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99 results for “killer whales”
Data from: A multilevel society of herring-eating killer whales indicates adaptation to prey characteristics
Non-social factors can influence animal social structure. In killer whales (Orcinus orca), fish- versus mammal-eating ecological differences are regarded as key ecological drivers of their multilevel society, including group size, but the potential importance of specific target prey remains unclear. Here, we investigate the social structure of herring-eating killer whales in Iceland and compare it to the described social structures of primarily salmon- and seal-eating populations in the Northeast Pacific, which form stable coherent basic units nested within a hierarchical multilevel society. Using 29023 photographs collected over 6 years, we examined the association patterns of 198 individuals combining clustering, social network structure, and temporal patterns of association analysis. The Icelandic population had largely weak but non-random associations, which were not completely assorted by known ranging patterns. A fission–fusion dynamic of constant and temporary associations was observed but this was not due to permanent units joining. The population-level society was significantly structured but not in a clear hierarchical tier system. Social clusters were highly diverse in complexity and there were indications of subsclusters. There was no indication of dispersal nor strong sex differences in associations. These results indicate that the Icelandic herring-eating killer whale population has a multilevel social structure without clear hierarchical tiers or nested coherent social units, different from other populations of killer whales. We suggest that local ecological context, such as the characteristics of the specific target prey (e.g., predictability, biomass, and density) and subsequent foraging strategies may strongly influence killer whale social association patterns.
Data from: Sperm whales reduce foraging effort during exposure to 1-2 kHz sonar and killer whale sounds
The time and energetic costs of behavioral responses to incidental and experimental sonar exposures, as well as control stimuli, were quantified using hidden state analysis of time series of acoustic and movement data recorded by tags (DTAG) attached to 12 sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) using suction cups. Behavioral state transition modeling showed that tagged whales switched to a non-foraging, non-resting state during both experimental transmissions of low-frequency active sonar from an approaching vessel (LFAS; 1–2 kHz, source level 214 dB re 1 μPa m, four tag records) and playbacks of potential predator (killer whale, Orcinus orca) sounds broadcast at naturally occurring sound levels as a positive control from a drifting boat (five tag records). Time spent in foraging states and the probability of prey capture attempts were reduced during these two types of exposures with little change in overall locomotion activity, suggesting an effect on energy intake with no immediate compensation. Whales switched to the active non-foraging state over received sound pressure levels of 131–165 dB re 1 μPa during LFAS exposure. In contrast, no changes in foraging behavior were detected in response to experimental negative controls (no-sonar ship approach or noise control playback) or to experimental medium-frequency active sonar exposures (MFAS; 6–7 kHz, source level 199 re 1 μPa m, received sound pressure level [SPL] = 73–158 dB re 1 μPa). Similarly, there was no reduction in foraging effort for three whales exposed to incidental, unidentified 4.7–5.1 kHz sonar signals received at lower levels (SPL = 89–133 dB re 1 μPa). These results demonstrate that similar to predation risk, exposure to sonar can affect functional behaviors, and indicate that increased perception of risk with higher source level or lower frequency may modulate how sperm whales respond to anthropogenic sound.
Dataset for publication "The effect of formation swimming on tailbeat and breathing frequencies in killer whales"
<p>Data collected by the Center for Whale Research under federal permit provided by National Marine Fisheries Service (permit number 21238). Observation of the Southern Resident killer whale population (<i>Orcinus orca</i>) with aerial drone-based videos recorded during the summer season in 2019 and 2021. Observations conducted during formation swimming sequences in which the whales displayed a directional and regular cruising swimming pattern (i.e., without sharp changes in direction, chasing prey, social interactions, or surface-active behaviors) to estimate their relative energetic expenditure by estimating the breathing frequency and tailbeat frequency of each individual depending on its positioning relative to the other whales.</p>
On following pages: 25. Long-finned Pilot Whale (Globicephala melas); 26. Short-finned Pilot Whale (Globicephala macrorhynchus); 27. Pygmy Killer Whale (Feresa attenuata); 28. Risso's Dolphin (Grampus griseus); 29. Melon- in Delphinidae
On following pages: 25. Long-finned Pilot Whale (Globicephala melas); 26. Short-finned Pilot Whale (Globicephala macrorhynchus); 27. Pygmy Killer Whale (Feresa attenuata); 28. Risso's Dolphin (Grampus griseus); 29. Melon-
On following pages: 25. Long-finned Pilot Whale (Globicephala melas); 26. Short-finned Pilot Whale (Globicephala macrorhynchus); 27. Pygmy Killer Whale (Feresa attenuata); 28. Risso's Dolphin (Grampus griseus); 29. Melonheaded Whale (Peponocephala electra); 30. False Killer Whale (Pseudorca crassidens). in Delphinidae
On following pages: 25. Long-finned Pilot Whale (Globicephala melas); 26. Short-finned Pilot Whale (Globicephala macrorhynchus); 27. Pygmy Killer Whale (Feresa attenuata); 28. Risso's Dolphin (Grampus griseus); 29. Melonheaded Whale (Peponocephala electra); 30. False Killer Whale (Pseudorca crassidens).
