EVIDENCE OF FEEDING BY HUMPBACK WHALES <i>(MEGAPTERA NOVAEANGLIAE)</i> IN THE BAJA CALIFORNIA BREEDING GROUND, MEXICO

Gendron, Diane; Urbán, R Jorge

doi:10.1111/j.1748-7692.1993.tb00428.x

Cited by 40 publications

(30 citation statements)

References 7 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…Gray whales travel along the California coast on their migratory route between Mexico and the Bering Sea (from January to May); foraging along this migration is believed to be minimal (Bowen and Siniff, 1999). The migratory humpback whale feeds mainly on krill and occasionally on planktivorous fish (Pauly et al, 1998;Gendron, 1993). Although the humpback is thought not to feed during its migration, there are reports of feeding activity near the Baja California breeding grounds (Gendron, 1993).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The migratory humpback whale feeds mainly on krill and occasionally on planktivorous fish (Pauly et al, 1998;Gendron, 1993). Although the humpback is thought not to feed during its migration, there are reports of feeding activity near the Baja California breeding grounds (Gendron, 1993). Little is known of the bioaccumulation of DA in many of these prey species, but Pseudo-nitzschia australis frustules have been detected in krill (Bargu et al, 2002) and in fecal samples from humpback whales that were observed feeding on DA-contaminated krill (Lefebvre et al, 2002a).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Association of an Unusual Marine Mammal Mortality Event With Pseudo-Nitzschia Spp. Blooms Along the Southern California Coastline

Riva

Johnson

Gulland

et al. 2009

Journal of Wildlife Diseases

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

ABSTRACT:During 2002, 2,239 marine mammals stranded in southern California. This unusual marine mammal stranding event was clustered from April to June and consisted primarily of California sea lions (Zalophus californianus) and long-beaked common dolphins (Delphinus capensis) with severe neurologic signs. Intoxication with domoic acid (DA), a marine neurotoxin produced during seasonal blooms of Pseudo-nitzschia spp., was suspected. Definitively linking harmful algal blooms to large-scale marine mammal mortalities presents a substantial challenge, as does determining the geographic extent, species composition, and potential population impacts of marine mammal die-offs. For this reason, time series cross-correlation analysis was performed to test the temporal correlations of Pseudo-nitzschia blooms with strandings occurring along the southern California coastline. Temporal correlations were identified between strandings and blooms for California sea lions, long-beaked common dolphins, and short-beaked common dolphins (Delphinus delphis). Similar correlations were identified for bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) and gray whales (Eschrichtius robustus), but small sample sizes for these species made associations more speculative. The timing of the blooms and strandings of marine mammals suggested that both inshore and offshore foraging species were affected and that marine biotoxin programs should include offshore monitoring sites. In addition, California sea lionstrandings appear to be a very sensitive indicator of DA in the marine environment, and their monitoring should be included in public health surveillance plans.

show abstract

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Association of an Unusual Marine Mammal Mortality Event With Pseudo-Nitzschia Spp. Blooms Along the Southern California Coastline

Riva

Johnson

Gulland

et al. 2009

Journal of Wildlife Diseases

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Evidences of feeding of M. novaeangliae have been reported for some breeding areas, such as in Mexico (Gendron & Urban 1993), Hawaii (Salden 1990) and Dominican Republic (Baraff et al 1991). The feeding activities of humpback whales from the North Atlantic, at Bermudas islands (32…”

Section: Vibrio Fluvialismentioning

confidence: 99%

Humpback whales washed ashore in southeastern Brazil from 1981 to 2011: stranding patterns and microbial pathogens survey

et al. 2013

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

In the Southwest Atlantic Ocean the wintering breeding ground of Megaptera novaeangliae is located in northeastern coast of Brazil, mainly in the Abrolhos Bank (16°55′ S, 38°50′ W) and its surroundings. During migratory percussion, events of strandings are thought to occur. A total of 58 stranded humpback whales were recorded between 1981 and 2011 along the coast of the Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil. The number of strandings in 20 years (1992–2011) increased during the period of study, with a mean of 2.6 events per year. In 2010 a peak occurred with 13 records of strandings. Most of them occurred preferably in the southern half of the study area, or in the southeast area of Rio de Janeiro state. Three cases of entanglement were found, two of these involving calves with less than eight meters of body length. Stranding events were more frequent during winter and spring. No statistical differences were found between age categories, but 33% were classified as “dependent calf” (< 8 m length). Males stranded more often than females. Only one whale out of 16 specimens that had the stomach contents examined presented food remains, but comprising only two cephalopod beaks of the squid Doryteuthis sanpaulensis. Bacteriological survey of Vibrionaceae and Aeromonadaceae agents in three live stranded whales on the Brazilian coast indicated evidence of animal impairment that resulted or were associated with the cause of death and stranding event.

