scholarly journals Seasonal Trends in Acoustic Detection of Marine Mammals in Baffin Bay and Melville Bay, Northwest Greenland + Supplementary Appendix 1 (See Article Tools)

ARCTIC ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 70 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Héloïse Frouin-Mouy ◽  
Katie Kowarski ◽  
Bruce Martin ◽  
Koen Bröker
Keyword(s):  
Marine Mammals ◽  
Migration Pattern ◽  
Hydrocarbon Exploration ◽  
Bowhead Whale ◽  
Delphinapterus Leucas ◽  
Physeter Macrocephalus ◽  
Mating Period ◽  
Baffin Bay ◽  
Beluga Whales ◽  
Novel Approach

The expansion of hydrocarbon exploration in northwest Greenland has made it increasingly important to understand the occurrence of marine mammals in the region. We describe the seasonal occurrence of marine mammals and the spatial distribution of their calls in Baffin Bay and Melville Bay. Four Autonomous Multichannel Acoustic Recorders (AMARs) were deployed during summer 2012 (late July to early October), five recorders during September 2013, and two recorders from late September 2013 to early September 2014. The call presence of several species was analyzed using automatic call detection and manual verification analysis methods. A novel approach to discern narwhal (Monodon monoceros) clicks from beluga (Delphinapterus leucas) clicks was implemented during the verification process. Narwhal calls were detected in spring and fall, showing a south-to-north migration pattern in spring and a north-to-south migration pattern in fall. Few beluga whales were detected during fall 2013 and spring 2014. Bearded seal (Erignathus barbatus) calls were detected mainly during spring (mating period). A small number of bowhead whale calls (Balaena mysticetus) were detected during fall 2013 and spring and summer 2014. For the first time at this latitude in Baffin Bay, long-finned pilot whales (Globicephala melas) and sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) were detected during summer and fall. Our results suggest that the presence of marine mammals in Baffin Bay and Melville Bay is governed mainly by the annual cycle of sea ice formation and decay.

Acoustic detections of Arctic marine mammals near Ulukhaktok, Northwest Territories, Canada

2019 ◽  
Vol 97 (1) ◽  
pp. 72-80 ◽  
Author(s):  
W.D. Halliday ◽  
M.K. Pine ◽  
S.J. Insley ◽  
R.N. Soares ◽  
P. Kortsalo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Northwest Territories ◽  
Marine Mammals ◽  
Bowhead Whale ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Delphinapterus Leucas ◽  
Anthropogenic Activity ◽  
Marine Animals ◽  
Vocal Activity ◽  
Beluga Whale Delphinapterus Leucas ◽  
Passive Acoustic

The Arctic marine environment is changing rapidly through a combination of sea ice loss and increased anthropogenic activity. Given these changes can affect marine animals in a variety of ways, understanding the spatial and temporal distributions of Arctic marine animals is imperative. We use passive acoustic monitoring to examine the presence of marine mammals near Ulukhaktok, Northwest Territories, Canada, from October 2016 to April 2017. We documented bowhead whale (Balaena mysticetus Linnaeus, 1758) and beluga whale (Delphinapterus leucas (Pallas, 1776)) vocalizations later into the autumn than expected, and we recorded bowhead whales in early April. We recorded ringed seal (Pusa hispida (Schreber, 1775)) vocalizations throughout our deployment, with higher vocal activity than in other studies and with peak vocal activity in January. We recorded bearded seals (Erignathus barbatus (Erxleben, 1777)) throughout the deployment, with peak vocal activity in February. We recorded lower bearded seal vocal activity than other studies, and almost no vocal activity near the beginning of the spring breeding season. Both seal species vocalized more when ice concentration was high. These patterns in vocal activity document the presence of each species at this site over autumn and winter and are a useful comparison for future monitoring.

scholarly journals Mapping Arctic cetaceans from space: A case study for beluga and narwhal

