On behalf of my co-author and myself, I am delighted to bring to your attention the publication of our last research published by the scientific journal Ecological Indicators.
Diaz Lopez B, Methion S, (2019) Habitat drivers of endangered rorqual whales in a highly impacted upwelling region. Ecological Indicators 103: 610-616. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2019.04.038 Abstract Recent studies show that human impacts on marine ecosystems are threatening marine biodiversity. A greater emphasis on predicting how predators might respond to changes in the marine environment is needed because the effects of human activities are spatially heterogeneous. Here we analyse rorqual whales distribution data in a highly impacted upwelling region (North-western Iberian coast, Spain). Using a multi-model inference approach this study assesses the habitat drivers of the fine-scale distribution of three endangered whale species (blue, fin and sei whales) as a way to better understand how rorqual whales might respond to human-induced changes in the coastal ecosystem. The unequal use of available habitat, concentrated at the edge of the continental slope (200m depth and strong bottom slope gradient) in areas with a south-easterly coastal orientation, showed that rorqual whales presented a fine-scale pattern of habitat selection in response to prey availability. Rorqual whales’ distribution is affected by the coastal upwelling regime of the Iberian Peninsula, which is known to be under impact of climate change. Therefore, responses of rorqual whales to upwelling changes might be manifested at the population level such as shifts in abundance and distribution. This information contributes to extend the scant information available about the presence of these species in the North-east Atlantic. Our findings provide management agencies with an opportunity to devise and implement adequate adaptation measures which may ameliorate adverse effects critical for the conservation of rorquals in a changing climate. The article can be found and download in the following link: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1470160X19302845?via%3Dihub Please feel free to contact me for further questions or to request a pdf at: br...@thebdri.com Bruno Diaz Lopez Ph.D Chief biologist and Director The Bottlenose Dolphin Research Institute BDRI Avenida Beiramar 192, O Grove 36980, Pontevedra, Spain www.thebdri.com 0034 684248552 Like us on Facebook. Follow us on Instagram. Mention us on Twitter. This email is confidential to the intended recipient(s) and the contents may be legally privileged or contain proprietary and private informations. It is intended solely for the person to whom it is addressed. If you are not an intended recipient, you may not review, copy or distribute this email. If received in error, please notify the sender and delete the message from your system immediately. Please note that neither the Bottlenose Dolphin Research Institute BDRI nor the sender accept any responsibility for any viruses and it is your responsibility to scan the email and the attachments (if any). Thank you for your cooperation. _______________________________________________ MARMAM mailing list MARMAM@lists.uvic.ca https://lists.uvic.ca/mailman/listinfo/marmam
