International Research Fellowship Program: Arctic Cetacean Phenology, Biogeography, and Impacts of Climate Change

国际研究奖学金计划使美国科学家和工程师能够在国外进行三到二十四个月的研究。该计划的奖项提供了联合研究的机会，并利用国外独特或互补的设施、专业知识和实验条件。该奖项将支持Kristin Laidre博士与Mads Peter Heide-Jorgensen博士在格陵兰努克的格陵兰自然资源研究所(GINR)合作，为期22个月的研究奖学金，为期24个月。莱德雷博士的研究解决了北极鲸目动物对气候变化的脆弱性问题。北极目前正在经历海冰特征和海洋生产力的戏剧性变化，这将对北极食物网产生级联效应。三种鲸目动物(独角鲸、白鲸和弓头鲸)生活在西格陵兰岛的北极水域，是监测正在进行的生物物理变化的理想指示生物。莱德雷博士正在利用有关鲸鱼活动和潜水行为的卫星遥测数据，以及遥感环境数据，对鲸目动物重点区域的海冰和初级生产力的趋势进行量化。这些信息用于检查基于定量空间建模技术的资源选择和差异脆弱性。这项工作的结果有助于理解气候变化对北极高层捕食者的潜在影响，以及因纽特人社区对它们的开发的可持续性，将科学发现与社会效益联系起来。

0401077LaidreThe International Research Fellowship Program enables U.S. scientists and engineers to conduct three to twenty-four months of research abroad. The program's awards provide opportunities for joint research, and the use of unique or complementary facilities, expertise and experimental conditions abroad.This award will support a twenty-two-month research fellowship by Dr. Kristin Laidre to work with Dr. Mads Peter Heide-Jorgensen at the Greenland Institute of Natural Resources (GINR), in Nuuk, Greenland for a period of 24 months. Dr. Laidre's research addresses questions concerning the vulnerability of Arctic cetaceans to climate change. The Arctic is currently experiencing dramatic changes in sea ice characteristics and marine productivity, which will have cascading effects on Arctic food webs. Three species of cetaceans (the narwhal, beluga, and bowhead whale) inhabit Arctic waters of West Greenland and are ideal indicator organisms for monitoring ongoing biophysical changes. Dr. Laidre is quantifying the trends in sea ice and primary production in cetacean focal areas using satellite telemetry data on whale movements and diving behavior and remotely-sensed environmental data. This information is used to examine resource selection and differential vulnerability based on quantitative spatial modeling techniques. Results of this work facilitate the understanding of the potential effects of climate change on high Arctic top predators and the sustainability of their exploitation by Inuit communities, linking scientific discovery to societal benefit.