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Cetaceans Jennifer Greene, Sally Yozell, and Melissa Clark Introduction Cetaceans Are the Sub-Group of Marine Mammals That Includes Whales, Dolphins, and Porpoises

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Cetaceans Jennifer Greene, Sally Yozell, and Melissa Clark Introduction Cetaceans Are the Sub-Group of Marine Mammals That Includes Whales, Dolphins, and Porpoises CHAPTER 10 Cetaceans Jennifer Greene, Sally Yozell, and Melissa Clark Introduction Cetaceans are the sub-group of marine mammals that includes whales, dolphins, and porpoises. Because of their extensive migrations, they have very large geographic ranges often encom- passing hundreds of thousands of miles in an individual’s life- time. One consequence of these large geographic ranges is frequent opportunity to interact with humans. These interactions, including exposure to shipping traffic, fishing gear, pollution, underwater noise, and the effects of climate change on them and their food sources, © Henry Lynch/NOAA can pose serious threats to marine mammal populations. Species chosen for inclusion in this assessment represent the diversity of cetaceans in the Northwest Atlantic. Some of the target whales are considered threatened or endangered, and the porpoise and dolphin species selected represent a range of species that inhabit the region. Technical Team Members Kevin Chu, Ph.D., National Marine Fisheries Service (serving in a personal capacity) Melissa Clark, The Nature Conservancy, Eastern Division Lindsey Feldman, Duke University Jennifer Greene, The Nature Conservancy, Eastern Division Leila Hatch, Ph.D., Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary Robert Kenney, Ph.D., University of Rhode Island Scott Kraus, Ph. D., New England Aquarium William McLellan, University of North Carolina, Wilmington Jooke Robbins, Ph.D., Provincetown Center for Coastal Studies Kevin Ruddock, The Nature Conservancy, Rhode Island Caroly Shumway, Ph.D., Boston University, Visiting Professor Mark Swingle, Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center David Wiley, Ph.D., Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary Sally Yozell, The Nature Conservancy, Eastern Division Northwest Atlantic Marine Ecoregional Assessment • Phase 1 Report 10-1 Chapter 10 - Cetaceans Selection of Target Species there are limited data to determine the population status Technical team members and external experts identified of most target species at this time. The majority of exist- the target species for this group as well as the most appro- ing data are derived from marine mammal aerial and ship priate data sources and approaches for documentation and surveys, and a large portion of the information consists of analysis. Several factors were considered when selecting individual sightings. Survey effort is higher in the summer the target cetacean species, including population status and generally occurs when researchers know cetaceans will and distribution in the region. The home ranges of the be sighted. Researchers and observers are often hindered species included in this assessment extend through part by weather, and have varying missions and research goals, or all of the region (and beyond), from inshore to offshore usually dictated by funding sources. and north to south. The selected set of species also was chosen to represent the diversity of cetacean species that A species of particular concern in this region is the North occur in the region. The final list of targets is: Atlantic right whale, which is considered to be one of the most critically endangered large whales in the world and Baleen Whales could be facing extinction (Clapham and Mead 1999; • Fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) Kenney 2002). The right whale population is currently • Humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) estimated to be approximately 438 individuals (North • Minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) Atlantic Right Whale Consortium 2009.) Calculations • North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis) based on demographic data through 1999 indicate • Sei whale (Balaenoptera borealis) that their current mortality rate would reduce popula- tion growth by approximately 10% per year (Fujiwara Toothed Whales and Caswell 2001; Kraus et al. 2005; NMFS 2007a). • Atlantic white-sided dolphin (Lagenorhynchus acutus) However, minimum population counts (photo-identifica- • Bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) tions) suggest a small level (<2%) of growth in recent years • Harbor porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) (North Atlantic Right Whale Consortium 2009). • Sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) • Striped dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba) Ecosystem Interactions and Ecological Dependencies Population Status and Relationships between cetaceans and their environment Importance of the Northwest are complex and can vary by ecosystem. While the ex- act ecological function of cetaceans is not fully known, Atlantic Region insights