In:
PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science (PLoS), Vol. 17, No. 4 ( 2022-4-7), p. e0265934-
Abstract:
Changes in gray whale ( Eschrichtius robustus ) phenology and distribution are related to observed and hypothesized prey availability, bottom water temperature, salinity, sea ice persistence, integrated water column and sediment chlorophyll a , and patterns of wind-driven biophysical forcing in the northern Bering and eastern Chukchi seas. This portion of the Pacific Arctic includes four Distributed Biological Observatory (DBO) sampling regions. In the Bering Strait area, passive acoustic data showed marked declines in gray whale calling activity coincident with unprecedented wintertime sea ice loss there in 2017–2019, although some whales were seen there during DBO cruises in those years. In the northern Bering Sea, sightings during DBO cruises show changes in gray whale distribution coincident with a shrinking field of infaunal amphipods, with a significant decrease in prey abundance (r = -0.314, p 〈 0.05) observed in the DBO 2 region over the 2010–2019 period. In the eastern Chukchi Sea, sightings during broad scale aerial surveys show that gray whale distribution is associated with localized areas of high infaunal crustacean abundance. Although infaunal crustacean prey abundance was unchanged in DBO regions 3, 4 and 5, a mid-decade shift in gray whale distribution corresponded to both: (i) a localized increase in infaunal prey abundance in DBO regions 4 and 5, and (ii) a correlation of whale relative abundance with wind patterns that can influence epi-benthic and pelagic prey availability. Specifically, in the northeastern Chukchi Sea, increased sighting rates (whales/km) associated with an ~110 km (60 nm) offshore shift in distribution was positively correlated with large scale and local wind patterns conducive to increased availability of krill. In the southern Chukchi Sea, gray whale distribution clustered in all years near an amphipod-krill ‘hotspot’ associated with a 50-60m deep trough. We discuss potential impacts of observed and inferred prey shifts on gray whale nutrition in the context of an ongoing unusual gray whale mortality event. To conclude, we use the conceptual Arctic Marine Pulses (AMP) model to frame hypotheses that may guide future research on whales in the Pacific Arctic marine ecosystem.
Type of Medium:
Online Resource
ISSN:
1932-6203
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pone.0265934
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pone.0265934.g001
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pone.0265934.g002
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pone.0265934.g003
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10.1371/journal.pone.0265934.g004
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pone.0265934.g005
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pone.0265934.g006
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pone.0265934.g007
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pone.0265934.g008
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pone.0265934.g009
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pone.0265934.g010
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pone.0265934.g011
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pone.0265934.t001
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pone.0265934.t002
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pone.0265934.t003
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pone.0265934.t004
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pone.0265934.s001
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pone.0265934.s002
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pone.0265934.s003
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pone.0265934.s004
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pone.0265934.s005
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pone.0265934.s006
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pone.0265934.r001
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pone.0265934.r002
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pone.0265934.r003
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pone.0265934.r004
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pone.0265934.r005
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pone.0265934.r006
Language:
English
Publisher:
Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Publication Date:
2022
detail.hit.zdb_id:
2267670-3
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