Seasonal foraging behaviour of Eastern Canada-West Greenland bowhead whales: an assessment of isotopic cycles along baleen

2015 ◽  
Vol 522 ◽  
pp. 269-286 ◽  
Author(s):  
CJD Matthews ◽  
SH Ferguson
Keyword(s):  
Foraging Behaviour ◽  
Eastern Canada ◽  
West Greenland ◽  
Bowhead Whales ◽  
Canada West

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.

Occurrence of killer whale Orcinus orca rake marks on Eastern Canada-West Greenland bowhead whales Balaena mysticetus

Polar Biology ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 36 (8) ◽  
pp. 1133-1146 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. R. Reinhart ◽  
S. H. Ferguson ◽  
W. R. Koski ◽  
J. W. Higdon ◽  
B. LeBlanc ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Killer Whale ◽  
Orcinus Orca ◽  
Balaena Mysticetus ◽  
Eastern Canada ◽  
West Greenland ◽  
Bowhead Whales ◽  
Canada West

scholarly journals Distribution and Abundance of the Eastern Canada – West Greenland Bowhead Whale Population Based on the 2013 High Arctic Cetacean Survey

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Doniol-Valcroze ◽  
Jean-François Gosselin ◽  
Daniel G. Pike ◽  
Jack W. Lawson ◽  
Natalie C. Asselin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Arctic ◽  
Diving Behaviour ◽  
Bowhead Whale ◽  
Survey Area ◽  
Eastern Canada ◽  
West Greenland ◽  
Bowhead Whales ◽  
Abundance Estimate ◽  
Track Line ◽  
Canada West

The hunting of bowhead whales (Balaena mysticetus) is an integral part of Inuit culture. An up-to-date abundance estimate of the entire Eastern Canada – West Greenland (EC-WG) bowhead population is necessary to support sustainable management of this harvest. The High Arctic Cetacean Survey (HACS) was conducted in August 2013, primarily to update abundance estimates for known stocks of Baffin Bay narwhal (Monodon monoceros). As the ranges of narwhal and bowhead largely overlap, the survey area was expanded to cover the summer range of bowhead whales. Bowhead whale abundance was estimated using 3 aircraft to cover the large survey area within a short time frame. Distance sampling methods were used to estimate detection probability away from the track line. Double platform with mark-recapture methods were used to correct for the proportion of whales missed by visual observers on the track line (perception bias). Abundance in Isabella Bay, an area known for high bowhead density, was estimated using density surface modelling to account for its complex shape and uneven coverage. Estimates were corrected for availability bias (whales that were not available for detection because they were submerged when the aircraft passed overhead) using a recent analysis of satellite-linked time depth recorders transmitting information on the diving behaviour of bowhead whales in the study area in August of the same survey year. The fully corrected abundance estimate for the EC-WG bowhead whale population was 6,446 (95% CI: 3,838–10,827). Possible sources of uncertainty include incomplete coverage and the diving behaviour of bowhead whales. These results confirm earlier indications that the EC-WG stock is continuing to recover from past overexploitation.

scholarly journals Developing a Precautionary Management Approach for the Eastern Canada-West Greenland Population of Bowhead Whales (Balaena mysticetus)

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven H. Ferguson ◽  
Jeff W. Higdon ◽  
Patricia A. Hall ◽  
Rikke Guldborg Hansen ◽  
Thomas Doniol-Valcroze
Keyword(s):  
Population Size ◽  
Carrying Capacity ◽  
Population Increase ◽  
Balaena Mysticetus ◽  
Eastern Canada ◽  
Model Estimate ◽  
Management Framework ◽  
West Greenland ◽  
Bowhead Whales ◽  
Canada West

Bowhead whales (Balaena mysticetus L., 1758) of the Eastern Canada-West Greenland population have been hunted by Inuit for millennia. Significant commercial harvests, conducted by European and American whalers for about 400 years, ended ca. 1915. A small co-managed subsistence harvest from this population has occurred inconsistently in Canada and Greenland, since 1996 and 2009, respectively. Since near extirpation from commercial whaling, population size has increased and the Inuit subsistence hunt now requires a harvest management framework that incorporates knowledge of abundance trends, population dynamics, and carrying capacity. Here, we use a model estimate of pre-commercial exploitation abundance to approximate carrying capacity and develop a management framework with reference points and corresponding stock status zones. When applied to recent abundance estimates, our framework indicates that the population is likely within the healthy (N50–N70) zone. Thus, an appropriate management objective is to support continued population increase, with concurrent marginal harvesting, while maintaining the population level above the target reference point (N70) of ca 12,000 whales. However, there remains large uncertainty about current population size and growth rate. The resulting data gaps require a plan for future research to monitor this population in the context of climate changes.

