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NOAA Fisheries Northwest Science Center Publication Details

CitationKaplan, R.L., Bernard, K.S., Derville, S., Fisher, J.L., Phillips, E.M., Daly, E.A., Warren, J.D., Torres, L.G. 2025. Krill swarm biomass, energetic density, and species composition drive humpback whale distribution in the Northern California Current. ICES Journal of Marine Science 82:1, fsaf005, https://doi.org/10.1093/icesjms/fsaf005 (https://doi.org/10.1093/icesjms/fsaf005)
TitleKrill swarm biomass, energetic density, and species composition drive humpback whale distribution in the Northern California Current
Publication Year2025
Volume82
Pagesfsaf005
Keywordsprey quality, spatial ecology, krill, humpback whales, active acoustics, northern california current
AbstractPrey abundance and quality are dynamic in time and space, impacting predator ecology. We examine variation in species-specific krill quantity and quality as prey for humpback whales in the Northern California Current region, using Generalized Additive Models to assess metrics including biomass and energy density derived from an integrated dataset of concurrent active acoustics, net tows, and marine mammal observations (2018-2022). Overall, prey metrics were positively correlated with humpback whale presence, with increasing trends modified by seasonal (early versus late foraging season) and spatial (continental shelf versus offshore) variation (model deviance explained 36.3 to 40.8%). Biomass and energy density had strong positive effects on humpback whale presence, suggesting whales target high-quality swarms that offer more energy per lunge. Elevated Thysanoessa spinifera abundance near humpback whales suggest they target this species, particularly in the late season when they are e
Official CitationKaplan, R.L., Bernard, K.S., Derville, S., Fisher, J.L., Phillips, E.M., Daly, E.A., Warren, J.D., Torres, L.G. 2025. Krill swarm biomass, energetic density, and species composition drive humpback whale distribution in the Northern California Current. ICES Journal of Marine Science 82:1, fsaf005, https://doi.org/10.1093/icesjms/fsaf005
Links (https://doi.org/10.1093/icesjms/fsaf005)