 81 (8) ◽  
pp. 1298-1305 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mads Peter Heide-Jørgensen ◽  
Rune Dietz ◽  
Kristin L Laidre ◽  
Pierre Richard ◽  
Jack Orr ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Open Water ◽  
High Arctic ◽  
Early Summer ◽  
Canadian High Arctic ◽  
Baffin Bay ◽  
Bay Area ◽  
Monodon Monoceros ◽  
Migratory Routes ◽  
Somerset Island ◽  
Wintering Ground

Sixteen female narwhals (Monodon monoceros) were tracked by satellite in 2000 and 2001 from their summering ground near Somerset Island in the Canadian High Arctic to their wintering ground in central Baffin Bay. The wintering ground location was spatially discrete from another narwhal wintering ground in southern Baffin Bay. Area extent of the summering ground was approximately 9464 km2 and area extent of the wintering ground was 25 846 km2. Two of the narwhals were tracked for more than 12 consecutive months. These whales used three focal areas between their spring and autumn migration: a coastal area in the open-water season in August in the Canadian High Arctic, a wintering area from November through April in the consolidated pack ice of Baffin Bay, and an early summer area in front of the receding fast ice edge in Lancaster Sound. The whales showed remarkable site fidelity to summering grounds and had specific migratory routes that followed sea ice formation and recession.

scholarly journals The littoral zone of polar lakes: inshore–offshore contrasts in an ice-covered High Arctic lake

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-24
Author(s):  
Paschale N. Bégin ◽  
Milla Rautio ◽  
Yukiko Tanabe ◽  
Masaki Uchida ◽  
Alexander I. Culley ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Light Availability ◽  
Sharp Decrease ◽  
Open Water ◽  
High Arctic ◽  
Early Summer ◽  
Fatty Acid Profiles ◽  
Canadian High Arctic ◽  
Abrupt Increase ◽  
Horizontal Gradients

In ice-covered polar lakes, a narrow ice-free moat opens up in spring or early summer, and then persists at the edge of the lake until complete ice loss or refreezing. In this study, we analyzed the horizontal gradients in Ward Hunt Lake, located in the Canadian High Arctic, and addressed the hypothesis that the transition from its nearshore open-water moat to offshore ice-covered waters is marked by discontinuous shifts in limnological properties. Consistent with this hypothesis, we observed an abrupt increase in below-ice concentrations of chlorophyll a beyond the ice margin, along with a sharp decrease in temperature and light availability and pronounced changes in benthic algal pigments and fatty acids. There were higher concentrations of rotifers and lower concentrations of viruses at the ice-free sampling sites, and contrasts in zooplankton fatty acid profiles that implied a greater importance of benthic phototrophs in their inshore diet. The observed patterns underscore the structuring role of ice cover in polar lakes. These ecosystems do not conform to the traditional definitions of littoral versus pelagic zones but instead may have distinct moat, ice-margin, and ice-covered zones. This zonation is likely to weaken with ongoing climate change.

Diving behaviour of narwhals (Monodon monoceros) at two coastal localities in the Canadian High Arctic

2002 ◽  
Vol 80 (4) ◽  
pp. 624-635 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristin L Laidre ◽  
Mads Peter Heide-Jørgensen ◽  
Rune Dietz
Keyword(s):  
Strong Relationship ◽  
High Arctic ◽  
Dive Depth ◽  
Baffin Island ◽  
Correction Factors ◽  
Canadian High Arctic ◽  
Suction Cup ◽  
Monodon Monoceros ◽  
Somerset Island ◽  
Good Agreement

