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.
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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 model by Charles Stock, John Dunne, Jasmin John; GFDL Annual average TEMPERATURE DISTRIBUTION N=33 FOCUS ON EACH? N=13 N=20 DEPTH FOR CALVING COBAL - Carbon, Ocean Biogeochemistry and Lower Trophics model by Charles Stock, John Dunne, Jasmin John; GFDL Annual average DEPTH DISTRIBUTION N=33 FEEDING REGION ZOOPLANKTON AVAILABILITY COBAL - Carbon, Ocean Biogeochemistry and Lower Trophics model by Charles Stock, John Dunne, Jasmin John; GFDL Annual average ZOOPLANKTON DISTRIBUTION N=34 TEMPERATURE FOR FEEDING COBAL - Carbon, Ocean Biogeochemistry and Lower Trophics model by Charles Stock, John Dunne, Jasmin John; GFDL Annual 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