Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, St. Petersburg, Florida, 33701, USA.
Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, 32611, USA.
Sci Rep. 2019 Jan 23;9(1):353. doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-36723-3.
Animal movement plays a fundamental role in the ecology of migratory species, and understanding migration patterns is required for effective management. To evaluate intrinsic and environmental factors associated with probabilities of endangered North Atlantic right whales Eubalaena glacialis migrating to a wintering ground off the southeastern United States (SEUS), we applied a multistate temporary emigration capture-recapture model to 22 years of photo-identification data. Migration probabilities for juveniles were generally higher yet more variable than those for adults, and non-calving adult females were the least likely group to migrate. The highest migration probabilities for juveniles and adult males coincided with years of relatively high calving rates, following years of higher prey availability in a fall feeding ground. Right whale migration to the SEUS can be classified as condition-dependent partial migration, which includes skipped breeding partial migration for reproductive females, and is likely influenced by tradeoffs among ecological factors such as reproductive costs and foraging opportunities that vary across individuals and time. The high variability in migration reported in this study provides insight into the ecological drivers of migration but presents challenges to right whale monitoring and conservation strategies.
动物的运动在迁徙物种的生态学中起着基础性的作用，而理解迁徙模式是进行有效管理的必要条件。为了评估与濒危北大西洋露脊鲸（Eubalaena glacialis）迁徙到美国东南部越冬地的概率相关的内在和环境因素，我们应用多状态临时迁出捕获-再捕获模型对 22 年的照片识别数据进行了分析。幼鲸的迁徙概率普遍较高，但更具波动性，而非哺乳期成年雌性最不可能迁徙。幼鲸和成年雄性的最高迁徙概率与相对较高的产仔率年份相一致，而这些年份正是在秋季觅食地食物供应较高的年份之后。北大西洋露脊鲸向美国东南部的迁徙可归类为条件依赖型部分迁徙，其中包括生殖雌性跳过繁殖的部分迁徙，这可能受到生态因素之间的权衡影响，例如繁殖成本和觅食机会，这些因素在个体和时间上存在差异。本研究中报告的迁徙高变异性为迁徙的生态驱动因素提供了深入了解，但也为露脊鲸监测和保护策略带来了挑战。
