Targeting fin whale conservation in the North-Western Mediterranean Sea: insights on movements and behaviour from biologging and habitat modelling.

Autor:	Panigada V; Tethys Research Institute, c/o Acquario Civico, Viale G.B. Gadio 2, 20121 Milano, Italy.; School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB24 3FX, UK., Bodey TW; School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB24 3FX, UK., Friedlaender A; Institute of Marine Sciences, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA., Druon JN; Joint Research Centre, (JRC), European Commission, Ispra, Italy., Huckstädt LA; Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall, UK., Pierantonio N; Tethys Research Institute, c/o Acquario Civico, Viale G.B. Gadio 2, 20121 Milano, Italy., Degollada E; Associació EDMAKTUB, 08393 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain., Tort B; Associació EDMAKTUB, 08393 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain., Panigada S; Tethys Research Institute, c/o Acquario Civico, Viale G.B. Gadio 2, 20121 Milano, Italy.
Jazyk:	angličtina
Zdroj:	Royal Society open science [R Soc Open Sci] 2024 Mar 06; Vol. 11 (3), pp. 231783. Date of Electronic Publication: 2024 Mar 06 (Print Publication: 2024).
DOI:	10.1098/rsos.231783
Abstrakt:	Biologging and habitat modelling are key tools supporting the development of conservation measures and mitigating the effects of anthropogenic pressures on marine species. Here, we analysed satellite telemetry data and foraging habitat preferences in relation to chlorophyll-a productivity fronts to understand the movements and behaviour of endangered Mediterranean fin whales ( Balaenoptera physalus) during their spring-summer feeding aggregation in the North-Western Mediterranean Sea. Eleven individuals were equipped with Argos satellite transmitters across 3 years, with transmissions averaging 23.5 ± 11.3 days. Hidden Markov Models were used to identify foraging behaviour, revealing how individuals showed consistency in their use of seasonal core feeding grounds; this was supported by the distribution of potential foraging habitat. Importantly, tracked whales spent most of their time in areas with no explicit protected status within the study region. This highlights the need for enhanced time- and place-based conservation actions to mitigate the effects of anthropogenic impacts for this species, notably ship strike risk and noise disturbance in an area of exceptionally high maritime traffic levels. These findings strengthen the need to further assess critical habitats and Important Marine Mammal Areas that are crucial for focused conservation, management and mitigation efforts. Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing interests. (© 2024 The Authors.)
Databáze:	MEDLINE
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