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (8) ◽  
pp. e0254380
Author(s):  
Bertrand Charry ◽  
Emily Tissier ◽  
John Iacozza ◽  
Marianne Marcoux ◽  
Cortney A. Watt
Keyword(s):  
Satellite Imagery ◽  
Marine Mammals ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Open Water ◽  
Delphinapterus Leucas ◽  
Baffin Island ◽  
Beluga Whales ◽  
The North ◽  
Maximum Resolution

Emergence of new technologies in remote sensing give scientists a new way to detect and monitor wildlife populations. In this study we assess the ability to detect and classify two emblematic Arctic cetaceans, the narwhal (Monodon monoceros) and beluga whale (Delphinapterus leucas), using very high-resolution (VHR) satellite imagery. We analyzed 12 VHR images acquired in August 2017 and 2019, collected by the WorldView-3 satellite, which has a maximum resolution of 0.31 m per pixel. The images covered Clearwater Fiord (138.8 km2), an area on eastern Baffin Island, Canada where belugas spend a large part of the summer, and Tremblay Sound (127.0 km2), a narrow water body located on the north shore of Baffin Island that is used by narwhals during the open water season. A total of 292 beluga whales and 109 narwhals were detected in the images. This study contributes to our understanding of Arctic cetacean distribution and highlights the capabilities of using satellite imagery to detect marine mammals.

Microbiological Characteristics of White Whale (Delphinapterus leucas) From Capture Through Extended Captivity

1989 ◽  
Vol 46 (11) ◽  
pp. 1914-1921 ◽  
Author(s):  
John D. Buck ◽  
L. Louise Shepard ◽  
Patricia M. Bubucis ◽  
Stephen Spotte ◽  
Kate McClave ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Staphylococcus Epidermidis ◽  
Marine Mammals ◽  
Pasteurella Multocida ◽  
Extended Period ◽  
Delphinapterus Leucas ◽  
Microbiological Analysis ◽  
Beluga Whales ◽  
Vibrio Fluvialis ◽  
Microbiological Characteristics ◽  
In Captivity

For proper husbandry, it is important to sample the environment from which marine mammals for captivity are taken and to monitor the animals frequently over an extended period. Samples for microbiological analysis were collected from 20 beluga whales during capture in the Churchill River. Seven animals were retained in three U.S. aquaria with anal and blowhole cultures taken over a 945-d period. Bacteria isolated from whales at capture included many soil and water forms found also in environmental samples. Pasteurella multocida was isolated from three whales at capture and infrequently several times in captivity from two of these which were studied the most intensively. From this latter group maintained at Mystic (CT) Marinelife Aquarium, the most frequently recovered bacteria from both animals were members of the Achromobacter-Acinetobacter-Alcaligenes-CDC IV E-Moraxella-Pasteurella-Pseudomonas group, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas putrefaciens, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Streptococcus faecalis, and Vibrio fluvialis. Only one of these whales yielded cultures of Klebsiella pneumoniae, Plesiomonas shigelloides, and coagulase positive Staphylococcus aureus. Species of Acinetobacter, Aeromonas, Pseudomonas, and Vibrio were most common in whales maintained at the other aquaria although, as noted for animals at Mystic, several species were isolated from some samples and were absent in others.

Organochlorines and Marine Mammal Reproduction

1989 ◽  
Vol 46 (2) ◽  
pp. 360-368 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. F. Addison
Keyword(s):  
Marine Mammals ◽  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Biological Information ◽  
Delphinapterus Leucas ◽  
Beluga Whales ◽  
Sea Lions ◽  
Harbour Seals ◽  
Pusa Hispida ◽  
Biochemical Mechanisms ◽  
Bothnian Bay

