Differing prey associations and habitat use suggest niche partitioning by fin (Balaenoptera physalus) and humpback (Megaptera novaeangliae) whales off Kodiak Island

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
A McCarthy ◽  
A De Robertis ◽  
S Kotwicki ◽  
K Hough ◽  
P Wade ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Use ◽  
Niche Partitioning ◽  
Megaptera Novaeangliae ◽  
Balaenoptera Physalus ◽  
Kodiak Island

scholarly journals Social survival: humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) use social structure to partition ecological niches within proposed critical habitat

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janie Wray ◽  
Eric Keen ◽  
Éadin N. O’Mahony
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Use ◽  
Social Structure ◽  
Niche Partitioning ◽  
Megaptera Novaeangliae ◽  
Humpback Whales ◽  
Baleen Whales ◽  
Fjord System ◽  
The Social ◽  
Social Niche

ABSTRACTAnimal culture and social bonds are relevant to wildlife conservation because they influence patterns of geography, behavior, and strategies of survival. Numerous examples of socially-driven habitat partitioning and ecological-niche specialization can be found among vertebrates, including toothed whales. But such social-ecological dynamics, described here as ‘social niche partitioning’, are not known among baleen whales, whose societies -- particularly on foraging grounds -- are largely perceived as unstructured and incidental to matters of habitat use and conservation. However, through 16 years of behavioral and photo-identification observations of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) feeding within a fjord system in British Columbia, Canada, we have documented long-term pair bonds (lasting up to 12 years) as well as a complex societal structure, which corresponds closely to persistent patterns in feeding strategy, long-term site fidelity (extended seasonal occupancy and annual rate of return up to 75%), specific geographic preferences within the fjord system, and other forms of habitat use. Randomization tests of network congruency and clustering algorithms were used to test for overlap in patterns of social structure and habitat use, which confirmed the occurrence of social niche partitioning on the feeding grounds of this baleen whale. In addition, we document the extensive practice of group bubble net feeding in Pacific Canada. This coordinated feeding behavior was found to strongly mediate the social structure and habitat use within this humpback whale society. Additionally, during our 2004 – 2019 study, we observed a shift in social network structure in 2010 – 2012, which corresponded with environmental and demographic shifts including a sudden decline in the population’s calving rate. Our findings indicate that the social lives of humpback whales, and perhaps baleen whales generally, are more complex than previously supposed and should be a primary consideration in the assessment of potential impacts to important habitat.

scholarly journals Social survival: Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) use social structure to partition ecological niches within proposed critical habitat

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (6) ◽  
pp. e0245409
Author(s):  
Janie Wray ◽  
Eric Keen ◽  
Éadin N. O’Mahony
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Use ◽  
Social Structure ◽  
Niche Partitioning ◽  
Megaptera Novaeangliae ◽  
Humpback Whales ◽  
Baleen Whales ◽  
Fjord System ◽  
The Social ◽  
Social Niche

Animal culture and social bonds are relevant to wildlife conservation because they influence patterns of geography, behavior, and strategies of survival. Numerous examples of socially-driven habitat partitioning and ecological-niche specialization can be found among vertebrates, including toothed whales. But such social-ecological dynamics, described here as ‘social niche partitioning’, are not known among baleen whales, whose societies—particularly on foraging grounds—are largely perceived as unstructured and incidental to matters of habitat use and conservation. However, through 16 years of behavioral observations and photo-identifications of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) feeding within a fjord system in the Canadian Pacific (primarily within Gitga’at First Nation waters), we have documented long-term pair bonds (up to 12 years) as well as a complex societal structure, which corresponds closely to persistent patterns in feeding strategy, long-term site fidelity (extended occupancy and annual rate of return up to 75%), specific geographic preferences within the fjord system, and other forms of habitat use. Randomization tests of network congruency and clustering algorithms were used to test for overlap in patterns of social structure and habitat use, which confirmed the occurrence of social niche partitioning on the feeding grounds of this baleen whale species. In addition, we document the extensive practice of group bubble net feeding in Pacific Canada. This coordinated feeding behavior was found to strongly mediate the social structure and habitat use within this humpback whale society. Additionally, during our 2004–2019 study, we observed a shift in social network structure in 2010–2012, which corresponded with environmental and demographic shifts including a sudden decline in the population’s calving rate. Our findings indicate that the social lives of humpback whales, and perhaps baleen whales generally, are more complex than previously supposed and should be a primary consideration in the assessment of potential impacts to important habitat.

scholarly journals EVIDENCE OF A FEEDING AGGREGATION OF HUMPBACK WHALES (MEGAPTERA NOVAEANGLIAE) AROUND KODIAK ISLAND, ALASKA

1999 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 210-220 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janice M. Waite ◽  
Marilyn E. Dahlheim ◽  
Roderick C. Hobbs ◽  
Sally A. Mizroch ◽  
Olga Von Ziegesar-Matkin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Megaptera Novaeangliae ◽  
Humpback Whales ◽  
Kodiak Island ◽  
Feeding Aggregation

scholarly journals Spatio-temporal patterns in fin whale Balaenoptera physalus habitat use in the northern Gulf of St. Lawrence

2019 ◽  
Vol 623 ◽  
pp. 221-234 ◽  
Author(s):  
A Schleimer ◽  
C Ramp ◽  
S Plourde ◽  
C Lehoux ◽  
R Sears ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Use ◽  
Temporal Patterns ◽  
Balaenoptera Physalus ◽  
Fin Whale ◽  
Spatio Temporal

scholarly journals Humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) behaviour determines habitat use in two Australian bays

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. McCulloch ◽  
J.-O. Meynecke ◽  
T. Franklin ◽  
W. Franklin ◽  
A. L. M. Chauvenet
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Use ◽  
Humpback Whale ◽  
Megaptera Novaeangliae
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