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Seasonal Diet of Eastern Arctic Bowhead Whales (Balaena mysticetus) Determined Using Stable Isotope Signatures in Baleen

Seasonal Diet of Eastern Arctic Bowhead Whales (Balaena mysticetus) Determined Using Stable Isotope Signatures in Baleen
Type: 
Poster
Cory J. Matthews1, Steven H. Ferguson2
1Biological Sciences, University of Manitoba, 501 University Crescent, Winnipeg, MB, R3T 2N6, Canada, Phone 204-984-2425, cory_matthews [at] umanitoba [dot] ca
2Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Winnipeg, MB, Canada, steve [dot] ferguson [at] dfo-mpo [dot] gc [dot] ca

Bowhead whales (Balaena mysticetus) in the eastern Canadian Arctic migrate seasonally between Hudson and Davis Straits in winter to northwestern Hudson Bay/Foxe Basin and Gulf of Boothia in summer. Changes in Arctic sea-ice patterns due to climate change may affect the timing and range of eastern Arctic bowhead whale migrations through seasonal or regional shifts in prey (zooplankton) availability. However, limited information about eastern Arctic bowhead whale ecology and habitat use restricts our ability to identify and address threats posed by Arctic climate change. Chemical signatures in baleen provide a means to study eastern Arctic bowhead whale ecology and habitat use. Baleen grows continually and is biochemically inert once formed, so dietary changes over short time increments are recorded in its stable isotope composition (Lee et al 2005). Zooplankton δ13C and δ15N differ across the eastern Arctic due to underlying geological processes, so δ13C and δ15N deposited in baleen can be used to assess the relative importance of different foraging regions. In 2009, we measured δ13C and δ15N along plates of seven eastern Arctic bowhead whales, and found evidence for annual oscillations in both δ13C and 15N. Annual δ13C oscillations typically differed by less than 1°, but the magnitude varied from year to year. Annual δ15N oscillations were more consistent than δ13C oscillations, and typically differed by 0.5-1°. The magnitude and patterns of annual oscillations varied among individuals and could be due to seasonal fasting (e.g. enrichment in δ15N resulting from protein catabolism) or feeding in locations across their annual range with different isotopic signatures. Further interpretation of isotope ratio patterns in baleen will enable assessment of seasonal feeding patterns and habitat usage as it relates to seasonal sea ice conditions.

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National Science Foundation | Division of Arctic Sciences
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Developing Arctic Modeling and Observing Capabilities for Long-term Environmental Studies

This work is supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) under the ARCUS Cooperative Agreement ARC-0618885. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of the NSF.