ARCUS 13th Annual Meeting and Arctic Forum 2001

Visualizing Cetacean Habitats Offshore Northern Alaska

Sue E. Moore¹, Jeremy R. Davies^2
1National Marine Mammal Laboratory, NOAA/Alaska Fisheries Science Center, 7600 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle, WA, 98115, USA, Phone 206-526-4021, Fax 206-526-6615, sue.moore@noaa.gov
²National Marine Mammal Laboratory, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 7600 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle, WA, 98115, USA, Phone 360/738-2844, Fax 240/269-7683, jeremy.davies@noaa.gov

Differences in cetacean habitats offshore northern Alaska have been described, based upon analyses of 10 years of aerial survey sighting data (Moore et al., 2000). One of the strongest differences described was that of bathymetric habitat selection by bowhead whales (Balaena mysticetus) and white whales (Delphinapterus leucas). In brief, filter feeding bowheads select the comparatively shallow waters of the continental shelf, while piscivorous white whales (also called belugas or belukhas) select continental slope waters. Although these differences can be clearly defined statistically, the power of a three dimensional display to illustrate the distribution of the two species in relation to bathymetry off the north shore of Alaska is striking (Figure 1). A further refinement to the depiction of bathymetric habitat separation is provided by a display of 75% fixed kermels around the distribution plots for each species (Figure 2). These figures provide dramatic portrayals of cetacean distribution, which invites collaboration with physical oceanographers and other marine biologists to further explore the habitat parameters important to Arctic cetaceans.

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