In 2006–2007, an unusually high number of harbor porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) stranded along the Washington and Oregon coastlines. Spatiotemporal analyses were used to examine their ability to detect clusters of porpoise strandings during an unusual mortality event (UME) in the Pacific Northwest using stranding location data. Strandings were evaluated as...
We quantified the relative influence of maternal fidelity to feeding grounds and natal
fidelity to breeding grounds on the population structure of humpback whales Megaptera novae-angliae based on an ocean-wide survey of mitochondrial (mt) DNA diversity in the North Pacific.
For 2193 biopsy samples collected from whales in 10 feeding...
1. Despite their importance in determining the rate of both energy gain and expenditure, how the fine-scale kinematics of foraging are modified in response to changes in prey abundance and distribution remain poorly understood in many animal ecosystems. 2. In the marine environment, bulk-filter feeders rely on dense aggregations of...
Although most eastern North Pacific (ENP) gray whales feed in the Bering, Beaufort,
and Chukchi Seas during summer and fall, a small number of individuals,
referred to as the Pacific Coast Feeding Group (PCFG), show intra- and interseasonal
fidelity to feeding areas from northern California through southeastern Alaska. We
used...
Although most eastern North Pacific (ENP) gray whales feed in the Bering, Beaufort,
and Chukchi Seas during summer and fall, a small number of individuals,
referred to as the Pacific Coast Feeding Group (PCFG), show intra- and interseasonal
fidelity to feeding areas from northern California through southeastern Alaska. We
used...
Upwelling in eastern boundary current systems is a primary driver of ecosystem productivity. Typically, peak upwelling occurs during spring and summer, but winter upwelling may also be important to ecosystem functions. In this study, we investigated the hypothesis that winter and spring/summer upwelling, operating through indirect trophic interactions, are important...
In 2006, a marked increase in harbor porpoise Phocoena phocoena strandings were reported in the Pacific Northwest of the USA, resulting in the declaration of an unusual mortality event (UME) for Washington and Oregon to facilitate investigation into potential causes. The UME was in place during all of 2006 and...
A major focus in macroecology is to understand the mechanisms that drive differences in habitat, morphology, and behavior in closely related species (Brown 1995). Within this paradigm, energy use and prey acquisition play a fundamental role in affecting behavior, especially with respect to foraging patterns and predator‐prey interactions. Because resources...
Climate change is impacting a wide range of global systems, with polar ecosystems experiencing the most rapid change. While climate impacts affect lower trophic level and short-lived species most directly, it is less clear how long-lived and mobile species will respond to rapid polar warming, as they may have the...
We quantified the relative influence of maternal fidelity to feeding grounds and natal
fidelity to breeding grounds on the population structure of humpback whales Megaptera novae-angliae based on an ocean-wide survey of mitochondrial (mt) DNA diversity in the North Pacific.
For 2193 biopsy samples collected from whales in 10 feeding...