into their role in the marine ecosystem have Cetaceans targeted by this assessment primarily use the emerged through large-scale studies of species-ecosystem Northwest Atlantic for feeding, nursing, and migra- interactions and community structure (Bowen 1997). tion. For most baleen species, breeding occurs outside of Katona and Whitehead (1988) hypothesized that marine the region or the location is unknown, while some small mammals could play a major role in determining the be- toothed whales may use the region for breeding. The fin, havior and life history traits of their prey species, affecting humpback, North Atlantic right, sei, and sperm whales nutrient storage and cycling, and altering benthic habitats. are listed as Endangered by the Endangered Species Act. The IUCN Red List documents the fin, sei, and North For example, as predators, cetaceans are major consumers Atlantic right whales as “endangered,” sperm whales of production at most trophic levels, specifically feeding as “vulnerable,” and minke and humpback whales and on organisms like zooplankton, invertebrates, and forage Atlantic white-sided, bottlenose, and striped dolphins as fish in the region. Cetaceans studied in this assessment are species of “least concern” (IUCN 2008). Unfortunately, 6-2 Northwest Atlantic Marine Ecoregional Assessment • Phase 1 Report Chapter 10 - Cetaceans split into two suborders based on morphological structure and managed marine resources found in their operating used in feeding: Mysticeti and Odontoceti (baleen and areas for use in environmental and biological assessments toothed whales). Mysticetes, including fin, humpback, prepared in accordance with various federal laws (e.g., minke, right, and sei whales, use baleen, a highly struc- Marine Mammal Protection Act, National Environmental tured filtration system made of plates of keratin (similar Policy Act). Data were from the Navy’s Northeast MRA to human fingernails), to separate prey from water. They study region, which covers the entire Northwest Atlantic typically forage for pelagic prey, consuming large quanti- study area except for the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay ties of prey at one time, including zooplankton (e.g., co- west of 75.67°W longitude. This gap was filled with data pepods), euphausiids (e.g., krill), and small fish (e.g., sand from the Navy’s Southeast MRA study region, shown lance, herring, mackerel) (Nemoto 1959; Jonsgard 1966; in pink in Figure 10-1. The initial sightings used in Mitchell 1975c; Kawamura 1982; Mizroch et al. 1984; the Navy’s analysis were taken from National Marine Kenney et al. 1985; Haug et al. 1995; Flinn et al. 2002; Fisheries Service-Northeast Fisheries Science Center Perrin and Brownell 2002). Some baleen species like sei (NMFS-NEFSC) Aerial Surveys, NMFS-NEFSC and right whales are dependent on euphausiids and co- Shipboard Surveys, and the North Atlantic Right Whale pepods when feeding in the North Atlantic, while other Consortium Database. Data used in these analyses were species are less selective in their diet (Nemoto 1959; Kraus primarily collected via aerial and shipboard surveys during et al. 1988). daylight hours, weather permitting. Each MRA used dif- ferent dates to determine their seasons. The seasons used Odontocetes possess teeth and include the Atlantic white- in the Northeast were winter: Jan - March, spring: April sided dolphin, bottlenose dolphin, striped dolphin, and - June, summer: July - August, and fall: Oct - Dec. The sperm whale. Typically, toothed whales prefer larger prey dates used in the Southeast were winter: Dec 6 - April 5, than baleen whales and consume individual organisms. spring: April 6 - July 13, summer: Jul 14 - Sept 16, and fall: Primary food sources for toothed whales are cephalopods Sept 17 - Dec 5. Because of the different season dates, data (e.g., small and large squid), small fish (e.g., smelt, her- were processed independently, but displayed together on ring, mackerel), and demersal fish (e.g., cod, skate) (Smith the map. and Whitehead 2000; Archer 2002; Sergeant et al. 1980; Katona et al. 1978). Within the boundaries of the study One issue with interpreting marine mammal data is the area both baleen and toothed whales have two other po- bias introduced by uneven survey coverage or “effort.” For tential predators besides humans, the killer whale, Orcinus example, an area may have few sightings because of the ab- orca, and large sharks (Hancock 1965; Dolphin 1987; Perry sence of cetaceans or there just may be little survey effort et al. 1999; Heithaus 2001; Pitman et al. 2001; Perrin and in that location. A standard approach to overcoming this Brownell 2002; Horwood 2002). bias is using effort-corrected sightings data (Kenney and Winn 1986; Shoop and Kenney 1992). Calculating sight- Northwest Atlantic Distribution ings per unit effort or SPUE, an index of relative density, allows for comparison of data spatially and temporally and Important Areas within a study area (Shoop and Kenney 1992). SPUE is calculated as: Methods Geospatial analyses for cetaceans
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