Signals from the south; humpback whales carry messages of Antarctic sea-ice ecosystem variability
| Autor: | A. Dawson, Courtney A. Waugh, Roger Allan Cropp, Pernilla Bohlin-Nizzetto, Pascale Eisenmann, Juliana Castrillon, Greta Dalle Luche, Anders Bignert, David S. McLagan, Jon Shuker, Susan Bengtson Nash, Bradley J. Polkinghorne, Brian Fry |
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| Rok vydání: | 2017 |
| Předmět: |
0106 biological sciences
010504 meteorology & atmospheric sciences Euphausia Climate Change Climate change Antarctic Regions Antarctic sea ice 01 natural sciences Humpback whale Abundance (ecology) Environmental Chemistry Animals Ecosystem Ice Cover Southern Hemisphere 0105 earth and related environmental sciences General Environmental Science Humpback Whale Global and Planetary Change Ecology biology 010604 marine biology & hydrobiology biology.organism_classification Animal Communication Oceanography Antarctic krill Seasons |
| Zdroj: | Global Change Biology |
| ISSN: | 1365-2486 |
| Popis: | Southern hemisphere humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) rely on summer prey abundance of Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) to fuel one of the longest‐known mammalian migrations on the planet. It is hypothesized that this species, already adapted to endure metabolic extremes, will be one of the first Antarctic consumers to show measurable physiological change in response to fluctuating prey availability in a changing climate; and as such, a powerful sentinel candidate for the Antarctic sea‐ice ecosystem. Here, we targeted the sentinel parameters of humpback whale adiposity and diet, using novel, as well as established, chemical and biochemical markers, and assembled a time trend spanning 8 years. We show the synchronous, inter‐annual oscillation of two measures of humpback whale adiposity with Southern Ocean environmental variables and climate indices. Furthermore, bulk stable isotope signatures provide clear indication of dietary compensation strategies, or a lower trophic level isotopic change, following years indicated as leaner years for the whales. The observed synchronicity of humpback whale adiposity and dietary markers, with climate patterns in the Southern Ocean, lends strength to the role of humpback whales as powerful Antarctic sea‐ice ecosystem sentinels. The work carries significant potential to reform current ecosystem surveillance in the Antarctic region. This is the peer reviewed version of an article, which has been published in final form at [http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/gcb.14035]. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Self-Archiving. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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