show abstract

“…and sardines (Sardinops sagax). Despite reduced feeding rates have been documented for large baleen whales in tropical/ breeding areas or warm waters, where energy budgets are mainly allocated in mating and calving (Lockyer 1981), observing feeding behavior of humpbacks in these areas is a more frequent event than previously thought, as reported elsewhere (Baraff et al 1991, Gendron & Urban 1993, Alava 2001. Thus, it cannot be ruled out that at least occasionally, humpbacks may feed on anchovy schools.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 65%

Carbon productivity and flux in the marine ecosystems of the Galapagos Marine Reserve based on cetacean abundances and trophic indices

Alava

2009

Rev. biol. mar. oceanogr.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Resumen.-El rol de los cetáceos en la productividad y flujo de energía en los ecosistemas marinos es escasamente conocido en el Pacifico sureste. Este estudio propone estimar la producción secundaria y terciaria de cinco especies de cetáceos representativos de diferentes ecosistemas marinos de las Galápagos usando cálculos asociados de valores anuales de producción primaria y flujo de carbono, estimaciones de abundancia relativa, biomasa, densidad absoluta y niveles tróficos disponibles en la literatura. De acuerdo a las ecuaciones propuestas para el cálculo de productividad, se obtuvo que el cachalote (Physeter macrocephalus) y la orca carnívora-generalista (Orcinus orca) tuvieron el valor más bajo de producción terciaria al nivel de depredador tope para regiones del océano abierto sin afloramientos, mientras que las ballenas de Bryde (Balaenoptera edeni) y azul (B. musculus) alcanzaron los valores mas altos de producción terciaria (13,7 y 35,4 gC m -2 yr -1 , respectivamente) en zonas de afloramientos localizadas al oeste y suroeste de las Islas Galápagos. La producción primaria anual se correlacionó significativamente con las producciones terciarias de ballenas barbadas y odontocetos, usando un nivel de transferencia de energía del 15%. Cuando se combinó a las especies de cetáceos considerados en este estudio, se encontró una correlación positiva, pero no significativa entre la producción primaria anual y la producción terciaria de cetáceos. Esta relación fue influenciada por los diferentes niveles tróficos en la cadena alimenticia y los valores anuales de productividad primaria de cada uno de los ecosistemas marinos seleccionados. Más investigación es requerida para determinar la abundancia, selección de presas, tasa alimenticias, y tasas de hundimiento de material fecal proveniente de mamíferos marinos en aguas marinas de las Galápagos, así como su función en el flujo vertical de carbón.Palabras clave: Ballenas de barbas (rorcuales), cachalote, delfín nariz de botella, orca, producción primaria y terciaria, nivel trófico Abstract.-The role of cetaceans in marine ecosystems and food webs is scarcely known in the southeastern Pacific. Estimates of secondary and tertiary (carbon) production and daily food intake were deduced for five species of representative cetaceans for different marine habitats of the Galapagos by using associated calculations of annual primary production and carbon flux, as well as estimations of relative abundance, biomass, absolute density and trophic levels (TL) reported elsewhere. Under these premises, sperm (Physeter macrocephalus) and carnivore-generalist killer whales (Orcinus orca) for open ocean (i.e. no upwelling regions) had the lowest values of tertiary production at the top predator level (0.01-1.01 gC m -2 yr -1 ), while Bryde's (Balaenoptera edeni) and blue (B. musculus) whales from upwelling zone located at southwest Galapagos Island yielded the highest cetacean production (13.7 and 35.4 gC m -2 yr -1 , respectively). Significant positive correlations at a 15% of efficienc...

show abstract

EVIDENCE OF FEEDING BY HUMPBACK WHALES (MEGAPTERA NOVAEANGLIAE) IN THE BAJA CALIFORNIA BREEDING GROUND, MEXICO

Cited by 40 publications

References 7 publications

Association of an Unusual Marine Mammal Mortality Event With Pseudo-Nitzschia Spp. Blooms Along the Southern California Coastline

Association of an Unusual Marine Mammal Mortality Event With Pseudo-Nitzschia Spp. Blooms Along the Southern California Coastline

Humpback whales washed ashore in southeastern Brazil from 1981 to 2011: stranding patterns and microbial pathogens survey

Carbon productivity and flux in the marine ecosystems of the Galapagos Marine Reserve based on cetacean abundances and trophic indices

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About