MEPS

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.

Online: ISSN 1616-1599

Print: ISSN 0171-8630

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/meps

Impact Factor2.1 (JCR 2025 release)

Article Acceptance Rate52.2% (2024)

Average Time in Review216 days (2024)

Total Annual Downloads2.819.789 (2025)

Volume contents
Mar Ecol Prog Ser 754:105-119 (2025)

Humpback whale densities are increasing in the Great South Channel: concurrent multi-trophic level shifts in abundance

ABSTRACT: Humpback whale Megaptera novaeangliae populations have exhibited higher local abundance in parts of the Gulf of Maine in recent years, a region that is heavily impacted by both climate change and other anthropogenic effects. The Gulf of Maine is one of the most rapidly warming ecosystems in the ocean, and humpback whales use the region to feed, suggesting that there may be interactions between humpback whales, climate, and prey species in this region. We sought to understand how humpback whale densities and distributions are changing in this area in the context of prey and the environment, focusing on a particular conservation area with ample survey coverage, the Great South Channel Habitat Management Area. We used data from 16 yr of overlapping humpback whale, fish, and invertebrate surveys to relate changing humpback whale densities to environmental covariates as well as fish and invertebrate biomass. We found that humpback whale densities are increasing in the Great South Channel faster than in the surrounding area, and these increases are related to increasing biomass of squid, small gadids, and crabs and lobsters; warming temperatures; and decreasing salinity. Sand lance and herring, 2 common humpback whale prey species, decreased in this area during the study period. These interactions between humpback whales, temperature, and fish and invertebrate species could signify that increases in humpback densities are related to both biotic and abiotic variables and suggests that this conservation area may be effective at promoting the biomass of a variety of trophic levels.

KEYWORDS

Sarah M. Roberts (Corresponding Author)

  • Nicholas School of the Environment and Earth Sciences, Duke University, Durham, NC 27705, USA
sarah.roberts@duke.edu

Sally Dowd (Co-author)

  • Institute of Marine Sciences, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Morehead City, NC 28557, USA

Lesley Thorne (Co-author)

  • School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11790, USA

Jason J. Roberts (Co-author)

  • Marine Geospatial Ecology Laboratory, Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, NC 27705, USA

Patrick N. Halpin (Co-author)

  • Marine Geospatial Ecology Laboratory, Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, NC 27705, USA

Christin Khan (Co-author)

  • Northeast Fisheries Science Center, NOAA Fisheries, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA

Deb Palka (Co-author)

  • Northeast Fisheries Science Center, NOAA Fisheries, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA

Dave Wiley (Co-author)

  • Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Scituate, MA 02066, USA

Laurel A. Smith (Co-author)

  • Northeast Fisheries Science Center, NOAA Fisheries, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA

Brian E. Smith (Co-author)

  • Northeast Fisheries Science Center, NOAA Fisheries, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA

Janet A. Nye (Co-author)

  • Institute of Marine Sciences, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Morehead City, NC 28557, USA