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Abstract
We conducted hydroacoustic surveys for capelin Mallotus villosus in Witless Bay, Newfoundland, Canada, on 61 days during the summers of 1983 to 1985. On 32 of those days in whlch capelin surveys were conducted, we observed a total of 129 baleen whales - Including 93 humpback Megaptera novaeangliae, 31 minke Balaenoptera acutorostrata and 5 fin whales B. phvsalus. Although a few whales were observed when capelin schools were scarce, the majority (96%) of whales were observed when mean daily capelin densities exceeded 5 schools per linear km surveyed (range of means over 3 yr: 0.0 to 14.0 schools km-1). Plots of daily whale abundance (no. h-1 surveyed) vs daily capelin school density (mean no. schools km-1 surveyed) in each summer revealed that baleen whales have a threshold foraging response to capelin density. Thresholds were estimated using a simple itterative step-function model. Foraging thresholds of baleen whales (7.3, 5.0, and 5.8 schools km-1) varied between years in relation to the overall abundance of capelin schools in the study area during summer (means of 7.2, 3.3, and 5.3 schools km-1, respectively).
Study Area
| Publication type | Article |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | Journal Article |
| Title | Threshold foraging behavior of baleen whales |
| Series title | Marine Ecology Progress Series |
| Edition | 205 |
| Volume | 84 |
| Year Published | 1992 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Inter-Research Science Center |
| Contributing office(s) | Alaska Science Center |
| Description | 6 p. |
| First page | 210 |
| Country | Canada |
| State | Newfoundland |
| Other Geospatial | Witless Bay |
| Google Analytic Metrics | Metrics page |