Fin Whale Relative Habitat Suitability, West Coast

Oct 13, 2017 (Last modified Oct 20, 2017)
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Dataset was used in a scientifically peer-reviewed publication
Description:
We present evidence of year-round habitat suitability in the southern California Current System, robust to interannual variability, that North Pacific fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus) do not follow the canonical baleen whale migration model. Within the high-use habitat in the Southern California Bight (SCB), individual-level residency in localized areas (n = 16 for >30 days; n = 4 for >6 months) was associated with warm, shallow, nearshore waters (>18°C, <500 m), with cool waters (14–15°C) occurring over complex seafloor topographies and with convergent (sub)mesoscale structures at the surface.

Biophysical conditions in the southern CCS generate productive foraging habitats that can support the fin whale population year-round and allow for extended periods of residency in localized areas. High-use habitats for fin whales are colocated with areas of intense human use, including international shipping routes and a major naval training range. Seasonal habitat suitability maps presented here could inform the management of anthropogenic threats to endangered baleen whales in this globally significant biodiversity hotspot.

For more information about this research please contact author (Greg Schorr) for PDF of publication or visit journal online at: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ddi.12611/full.
Data Provided By:
Kylie L. Scales 1,2,3 | Gregory S. Schorr 4 | Elliott L. Hazen 1 | Steven J. Bograd 1 |Peter I. Miller 5 | Russel D. Andrews 6,7 | Alexandre N. Zerbini 8,9 | Erin A. Falcone 4

1 Environmental Research Division, NOAA
Southwest Fisheries Science Center,
Monterey, CA, USA

2 Institute of Marine Sciences, University of
California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA

3 University of the Sunshine Coast,
Maroochydore, Qld, Australia

4 Foundation for Marine Ecology and Telemetry
Research, Seabeck, WA, USA

5 Remote Sensing Group, Plymouth Marine
Laboratory, Plymouth, UK

6 School of Fisheries and Ocean
Sciences, University of Alaska Fairbanks,
Fairbanks, AK, USA

7 Alaska SeaLife Center, Seward, AK, USA

8 Marine Mammal Laboratory, NOAA Alaska
Fisheries Science Center, Seattle, WA, USA

9 Cascadia Research Collective, Olympia, WA,
USA
Content date:
2008 to 2015
Citation:
Scales, K.L., G.S. Schorr, E.L. Hazen, S.J. Bograd, P.I. Miller, R.D. Andrews, A.N. Zerbini, E.A. Falcone, 2017. Should I stay or should I go? Modelling year-round habitat suitability and drivers of residency for fin whales in the California Current. Diversity and Distributions, 1-12. DOI: 10.1111/ddi.12611.
Spatial Resolution:
0.05 (Degree)
Contact Organization:
Foundation for Marine Ecology and Telemetry Research,
Seabeck, WA, USA
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Tags:
satellite tracking, limpet tag, upwelling, telemetry, finite-size lyapunov exponent, habitat model, species distribution model, cetacean, balaenoptera physalus, remote sensing, ocean fronts
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