Rare detections of North Pacific right whales in the Gulf of Alaska, with observations of their potential prey
Rare detections of North Pacific right whales in the Gulf of Alaska, with observations of their potential prey
复制标题
阿拉斯加湾罕见发现北太平洋露脊鲸，并观察其潜在猎物
DOI：
10.3354/esr00324
复制
发表时间：
2011
影响因子：
3.1
通讯作者：
Christopher D. Wilson
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
P. Wade;A. D. Robertis;K. Hough;R. Booth;A. Kennedy;R. LeDuc;L. Munger;J. Napp;K. Shelden;S. Rankin;O. Vásquez;Christopher D. Wilson
北太平洋露脊鲸（Eubalaena japonica）在整个阿拉斯加湾都受到了历史捕鲸和20世纪60年代苏联非法捕捞的严重剥削。现在在该地区极为罕见（1966年至2003年间有2次目击，在80个月的记录中有6天在7个地点进行被动声学探测）。从2004年到2006年，在美国阿拉斯加州科迪亚克岛南部信天翁滩的巴纳布斯海槽地区发生了4次露脊鲸的目击事件。根据主动声波反向散射测量，露脊鲸出现在浮游动物密度最高的槽内。在高密度的海底（~150 ~ 175 m），网拖网渔船发现了大量的桡足类和富油的c5期桡足类。2头鲸鱼的照片鉴定和基因分型未能发现与白令海露脊鲸匹配。从一头鲸鱼的粪便激素代谢分析中估计的水平与一只未成熟的雄性鲸鱼一致，表明最近在阿拉斯加湾繁殖或在白令海和阿拉斯加湾之间移动。历史上大量的露脊鲸捕获发生在阿拉斯加湾的远洋水域，但最近在深水中很少发现。考虑到在阿拉斯加湾没有其他地方可以反复看到露脊鲸，巴纳布斯海槽/信天翁滩地区是阿拉斯加湾北太平洋露脊鲸的重要栖息地，根据2006年美国濒危物种法案，该地区的一部分被指定为重要栖息地。
The North Pacific right whale Eubalaena japonica was heavily exploited throughout the Gulf of Alaska by both historical whaling and 1960s illegal Soviet catches. It is now extremely rare in this region (2 sightings between 1966 and 2003 and passive acoustic detections on 6 days out of 80 months of recordings at 7 locations). From 2004 to 2006, 4 sightings of right whales occurred in the Barnabus Trough region on Albatross Bank, south of Kodiak Island, Alaska, USA. Sightings of right whales occurred at locations within the trough with the highest density of zooplankton, as measured by active acoustic backscatter. Net trawls through a high-density demersal layer (~150 to 175 m) revealed large numbers of euphausiids and oil-rich C5-stage copepods. Photo-identification and genotyping of 2 whales failed to reveal a match to Bering Sea right whales. Fecal hormone metabo- lite analysis from 1 whale estimated levels consistent with an immature male, indicating either recent reproduction in the Gulf of Alaska or movements between the Bering Sea and the Gulf of Alaska. Large numbers of historic catches of right whales occurred in pelagic waters of the Gulf of Alaska, but there have been few recent detections in deep water. Given that there is no other location in the Gulf of Alaska where right whales have been repeatedly seen post-exploitation, the Barnabus Trough/Albatross Bank area represents important habitat for the relict population of North Pacific right whales in the Gulf of Alaska, and a portion of this area was designated as critical habitat under the US Endangered Species Act in 2006.