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Spatio-temporal occurrence patterns of cetaceans near Ross Island, Antarctica, 2002–2015: implications for food web dynamics

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Abstract

The Ross Sea pelagic food web is closely coupled, with the foraging among abundant upper level species affecting the foraging of one another. To investigate the roles cetaceans may have in such interspecific interactions in this system, we studied within-season and interannual occurrence patterns of Antarctic minke whales (Balaenoptera bonaerensis) and type-B and type-C killer whales (Orcinus orca) within the southwestern Ross Sea, 2002–2015. Time series analysis summarized daily observations made from 3 shore localities: Capes Crozier, Bird, and Royds distributed around the ~120 km periphery of Ross Island. In early mid-November, both species arrived at Crozier, the easternmost point and westward edge of the Ross Sea Polynya marginal ice zone. Subsequently, coinciding with decreased sea ice cover and numbers off Crozier, both species appeared off Bird, then Royds, 80 and 117 km to the west/southwest, respectively. Arrival in either area coincided with SIC decreasing to <80%, consistent with observations elsewhere. Within-season off Crozier, both species occurred in cycles of multi-day presence followed by absence, perhaps reflecting the spatio-temporal patchiness of prey indicated also by penguin foraging patterns. Within-season off Royds, especially for killer whales, occurrence was even more episodic; type-Bs arrived before type-Cs, and results support previously described resident and transient portions of the type-C population. Combined with results showing that whale arrival leads to food stress among penguins, we suggest that relatively few cetaceans can alter food availability to alter the foraging behavior of other mesopredators, despite primary productivity being the richest in the Southern Ocean.

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Acknowledgements

Indispensable were the efforts of persons who aided in data collection: K. Barton, L. Blight, J. Blum, M. Coleman, M. Elrod, P. Dilks, K. Drew, K. Dugger, I. Gaffney, D. Grémillet, C. Gjerdrum, M. Hester, D. Hyrenbach, S. Jenouvrier, D. Jongsomjit, P. Kappes, B. Karl, K. Lindquist, V. Marsaudon, A. Matthews, C. McCreedy, R. Orben, V. Patil, (A) Pollard, E. Porzig, V. Ruoppolo, (B) Saenz, A. Schmidt, L. Sheffield, L. Smith, N. Strycker, I. Sutherland, A. Varsani, A. Whitehead, P. Wilson. Logistic support was provided by the U.S. Antarctic Program and Antarctica New Zealand. Financial support was provided by the U.S. National Science Foundation through grants OPP 9526865, 9814882, and 0125608, and ANT 0440643, 0944411 and 0944694; and New Zealand’s Foundation for Research, Science and Technology (C09527, C09X0510, C01X1226), NZ Ministry of Science and Innovation (C01X1001) and Landcare Research NZ grants. Helpful comments on the ms were provided by R.L. Pitman, L.T. Ballance, and anonymous reviewers. Point Blue contribution #2119.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. H.T. Harvey & Associates Ecological Consultants, 983 University Avenue, Bldg D, Los Gatos, CA, 95032, USA

    David G. Ainley, Ken Lindke, Jean Pennycook & Jarrod A. Santora

  2. California Department of Fish and Wildlife, 5341 Ericson Way, Arcata, CA, 95521, USA

    Ken Lindke

  3. Point Blue Conservation Science, 3820 Cypress Drive #11, Petaluma, CA, 94954, USA

    Grant Ballard, Scott Jennings & Viola Toniolo

  4. Landcare Research New Zealand, PO Box 69040, Lincoln, 7640, New Zealand

    Phil O’B. Lyver

  5. Cypress Grove Research Center, Audubon Canyon Ranch, P.O. Box 808, Marshall, CA, 94940, USA

    Scott Jennings

  6. School of Environmental Sciences, Institute of Land, Water and Society, Charles Sturt University, Albury, NSW, 2640, Australia

    Melanie Massaro

  7. Center for Stock Assessment Research, University of California at Santa Cruz, 110 Shaffer Road, Santa Cruz, CA, 95060, USA

    Jarrod A. Santora

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  1. David G. Ainley
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Correspondence to David G. Ainley.

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Ainley, D.G., Lindke, K., Ballard, G. et al. Spatio-temporal occurrence patterns of cetaceans near Ross Island, Antarctica, 2002–2015: implications for food web dynamics. Polar Biol 40, 1761–1775 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-017-2100-9

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