Knowledge Tree
bowhead whale
Also known as: bowhead whale, bowhead whales
Facts (29)
Sources
A review of climate change impacts on migration patterns of marine ... frontiersin.org Oct 25, 2024 29 facts
claimMost populations of bowhead whales (Balaena mysticetus) migrate from foraging areas used during the polar summer and fall to specific habitats used for mating in winter and calving in spring.
referenceInsley, S. J., Halliday, W. D., Mouy, X., and Diogou, N. (2021) published 'Bowhead whales overwinter in the Amundsen Gulf and eastern Beaufort Sea' in Royal Society Open Science, volume 8, article 202268.
referenceA. R. Szesciorka, K. M. Stafford, and C. L. Berchok documented a basin-wide shift in bowhead whale migration in the Pacific Arctic in a 2024 study published in Geophysical Research Letters.
referenceMatthews et al. (2020b) concluded that the presence of killer whales influences bowhead whales to select sea ice habitats as a defensive strategy in Arctic environments.
claimWind and weather conditions impact the ability of hunters to safely harvest bowhead whales and walruses during the seasonal periods in which these animals are available.
referenceA 2021 study by Halliday et al. evaluated the potential exposure of beluga and bowhead whales to underwater noise from ship traffic in the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas.
claimFor most populations of bowhead whales, migration timing is linked to the northward retreat of sea-ice in the spring and the southward expansion of sea-ice in the fall.
claimBowhead whales exhibit year-round acoustic presence and habitat associations in the Amundsen Gulf, Western Canadian Arctic.
claimAerial survey data analyzed by Druckenmiller et al. (2018) indicate that bowhead whales shifted their fall migration route westward, closer to Point Barrow, during 1997–2014 compared to 1982–1996, corresponding to a shift closer to shore with more open water.
referenceBlackwell et al. (2015) found evidence for two behavioral thresholds regarding the effects of airgun sounds on the calling rates of bowhead whales.
claimBowhead whales and beluga whales in the western Beaufort Sea aggregate in areas where favorable wind and current conditions concentrate euphausiids and fish.
claimSea-ice cover within bowhead whale habitats in the Pacific Arctic is experiencing trends in change.
claimCitta et al. (2023) reported shifts in bowhead whale distribution, behavior, and condition following rapid sea ice change in the Bering Sea.
referenceTsjuii et al. (2021) reported that annual variation of oceanographic conditions changed the migration timing of bowhead whales (Balaena mysticetus) in the southern Chukchi Sea.
referenceFortune, S. M., Young, B. G., and Ferguson, S. H. (2020) published 'Age-and sex-specific movement, behaviour and habitat-use patterns of bowhead whales (Balaena mysticetus) in the Eastern Canadian Arctic' in Polar Biology, volume 43, pages 1725–1744, detailing how age and sex influence the movement and habitat use of bowhead whales.
referenceA. R. Szesciorka and K. M. Stafford found that sea ice directs changes in bowhead whale phenology through the Bering Strait in a 2023 study published in Movement Ecology.
claimBowhead whales in the Bering-Chukchi-Beaufort region wintered farther north into the Chukchi Sea during 2018 and 2019, moving away from their typical winter home range in the western Bering Sea due to a lack of sea ice, according to Citta et al. (2023).
referenceHeide-Jørgensen et al. (2011) reported that the Northwest Passage has opened for bowhead whales.
claimChambault et al. (2018) found that sea surface temperature predicts the movements of the bowhead whale, an Arctic cetacean.
referenceGeorge et al. (2015) investigated the relationship between Bowhead whale body condition and environmental factors, specifically summer sea ice and upwelling in the Beaufort Sea.
referenceFerguson, S. H., Dueck, L., Loseto, L. L., and Luque, S. P. (2010) published 'Bowhead whale Balaena mysticetus seasonal selection of sea ice' in Marine Ecology Progress Series, volume 411, pages 285–297, examining how bowhead whales select sea ice habitats seasonally.
measurementBowhead and beluga whale acoustic detections in the western Beaufort Sea were recorded between 2008 and 2018 by K. M. Stafford, J. J. Citta, S. R. Okkonen, and J. Zhang.
claimBowhead whales aggregate at Arctic hotspots in Russia, Canada, and Greenland under favorable wind and current conditions, as reported by Citta et al. (2015) and Banas et al. (2021).
claimBowhead whales in West Greenland have shifted their movements away from traditional summering areas in Disko Bay, moving southward to track sea surface temperature (SST) patterns, specifically targeting a temperature range between -0.5°C and 2°C, as reported by Chambault et al. (2018).
referenceAshjian et al. (2010) published a study titled 'Climate variability, oceanography, bowhead whale distribution, and Iñupiat subsistence whaling near Barrow, Alaska' in Arctic, volume 63, pages 179–194.
claimPhenological changes, including earlier spring migration and later fall migration, have been documented in Pacific Arctic bowhead whale populations in recent decades, supported by acoustical time-series data and Indigenous Knowledge.
referenceSome individual bowhead whales have ceased migration entirely, remaining in summering grounds in the Amundsen Gulf, the eastern Beaufort Sea, and Cumberland Sound, as reported by Insley et al. (2021), Diogou et al. (2023), and Fortune et al. (2020).
referenceOkkonen et al. (2011) used satellite observations to identify circulation features associated with a bowhead whale feeding ‘hotspot’ near Barrow, Alaska.
referenceNoongwook et al. (2007) documented traditional knowledge regarding the bowhead whale (Balaena mysticetus) around St. Lawrence Island, Alaska.