Offshore Distances of Bowhead Whales ( Balaena mysticetus ) Observed during Fall in the Beaufort Sea, 1982–2000
An Alternative Interpretation
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 16863045 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Stephen D Treacy (United States Department of the Interior), Jeffrey S Gleason (United States Department of the Interior, corresponding author), Cleveland J Cowles (United States Department of the Interior) |
| Year | 2009 |
| Volume | 59 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Publication date | 2009-12-18 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | ARCTIC (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0004-0843 • E-ISSN: 1923-1245 |
| Publisher | The Arctic Institute of North America (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.14430/arctic367 |
| OpenAlex | W2145280532 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 3 |
| References cited | 6 |
Nineteen years (1982– 2000) of sighting data from fall aerial surveys of bowhead whales (Balaena mysticetus) in the Alaskan Beaufort Sea were analyzed to determine how patterns in the distribution of migrating bowhead whales relate to annual sea-ice conditions. Transect sighting rate (transect sightings/km) indicated (ANOVA; F2, 980 = 143.84, p < 0.0001) that bowhead whales occurred farther offshore in years of heavy ice conditions (73.4 km, 95% CL: 67.2–79.6 km) than in years of moderate (49.3 km, 95% CL: 44.8–53.84 km), or light (31.2 km, 95% CL: 30.0–32.4 km) ice conditions. The most plausible explanation for the observed pattern in bowhead whale distribution is that in years of heavy ice conditions (annual pack ice; 1983, 1988, 1991), the developing landfast ice limits availability of shallow nearshore habitat, thus necessitating use of leads and ice openings in deeper water. We acknowledge that factors such as bathymetry, ocean currents, transport, and food availability may also interact to influence autumn distribution of bowhead whales. In heavy ice years, however, these factors likely exert less influence on bowhead whale distribution than in years with light to moderate ice conditions
Arctic ice pack · Biology · Fishery · Geography · Sea ice · Transect · Whale · Arctic and Antarctic ice dynamics · Environmental Science · Geology · Marine and coastal plant biology · Marine animal studies overview · Oceanography
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Habitat Use by Different Size Classes of Bowhead Whales in the Central Beaufort Sea during Late Summer and Autumn
Polar Bear Distribution and Habitat Association Reflect Long-term Changes in Fall Sea Ice Conditions in the Alaskan Beaufort Sea
The Problem of Pattern and Scale in Ecology
Spatial Scaling in Ecology
Variability of Cetacean Distribution and Habitat Selection in the Alaskan Arctic, Autumn 1982-91
Cetacean Habitat Selection in the Alaskan Arctic during Summer and Autumn
A Large Aggregation of Bowhead Whales ( Balaena Mysticetus ) Feeding near Point Barrow, Alaska, in Late October 1992
Distribution and Numbers of Bowhead Whales ( Balaena mysticetus ) in Northwestern Hudson Bay in August 1995
| Citations per year | 0.18 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2009 - 2009 (1) |
| Highly cited | No |