Environmental evidence for a pygmy blue whale aggregation area in the Subtropical Convergence Zone south of Australia

M.I. Garcia-Rojas; K.C.S. Jenner; P.C. Gill; M-N.M. Jenner; A.L. Sutton; R.D. McCauley

doi:10.1111/mms.12494

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Environmental evidence for a pygmy blue whale aggregation area in the Subtropical Convergence Zone south of Australia

Journal article

Peer reviewed

Environmental evidence for a pygmy blue whale aggregation area in the Subtropical Convergence Zone south of Australia

M.I. Garcia-Rojas, K.C.S. Jenner, P.C. Gill, M-N.M. Jenner, A.L. Sutton and R.D. McCauley

Marine Mammal Science, Vol.34(4), pp.901-923

2018

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/mms.12494

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Abstract

The importance of the Subtropical Convergence Zone south of Australia as a feeding area to the pygmy blue whale of the eastern Indian Ocean was investigated to better understand migration patterns and habitat use. A combination of satellite tagging studies during 2003–2005 and acoustic and visual surveys during the austral summer of 2013 confirmed the presence of pygmy blue whales in the Subtropical Convergence Zone and provided evidence for feeding throughout the region. Of the 67 pygmy blue whales acoustically detected, many were localized in proximity to sea surface temperature fronts and high chlorophyll concentrations, which could be a behavioral strategy to attract conspecifics to good feeding sites. Aggregations of up to four pygmy blue whales, along with decreased call rates during the day, may suggest feeding despite no direct observations of pygmy blue whales consuming euphausiids. The oceanographic features present throughout the Subtropical Convergence Zone continue to create an environment productive enough to support the world's largest living mammals during their migratory foraging movements between the Southern Ocean and Indonesia.

Details

Title: Environmental evidence for a pygmy blue whale aggregation area in the Subtropical Convergence Zone south of Australia
Authors/Creators: M.I. Garcia-Rojas (Author/Creator)
K.C.S. Jenner (Author/Creator) - Centre for Whale Research (WA) Inc., PO Box 1622Fremantle Western Australia 6959 Australia
P.C. Gill (Author/Creator) - Blue Whale Study, % Post OfficeNarrawong Victoria 3285 Australia
M-N.M. Jenner (Author/Creator) - Centre for Whale Research (WA) Inc., PO Box 1622Fremantle Western Australia 6959 Australia
A.L. Sutton (Author/Creator) - School of Veterinary and Life SciencesMurdoch University, 90 South StreetMurdoch Western Australia 6150 Australia
R.D. McCauley (Author/Creator) - Curtin University
Publication Details: Marine Mammal Science, Vol.34(4), pp.901-923
Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell
Identifiers: 991005540943607891
Copyright: © 2018 Society for Marine Mammalogy
Murdoch Affiliation: School of Veterinary and Life Sciences
Language: English
Resource Type: Journal article

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Collaboration types: Domestic collaboration
Citation topics: 3 Agriculture, Environment & Ecology; 3.35 Zoology & Animal Ecology; 3.35.796 Marine Mammal Ecology
Web Of Science research areas: Marine & Freshwater Biology; Zoology
ESI research areas: Plant & Animal Science