In August 1999 and 2000, four suction-cup-attached time–depth recorders (TDRs) were deployed and retrieved from narwhals (Monodon monoceros) in Tremblay Sound, Baffin Island, and Creswell Bay, Somerset Island, Nunavut, Canada. The TDRs remained on the whales for between 12 and 33 h and collected 64.5 h of dive data. Mean dive depths ranged from 20.8 m (SD = 14.8 m) to 50.8 m (SD = 43.8 m) and mean dive durations ranged from 3.4 min (SD = 1.6 min) to 4.9 min (SD = 4.5 min). There appeared to be individual differences in dive parameters both within a region and between regions. Three of the whales made short, shallow dives, while another whale made dives twice as deep and twice as long. One whale had maximum dive durations (>20 min) that exceeded predicted aerobic dive limits for narwhals. There was a strong relationship between maximum dive depth and duration for all whales (p < 0.0001). Narwhals spent between 30.3 and 52.9% of their time at depths <5 m and the range of correction factors for availability bias was 1.9–3.3. Satellite-linked TDRs were simultaneously deployed on the whales at both localities. Dive data collected using the two methods were compared and good agreement between the methods was obtained.

Abundance and Distribution of Narwhals (Monodon monoceros) in Northern Hudson Bay

1991 ◽  
Vol 48 (2) ◽  
pp. 276-283 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pierre R. Richard
Keyword(s):  
Hudson Bay ◽  
Baffin Bay ◽  
Bay Area ◽  
Monodon Monoceros ◽  
Aerial Surveys ◽  
Davis Strait ◽  
Abundance And Distribution ◽  
Reconnaissance Surveys

Aerial surveys for narwhals (Monodon monoceros) were conducted in August 1981, in July 1982, 1983, and 1984, and in March 1983 in the Repulse Bay area between Roes Welcome Sound and Lyon Inlet, north of Southampton Island. About 1300 narwhals were estimated to occupy waters between northern Roes Welcome Sound and Lyon Inlet in July 1982, 1983, and 1984. Narwhals were found throughout the study area but were more concentrated in three areas: northern Roes Welcome Sound, southern Frozen Strait, and, in 1984, Lyon Inlet. Only four narwhals were observed during August 1981 reconnaissance surveys of these areas. No narwhals were seen during the March 1983 survey of Roes Welcome Sound and leads of Frozen Strait. A winter concentration of narwhals observed by others in eastern Hudson Strait was of similar size to that which we observed in July, suggesting that they could be the same stock. If this is so, the northern Hudson Bay narwhals could be distinct from the stock that inhabits Davis Strait and Baffin Bay.

The breeding behavior of Atlantic walruses, Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus, in the Canadian High Arctic

1996 ◽  
Vol 74 (5) ◽  
pp. 897-911 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Sjare ◽  
I. Stirling
Keyword(s):  
Mating System ◽  
Open Water ◽  
High Arctic ◽  
Easy Access ◽  
Breeding Behavior ◽  
Canadian High Arctic ◽  
Odobenus Rosmarus ◽  
Ice Conditions ◽  
Female Defense Polygyny ◽  
Odobenus Rosmarus Rosmarus

The breeding behavior of Atlantic walruses, Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus, overwintering at the Dundas Island polynya (76 °09′N, 94 °52′W) in the Canadian High Arctic was studied from 1981 to 1990. Approximately 25–65 walruses frequented the polynya area each winter; their distribution was determined by sea-ice features (e.g., thin annual ice, cracks) that ensured easy access to open water. The mating system of walruses breeding in the area is best described as female-defense polygyny. A large mature male had exclusive access to a herd of walruses containing several females for 1–5 days at a time. Although there were numerous males in the polynya capable of attending a herd during the breeding season, one or two males spent significantly more time with a herd. It was not evident that female preference was important in determining which male became the attending male. When attending a herd, a male continuously repeated a complex, stereotyped underwater song. Other sexually mature males in the area behaved as silent herd members, vocal satellite males, or, in some cases, both. The small number of walruses at the polynya, the sedentary nature of the population due to ice conditions, and the inherent gregariousness of female walruses appear to be important factors influencing the evolution of social behavior and the mating system in walruses

scholarly journals DMS emissions from the Arctic marginal ice zone

Elem Sci Anth ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Martí Galí ◽  
Martine Lizotte ◽  
David J. Kieber ◽  
Achim Randelhoff ◽  
Rachel Hussherr ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Radiative Forcing ◽  
Open Water ◽  
Early Summer ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Aerosol Formation ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
Baffin Bay ◽  
Ice Melt ◽  
Ice Coverage ◽  
Marginal Ice Zone

