Habitat Use by Different Size Classes of Bowhead Whales in the Central Beaufort Sea during Late Summer and Autumn

ARCTIC ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 62 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
William R. Koski ◽  
Gary W. Miller
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Use ◽  
Late Summer ◽  
Beaufort Sea ◽  
Bowhead Whales ◽  
Size Classes

Satellite-monitored movements of radio-tagged bowhead whales in the Beaufort and Chukchi seas during the late-summer feeding season and fall migration

2000 ◽  
Vol 78 (7) ◽  
pp. 1168-1181 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bruce R Mate ◽  
Gregory K Krutzikowsky ◽  
Martha H Winsor
Keyword(s):  
Shallow Water ◽  
Late Summer ◽  
Open Water ◽  
Beaufort Sea ◽  
River Delta ◽  
Bowhead Whale ◽  
Balaena Mysticetus ◽  
Bowhead Whales ◽  
Russian Waters ◽  
Summer Feeding

From 30 August to 6 September 1992, we tagged 12 juvenile bowhead whales (Balaena mysticetus) with Argos satellite-monitored radio tags in the Canadian Beaufort Sea off the Mackenzie River Delta. Eight tags documented [Formula: see text]9820 km of movements between 392 locations during 111 whale-tracking days. The whales did not move in unison. Individual movements and average speeds (1.1-5.8 km/h) varied widely. One whale stayed in Mackenzie Bay for 23.5 d, while the rest stayed an average of only 2.4 d. The majority of locations for all whales were in shallow water: 65% at <50 m depth and 87% at <100 m depth. Seven whales went into water >100 m deep and four were in water >500 m deep. The whale with the longest record traveled [Formula: see text]3886 km to Siberia in 32.5 d, averaging 5.0 km/h. Its westerly route through the Beaufort and Chukchi seas was between 70° and 72°N and primarily in heavy ice ([Formula: see text]90% coverage), which was continuous west of 151°W. This whale's speed was faster, though not significantly, in heavy ice than in more open water. This is the first detailed documentation of the route and speed of a bowhead whale during its fall migration from Canadian to Russian waters.

scholarly journals Movements and Inferred Foraging by Bowhead Whales in the Canadian Beaufort Sea during August and September, 2006–12

ARCTIC ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 70 (2) ◽  
pp. 161 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lois A. Harwood ◽  
Lori T. Quakenbush ◽  
Robert J. Small ◽  
J. Craig George ◽  
James Pokiak ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Canadian Arctic ◽  
Late Summer ◽  
Beaufort Sea ◽  
Bowhead Whale ◽  
Shallow Waters ◽  
Bowhead Whales ◽  
Location Data ◽  
State Switching ◽  
Photographic Evidence ◽  
Density Contour

Each spring, most bowhead whales of the Bering-Chukchi-Beaufort (BCB) population migrate to the southeast Beaufort Sea and summer in Canadian waters. In August and September, they form aggregations, which are known to occur mainly in the shallow, shelf waters when oceanographic conditions promote concentration of their zooplankton prey. The movements of individual bowheads while they occupy these late summer habitats are less well known; our knowledge is based on photographic evidence and limited tagging studies conducted from 1982 to 2000. In this study, 85% (17) of the 20 satellite-tagged whales that could have spent some time in the Canadian portion of the Beaufort Sea during late summer 2006 to 2012 spent all or part of August and September there. We analyzed location data for 16 whales, using a two-state switching correlated random walk (CRW) behavioural model, and classified locations in the Canadian waters as associated with lingering behaviour (inferred foraging) or directed travel. We found that these whales spent the greatest proportion of their time lingering (59%), followed by traveling (22%), and transitioning between lingering and traveling (19%). Using only lingering locations for these tagged whales in all study years pooled, we calculated kernel densities and defined five areas within the 75% density contour as aggregation areas. Together, the five aggregation areas we defined comprised 25 341 km2, 14.1% of the total area used by these tagged whales in Canadian waters during August and September of the deployment years. Three aggregation areas were located in shallow waters of the Beaufort Sea Shelf and were used almost exclusively by immature tagged whales in our sample. Two other aggregation areas were observed, one in Darnley Bay and one in Viscount Melville Sound in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Each of these was used by one mature whale. Tagged whales were observed to use one or two aggregation areas in a single season, and rarely more. The proportion of lingering time spent in each aggregation area was highly variable among individuals. The largest aggregation area (10 877 km2), located over the Beaufort Shelf north of the Tuktoyaktuk Peninsula (5 – 52 m depth), was used by 13 of the 16 tagged whales, almost exclusively by the immature whales, including three of four that were tracked in two consecutive summers. The Beaufort Shelf overall (and possibly the Tuktoyaktuk Shelf, including the Outer Shelf, in particular) was especially important for immature bowhead whales, while mature whales used habitats beyond the Beaufort Shelf during late summer. Findings may be important to inform both decisions on management and mitigative actions relating to bowhead whale use of the Beaufort Shelf and studies that aim to improve our understanding of the prey base of BCB bowhead whales in the Canadian Beaufort Sea region.

