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Changes in gray whale phenology and distribution related to prey variability and ocean biophysics in the northern Bering and eastern Chukchi seas

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Moore, Sue E., Clarke, Janet T., Okkonen, Stephen R., Grebmeier, Jacqueline M., Berchok, Catherine L., Stafford, Kathleen M.·2022·PLOS ONE
DOI 10.1371/journal.pone.0265934PMC PMC8989348
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Abstract

Changes in gray whale (Eschrichtius robustus) phenology and distribution are related to observed and hypothesized prey availability, bottom water temperature, salinity, sea ice persistence, integrated water column and sediment chlorophyll a, and patterns of wind-driven biophysical forcing in the northern Bering and eastern Chukchi seas. This portion of the Pacific Arctic includes four Distributed Biological Observatory (DBO) sampling regions. In the Bering Strait area, passive acoustic data showed marked declines in gray whale calling activity coincident with unprecedented wintertime sea ice loss there in 2017–2019, although some whales were seen there during DBO cruises in those years. In the northern Bering Sea, sightings during DBO cruises show changes in gray whale distribution coincident with a shrinking field of infaunal amphipods, with a significant decrease in prey abundance (r = -0.314, p<0.05) observed in the DBO 2 region over the 2010–2019 period. In the eastern Chukchi Sea, sightings during broad scale aerial surveys show that gray whale distribution is associated with localized areas of high infaunal crustacean abundance. Although infaunal crustacean prey abundance was unchanged in DBO regions 3, 4 and 5, a mid-decade shift in gray whale distribution corresponded to both: (i) a localized increase in infaunal prey abundance in DBO regions 4 and 5, and (ii) a correlation of whale relative abundance with wind patterns that can influence epi-benthic and pelagic prey availability. Specifically, in the northeastern Chukchi Sea, increased sighting rates (whales/km) associated with an ~110 km (60 nm) offshore shift in distribution was positively correlated with large scale and local wind patterns conducive to increased availability of krill. In the southern Chukchi Sea, gray whale distribution clustered in all years near an amphipod-krill ‘hotspot’ associated with a 50-60m deep trough. We discuss potential impacts of observed and inferred prey shifts on gray whale nutrition in the context of an ongoing unusual gray whale mortality event. To conclude, we use the conceptual Arctic Marine Pulses (AMP) model to frame hypotheses that may guide future research on whales in the Pacific Arctic marine ecosystem.

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  • Moore et al. (2022) documented shifts in gray whale distribution in the Arctic due to climatic and sea ice changes that led to shifts in prey production.

    “first, Moore et al. (2022) documented shifts in gray whale distribution in the Arctic due to climatic and sea ice changes that led to shifts in prey production”

    From Update on the status of gray whales since the 2020 Implementation Review (2024) · cites this paper as Moore et al., 2022

    The Abstract reports shifts in gray whale distribution associated with sea ice loss and changes in prey abundance in the northern Bering and eastern Chukchi seas. The Introduction says changing ocean conditions likely affect prey availability, but the paper does not establish the claimed causal chain from climate and sea ice changes through shifts in prey production to whale distribution; its findings are largely associations, and it measures prey abundance rather than prey production. Page numbers are not available in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.86)

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Cited by

Sorted by citations

Authors
Moore, S. E., Clarke, J. T., Okkonen, S. R., Grebmeier, J. M., Berchok, C. L., & Stafford, K. M.
Affiliations
  • University of Washington (US)
  • University of Alaska Fairbanks (US)
  • University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (US)
  • NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service Alaska Fisheries Science Center (US)
Corresponding author
  • Moore, Sue E.
  • Clarke, Janet T.
  • Okkonen, Stephen R.
  • Grebmeier, Jacqueline M.
  • Berchok, Catherine L.
  • Stafford, Kathleen M.
ORCID
Venue
PLOS ONE
Publisher
Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Published
2022-04-07
Volume
17
Issue
4
Pages
e0265934
ISSN
1932-6203 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1371/journal.pone.0265934
PMC
PMC8989348
OpenAlex
W4226366959
Cited by
44
References
1
Citations by year
2026: 7 · 2025: 8 · 2024: 17 · 2023: 9 · 2022: 3
FWCI
4.93
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • PLoS ONE (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, public-domain)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
  • NOAA Institutional Repository (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • Office of Naval Research, Marine Mammals and Biology Program (N000141812792)
  • NOAA Fisheries, Office of Science and Technology Ocean Acoustics Program (internal-NOAA grant)
  • Interagency Agreement between BOEM and AFSC (ARCWEST IA# M12PG00021)
  • Interagency Agreements between BOEM and AFSC (M07RG13260, M11PG00033, M16PG00013, and M17PG00031)
  • National Science Foundation (ARC-1107106) ARC-0855828, PLR-1603259, NPRB A94-00, ONR N00014-17-1-2274)
  • National Science Foundation Office of Polar Programs (OPP 1204082, 1702456 and 1917469)
  • National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Arctic Research Program (CINAR 22309.07 and 25984.02)
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Ecology › Marine animal studies overview
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Global and Planetary Change › Marine and fisheries research
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Ecology › Wildlife Ecology and Conservation
Keywords
gray whale, phenology, distribution shift, prey availability, krill, sea ice decline, bottom water temperature, whale mortality, Bering Sea, Chukchi Sea, Pacific Arctic, Distributed Biological Observatory, passive acoustic monitoring, chlorophyll a
MeSH terms
Chlorophyll A, Animals, Arctic Regions, Biophysics, Oceans and Seas, Water, Whales, Ecosystem, Euphausiacea

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