Reproductive failures in four populations of marine mammals (Californian sea lions (Zalophus californianus), Bothnian Bay ringed seals (Pusa hispida), Dutch Waddensee harbour seals (Phoca vitulina), and most recently, Gulf of St. Lawrence beluga whales (Delphinapterus leucas)) have been attributed to the effects of contamination by organochlorine (OC) residues. In this article, I review the evidence for these effects. I conclude that since (a) crucial biological information in the light of which OC residue data can be interpreted is often missing, (b) the nature of the supposed reproductive effect is variable, and (c) the OC residues to which these effects are attributed vary qualitatively and quantitatively, correlations between observed residue concentrations and apparent reproductive changes do not provide any firm evidence for a cause – effect relationship. In a single experimental study, a diet with a higher OC content than that used as a control impaired reproduction in harbour seals; however, dietary components other than OC content also differed. Although there appears to be no firm correlative evidence sinking residue concentrations in marine mammals with reproductive effects, there is enough concern about possible links to justify more experimental studies, with the aim of identifying the possible biochemical mechanisms involved.

scholarly journals Aerial Survey Estimates of Abundance of the Eastern Chukchi Sea Stock of Beluga Whales (Delphinapterus leucas) in 2012

ARCTIC ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 70 (3) ◽  
pp. 273 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lloyd F. Lowry ◽  
Michael C.S. Kingsley ◽  
Donna D.W. Hauser ◽  
Janet Clarke ◽  
Robert Suydam
Keyword(s):  
Alaska Native ◽  
Marine Mammals ◽  
Chukchi Sea ◽  
Aerial Survey ◽  
Delphinapterus Leucas ◽  
Line Transect ◽  
Beluga Whales ◽  
Abundance Estimate ◽  
Time Period ◽  
Survey Estimates

The eastern Chukchi Sea (ECS) stock of beluga whales is one of three stocks in western Alaska that are co-managed by the National Marine Fisheries Service and the Alaska Beluga Whale Committee. Abundance of this stock was estimated as 3710 in 1991 from incomplete data. Analysis of data from satellite-linked time-depth recorders (SDRs) attached to belugas in summer concentration areas of the ECS and Beaufort Sea (BS) stocks provided an overview of beluga distribution and movements and allowed the identification of an area (140˚ W to 157˚ W in the BS) and a time period (19 July – 20 August) in which the distributions of the two stocks do not overlap. Aerial survey data were collected by the Aerial Surveys of Arctic Marine Mammals (ASAMM) project in that region and time period in 2012. We used those data in a line transect analysis that estimated there were 5547 (CV = 0.22) surface-visible belugas in the study area. Data from SDRs were used to develop correction factors to account for animals that were missed because they were either outside of the study area or diving too deep to be seen, resulting in a total abundance estimate of 20 752 (CV = 0.70). The average annual Alaska Native subsistence harvest from the ECS stock (57) is about 0.3% of the population estimate. Without data collected by the ASAMM project and from satellite-linked tags, this analysis would not have been possible. Additional surveys and tagging of ECS belugas are warranted.

scholarly journals Community-Based Observations of Marine Mammal Occurrences in Groswater Bay, Labrador

2013 ◽  
Vol 127 (1) ◽  
pp. 31
Author(s):  
Keith G. Chaulk ◽  
Daniel Michelin ◽  
Melva Williams ◽  
Tony Wolfrey
Keyword(s):  
Marine Mammal ◽  
Marine Mammals ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Delphinapterus Leucas ◽  
Balaenoptera Acutorostrata ◽  
Mammal Species ◽  
Industrial Growth ◽  
Beluga Whales ◽  
Oil And Gas Exploration ◽  
Minke Whales

Experienced observers from the community of Rigolet, Newfoundland and Labrador, recorded marine mammal observations at Rigolet on the coast of Labrador from July to September 2012. During this study, a total of nine species of marine mammals were documented. A daily average of 2.6 (range 1–5) marine mammal species were observed, with Harp Seals (Pagophilus groenlandicus) and Common Minke Whales (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) being the most common. The area is thought to be regionally important for Ringed Seal (Pusa hispida) whelping; however, Ringed Seals were not observed in large numbers. Beluga Whales (Delphinapterus leucas) were also reported anecdotally, but were less common than the other species, with the possible exception of the Harbour Porpoise (Phocoena phocoena). Labrador is experiencing significant industrial growth related to hydroelectric development and offshore oil and gas exploration. These data should aid environmental assessment and environmental effects monitoring and assist researchers in understanding regional marine mammal ecology, including species diversity, seasonal occurrence, and relative abundance.

