The Blob and the Blues: Analyzing the Impact of a Marine Heatwave on Blue Whale Behavioral Patterns Between Two Foraging Hotspots Along the California Current - Monterey Bay and Cordell Bank
Abstract/Contents
- Abstract
- Between 2013 and 2016, the California Current Large Marine Ecosystem experienced the longest marine heatwave event ever recorded in this region. Nicknamed The Blob, this extended period of abnormally high sea surface temperatures had detrimental impacts on many of the species that inhabit this ecosystem. Through a combined analysis of oceanographic and acoustic data collected from 2015 – 2018, this study aimed to determine how The Blob marine heatwave event impacted the largest species on the planet – the blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus). An endangered species, blue whales feed selectively on krill and conduct an annual migration between breeding locations in the south and foraging hotspots in the north. Two of these foraging hotspots, Monterey Bay and Cordell Bank, both within the California Current, were considered within this study. These hotspots were chosen because they are each home to a hydrophone (underwater microphone), which were used to determine blue whale acoustic presence. I found that blue whale acoustic presence did not vary significantly as a result of The Blob marine heatwave event, and that blue whales were more consistently present in Cordell Bank than Monterey Bay. Using a combination of environmental oceanographic data sources, I also found that The Blob marine heatwave event impacted both sea surface height and upwelling conditions similarly in Monterey Bay and Cordell Bank. These findings suggest that rather than be considered as distinct foraging hotspots, the region encompassing Monterey Bay and Cordell Bank should be thought of as one continuous foraging hotspot in the context of the blue whale. This region is subdivided by various human-created boundaries, including three marine sanctuaries and heavily trafficked shipping vessel lanes, and therefore the suggestion that it is all one large foraging hotspot points to a need for interconnectedness within the differing management schemes of this region. Additionally, marine heatwave events have been projected to increase in both frequency and intensity as a result of anthropogenic climate change. Therefore, the additional layer this study adds to our collective understanding of blue whale behavior and adaptation to environmental change is essential now more than ever before to ensure the protection of these gentle giants.
Description
| Type of resource | text |
|---|---|
| Date modified | December 5, 2022 |
| Publication date | June 29, 2022 |
Creators/Contributors
| Author | Cross, Natalie |
|---|---|
| Department | Stanford University Earth Systems |
| Thesis advisor | Crowder, Larry |
| Thesis advisor | Oestreich, William |
| Thesis advisor | Ryan, John |
Subjects
| Subject | Blue whale |
|---|---|
| Subject | Pacific Ocean > California Current |
| Subject | Marine ecology |
| Subject | California > Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary |
| Subject | California > Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary |
| Subject | Animals > Food |
| Subject | Marine heatwave |
| Genre | Text |
| Genre | Thesis |
Bibliographic information
Access conditions
- License
- This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial 4.0 International license (CC BY-NC).
Preferred citation
- Preferred citation
- Cross, N. (2022). The Blob and the Blues: Analyzing the Impact of a Marine Heatwave on Blue Whale Behavioral Patterns Between Two Foraging Hotspots Along the California Current - Monterey Bay and Cordell Bank. Stanford Digital Repository. Available at https://purl.stanford.edu/tw573gd8633
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Undergraduate Honors Theses, Doerr School of Sustainability
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