Response by vessel operators to protection measures for right whales Eubalaena glacialis in the southeast US calving ground

Lagueux, Kerry M.; Zani, Monica A.; Knowlton, Amy R.; Kraus, Scott D.

doi:10.3354/esr00335

Cited by 44 publications

(44 citation statements)

References 13 publications

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“…A number of mitigation efforts have been initiated to reduce these impacts . To date they have focused on reducing spatial overlap between ships through routing measures (Van der Hoop et al 2012, Redfern et al 2013 or reducing ship speeds in sensitive whale habitat (Gende et al 2011, Lagueux et al 2011, McKenna et al 2012, Silber & Bettridge 2012.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Simultaneous tracking of blue whales and large ships demonstrates limited behavioral responses for avoiding collision

McKenna

Calambokidis²,

Oleson³

et al. 2015

Endang. Species. Res.

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Collisions between ships and whales are reported throughout the world's oceans. For some endangered whale populations, ship strikes are a major threat to survival and recovery. Factors known to affect the incidence and severity of collisions include spatial co-occurrence of ships and whales, hydrodynamic forces around ships, and ship speed. Less understood and likely key to understanding differences in interactions between whales and ships is whale behavior in the presence of ships. In commercial shipping lanes off southern California, we simultaneously recorded blue whale behavior and commercial ship movement. A total of 20 ship passages with 9 individual whales were observed at distances ranging from 60 to 3600 m. We documented a dive response (i.e. shallow dive during surface period) of blue whales in the path of oncoming ships in 55% of the ship passages, but found no evidence for lateral avoidance. Descent rate, duration, and maximum depth of the observed response dives were similar to whale behavior immediately after suction-cup tag deployments. These behavioral data were combined with ship hydrodynamic forces to evaluate the maximum ship speed that would allow a whale time to avoid an oncoming ship. Our analysis suggests that the ability of blue whales to avoid ships is limited to relatively slow descents, with no horizontal movements away from a ship. We posit that this constrained response repertoire would limit their ability to adjust their response behavior to different ship speeds. This is likely a factor in making blue whales, and perhaps other large whales, more vulnerable to ship strikes.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Simultaneous tracking of blue whales and large ships demonstrates limited behavioral responses for avoiding collision

McKenna

Calambokidis²,

Oleson³

et al. 2015

Endang. Species. Res.

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“…In response, multi-institutional efforts have led to the implementation of vessel speed restrictions and vessel navigation regulations, and policies explicitly designed to help achieve the goal of a sustained, positive population growth rate (IMO 2003, 2006, 2008, NOAA 2008, Vanderlaan et al 2008, Lagueux et al 2011, Wiley et al 2011. One recent policy was the adoption by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) of a precedent-setting voluntary ''area to be avoided'' (AT-BA) by vessels in the Roseway Basin feeding habitat on the eastern Scotian Shelf (Fig.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Absolute probability estimates of lethal vessel strikes to North Atlantic right whales in Roseway Basin, Scotian Shelf

Hoop

Vanderlaan

Taggart

2012

Ecological Applications

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Abstract. Vessel strikes are the primary source of known mortality for the endangered North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis). Multi-institutional efforts to reduce mortality associated with vessel strikes include vessel-routing amendments such as the International Maritime Organization voluntary ''area to be avoided'' (ATBA) in the Roseway Basin right whale feeding habitat on the southwestern Scotian Shelf. Though relative probabilities of lethal vessel strikes have been estimated and published, absolute probabilities remain unknown. We used a modeling approach to determine the regional effect of the ATBA, by estimating reductions in the expected number of lethal vessel strikes. This analysis differs from others in that it explicitly includes a spatiotemporal analysis of real-time transits of vessels through a population of simulated, swimming right whales. Combining automatic identification system (AIS) vessel navigation data and an observationally based whale movement model allowed us to determine the spatial and temporal intersection of vessels and whales, from which various probability estimates of lethal vessel strikes are derived. We estimate one lethal vessel strike every 0.775-2.07 years prior to ATBA implementation, consistent with and more constrained than previous estimates of every 2-16 years. Following implementation, a lethal vessel strike is expected every 41 years. When whale abundance is held constant across years, we estimate that voluntary vessel compliance with the ATBA results in an 82% reduction in the per capita rate of lethal strikes; very similar to a previously published estimate of 82% reduction in the relative risk of a lethal vessel strike. The models we developed can inform decision-making and policy design, based on their ability to provide absolute, population-corrected, time-varying estimates of lethal vessel strikes, and they are easily transported to other regions and situations.

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“…In addition to shipping and longline activity, an MPA could also protect the whales from other GoM industrial activities such as oil and gas extraction and exploration to reduce the potential impacts of oil spills, oil platform service vessel traffic, and seismic survey noise. Ship speed reduction rules and vessel re-routing have been effective at reducing North Atlantic right whale deaths from vessel collisions (Lagueux et al 2011, Laist et al 2014, van der Hoop et al 2015 and could be implemented in the GoM Bryde's whale habitat to reduce the risk to the whales. This will be particularly important as larger, faster Panamax vessels increasingly transit the GoM.…”

Section: Management Considerationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spatial distribution and dive behavior of Gulf of Mexico Bryde’s whales: potential risk of vessel strikes and fisheries interactions

Soldevilla¹,

Hildebrand²,

Frasier³

et al. 2017

Endang. Species. Res.

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Bryde's whales Balaenoptera edeni are the only resident baleen whale species in the Gulf of Mexico (GoM), where they are extremely rare, have a restricted distribution, and represent a unique evolutionary lineage. The reasons for the restricted distribution and small population size are unknown, but high levels of industrial activity in the GoM may be a major factor. We evaluated the geospatial overlap of GoM Bryde's whales with 2 industries known to impact baleen whale species: commercial shipping and commercial fisheries. We further evaluated the potential for impacts by examining the first dive behavior data collected from a kinematic tag attached to a GoM Bryde's whale for 3 d. Vessel traffic and fishery effort are low in GoM Bryde's whale habitat compared to the rest of the northern GoM, but several shipping lanes transit through the habitat, and the reef fish bottom longline fishery exerts considerable effort within the habitat. The tagged whale exhibited diel diving behavior with diurnal deep dives and foraging lunges at or near the sea floor, and shallow nocturnal diving, with 88% of its nighttime spent near the surface within the draught depths of most large commercial vessels. Given the location of commercial shipping traffic in GoM Bryde's whale habitat, ship strikes may pose a threat to this population if the whales commonly spend time near the surface, especially at night. Also, if bottom or near-bottom feeding is a normal feeding strategy for these whales, there is potential for entanglement in bottom longline gear. Managing these threats may improve population recovery.

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Response by vessel operators to protection measures for right whales Eubalaena glacialis in the southeast US calving ground

Cited by 44 publications

References 13 publications

Simultaneous tracking of blue whales and large ships demonstrates limited behavioral responses for avoiding collision

Simultaneous tracking of blue whales and large ships demonstrates limited behavioral responses for avoiding collision

Absolute probability estimates of lethal vessel strikes to North Atlantic right whales in Roseway Basin, Scotian Shelf

Spatial distribution and dive behavior of Gulf of Mexico Bryde’s whales: potential risk of vessel strikes and fisheries interactions

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