TY - JOUR
T1 - Seasonal acoustic behavior of blue whales (Balaenoptera musculus) in the Gulf of California, Mexico
AU - Paniagua-Mendoza, Aurora
AU - Gendron, Diane
AU - Romero-Vivas, Eduardo
AU - Hildebrand, John A.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2016 Society for Marine Mammalogy
PY - 2017/1/1
Y1 - 2017/1/1
N2 - Six years of passive acoustic monitoring data from the Gulf of California reveal seasonality and movements for the northeastern Pacific blue whales. Three sites were studied, one from the southern (Punta Pescadero) and two from the northern (Isla Tiburon and Canal de Ballenas) regions. A total of 4,953 h were analyzed, and 15,539 blue whale calls were detected, of which 2,723 (18%) were A calls, 11,249 were B calls (72%), and 1,567 were D calls (10%). A and B calls were produced both as song units (2,524) or AB singular calls (2,026). The high rate of songs and their seasonality suggest that the GC is a winter-breeding ground. A shift from AB call predominance in winter, to D calls in spring and early summer, especially at the entrance of the GC, suggests the importance of this area for reproduction and foraging. Analysis of calling frequency suggests a clear movement of blue whales from the southern region (Punta Pescadero) to the northern regions (Canal de Ballenas and Isla Tiburon), with subsequent southern movement in March. The seasonality and mobility of blue whales in the Gulf of California, inferred from their calling, contributes to the ecological understanding of this population.
AB - Six years of passive acoustic monitoring data from the Gulf of California reveal seasonality and movements for the northeastern Pacific blue whales. Three sites were studied, one from the southern (Punta Pescadero) and two from the northern (Isla Tiburon and Canal de Ballenas) regions. A total of 4,953 h were analyzed, and 15,539 blue whale calls were detected, of which 2,723 (18%) were A calls, 11,249 were B calls (72%), and 1,567 were D calls (10%). A and B calls were produced both as song units (2,524) or AB singular calls (2,026). The high rate of songs and their seasonality suggest that the GC is a winter-breeding ground. A shift from AB call predominance in winter, to D calls in spring and early summer, especially at the entrance of the GC, suggests the importance of this area for reproduction and foraging. Analysis of calling frequency suggests a clear movement of blue whales from the southern region (Punta Pescadero) to the northern regions (Canal de Ballenas and Isla Tiburon), with subsequent southern movement in March. The seasonality and mobility of blue whales in the Gulf of California, inferred from their calling, contributes to the ecological understanding of this population.
KW - Balaenoptera musculus
KW - Gulf of California
KW - call
KW - northeastern Pacific blue whales
KW - passive acoustic monitoring
KW - seasonality
KW - winter breeding season
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85007048831&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1111/mms.12362
DO - 10.1111/mms.12362
M3 - Artículo
SN - 0824-0469
VL - 33
SP - 206
EP - 218
JO - Marine Mammal Science
JF - Marine Mammal Science
IS - 1
ER -