Marine Ecology Progress Series
MEPS is a leading hybrid research journal on all aspects of marine, coastal and estuarine ecology. Priority is given to outstanding research that advances our ecological understanding.
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/meps07829
copiedModel-based estimates of right whale habitat use in the Gulf of Maine
- Andrew J. Pershing
- Nicholas R. Record
- B. C Monger
- Charles A. Mayo
- Moira W. Brown
- Timothy V. N. Cole
- Robert D. Kenney
- Daniel E. Pendleton
- Linda A. Woodard
ABSTRACT: Balancing human uses of the marine environment with the recovery of protected species requires accurate information on when and where species of interest are likely to be present. Here, we describe a system that can produce useful estimates of right whale Eubalaena glacialis presence and abundance on their feeding grounds in the Gulf of Maine. The foundation of our system is a coupled physical–biological model of the copepod Calanus finmarchicus, the preferred prey of right whales. From the modeled prey densities, we can estimate when whales will appear in the Great South Channel feeding ground. Based on our experience with the system, we consider how the relationship between right whales and copepods changes across spatial scales. The scale-dependent relationship between whales and copepods provides insight into how to improve future estimates of the distribution of right whales and other pelagic predators.
KEYWORDS
Andrew J. Pershing (Co-author)
- School of Marine Science, University of Maine, Orono, Maine 04469, USA
- Gulf of Maine Research Institute, 350 Commercial St., Portland, Maine 04101, USA
Nicholas R. Record (Co-author)
- School of Marine Science, University of Maine, Orono, Maine 04469, USA
- Gulf of Maine Research Institute, 350 Commercial St., Portland, Maine 04101, USA
B. C Monger (Co-author)
- Ocean Resources and Ecosystem Program, Snee Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA
Charles A. Mayo (Co-author)
- Provincetown Center for Coastal Studies, 59 Commercial Street, Provincetown, Massachusetts 02657, USA
Moira W. Brown (Co-author)
- Provincetown Center for Coastal Studies, 59 Commercial Street, Provincetown, Massachusetts 02657, USA
- New England Aquarium, Central Wharf, Boston, Massachusetts 02110, USA
Timothy V. N. Cole (Co-author)
- National Marine Fisheries Service, Northeast Fisheries Science Center, 166 Water Street, Woods Hole, Massachusetts 02543, USA
Robert D. Kenney (Co-author)
- Graduate School of Oceanography, University of Rhode Island, Narragansett, Rhode Island 02882, USA
Daniel E. Pendleton (Co-author)
- School of Marine Science, University of Maine, Orono, Maine 04469, USA
- Gulf of Maine Research Institute, 350 Commercial St., Portland, Maine 04101, USA
- Department of Natural Resources, Fernow Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA
Linda A. Woodard (Co-author)
- Center for Advanced Computing, Frank H. T. Rhodes Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA