Harbor Porpoise Aggregations in the Salish Sea
Harbor porpoises are typically seen in small groups of 1–3 individuals, with aggregations of 20+ individuals treated as rare events. Since the 1990s, the harbor porpoise population in the Salish Sea has seen a significant recovery, and an increased number of observed aggregations that exceed the mor...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2023-08-01
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| Series: | Oceans |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2673-1924/4/3/19 |
| _version_ | 1797578174399250432 |
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| author | Dave Anderson Laurie Shuster Cindy R. Elliser Katrina MacIver Erin Johns Gless Johannes Krieger Anna Hall |
| author_facet | Dave Anderson Laurie Shuster Cindy R. Elliser Katrina MacIver Erin Johns Gless Johannes Krieger Anna Hall |
| author_sort | Dave Anderson |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Harbor porpoises are typically seen in small groups of 1–3 individuals, with aggregations of 20+ individuals treated as rare events. Since the 1990s, the harbor porpoise population in the Salish Sea has seen a significant recovery, and an increased number of observed aggregations that exceed the more usual small group sizes has been observed in recent years. By combining the observational data of United States and Canadian research organizations, community scientists, and whale watch captains or naturalists, we demonstrate that harbor porpoise aggregations appear to be more common than previously known, with 160 aggregations documented in 2022 alone. Behavioral data also indicate that foraging behaviors are common and social behaviors, like mating, are seen more often during these encounters compared to small groups. Other behaviors that are considered to be rare or unknown were also observed during these encounters, including cooperative foraging and vessel approach. These aggregations are likely important foraging and social gatherings for harbor porpoises. This holistic approach integrating data from two countries and multiple sources provides a population level assessment that more effectively reflects the behavior of harbor porpoises in this region, which do not recognize the socio-political boundaries imposed upon the natural world. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T22:19:22Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-731a129fefdc4309a6360cbb767d8a4b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2673-1924 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T22:19:22Z |
| publishDate | 2023-08-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Oceans |
| spelling | doaj.art-731a129fefdc4309a6360cbb767d8a4b2023-11-19T12:20:27ZengMDPI AGOceans2673-19242023-08-014326928510.3390/oceans4030019Harbor Porpoise Aggregations in the Salish SeaDave Anderson0Laurie Shuster1Cindy R. Elliser2Katrina MacIver3Erin Johns Gless4Johannes Krieger5Anna Hall6Cascadia Research Collective, 218 ½ 4th Ave W, Olympia, WA 98501, USACascadia Research Collective, 218 ½ 4th Ave W, Olympia, WA 98501, USAPacific Mammal Research, 1513 A Ave, Anacortes, WA 98221, USAPacific Mammal Research, 1513 A Ave, Anacortes, WA 98221, USAPacific Whale Watch Association, 355 Harris Ave #104, Bellingham, WA 98225, USAPacific Whale Watch Association, 355 Harris Ave #104, Bellingham, WA 98225, USASea View Marine Sciences, 4415 Spellman Place, Victoria, BC V9C 4C5, CanadaHarbor porpoises are typically seen in small groups of 1–3 individuals, with aggregations of 20+ individuals treated as rare events. Since the 1990s, the harbor porpoise population in the Salish Sea has seen a significant recovery, and an increased number of observed aggregations that exceed the more usual small group sizes has been observed in recent years. By combining the observational data of United States and Canadian research organizations, community scientists, and whale watch captains or naturalists, we demonstrate that harbor porpoise aggregations appear to be more common than previously known, with 160 aggregations documented in 2022 alone. Behavioral data also indicate that foraging behaviors are common and social behaviors, like mating, are seen more often during these encounters compared to small groups. Other behaviors that are considered to be rare or unknown were also observed during these encounters, including cooperative foraging and vessel approach. These aggregations are likely important foraging and social gatherings for harbor porpoises. This holistic approach integrating data from two countries and multiple sources provides a population level assessment that more effectively reflects the behavior of harbor porpoises in this region, which do not recognize the socio-political boundaries imposed upon the natural world.https://www.mdpi.com/2673-1924/4/3/19harbor porpoiseaggregationsocial behavior<i>Phocoena phocoena</i>foraging behaviorlarge group |
| spellingShingle | Dave Anderson Laurie Shuster Cindy R. Elliser Katrina MacIver Erin Johns Gless Johannes Krieger Anna Hall Harbor Porpoise Aggregations in the Salish Sea Oceans harbor porpoise aggregation social behavior <i>Phocoena phocoena</i> foraging behavior large group |
| title | Harbor Porpoise Aggregations in the Salish Sea |
| title_full | Harbor Porpoise Aggregations in the Salish Sea |
| title_fullStr | Harbor Porpoise Aggregations in the Salish Sea |
| title_full_unstemmed | Harbor Porpoise Aggregations in the Salish Sea |
| title_short | Harbor Porpoise Aggregations in the Salish Sea |
| title_sort | harbor porpoise aggregations in the salish sea |
| topic | harbor porpoise aggregation social behavior <i>Phocoena phocoena</i> foraging behavior large group |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2673-1924/4/3/19 |
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