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Density-dependent changes in the distribution of Southern Right Whales (Eubalaena australis) in the breeding ground Peninsula Valdés.
Sueyro, Nicolas; Crespo, Enrique Alberto; Arias, Magdalena; Coscarella, Mariano Alberto.
Afiliação
  • Sueyro N; Laboratorio de Mamíferos Marinos (LAMAMA), Centro para el Estudio de Sistemas Marinos (CESIMAR-CCT CENPAT-CONICET), Puerto Madryn, Chubut, Argentina.
  • Crespo EA; Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia San Juan Bosco, Puerto Madryn, Chubut, Argentina.
  • Arias M; Laboratorio de Mamíferos Marinos (LAMAMA), Centro para el Estudio de Sistemas Marinos (CESIMAR-CCT CENPAT-CONICET), Puerto Madryn, Chubut, Argentina.
  • Coscarella MA; Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia San Juan Bosco, Puerto Madryn, Chubut, Argentina.
PeerJ ; 6: e5957, 2018.
Article em En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-30564513
ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND:

The Southern Right Whale (Eubalaena australis) population of the South-western Atlantic Ocean is recovering. In the breeding ground of Peninsula Valdés, as a consequence of the population growth, expansion to new areas by some types of groups and a change in the habitat use patterns at the coastal area were recorded.

METHODS:

We analysed information gathered from aerial surveys conducted along the coast of Peninsula Valdés in 15 years of effective sampling in a 19-year span. These surveys were divided into four periods (1999-2000; 2004-2007; 2008-2012 and 2013-2016) and estimated the density of whales in a 620 km of coast divided into segments of five km.

RESULTS:

The density of the whales increased to near three whales per km2 (averaged over each period) in the high-density areas. When this mean number was reached, the significant changes in density in the adjacent areas were detected in the following period. These changes were a decrease in density in the high-density areas and an increase of density in the low-density areas.

DISCUSSION:

We propose that a threshold in density elicits a response in habitat use, with the Mother-calf pairs remaining in the area, while the other groups are displaced to new areas.
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Texto completo: 1 Base de dados: MEDLINE Idioma: En Ano de publicação: 2018 Tipo de documento: Article

Texto completo: 1 Base de dados: MEDLINE Idioma: En Ano de publicação: 2018 Tipo de documento: Article