Dear MARMAM Subscribers,
The SOPOPP team are pleased to announce the following Global
Change Biology publication
Bengtson Nash, S., J. Castrillon, P.
Eisenmann, B. Fry, J. Shuker, R. Cropp, A. Dawson, A. Bignert, P.
Bohlin-Nizzetto, C. A. Waugh, B. Polkinghorne, G. Dalle Luche and D. McLagan
(2017). "Signals from the South;
Humpback Whales Carry Messages of Antarctic Sea-ice Ecosystem Variability"
Global Change Biology
The Article is available via Early
View at: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/gcb.14035/full
Abstract
Southern
hemisphere humpback whales (Megaptera
novaeangliae) rely on summer prey abundance of Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) to fuel one of the
longest-known mammalian migrations on the planet. It is hypothesized that this
species, already adapted to endure metabolic extremes, will be one of the first
Antarctic consumers to show measurable physiological change in response to
fluctuating prey availability in a changing climate; and as such, a powerful
sentinel candidate for the Antarctic sea-ice ecosystem. Here, we targeted the
sentinel parameters of humpback whale adiposity and diet, using novel, as well
as established, chemical and biochemical markers, and assembled a time trend
spanning 8 years. We show the synchronous, inter-annual oscillation of two
measures of humpback whale adiposity with Southern Ocean environmental
variables and climate indices. Furthermore, bulk stable isotope signatures
provide clear indication of dietary compensation strategies, or a lower trophic
level isotopic change, following years indicated as leaner years for the
whales. The observed synchronicity of humpback whale adiposity and dietary
markers, with climate patterns in the Southern Ocean, lends strength to the
role of humpback whales as powerful Antarctic sea-ice ecosystem sentinels. The
work carries significant potential to reform current ecosystem surveillance in
the Antarctic region.
If you have any questions, or have
trouble downloading the publication, please email s.bengtsonnash@griffith.edu.au
Kind regards,
