The distribution and habitat preference of coastally occurring minke whales (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) in the outer southern Moray Firth, northeast Scotland

Robinson, Kevin P.; Tetley, Michael J.

doi:10.1007/s11852-009-0050-2

Cited by 22 publications

(42 citation statements)

References 33 publications

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“…The results of this study are to our knowledge the first confirmation of minke whale pulse train detection in the well studied Moray Firth summer feeding ground and adjacent North Sea waters 9,13,14 . Minke whale pulse trains were detected at several sites of this shallow, coastal PAM array.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 56%

“…Diel variation in baleen whale vocalisations has also been attributed to prey distribution, with reduced vocalisation rates during active feeding and an increase in vocalisations in a social context at hours of lowest prey availability 39,40 . Visual observations in the Moray Firth during day time frequently show feeding behaviour 13,14 , which might suggest that minke whales vocalise more at night, when feeding efficiency may be lower. As mentioned earlier, minke whales around Scotland, including the Moray Firth, have been shown to primarily feed on sandeel which constitutes 70% their diet 38 .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…As there is less survey effort in winter, it is unclear to what extent this occurrence pattern reflects observation effort. Off the coast of Scotland, minke whale visual sightings peak from July to August and have been shown to be related to meso-scale oceanographic features which likely link to increased foraging opportunities 13,14 . In the southern North Sea, minke whales are less common, while a seasonal aggregation has been described close to the Dogger Bank, in the central North Sea 12,15 .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Seasonal and diel acoustic presence of North Atlantic minke whales in the North Sea

Risch

Wilson

Hoogerwerf

et al. 2019

Sci Rep

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Despite frequent records from other parts of the North Atlantic, minke whales have never been acoustically recorded in the North Sea. This study investigated the detectability of pulse trains previously associated with this species in other regions, in acoustic data from ten sites along the east coast of Scotland. Since preliminary results confirmed pulse train presence, subsequently, an automated detector was applied to these data to record the seasonal and diel presence of minke whale pulse trains. Minke whales were detected from May to November, with most detections occurring in June, July and October. No acoustic detections were made in December, January or in the month of April, whilst no data were available for February and March. This pattern of acoustic presence supports available visual data and suggested an absence of minke whales from the study area during winter. Minke whale acoustic presence showed a statistically significant diel pattern, with a detection peak during night time. This study established the acoustic detectability of minke whales in the North Sea and highlights the potential of using passive acoustic monitoring to study the seasonal presence and spatial distribution of minke whales in the North Sea and wider Northeast Atlantic.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 56%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Seasonal and diel acoustic presence of North Atlantic minke whales in the North Sea

Risch

Wilson

Hoogerwerf

et al. 2019

Sci Rep

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“…It has been well documented that minke whale presence is related to prey distribution in their summer foraging grounds, where they feed primarily on pelagic shoaling fish such as sand lance (Ammodytes sp.) and herring (Clupea harengus) [34,38,71,73]. However, it has also been shown that baleen whales may pause migration and feed on the way to or from their summer habitats [16,74].…”

Section: North Atlantic Minke Whale Migration and Winter Habitats Alomentioning

confidence: 99%

Seasonal migrations of North Atlantic minke whales: novel insights from large-scale passive acoustic monitoring networks

et al. 2014

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Background: Little is known about migration patterns and seasonal distribution away from coastal summer feeding habitats of many pelagic baleen whales. Recently, large-scale passive acoustic monitoring networks have become available to explore migration patterns and identify critical habitats of these species. North Atlantic minke whales (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) perform seasonal migrations between high latitude summer feeding and low latitude winter breeding grounds. While the distribution and abundance of the species has been studied across their summer range, data on migration and winter habitat are virtually missing. Acoustic recordings, from 16 different sites from across the North Atlantic, were analyzed to examine the seasonal and geographic variation in minke whale pulse train occurrence, infer information about migration routes and timing, and to identify possible winter habitats. Results: Acoustic detections show that minke whales leave their winter grounds south of 30°N from March through early April. On their southward migration in autumn, minke whales leave waters north of 40°N from mid-October through early November. In the western North Atlantic spring migrants appear to track the warmer waters of the Gulf Stream along the continental shelf, while whales travel farther offshore in autumn. Abundant detections were found off the southeastern US and the Caribbean during winter. Minke whale pulse trains showed evidence of geographic variation, with longer pulse trains recorded south of 40°N. Very few pulse trains were recorded during summer in any of the datasets. Conclusion: This study highlights the feasibility of using acoustic monitoring networks to explore migration patterns of pelagic marine mammals. Results confirm the presence of minke whales off the southeastern US and the Caribbean during winter months. The absence of pulse train detections during summer suggests either that minke whales switch their vocal behaviour at this time of year, are absent from available recording sites or that variation in signal structure influenced automated detection. Alternatively, if pulse trains are produced in a reproductive context by males, these data may indicate their absence from the selected recording sites. Evidence of geographic variation in pulse train duration suggests different behavioural functions or use of these calls at different latitudes.

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“…The species has a cosmopolitan distribution from the tropics to the ice edge in both hemispheres, though more uncommon in equatorial waters ( Figure 1.5.1). It is widespread along the Atlantic seaboard of Europe from Norway south to the southern tip of Portugal, as well as in the North Sea, although abundance is greatest in the north , CODA 2009 , Robinson et al 2009, De Boer 2010, Baines & Evans 2012). In the western English Channel south to southwest Portugal, it is present but uncommon out to the edge of the continental shelf, but is largely absent from the deeper parts of the Bay of Biscay , CODA 2009.…”

Section: -Spatial Scale Of Functioningmentioning

confidence: 99%

Defining and applying the concept of Favourable Reference Values for species habitats under the EU Birds and Habitats Directives : examples of setting favourable reference values

Bijlsma¹,

Agrillo

Attorre

et al. 2019

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The distribution and habitat preference of coastally occurring minke whales (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) in the outer southern Moray Firth, northeast Scotland

Cited by 22 publications

References 33 publications

Seasonal and diel acoustic presence of North Atlantic minke whales in the North Sea

Seasonal and diel acoustic presence of North Atlantic minke whales in the North Sea

Seasonal migrations of North Atlantic minke whales: novel insights from large-scale passive acoustic monitoring networks

Defining and applying the concept of Favourable Reference Values for species habitats under the EU Birds and Habitats Directives : examples of setting favourable reference values

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