Journal
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
Volume 10, Issue -, Pages -Publisher
FRONTIERS MEDIA SA
DOI: 10.3389/fmars.2023.1063197
Keywords
migratory species; resting stopovers; Southern hemisphere humpback whales; habitat use; energy balance; Moreton Bay; Antarctic climate change; sustainable development
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Every year, humpback whales migrate to Moreton Bay, southeast Queensland, Australia. However, little is known about the significance of the bay for these whales. This study provides the first detailed information about humpback whale distribution, behavior, and habitat use within Moreton Bay, revealing that it serves as an important resting stopover for migrating whales.
Humpback whales enter Moreton Bay, in southeast Queensland, Australia, each year during their annual migration. Little is known about the ecological significance of the bay for the humpback whale population. In a region characterised by rapid coastal and maritime development, as well as a growing humpback whale population, there is an urgent need to fill knowledge gaps surrounding the populations' seasonal distribution and habitat use in these coastal waters. This study procured the first detailed information regarding humpback whale distribution, behaviour, and habitat use within Moreton Bay, relative to the main east coast migratory corridor. It was found that on average 42.41% of the individuals observed on the southern leg of the migration entered the bay. 76.78% of pods entering the bay had accompanying calves and 47.82% of these pods were found to be resting or logging, a behaviour often associated with nursing, at the time of observation. These findings provide strong evidence for a previously undocumented role of Moreton Bay as a resting stopover for migrating humpback whales.
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