Spatial distribution and habitat use patterns of humpback whales in Okinawa, Japan
Spatial distribution and habitat use patterns of humpback whales in Okinawa, Japan
复制标题
DOI：
10.3106/041.041.0405
复制
发表时间：
2016-12-01
期刊：
影响因子：
1
通讯作者：
Uchida, Senzo
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Kobayashi, Nozomi;Okabe, Haruna;Uchida, Senzo
对冲绳座头鲸(Megaptera Novaeangliae)种群的详细了解对于这一地区的养护管理很重要；然而，关于这一种群的空间分布的信息有限。在这项研究中，我们使用了21年来在日本冲绳鹿间群岛和乐岛地区收集的鲸鱼目击位置、水深和繁殖状况的数据，调查了鲸鱼的分布情况。在通过照片识别的1,402头鲸鱼中(856头雄性，100头雌性，150头雌性，296头带着幼鲸)，雄性、雌性和带着幼崽的雌性主要分布在深海，而带着幼崽的雌性主要分布在浅水岛间水域。结果表明，某些生殖活动，如雄性之间的交配行为或竞争雌性交配，可能发生在科拉马群岛北部近海和伊岛西部海域，而哺育则发生在科拉马群岛和伊岛之间的岛间水域。总体而言，这些发现将有助于该地区可持续观鲸管理计划的制定。
Detailed knowledge of the population of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) in Okinawa is important for conservation management in this area; however, information on the spatial distribution of this population is limited. In this study, we investigated the distribution of whales using data on the sighting locations, water depth, and reproductive status of whales collected over 21 years in the area of Kerama and le Islands, Okinawa, Japan, one of the breeding grounds in the Western North Pacific. Of 1,402 whales that were photo-identified (856 males, 100 singers, 150 females, and 296 females with a calf), males, females, and singers were mainly distributed in deep offshore waters, while females with a calf were distributed in shallow interisland waters. The results suggest that certain reproductive activities, such as mating behavior or competition among males over females to mate, might occur in the offshore northern waters of Kerama Islands and western waters of Ie Island, while nurturing occurred in the interisland waters of Kerama and Ie Islands. Overall, these findings will contribute to the development of sustainable whale watching management plan in this area.