scholarly journals Reproductive Parameters for Female Beluga Whales (Delphinapterus leucas) of Baffin Bay and Hudson Bay, Canada

ARCTIC ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 73 (4) ◽  
pp. 405-420
Author(s):  
Steven H. Ferguson ◽  
Cornelia Willing ◽  
Trish C. Kelley ◽  
David A. Boguski ◽  
David J. Yurkowski ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Maturity ◽  
Growth Patterns ◽  
Beluga Whale ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Delphinapterus Leucas ◽  
Hudson Bay ◽  
Reproductive Parameters ◽  
Baffin Bay ◽  
Beluga Whales ◽  
Reproductive Patterns

Monitoring marine mammal populations and their habitats is crucial for assessing population status and defining realistic management and conservation goals. Environmental and anthropogenic changes in the Arctic have prompted the pursuit for improved understanding of female beluga whale (Delphinapterus leucas) spatial and temporal reproductive patterns. There are relatively few estimates for female reproductive parameters of beluga whale populations across the Arctic, and those few that are available are outdated. Here we summarize female reproductive data from samples collected through Inuit subsistence hunts of three eastern Canadian Arctic beluga populations: High Arctic/Baffin Bay (HA), Western Hudson Bay (HB), and Cumberland Sound (CS) from 1989 to 2014. We grouped the CS and HA populations into a Baffin Bay region (BB) population based on similar body growth patterns and genetic similarity. Asymptotic body length of BB beluga whales (370.9 cm) was greater than HB whales (354.4 cm) as established from Gompertz growth curves fitted for whales ranging in age from 1 – 89 y. We did not detect a significant difference in average number of pseudocervices (8.6) between regions. Differences in average age of sexual maturity (ASM) and length at sexual maturity (LSM) were identified, with evidence of BB females maturing earlier than females from HB (probability method BB = 9.9 y versus HB = 11.0 and logistic method ASM50% HB = 9.99 and BB unresolved). BB females were also longer than HB females at maturing age (logistic LSM50%: BB = 314.5 cm vs HB = 290.3). Total corpora counts were strongly correlated with age, although the number of corpora (≥ 10 mm) suggests reproductive senescence between 40 and 50 y. Improved understanding of female reproductive patterns and knowledge of changes in the spatial and temporal timing of reproductive processes are fundamental for effective conservation and sustainable management of beluga whale populations.

Definitive identification of fatty acid constituents in marine mammal tissues

2004 ◽  
Vol 61 (4) ◽  
pp. 554-560 ◽  
Author(s):  
D L Wetzel ◽  
J E Reynolds III
Keyword(s):  
Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Fatty Acids ◽  
Gas Chromatography ◽  
Fatty Acid ◽  
Marine Mammals ◽  
Bowhead Whale ◽  
Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Flame Ionization ◽  
Chromatography Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Novel Approach

Analyses of fatty acid constituents in a sample of bowhead whale (Balaena mysticetus) blubber were conducted using a method that has not been applied before to studies of lipids in marine mammals. It involves creation and analysis of nitrogen (picolinyl) ester derivatives of the fatty acids followed by combined gas chromatography – mass spectrometry for verification of structures. Use of this approach allowed the structural confirmation of 45 different fatty acids in the blubber sample. The traditional method of methyl ester derivatization of fatty acids followed by gas chromatography – mass spectrometry analyses provides more component characterization than analyses by gas chromatography – flame ionization detection, but not enough to effectively differentiate double bond isomers or branched compounds. Although the novel approach is time intensive, we recommend that it be employed for studies where the precise identification and confirmation of fatty acids is important.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document