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=20 N=13

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