Males miss and females forgo: auditory masking from vessel noise impairs foraging efficiency and success in killer whales - ALL 2011 & 2014 AUDIO DATA
<p><strong>Description of the data and file structure<br></strong>This record contains all 2011 & 2014 audio data from animal-borne biologging instruments (Dtags) temporarily affixed to fish-eating killer whales, supporting the analyses presented in the following article:</p> <p> Tennessen. J.B., Holt, M.M., Wright, B.M., Hanson, M.B., Emmons, C.K., Giles, D.A., Hogan, J.T., Thornton, S.J., Deecke, V.B. 2024. Males miss and females forgo: auditory masking from vessel noise impairs foraging efficiency and success in killer whales. <em>Global Change Biology</em>.<strong> </strong>In press.</p> <p>The data include the following: the 2011 & 2014 audio files from analyzed Dtag depoyments. All methodological details necessary to contextualize analysis procedures are provided in the methods section of the article. The following data files are available under separate DOIs: 10.5281/zenodo.13333019 - all 2009 & 2010 audio data; 10.5281/zenodo.13308835 - (1) all calibrated movement data from analyzed Dtag deployments, and (2) a spreadsheet containing the variables included in the fully-saturated and final models listed in Table 2 in the article cited above.</p> <p>These data are provided by NOAA Fisheries' Northwest Fisheries Science Center, and Fisheries and Oceans Canada, to support reproducibility of all statistical analyses presented in the article. Please cite your usage of our data. For inquiries about data use, or for general questions, please contact Dr. Jennifer B. Tennessen, at jtenness@uw.edu.</p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Description of audio data files</strong><br>The data files contain the .dtg extension. This is the compressed raw data from all analyzed deployments. Once files are downloaded, they will need to be decompressed, which is done using the tagtools tool kit for Matlab, R or Octave, available at https://github.com/animaltags .</p> <p>Each deployment is named using the first letter of the genus and species name ("oo" for Orcinus orca), followed by the two-digit year (e.g., 09 for 2009), followed by the 3-digit Julian day (e.g., 246), followed by a letter denoting the population (a-d for Northern Residents, m for Southern Residents), followed by a series of numbers that denote the specific block (on the tag memory board) from which the data came. All files from a deployment should be put within a folder for that deployment, so that the functions within the tagtools tool kit can locate them.</p> <p>Once the .dtg files are decompressed, there will be 4 new files for every decompressed file, with extensions as follows: .wav (audio) as well as .pk, .swv, .txt. The audio files are ready to use in .wav form, and can be viewed using any audio software. We recommend using Matlab with the tagtools tool kit, or viewing the files in batch mode within RavenPro (https://store.birds.cornell.edu/collections/raven-sound-software).</p> <p>We provide calibrated movement data (see DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.13308835). However, if users wish to run their own calibration from raw movement data, the .swv files are used for this purpose along with the tagtools tool kit in Matlab, R or Octave, available at https://github.com/animaltags .</p>
Males miss and females forgo: auditory masking from vessel noise impairs foraging efficiency and success in killer whales - ALL 2009 & 2010 AUDIO DATA
<p><strong>Description of the data and file structure<br></strong>This record contains all 2009 & 2010 audio data from animal-borne biologging instruments (Dtags) temporarily affixed to fish-eating killer whales, supporting the analyses presented in the following article:</p> <p> Tennessen. J.B., Holt, M.M., Wright, B.M., Hanson, M.B., Emmons, C.K., Giles, D.A., Hogan, J.T., Thornton, S.J., Deecke, V.B. 2024. Males miss and females forgo: auditory masking from vessel noise impairs foraging efficiency and success in killer whales. <em>Global Change Biology</em>.<strong> </strong>In press.</p> <p>The data include the following: the 2009 & 2010 audio files from analyzed Dtag depoyments. All methodological details necessary to contextualize analysis procedures are provided in the methods section of the article. The following data files are available under separate DOIs: 10.5281/zenodo.13328931 - all 2011 & 2014 audio data; 10.5281/zenodo.13308835 - (1) all calibrated movement data from analyzed Dtag deployments, and (2) a spreadsheet containing the variables included in the fully-saturated and final models listed in Table 2 in the article cited above.