Phytoplankton blooms in the Arctic marginal ice zone (MIZ) can be prolific dimethylsulfide (DMS) producers, thereby influencing regional aerosol formation and cloud radiative forcing. Here we describe the distribution of DMS and its precursor dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) across the Baffin Bay receding ice edge in early summer 2016. Overall, DMS and total DMSP (DMSPt) increased towards warmer waters of Atlantic origin concurrently with more advanced ice-melt and bloom stages. Relatively high DMS and DMSPt (medians of 6.3 and 70 nM, respectively) were observed in the surface layer (0–9 m depth), and very high values (reaching 74 and 524 nM, respectively) at the subsurface biomass maximum (15–30 m depth). Microscopic and pigment analyses indicated that subsurface DMS and DMSPt peaks were associated with Phaeocystis pouchetii, which bloomed in Atlantic-influenced waters and reached unprecedented biomass levels in Baffin Bay. In surface waters, DMS concentrations and DMS:DMSPt ratios were higher in the MIZ (medians of 12 nM and 0.15, respectively) than in fully ice-covered or ice-free conditions, potentially associated with enhanced phytoplanktonic DMSP release and bacterial DMSP cleavage (high dddP:dmdA gene ratios). Mean sea–air DMS fluxes (µmol m–2 d–1) increased from 0.3 in ice-covered waters to 10 in open waters (maximum of 26) owing to concurrent trends in near-surface DMS concentrations and physical drivers of gas exchange. Using remotely sensed sea-ice coverage and a compilation of sea–air DMS flux data, we estimated that the pan-Arctic DMS emission from the MIZ (EDMS, MIZ) was 5–13 Gg S yr–1. North of 80°N, EDMS, MIZ might have increased by around 10 ± 4% yr–1 between 2003 and 2014, likely exceeding open-water emissions in June and July. We conclude that EDMS, MIZ must be taken into account to evaluate plankton-climate feedbacks in the Arctic.

Trace element and stable isotope analysis elucidate stock structure in a narwhal (Monodon monoceros) population with no genetic substructure

2019 ◽  
Vol 97 (11) ◽  
pp. 1084-1091
Author(s):  
Cortney A. Watt ◽  
Claire Hornby ◽  
Steven H. Ferguson
Keyword(s):  
Stable Isotope ◽  
Trace Element ◽  
Isotope Analysis ◽  
Subsistence Hunting ◽  
Baffin Bay ◽  
Stock Discrimination ◽  
Monodon Monoceros ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Genetic Substructure ◽  
Somerset Island

Chemical composition of tissues can act as a biological tag to discriminate among groups of animals that inhabit different areas. In Canada, subsistence hunting of the Baffin Bay narwhal (Monodon monoceros Linnaeus, 1758) population is managed as stocks represented by summer aggregations. However, narwhals are highly mobile and are hunted during the migration while stocks mix. Thus, information that can help managers decipher the stock origin of hunted individuals to prevent overexploitation of animals adapted to particular summering grounds is needed. Stable isotope and trace element analyses were conducted on narwhal skin tissues from five stocks in the eastern Canadian Arctic from 1990 to 2015. Discriminant analysis showed a significant difference between Admiralty Inlet and Eclipse Sound stocks in the summer residency period and both differed from Jones Sound and Somerset Island. During the migration season, there was more overlap and less distinction among stocks, but 75% of animals were classified correctly to their defined stocks in both periods. Together stable isotope and trace element analyses are useful for delineating stocks and could be used to complement other stock discrimination approaches.

