Rs. Schick et Dl. Urban, Spatial components of bowhead whale (Balaena mysticetus) distribution in the Alaskan Beaufort Sea, CAN J FISH, 57(11), 2000, pp. 2193-2200
Citations number
28
Categorie Soggetti
Aquatic Sciences
Journal title
CANADIAN JOURNAL OF FISHERIES AND AQUATIC SCIENCES
Bowhead whales (Balaena mysticetus) on their fall migration are exposed to
oil exploration activities in the Alaskan Beaufort Sea. While previous rese
arch into the effect of industrial noise on whale behavior and distribution
has noted significant responses, this research has often proceeded from a
parametric statistical framework. To account for the presence of spatially
autocorrelated and intercorrelated data, we propose a suite of spatial anal
ysis techniques to assess the distribution of bowhead whales relative to oi
l exploration activities. Using random resampling techniques and Mantel tes
ts, we analyzed the distribution of bowhead whales around active drilling r
igs in 1993. Results from the resampling tests indicated that whales were d
istributed farther from the drilling rig than they would be under a random
scenario. Results from the Mantel tests indicated that in 1993, the spatial
pattern of bowhead whale distribution was highly correlated with distance
from the drilling rig, indicating that the presence of the drilling rig res
ulted in a significant temporary loss in available habitat. These technique
s offer a new perspective on spatial analysis in the marine realm.