Seasonal diving and foraging behaviour of Eastern Canada-West Greenland bowhead whales

2020 ◽  
Vol 643 ◽  
pp. 197-217 ◽  
Author(s):  
SME Fortune ◽  
SH Ferguson ◽  
AW Trites ◽  
B LeBlanc ◽  
V LeMay ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Late Summer ◽  
Calanoid Copepods ◽  
Eastern Canada ◽  
West Greenland ◽  
Bowhead Whales ◽  
Seasonal Movement ◽  
Dive Behaviour ◽  
Calanus Glacialis ◽  
Canada West

Climate change may affect the foraging success of bowhead whales Balaena mysticetus by altering the diversity and abundance of zooplankton species available as food. However, assessing climate-induced impacts first requires documenting feeding conditions under current environmental conditions. We collected seasonal movement and dive-behaviour data from 25 Eastern Canada-West Greenland bowheads instrumented with time-depth telemetry tags and used state-space models to examine whale movements and dive behaviours. Zooplankton samples were also collected in Cumberland Sound (CS) to determine species composition and biomass. We found that CS was used seasonally by 14 of the 25 tagged whales. Area-restricted movement was the dominant behaviour in CS, suggesting that the tagged whales allocated considerable time to feeding. Prey sampling data suggested that bowheads were exploiting energy-rich Arctic copepods such as Calanus glacialis and C. hyperboreus during summer. Dive behaviour changed seasonally in CS. Most notably, probable feeding dives were substantially shallower during spring and summer compared to fall and winter. These seasonal changes in dive depths likely reflect changes in the vertical distribution of calanoid copepods, which are known to suspend development and overwinter at depth during fall and winter when availability of their phytoplankton prey is presumed to be lower. Overall, CS appears to be an important year-round foraging habitat for bowheads, but is particularly important during the late summer and fall. Whether CS will remain a reliable feeding area for bowhead whales under climate change is not yet known.

Overwinter thermal habitat use in lakes by anadromous Arctic char

2018 ◽  
Vol 75 (12) ◽  
pp. 2343-2353 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ingeborg M. Mulder ◽  
Corey J. Morris ◽  
J. Brian Dempson ◽  
Ian A. Fleming ◽  
Michael Power
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Use ◽  
Water Column ◽  
Prey Capture ◽  
Salvelinus Alpinus ◽  
Late Summer ◽  
Arctic Char ◽  
Foraging Efficiency ◽  
Thermal Habitat ◽  
Metabolic Costs ◽  
Seaward Migration

Anadromous Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus) migrate back to fresh water in late summer to spawn and (or) overwinter. Upon freshwater entry, feeding is reduced or absent, and movement activity is restricted. While the physiological responses to low temperatures (e.g., growth, metabolism) are understood, specifics of the use of thermal habitat for overwintering remains poorly characterized. This study used acoustic and archival telemetry data from two lakes in southern Labrador, Canada, to study thermal habitat use during the ice-covered period. Results showed that lake-dwelling anadromous Arctic char predominantly occupied a narrow range of temperatures (0.5–2 °C) and used cooler temperatures available within the middle and upper water column. Use of the selected temperatures is likely a strategy that lowers metabolic costs and minimizes energy expenditure, preserving stored lipids for overwinter survival and the energetic costs of preparation for seaward migration. As Arctic char are visual feeders, use of the upper water column is also thought to aid foraging efficiency by increasing the likelihood of prey capture.

