Understanding the oceanographic dynamics of the Isla Chañaral baleen whale feeding ground, (Humboldt Archipelago, Northern Chile) to extend habitat protection
Off Northern Chile, baleen whales use the area around Isla Chañaral as a feeding ground where they forage on euphausiids. Isla Chañaral is part of the highly productive Humboldt Archipelago (∼ 28°S-29°S) within the Humboldt Current System (HCS). In this study, we seek to understand the sub-mesoscale...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2024-01-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Marine Science |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2023.1208262/full |
| _version_ | 1797338702609907712 |
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| author | Susannah J. Buchan Susannah J. Buchan Susannah J. Buchan Marcel Ramos Marcel Ramos Marcel Ramos Jorge Oyanadel Jorge Oyanadel Macarena Santos-Carvallo Macarena Santos-Carvallo Luis Bedriñana-Romano Luis Bedriñana-Romano Luis Bedriñana-Romano María Valladares Marinella Maldonado Orlando Astudillo Maritza Sepúlveda Maritza Sepúlveda Steve Pearce Carlos Olavarría Carlos Olavarría |
| author_facet | Susannah J. Buchan Susannah J. Buchan Susannah J. Buchan Marcel Ramos Marcel Ramos Marcel Ramos Jorge Oyanadel Jorge Oyanadel Macarena Santos-Carvallo Macarena Santos-Carvallo Luis Bedriñana-Romano Luis Bedriñana-Romano Luis Bedriñana-Romano María Valladares Marinella Maldonado Orlando Astudillo Maritza Sepúlveda Maritza Sepúlveda Steve Pearce Carlos Olavarría Carlos Olavarría |
| author_sort | Susannah J. Buchan |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Off Northern Chile, baleen whales use the area around Isla Chañaral as a feeding ground where they forage on euphausiids. Isla Chañaral is part of the highly productive Humboldt Archipelago (∼ 28°S-29°S) within the Humboldt Current System (HCS). In this study, we seek to understand the sub-mesoscale spatial distribution of fin and blue whales and their prey around Isla Chañaral using systematic and opportunistic visual sighting data of whales and systematic acoustic backscatter data of zooplankton from an Acoustic Zooplankton and Fish Profiler (AZFP); and to examine the oceanographic dynamics of the wider Humboldt Archipelago area with remote-sensing oceanographic data. We completed a total of 512.6 km of survey effort over 20 days in 2018 and 318.3 km over 16 days in 2019 collecting systematic whale sighting and backscatter data. A total of 42 fin whales, 0 blue whales and 66 unidentified whales were sighted in 2018, and 7 fin whales, 3 blue whales and 12 unidentified whales were sighted in 2019. Observed spatial distribution of backscatter and whales was strongly associated with a bathymetric feature, i.e., the submarine canyon that curves around Isla Chañaral. Generalized Additive Models showed that fin whale presence was associated with high levels of backscatter and shallow depths similar to those of the canyon. We found that long-term average geostrophic currents form a recirculation system between 28°S and 31°S that can transport nutrient-rich upwelled surface waters back towards the Humboldt Archipelago and contribute to high biological productivity in this area. However, in summer 2019 geostrophic flow occurred away from the coast and a warm low-productivity spring explained low backscatter and whale sightings around Isla Chañaral. The unique oceanographic features of Isla Chañaral and the Humboldt Archipelago that contribute to high concentrations of Endangered baleen whales and their prey justify the extension of the Isla Chañaral Marine Reserve to include the canyon between the mainland and the island, and the implementation of a Multiple Use Marine Protected Area for the entire Humboldt Archipelago area that explicitly protects this critical feature. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T09:35:04Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a6229782d8864254ac14e977881a8fa2 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-7745 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T09:35:04Z |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Marine Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-a6229782d8864254ac14e977881a8fa22024-01-30T10:15:50ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Marine Science2296-77452024-01-011010.3389/fmars.2023.12082621208262Understanding the oceanographic dynamics of the Isla Chañaral baleen whale feeding ground, (Humboldt Archipelago, Northern Chile) to extend habitat protectionSusannah J. Buchan0Susannah J. Buchan1Susannah J. Buchan2Marcel Ramos3Marcel Ramos4Marcel Ramos5Jorge Oyanadel6Jorge Oyanadel7Macarena Santos-Carvallo8Macarena Santos-Carvallo9Luis Bedriñana-Romano10Luis Bedriñana-Romano11Luis Bedriñana-Romano12María Valladares13Marinella Maldonado14Orlando Astudillo15Maritza Sepúlveda16Maritza Sepúlveda17Steve Pearce18Carlos Olavarría19Carlos Olavarría20Centro de Estudios Avanzados en Zonas Áridas (CEAZA), La Serena, ChileCenter for Oceanographic Research COPAS COASTAL, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, ChileDepartamento de Oceanografía, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Oceanográficas, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, ChileCentro de Estudios Avanzados en Zonas Áridas (CEAZA), La Serena, ChileDepartamento de Biología Marina, Facultad de Ciencias del Mar, Universidad Católica del Norte, Coquimbo, ChileCentro de Ecología y Manejo Sustentable de Islas Oceánicas (ESMOI), Departamento de Biología Marina, Facultad de Ciencias del Mar, Universidad Católica del Norte, Coquimbo, ChileCentro de Estudios Avanzados en Zonas Áridas (CEAZA), La Serena, ChileDepartamento de Biología Marina, Facultad de Ciencias del Mar, Universidad Católica del Norte, Coquimbo, ChileCentro de Investigación y Gestión de Recursos Naturales (CIGREN), Instituto de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, ChileCentro de Investigación Eutropia, Santiago, ChileCenter for Oceanographic Research COPAS COASTAL, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, ChileInstituto de Ciencias Marinas y Limnológicas, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, ChileNon Governmental Organization (NGO) Centro Ballena Azul, Valdivia, ChileCentro de Estudios Avanzados en Zonas Áridas (CEAZA), La Serena, Chile0Corporacion Nacional Forestal (CONAF) Atacama, Oficina caleta Chañaral de Aceituno, Copiapó, ChileCentro de Estudios Avanzados en Zonas Áridas (CEAZA), La Serena, ChileCentro de Investigación y Gestión de Recursos Naturales (CIGREN), Instituto de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, ChileCentro de Investigación Eutropia, Santiago, Chile1ASL Environmental Sciences, BC, Victoria, BC, CanadaCentro de Estudios Avanzados en Zonas Áridas (CEAZA), La Serena, ChileCentro de Investigación Eutropia, Santiago, ChileOff Northern Chile, baleen whales use the area around Isla Chañaral as a feeding ground where they forage on euphausiids. Isla Chañaral is part of the highly productive Humboldt Archipelago (∼ 28°S-29°S) within the Humboldt Current System (HCS). In this study, we seek to understand the sub-mesoscale spatial distribution of fin and blue whales and their prey around Isla Chañaral using systematic and opportunistic visual sighting data of whales and systematic acoustic backscatter data of zooplankton from an Acoustic Zooplankton and Fish Profiler (AZFP); and to examine the oceanographic dynamics of the wider Humboldt Archipelago area with remote-sensing oceanographic data. We completed a total of 512.6 km of survey effort over 20 days in 2018 and 318.3 km over 16 days in 2019 collecting systematic whale sighting and backscatter data. A total of 42 fin whales, 0 blue whales and 66 unidentified whales were sighted in 2018, and 7 fin whales, 3 blue whales and 12 unidentified whales were sighted in 2019. Observed spatial distribution of backscatter and whales was strongly associated with a bathymetric feature, i.e., the submarine canyon that curves around Isla Chañaral. Generalized Additive Models showed that fin whale presence was associated with high levels of backscatter and shallow depths similar to those of the canyon. We found that long-term average geostrophic currents form a recirculation system between 28°S and 31°S that can transport nutrient-rich upwelled surface waters back towards the Humboldt Archipelago and contribute to high biological productivity in this area. However, in summer 2019 geostrophic flow occurred away from the coast and a warm low-productivity spring explained low backscatter and whale sightings around Isla Chañaral. The unique oceanographic features of Isla Chañaral and the Humboldt Archipelago that contribute to high concentrations of Endangered baleen whales and their prey justify the extension of the Isla Chañaral Marine Reserve to include the canyon between the mainland and the island, and the implementation of a Multiple Use Marine Protected Area for the entire Humboldt Archipelago area that explicitly protects this critical feature.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2023.1208262/fullbaleen whale feeding groundzooplankton acoustic backscatteroceanographic dynamicsHumboldt archipelagoIsla Chañaralmarine protected area |
| spellingShingle | Susannah J. Buchan Susannah J. Buchan Susannah J. Buchan Marcel Ramos Marcel Ramos Marcel Ramos Jorge Oyanadel Jorge Oyanadel Macarena Santos-Carvallo Macarena Santos-Carvallo Luis Bedriñana-Romano Luis Bedriñana-Romano Luis Bedriñana-Romano María Valladares Marinella Maldonado Orlando Astudillo Maritza Sepúlveda Maritza Sepúlveda Steve Pearce Carlos Olavarría Carlos Olavarría Understanding the oceanographic dynamics of the Isla Chañaral baleen whale feeding ground, (Humboldt Archipelago, Northern Chile) to extend habitat protection Frontiers in Marine Science baleen whale feeding ground zooplankton acoustic backscatter oceanographic dynamics Humboldt archipelago Isla Chañaral marine protected area |
| title | Understanding the oceanographic dynamics of the Isla Chañaral baleen whale feeding ground, (Humboldt Archipelago, Northern Chile) to extend habitat protection |
| title_full | Understanding the oceanographic dynamics of the Isla Chañaral baleen whale feeding ground, (Humboldt Archipelago, Northern Chile) to extend habitat protection |
| title_fullStr | Understanding the oceanographic dynamics of the Isla Chañaral baleen whale feeding ground, (Humboldt Archipelago, Northern Chile) to extend habitat protection |
| title_full_unstemmed | Understanding the oceanographic dynamics of the Isla Chañaral baleen whale feeding ground, (Humboldt Archipelago, Northern Chile) to extend habitat protection |
| title_short | Understanding the oceanographic dynamics of the Isla Chañaral baleen whale feeding ground, (Humboldt Archipelago, Northern Chile) to extend habitat protection |
| title_sort | understanding the oceanographic dynamics of the isla chanaral baleen whale feeding ground humboldt archipelago northern chile to extend habitat protection |
| topic | baleen whale feeding ground zooplankton acoustic backscatter oceanographic dynamics Humboldt archipelago Isla Chañaral marine protected area |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2023.1208262/full |
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