Isotopic composition of the eastern gray whale epidermis indicates contribution of prey outside Arctic feeding grounds
Abstract Eastern gray whales’ distribution range and plasticity in feeding behavior complicates the understanding of critical life-history such as pregnancy and lactation. Our goal was to determine if females who experienced gestation, gave birth, and lactated their calves, assimilated a high propor...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2022-04-01
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| Series: | Scientific Reports |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-10780-1 |
| _version_ | 1817976342893821952 |
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| author | Michelle Gelippi Javier Caraveo-Patiño Marco F. W. Gauger Brian N. Popp Simone Panigada Rocío Marcín-Medina |
| author_facet | Michelle Gelippi Javier Caraveo-Patiño Marco F. W. Gauger Brian N. Popp Simone Panigada Rocío Marcín-Medina |
| author_sort | Michelle Gelippi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Eastern gray whales’ distribution range and plasticity in feeding behavior complicates the understanding of critical life-history such as pregnancy and lactation. Our goal was to determine if females who experienced gestation, gave birth, and lactated their calves, assimilated a high proportion of benthic amphipods from the Bering Sea, which are considered the species’ main prey. We used Bayesian stable isotope mixing models to estimate the probability of contribution of food items sampled along the species’ distributional range, using isotopic data on amphipods from the Bering Sea, mysids from Vancouver Island, and amphipods and polychaetes from Ojo de Liebre Lagoon. We sampled epidermal tissue from lactating females (n = 25) and calves (n = 34) and analyzed their carbon and nitrogen isotopic composition. Model outcome indicated that benthic amphipods from the Bering Sea were not the primary food for the eastern gray whale. Each mother performed a different feeding strategy, and prey from Vancouver Island were generally as important as that from the Bering Sea. Moreover, model results indicate a constant use of Ojo de Liebre Lagoon as a feeding ground. Our results appear to agree with previous studies that report continuous feeding by females to satisfy certain physiological requirements (e.g., fatty acids omega-6) during migration and breeding time. Future investigations of the isotopic composition of all those prey items that could be assimilated by the eastern gray whale emerge as critical. Both historical and recent information, that would provide insights in the species feeding ecology under past and present environmental conditions, should be considered as equally important to establish conservation and management plans. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T22:02:17Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-9fd215c9169942488431d6e460e2068a |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T22:02:17Z |
| publishDate | 2022-04-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj.art-9fd215c9169942488431d6e460e2068a2022-12-22T02:28:04ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222022-04-0112111610.1038/s41598-022-10780-1Isotopic composition of the eastern gray whale epidermis indicates contribution of prey outside Arctic feeding groundsMichelle Gelippi0Javier Caraveo-Patiño1Marco F. W. Gauger2Brian N. Popp3Simone Panigada4Rocío Marcín-Medina5Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas del Noroeste S.C.Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas del Noroeste S.C.Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas del Noroeste S.C.Department of Earth Sciences, University of Hawaii at ManoaTethys Research InstituteAsociación de Investigación y Conservación de Mamíferos Marinos y su Hábitat A.C.Abstract Eastern gray whales’ distribution range and plasticity in feeding behavior complicates the understanding of critical life-history such as pregnancy and lactation. Our goal was to determine if females who experienced gestation, gave birth, and lactated their calves, assimilated a high proportion of benthic amphipods from the Bering Sea, which are considered the species’ main prey. We used Bayesian stable isotope mixing models to estimate the probability of contribution of food items sampled along the species’ distributional range, using isotopic data on amphipods from the Bering Sea, mysids from Vancouver Island, and amphipods and polychaetes from Ojo de Liebre Lagoon. We sampled epidermal tissue from lactating females (n = 25) and calves (n = 34) and analyzed their carbon and nitrogen isotopic composition. Model outcome indicated that benthic amphipods from the Bering Sea were not the primary food for the eastern gray whale. Each mother performed a different feeding strategy, and prey from Vancouver Island were generally as important as that from the Bering Sea. Moreover, model results indicate a constant use of Ojo de Liebre Lagoon as a feeding ground. Our results appear to agree with previous studies that report continuous feeding by females to satisfy certain physiological requirements (e.g., fatty acids omega-6) during migration and breeding time. Future investigations of the isotopic composition of all those prey items that could be assimilated by the eastern gray whale emerge as critical. Both historical and recent information, that would provide insights in the species feeding ecology under past and present environmental conditions, should be considered as equally important to establish conservation and management plans.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-10780-1 |
| spellingShingle | Michelle Gelippi Javier Caraveo-Patiño Marco F. W. Gauger Brian N. Popp Simone Panigada Rocío Marcín-Medina Isotopic composition of the eastern gray whale epidermis indicates contribution of prey outside Arctic feeding grounds Scientific Reports |
| title | Isotopic composition of the eastern gray whale epidermis indicates contribution of prey outside Arctic feeding grounds |
| title_full | Isotopic composition of the eastern gray whale epidermis indicates contribution of prey outside Arctic feeding grounds |
| title_fullStr | Isotopic composition of the eastern gray whale epidermis indicates contribution of prey outside Arctic feeding grounds |
| title_full_unstemmed | Isotopic composition of the eastern gray whale epidermis indicates contribution of prey outside Arctic feeding grounds |
| title_short | Isotopic composition of the eastern gray whale epidermis indicates contribution of prey outside Arctic feeding grounds |
| title_sort | isotopic composition of the eastern gray whale epidermis indicates contribution of prey outside arctic feeding grounds |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-10780-1 |
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