Recaptures of genotyped bowhead whales Balaena mysticetus in eastern Canada and West Greenland

2011 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 235-242 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ø Wiig ◽  
MP Heide-Jørgensen ◽  
C Lindqvist ◽  
KL Laidre ◽  
LD Postma ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Balaena Mysticetus ◽  
Eastern Canada ◽  
West Greenland ◽  
Bowhead Whales

scholarly journals Distribution and Conservation of the Harlequin Duck, Histrionicus histrionicus, in Greenland

2003 ◽  
Vol 117 (2) ◽  
pp. 249 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Boertmann
Keyword(s):  
Oil Spills ◽  
Breeding Population ◽  
Eastern Canada ◽  
Peak Period ◽  
West Greenland ◽  
Histrionicus Histrionicus ◽  
Harlequin Ducks ◽  
Clutch Initiation ◽  
Conservation Concern ◽  
Winter Population

The breeding range of the Harlequin Duck (Histrionicus histrionicus) in Greenland includes West Greenland to as far north as 72º 30’ N and a few sites in East Greenland. The breeding population is guessed at a few thousand pairs. During winter Harlequin Ducks occur along the West Greenland coast between Maniitsoq and Nanortalik. The size of the winter population is unknown. As Canadian males, which have moulted in Southwest Greenland, also winter there, perhaps accompanied by females and juveniles, the numbers may be considerable. The peak period for clutch initiation seems to be mid- to late June. There is no immediate conservation concern for the small breeding population of Harlequin Ducks in Greenland. However, there is a risk from marine oil spills along coasts where congregations of non-breeding Harlequin Ducks from both Greenland and eastern Canada occur.

scholarly journals Increasing abundance of bowhead whales in West Greenland

2007 ◽  
Vol 3 (5) ◽  
pp. 577-580 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mads Peter Heide-Jørgensen ◽  
Kristin Laidre ◽  
David Borchers ◽  
Filipa Samarra ◽  
Harry Stern
Keyword(s):  
Survey Design ◽  
Large Population ◽  
Aerial Survey ◽  
Bowhead Whale ◽  
West Greenland ◽  
Threshold Size ◽  
Bowhead Whales ◽  
Abundance Estimate ◽  
Surface Time ◽  
Severe Reduction

In April 2006, a dedicated survey of bowhead whales ( Balaena mysticetus ) was conducted on the former whaling ground in West Greenland to determine the current wintering population abundance. This effort included a double platform aerial survey design, satellite tracking of the movements of nine whales, and estimation of high-resolution surface time from 14 whales instrumented with time–depth recorders. Bowhead whales were estimated to spend an average of 24% (cv=0.03) of the time at or above 2 m depth, the maximum depth at which they can be seen on the trackline. This resulted in a fully corrected abundance estimate of 1229 (95% CI: 495–2939) bowhead whales when the availability factor was applied and sightings missed by observers were corrected. This surprisingly large population estimate is puzzling given that the change in abundance cannot be explained by a recent or rapid growth in population size. One possible explanation is that the population, which demonstrates high age and sex segregation, has recently attained a certain threshold size elsewhere, and a higher abundance of mature females appears on the winter and spring feeding ground in West Greenland. This in combination with the latest severe reduction in sea ice facilitating access to coastal areas might explain the surprising increase in bowhead whale abundance in West Greenland.

scholarly journals Recent status of bowhead whales, Balaena mysticetus, in the wintering grounds off West Greenland

1996 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 115-125 ◽  
Author(s):  
Randall R. Reeves ◽  
Mads Peter Heide-Jørgensen
Keyword(s):  
Balaena Mysticetus ◽  
Wintering Grounds ◽  
West Greenland ◽  
Bowhead Whales
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