Good morning, My co-authors and I are pleased to announce the publication of our manuscript on bearded seal distribution in Deep-Sea Research Part II.
*Year-round distribution of bearded seals, Erignathus barbatus, throughout the Alaskan Chukchi and northern Bering Sea* Jessica L.Crance, Catherine L.Berchok, Brynn M.Kimber, Jenna M.Harlacher, Eric K.Braen, and Megan C.Ferguson *Abstract: *Bearded seals are pan-Arctic ice-obligate phocids; for the threatened Beringia population, the majority of the population feeds in the summer in the Chukchi Sea, then migrates south to overwinter in the northern Bering Sea. Contemporary information on the impact of rapidly changing climatic conditions on bearded seal distribution is essential for effective management. To monitor for marine mammals, passive acoustic recorders were deployed throughout the eastern Chukchi and northern Bering seas (64° N to 72° N), sampling at a rate of 16 kHz on a duty cycle of either 80 or 85 min every 5 h. Data from year-long deployments at nine sites over four years (2012–2016) were manually analyzed, totaling 13,275 days (∼75,000 h). Bearded seal calling activity was present at every site in every year. Calling activity increased from September through February and reached sustained and saturated levels from March through June, at which point calling ceased abruptly regardless of ice cover. The timing of calling and its abrupt cessation correspond with the known breeding season of bearded seals. However, the timing of the cessation of calling occurred earlier each year, corresponding with an earlier sea ice retreat. The sustained calling detected overwinter at all locations suggests that this is more than just a few animals that are remaining in the Chukchi Sea. Preceding this main pulse was a smaller peak in calling that progressed southward, corresponding with the fall migration of bearded seals to the Bering Sea. These results increase our knowledge on the year-round spatio-temporal distribution and migration patterns of this pagophilic species, and the relationship between calling activity and sea ice concentration. The paper can be accessed at the following link: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0967064522002016?dgcid=author Cheers, Jessica Crance -- Jessica Crance (she/her) Marine Mammal Laboratory Alaska Fisheries Science Center 7600 Sand Point Way NE Seattle, WA 98115 work: 206-526-4063 cell: 619-733-1386
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