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Less ice, more predators: passive acoustic monitoring shows variation in killer whale (Orcinus orca) presence in the U.S. Arctic with declining sea ice
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2025
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Source: Polar Biology, 48(1)
[PDF-3.14 MB]
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Journal Title:Polar Biology
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Description:Arctic sea ice has provided a historical barrier for killer whale (Orcinus orca) entry, but that barrier is now depleting as the sea ice melts due to global climate change. This study used passive acoustic monitoring to describe changes in broad-scale killer whale presence in the U.S. Arctic associated with declining sea ice. Passive acoustic data were analyzed for killer whale calls from eight monitoring sites throughout the Alaska Chukchi, northern Bering, and western Beaufort seas from 2011 to 2019 and correlated with sea ice coverage. Killer whale acoustic presence was significantly correlated with sea ice coverage in the U.S. Arctic at two sites directly north and south of the Bering Strait (p = 0.04, t7 = − 5.34; p = 0.03, t7 = − 4.42), and increased as sea ice decreased in the North Slope region along the Northern Alaska coast (p < 0.01, t7 = 4.49). We also observed shifts in the spring arrival of killer whale calling over the time period of the study, which correlated with the timing of sea ice retreat. Killer whales shifted their time of arrival an average of 50 days earlier in the North Slope region and 32 days earlier in the Bering Strait region over the study period with 16.2 days (± 6.6 SD) lag between sea ice retreat and the first killer whale detection. These results point to an increased presence of an apex predator in the U.S. Arctic, which has the potential to impact the trophic dynamics of this region.
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Source:Polar Biology, 48(1)
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ISSN:0722-4060;1432-2056;
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Rights Information:CC BY-NC-ND
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Compliance:Submitted
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