Distribution and Movements of Belugas, Delphinapterus leucas, in the Canadian High Arctic

1994 ◽  
Vol 51 (7) ◽  
pp. 1653-1663 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas G. Smith ◽  
A. R. Martin
Keyword(s):  
Coastal Waters ◽  
High Arctic ◽  
Delphinapterus Leucas ◽  
Canadian High Arctic ◽  
Directed Movement ◽  
Seasonal Movements ◽  
Devon Island ◽  
Aerial Surveys ◽  
Fast Ice ◽  
Somerset Island

Belugas, Delphinapterus leucas, move into the coastal waters of Somerset Island as soon as the annual land-fast ice breaks up in late June – early July. Six bays or inlets which receive the outflow of rivers are the major areas of summer aggregation. Belugas captured and equipped with satellite-linked UHF transmitters in Cunningham Inlet (Barrow Strait), Elwin Bay (Prince Regent Inlet), and Creswell Bay moved west into Peel Sound where they frequented two other estuaries. Rapid and directed movement out of Peel Sound occurred in late August. All of the animals which transmitted locations into September or October moved to eastern Devon Island and Jones Sound. The longest period of transmission was 75 d, lasting until mid-October. Belugas tagged in three different locations around Somerset Island in the summers of 1988–93 showed a well-defined and consistent pattern of behaviour. Aerial surveys done during this period confirm that the vast majority of belugas in this region are involved in these seasonal movements.

scholarly journals Distribution and abundance of Canadian High Arctic belugas, 1974-1979

2002 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
pp. 87 ◽  
Author(s):  
William R Koski ◽  
Kerwin J Finley
Keyword(s):  
Late Summer ◽  
High Arctic ◽  
Delphinapterus Leucas ◽  
Polar Cod ◽  
Canadian High Arctic ◽  
Devon Island ◽  
The North ◽  
Polar Cod Boreogadus Saida ◽  
North Water ◽  
Somerset Island

We conducted >236,000 km of aerial surveys and some supplementary studies of belugas (Delphinapterus leucas) in the central and eastern Canadian High Arctic in 974-79. Belugas that wintered in the “North Water” in Baffin Bay moved southwest into Lancaster Sound in April and early May. The main westward migration into Lancaster Sound occurred over a 2 to 3 week period during late June to late July. Estuaries along Somerset Island were occupied for <3 weeks from mid-July to mid-August. Little feeding occurred in estuaries. From mid-August until fall migration began in mid-September belugas occupied estuaries and offshore waters in Peel Sound. Fall migration eastward through Lancaster Sound was exclusively along the south coast of Devon Island, highly co-ordinated, and rapid; most of the population passed through the sound in <1 week. The whales then moved north along the east coast of Devon Island; some entered Jones Sound while others crossed directly to SE Ellesmere Island. Most calving occurred in July and early August; calving was not seen in estuaries and probably occurred offshore. Excluding calves, adults and yearlings formed 77% and 8.4%, respectively, of the population. The proportion of calves during mid-August was consistent with a triennial calving cycle. During late summer, belugas fed on coastal concentrations of polar cod (Boreogadus saida), under pan ice offshore (probably on cod), and in deep offshore waters. The size of the Canadian High Arctic population in the late 1970s was estimated to be at least 10,250 to 12,000 animals without allowing for animals that may have passed between surveys or that were below the surface at the time of the counts.

Baffin Bay Narwhal Population Distribution and Numbers: Aerial Surveys in the Canadian High Arctic, 2002–04

ARCTIC ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 63 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
P.R. Richard ◽  
J.L. Laake ◽  
R.C. Hobbs ◽  
M.P. Heide-Jørgensen ◽  
N.C. Asselin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Population Distribution ◽  
High Arctic ◽  
Canadian High Arctic ◽  
Baffin Bay ◽  
Aerial Surveys
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