Thesis Defense - Fine-scale movement of humpback whales
In the coming weeks, UW master's students will defend their theses. The subjects are varied and the students are from both master's programs, Coastal Marine Management and Coastal Communities and Regional Development. The defenses are accessible to everyone through zoom links but they are also open to the public, at the University Centre of the Westfjords in Ísafjörður.
Student: Sydni Long
Thesis title: Fine-scale movement of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) in Icelandic coastal waters
Program: Coastal and Marine Management
Abstract
Their sighting histories spans over a 10-year period (2011 and 2020) and are centralised in the ÍSland Megaptera novaeangliae (ISMN) catalogue curated by the Marine and Freshwater Research Institute (MFRI). Arrival and movement direction of each humpback individual was based on date and location of the first and the last sighting every year. This analysis revealed information on site fidelity and arrival patterns of individuals. Statistical analysis did not indicate a significant difference in the direction the whales moved after arrival; however, the majority travelled northward. To determine possible drivers to the observed movement, analyses using Pearson Correlation tests were conducted on whale sightings per unit effort (SPUE) from Faxaflói Bay (south) and Eyjafjörður and Skjálfandi Bay (Northeast) versus biomass of herring (Clupea harengus) and capelin (Mallotus villosus) from the International Ecosystem Summer Survey of the Nordic Seas from the MFRI. This analysis showed no statistically significant results for correlation between fish biomass and SPUE. Regardless, this research provides new insights into the movement of humpback whales in Iceland, including possible overlap between humpback whale movements and humans (fishers, industry, tourism), which can inform fisheries and marine spatial legislation, plus whale watching tourism in high-use habitat regions. It also provides a starting point for investigation of predator-prey relationships for further management of Icelandic fisheries and demonstrates the utility of this research approach for whale management.