scholarly journals Ready for bed: pre-hibernation movements and habitat use by Fowler’s Toads (Anaxyrus fowleri)

2018 ◽  
Vol 132 (1) ◽  
pp. 46-52
Author(s):  
David M. Green ◽  
Katharine T. Yagi
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Use ◽  
Global Positioning System ◽  
Late Summer ◽  
The Body ◽  
Positioning System ◽  
Radio Tracking ◽  
Water Line ◽  
Global Positioning ◽  
Radio Transmitters ◽  
Early Fall

We used radio-tracking to investigate movement patterns and habitat use of Fowler’s Toads (Anaxyrus fowleri) during late summer and early fall in a relatively undisturbed lakeshore dune and beach habitat at Long Point, Ontario. Small radio transmitters were fitted to 11 adult toads with an external harness made from fine surgical plastic tubing wrapped around the body behind the front limbs. We located radio-tagged toads morning and evening, for a maximum of 9 days, recording their locations using Global Positioning System units. Initially, the toads were located on the upper beach or in the fore-dunes during the day, either dug in under the sand or hiding beneath debris; in the evening, they were generally active on the lower beach close to the water line. After a storm and the onset of cooler autumn weather, the toads tended to move further from the water line. They also curtailed their nightly activity and retreated deeper into the sand. As this sort of behaviour was not observed during the summer, we interpret it as pre-hibernation movement to more stable sites away from the beach where the animals can burrow deeply into the sand to lie dormant during the winter.

Ecological Studies of Arctic Cod (Boreogadus saida) in Beaufort Sea Coastal Waters, Alaska

1982 ◽  
Vol 39 (3) ◽  
pp. 395-406 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. C. Craig ◽  
W. B. Griffiths ◽  
L. Haldorson ◽  
H. McElderry
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Coastal Waters ◽  
Life History Strategy ◽  
Late Summer ◽  
Beaufort Sea ◽  
Shallow Waters ◽  
Boreogadus Saida ◽  
Arctic Cod ◽  
Arctic Fish ◽  
Slow Growing

Fish use of Beaufort Sea coastal waters was examined during summer and winter periods 1977–80. Arctic cod (Boreogadus saida) were abundant but their occurrence was highly variable. They accounted for 8–78% of all fish caught in Simpson Lagoon during two summers, and 0.4–100% of catches at various coastal sites in winter. Arctic cod increased in abundance in the lagoon during late summer and some association was noted between their numbers and higher salinities but not temperature or turbidity. Some cod remained in shallow waters in early winter but deeper areas were used through the winter, and the highest catch rate was recorded 175 km offshore. Principal foods of the cod in nearshore waters were mysids (Mysis litoralis, M. relicta), amphipods (Onisimus glacialis), and copepods. The cod caught were generally small (60–170 mm) and young (ages 1–3). Most males matured at ages 2–3 and females at age 3. These size, age, and maturity characteristics indicate a life history strategy (r-selection) unlike that typified by many other arctic fish populations, particularly the freshwater and anadromous species which tend to be slow growing, late maturing and long-lived (K-selection).Key words: Arctic cod, Boreogadus saida; Beaufort Sea, distribution, life history strategy

Summer Distribution of Bowhead Whales, Balaena mysticetus, Relative to Oil Industry Activities in the Canadian Beaufort Sea, 1980-84

ARCTIC ◽  
1987 ◽  
Vol 40 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
W. John Richardson ◽  
Rolph A. Davis ◽  
C. Robert Evans ◽  
Donald K. Ljungblad ◽  
Pamela Norton
Keyword(s):  
Oil Industry ◽  
Beaufort Sea ◽  
Balaena Mysticetus ◽  
Bowhead Whales ◽  
Summer Distribution
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