Greetings, We are pleased to announce our recent publication in Polar Biology. The citation and abstract are below. If you would like a pdf of the publication, please contact me at cynthia.christ...@noaa.gov.
Regards, Cynthia L. Christman Field Research Leader III Contractor with Ocean Associates, Inc. Alaska Fisheries Science Center National Marine Mammal Laboratory 7600 Sand Point Way NE, Bldg. 4 Seattle, WA 98115 Phone Number: (508) 274-3142 Email: cynthia.christ...@noaa.gov Christman CL, Citta JJ, Quakenbush LT, Clarke JT, Rone BK, Shea RA, Ferguson MC, Mads Peter Heide-Jørgensen. 2013. Presence and behavior of bowhead whales (Balaena mysticetus) in the Alaskan Beaufort Sea in July 2011. Polar Biology: 1-6. DOI 10.1007/s00300-013-1395-4 Abstract The Western Arctic bowhead whale (Balaena mysticetus) is highly adapted to sea ice and annually migrates through the Bering, Chukchi, and Beaufort seas. While the overall distribution and seasonal movements of bowhead whales are mostly understood, information about their distribution in the Alaskan Beaufort Sea in early to mid-summer has not been well documented. In July 2011, we conducted an exploratory flight in the Alaskan Beaufort Sea, north of Camden Bay (71 N 144 W), near the location of a single satellite-tagged bowhead whale. Eighteen bowhead whales were observed, and behavior consistent with feeding was documented. To our knowledge, this is the first documentation of behavior consistent with feeding north of Camden Bay in mid-July. Few studies have focused on bowhead whale distribution in the Alaskan Beaufort Sea in early to mid-summer, and no long-term, region-wide surveys have been conducted during summer. Bowhead whales are already exposed to anthropogenic disturbance in the Canadian Beaufort Sea in summer, the Alaskan Beaufort Sea in fall, and the Chukchi and Bering seas from fall through spring. The presence of bowhead whale aggregations in the Alaskan Beaufort Sea in summer should be considered when assessing the cumulative effects of human-related activities.
_______________________________________________ MARMAM mailing list MARMAM@lists.uvic.ca https://lists.uvic.ca/mailman/listinfo/marmam
