WHALE MIGRATION: WHEN, WHERE AND WHY BRUNA FAVETTA

WHALE MIGRATION: WHEN, WHERE AND WHY

BRUNA FAVETTA

BALEEN WHALES

Long-distance migration

Winter in low-latitude areas

Summer in high-latitude areas

Migration stress

QUESTION

How does long-distance migration optimize whale survival?

Change over time?

Identify primary calving and feeding regions

What are the shortest paths between these regions?

DEFINING SUITABLE HABITAT

Ocean water temperature (approximated by sea surface temperature)

Ocean depth

Zooplankton density

Endangered species: critical habitat boundaries

Climate change

Garrison, L.P. 2005

CALVING REGION

TEMPERATURE FOR CALVING

COBAL - Carbon, Ocean Biogeochemistry and Lower Trophics modelby Charles Stock, John Dunne, Jasmin John; GFDLAnnual average

TEMPERATURE DISTRIBUTION

N=33

FOCUS ON EACH?

N=20N=13

DEPTH FOR CALVING

COBAL - Carbon, Ocean Biogeochemistry and Lower Trophics modelby Charles Stock, John Dunne, Jasmin John; GFDLAnnual average

DEPTH DISTRIBUTION

N=33

FEEDING REGION

ZOOPLANKTON AVAILABILITY

COBAL - Carbon, Ocean Biogeochemistry and Lower Trophics modelby Charles Stock, John Dunne, Jasmin John; GFDLAnnual average

ZOOPLANKTON DISTRIBUTION

N=34

TEMPERATURE FOR FEEDING

COBAL - Carbon, Ocean Biogeochemistry and Lower Trophics modelby Charles Stock, John Dunne, Jasmin John; GFDLAnnual average

TEMPERATURE DISTRIBUTION

N=34

CRITICAL HABITAT

Feeding region

Calving region

NEXT STEPS

Define the shortest migratory paths between the critical habitat regions

Cluster these into major migratory routes

THINGS TO CONSIDER

All of the months averaged or use only the months whales are spotted there. The second gives more well-defined ranges.

Determining migratory path: whale behavior instead of the simple shortest distance.

Make projections using future sea surface temperatures

THANK YOU!

QUESTIONS?

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

James Watson

Jorge Sarmiento & lab

Princeton Environmental Institute