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Gray whale (Eschrichtius robustus) and killer whale (Orcinus orca) co-occurrence in the eastern Chukchi Sea, 2009–2019: evidence from gray whale carcasses observed during aerial surveys

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Abstract

Examining Eastern North Pacific gray whale (Eschrichtius robustus) carcasses and tracking mortality and morbidity are essential for assessing the health of this stock. In the eastern Chukchi Sea, the expansive coastline relative to few coastal communities makes monitoring for and physical examination of gray whale carcasses difficult. The Aerial Surveys of Arctic Marine Mammals (ASAMM) project offers an unparalleled dataset of gray whale carcasses, documented and photographed from July to October 2009–2019, providing a unique opportunity to investigate imaged gray whale carcasses for possible cause of death. Surveys covered expanses of gray whale and killer whale (Orcinus orca) summer and autumn habitat. ASAMM documented a total of 59 gray whale carcasses, distributed across the eastern Chukchi Sea (67.5° N–72.0° N, 155.5° W–169.0° W). Carcass sighting rates ([CPUE] carcasses per 1000-km of effort) varied by month and year. The highest numbers of carcasses were observed in 2012 (13) and 2019 (8). August had the highest number of gray whale carcass sightings (22) and the highest carcass sighting rate (0.231 CPUE). Images were obtained for 56 gray whale carcasses. The majority (41) of imaged gray whale carcasses had injuries consistent with probable killer whale predation, and were photo-documented every year except 2010 (when no carcasses were seen) and 2011. Eight carcasses were suspect killer whale predation, and cause of death could not be determined for seven carcasses. These results will be valuable for evaluating mortality, concurrent with rapid oceanographic changes, and increases in anthropogenic activities.

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Acknowledgements

Funding for, and co-management of, the Aerial Surveys of Arctic Marine Mammals (ASAMM) project were provided by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), Alaska Region, under Interagency Agreements M07RG13260, M08PG20023, M11PG00033, M16PG00013, and M17PG00031 with the Alaska Fisheries Science Center (AFSC), and supported by Cathy Coon, Jeffrey Denton, Carol Fairfield, Chuck Monnett, and Richard Raymond (BOEM CORs). The ASAMM project was co-managed by the Marine Mammal Laboratory, AFSC, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, where support was provided by Robyn Angliss, Phillip Clapham, Mary Foote, Nancy Friday, Ben Hou, Kim Shelden, and Janice Waite. At the Cooperative Institute for Climate, Ocean, and Ecosystem Studies, support was provided by administrative personnel. We give additional gratitude to the field biologists who collected these data; NOAA Aircraft Operations Center and Clearwater Air, Inc., pilots and mechanics for keeping ASAMM airborne; the Bureau of Land Management (DOI) for real-time flight following; and Mike Hay (XeraGIS) for providing our programing support. We sincerely thank Nadine Lysiak, Stephen Raverty, Kim Shelden (NOAA), Janice Waite (NOAA), and Dave Weller (NOAA) for providing valuable feedback on this manuscript. The scientific results and conclusions, as well as any views or opinions expressed herein, are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of NOAA or the U.S. Department of Commerce. Reference to trade names does not imply endorsement by the National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Cooperative Institute for Climate, Ocean, and Ecosystem Studies, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA

    Amy L. Willoughby, Amelia A. Brower & Janet T. Clarke

  2. Marine Mammal Laboratory, Alaska Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA, Seattle, WA, USA

    Amy L. Willoughby, Amelia A. Brower, Janet T. Clarke & Megan C. Ferguson

  3. Department of Wildlife Management, North Slope Borough, Utqiaġvik, AK, USA

    Raphaela Stimmelmayr

  4. Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK, USA

    Raphaela Stimmelmayr

  5. School of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA

    Megan C. Ferguson

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  3. Amelia A. Brower
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  4. Janet T. Clarke
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Contributions

AW and RS conceived and designed the study. MF and JC coordinated and managed the Aerial Surveys of Arctic Marine Mammals project from 2009 to 2019. AW, AB, JC, and MF contributed to the collection of these data. AW and RS investigated gray whale (E. robustus) mortality. AW wrote the manuscript with participation from AB, JC, MF, and RS. AW created all figures and tables, except for Fig. 1. which was made by AB. All authors read and approved the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Amy L. Willoughby.

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Willoughby, A.L., Stimmelmayr, R., Brower, A.A. et al. Gray whale (Eschrichtius robustus) and killer whale (Orcinus orca) co-occurrence in the eastern Chukchi Sea, 2009–2019: evidence from gray whale carcasses observed during aerial surveys. Polar Biol 45, 737–748 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-022-03015-6

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