Largest baleen whale mass mortality during strong El Niño event is likely related to harmful toxic algal bloom
While large mass mortality events (MMEs) are well known for toothed whales, they have been rare in baleen whales due to their less gregarious behavior. Although in most cases the cause of mortality has not been conclusively identified, some baleen whale mortality events have been linked to bio-ocean...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
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PeerJ Inc.
2017-05-01
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| Online Access: | https://peerj.com/articles/3123.pdf |
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| author | Verena Häussermann Carolina S. Gutstein Michael Beddington David Cassis Carlos Olavarria Andrew C. Dale Ana M. Valenzuela-Toro Maria Jose Perez-Alvarez Hector H. Sepúlveda Kaitlin M. McConnell Fanny E. Horwitz Günter Försterra |
| author_facet | Verena Häussermann Carolina S. Gutstein Michael Beddington David Cassis Carlos Olavarria Andrew C. Dale Ana M. Valenzuela-Toro Maria Jose Perez-Alvarez Hector H. Sepúlveda Kaitlin M. McConnell Fanny E. Horwitz Günter Försterra |
| author_sort | Verena Häussermann |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | While large mass mortality events (MMEs) are well known for toothed whales, they have been rare in baleen whales due to their less gregarious behavior. Although in most cases the cause of mortality has not been conclusively identified, some baleen whale mortality events have been linked to bio-oceanographic conditions, such as harmful algal blooms (HABs). In Southern Chile, HABs can be triggered by the ocean–atmosphere phenomenon El Niño. The frequency of the strongest El Niño events is increasing due to climate change. In March 2015, by far the largest reported mass mortality of baleen whales took place in a gulf in Southern Chile. Here, we show that the synchronous death of at least 343, primarily sei whales can be attributed to HABs during a building El Niño. Although considered an oceanic species, the sei whales died while feeding near to shore in previously unknown large aggregations. This provides evidence of new feeding grounds for the species. The combination of older and newer remains of whales in the same area indicate that MMEs have occurred more than once in recent years. Large HABs and reports of marine mammal MMEs along the Northeast Pacific coast may indicate similar processes in both hemispheres. Increasing MMEs through HABs may become a serious concern in the conservation of endangered whale species. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T06:46:18Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-63a157d58d5f446bb3f8bf0c9220fdd4 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2167-8359 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T06:46:18Z |
| publishDate | 2017-05-01 |
| publisher | PeerJ Inc. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PeerJ |
| spelling | doaj.art-63a157d58d5f446bb3f8bf0c9220fdd42023-12-03T10:35:04ZengPeerJ Inc.PeerJ2167-83592017-05-015e312310.7717/peerj.3123Largest baleen whale mass mortality during strong El Niño event is likely related to harmful toxic algal bloomVerena Häussermann0Carolina S. Gutstein1Michael Beddington2David Cassis3Carlos Olavarria4Andrew C. Dale5Ana M. Valenzuela-Toro6Maria Jose Perez-Alvarez7Hector H. Sepúlveda8Kaitlin M. McConnell9Fanny E. Horwitz10Günter Försterra11Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Escuela de Ciencias del Mar, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, ChileArea de Patrimonio Natural, Consejo de Monumentos Nacionales, Santiago, Región Metropolitana, ChileScottish Association for Marine Science, Oban, Scotland, UKCentro de Investigación e Innovación para el Cambio Climático, Universidad Santo Tómas, Santiago, ChileCentro de Investigación Eutropia, Santiago, Región Metropolitana, ChileScottish Association for Marine Science, Oban, Scotland, UKDepartment of Paleobiology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USACentro de Investigación Eutropia, Santiago, Región Metropolitana, ChileDepartamento de Geofísica, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, ChileHuinay Scientific Field Station, Puerto Montt, Region de los Lagos, ChileFacultad de Ciencias Naturales y Oceanográficas, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, ChileFacultad de Ciencias Naturales, Escuela de Ciencias del Mar, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, ChileWhile large mass mortality events (MMEs) are well known for toothed whales, they have been rare in baleen whales due to their less gregarious behavior. Although in most cases the cause of mortality has not been conclusively identified, some baleen whale mortality events have been linked to bio-oceanographic conditions, such as harmful algal blooms (HABs). In Southern Chile, HABs can be triggered by the ocean–atmosphere phenomenon El Niño. The frequency of the strongest El Niño events is increasing due to climate change. In March 2015, by far the largest reported mass mortality of baleen whales took place in a gulf in Southern Chile. Here, we show that the synchronous death of at least 343, primarily sei whales can be attributed to HABs during a building El Niño. Although considered an oceanic species, the sei whales died while feeding near to shore in previously unknown large aggregations. This provides evidence of new feeding grounds for the species. The combination of older and newer remains of whales in the same area indicate that MMEs have occurred more than once in recent years. Large HABs and reports of marine mammal MMEs along the Northeast Pacific coast may indicate similar processes in both hemispheres. Increasing MMEs through HABs may become a serious concern in the conservation of endangered whale species.https://peerj.com/articles/3123.pdfChilean PatagoniaRed tideEl NiñoSei whalesDrift modelsBalaenoptera borealis |
| spellingShingle | Verena Häussermann Carolina S. Gutstein Michael Beddington David Cassis Carlos Olavarria Andrew C. Dale Ana M. Valenzuela-Toro Maria Jose Perez-Alvarez Hector H. Sepúlveda Kaitlin M. McConnell Fanny E. Horwitz Günter Försterra Largest baleen whale mass mortality during strong El Niño event is likely related to harmful toxic algal bloom PeerJ Chilean Patagonia Red tide El Niño Sei whales Drift models Balaenoptera borealis |
| title | Largest baleen whale mass mortality during strong El Niño event is likely related to harmful toxic algal bloom |
| title_full | Largest baleen whale mass mortality during strong El Niño event is likely related to harmful toxic algal bloom |
| title_fullStr | Largest baleen whale mass mortality during strong El Niño event is likely related to harmful toxic algal bloom |
| title_full_unstemmed | Largest baleen whale mass mortality during strong El Niño event is likely related to harmful toxic algal bloom |
| title_short | Largest baleen whale mass mortality during strong El Niño event is likely related to harmful toxic algal bloom |
| title_sort | largest baleen whale mass mortality during strong el nino event is likely related to harmful toxic algal bloom |
| topic | Chilean Patagonia Red tide El Niño Sei whales Drift models Balaenoptera borealis |
| url | https://peerj.com/articles/3123.pdf |
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