</p> <p>These data are provided by NOAA Fisheries' Northwest Fisheries Science Center, and Fisheries and Oceans Canada, to support reproducibility of all statistical analyses presented in the article. Please cite your usage of our data. For inquiries about data use, or for general questions, please contact Dr. Jennifer B. Tennessen, at jtenness@uw.edu.</p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Description of audio data files</strong><br>The data files contain the .dtg extension. This is the compressed raw data from all analyzed deployments. Once files are downloaded, they will need to be decompressed, which is done using the tagtools tool kit for Matlab, R or Octave, available at https://github.com/animaltags .</p> <p>Each deployment is named using the first letter of the genus and species name ("oo" for Orcinus orca), followed by the two-digit year (e.g., 09 for 2009), followed by the 3-digit Julian day (e.g., 246), followed by a letter denoting the population (a-d for Northern Residents, m for Southern Residents), followed by a series of numbers that denote the specific block (on the tag memory board) from which the data came. All files from a deployment should be put within a folder for that deployment, so that the functions within the tagtools tool kit can locate them.</p> <p>Once the .dtg files are decompressed, there will be 4 new files for every decompressed file, with extensions as follows: .wav (audio) as well as .pk, .swv, .txt. The audio files are ready to use in .wav form, and can be viewed using any audio software. We recommend using Matlab with the tagtools tool kit, or viewing the files in batch mode within RavenPro (https://store.birds.cornell.edu/collections/raven-sound-software).</p> <p>We provide calibrated movement data (see DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.13308835). However, if users wish to run their own calibration from raw movement data, the .swv files are used for this purpose along with the tagtools tool kit in Matlab, R or Octave, available at https://github.com/animaltags .</p>
Data from: Geographic and temporal dynamics of a global radiation and diversification in the killer whale
Global climate change during the Late Pleistocene periodically encroached and then released habitat during the glacial cycles, causing range expansions and contractions in some species. These dynamics have played a major role in geographic radiations, diversification and speciation. We investigate these dynamics in the most widely distributed of marine mammals, the killer whale (Orcinus orca), using a global data set of over 450 samples. This marine top predator inhabits coastal and pelagic ecosystems ranging from the ice edge to the tropics, often exhibiting ecological, behavioural and morphological variation suggestive of local adaptation accompanied by reproductive isolation. Results suggest a rapid global radiation occurred over the last 350 000 years. Based on habitat models, we estimated there was only a 15% global contraction of core suitable habitat during the last glacial maximum, and the resources appeared to sustain a constant global effective female population size throughout the Late Pleistocene. Reconstruction of the ancestral phylogeography highlighted the high mobility of this species, identifying 22 strongly supported long-range dispersal events including interoceanic and interhemispheric movement. Despite this propensity for geographic dispersal, the increased sampling of this study uncovered very few potential examples of ancestral dispersal among ecotypes. Concordance of nuclear and mitochondrial data further confirms genetic cohesiveness, with little or no current gene flow among sympatric ecotypes. Taken as a whole, our data suggest that the glacial cycles influenced local populations in different ways, with no clear global pattern, but with secondary contact among lineages following long-range dispersal as a potential mechanism driving ecological diversification.
Data from: Evaluating anthropogenic threats to endangered killer whales to inform effective recovery plans
Understanding cumulative effects of multiple threats is key to guiding effective management to conserve endangered species. The critically endangered, Southern Resident killer whale population of the northeastern Pacific Ocean provides a data-rich case to explore anthropogenic threats on population viability. Primary threats include: limitation of preferred prey, Chinook salmon; anthropogenic noise and disturbance, which reduce foraging efficiency; and high levels of stored contaminants, including PCBs. We constructed a population viability analysis to explore possible demographic trajectories and the relative importance of anthropogenic stressors. The population is fragile, with no growth projected under current conditions, and decline expected if new or increased threats are imposed. Improvements in fecundity and calf survival are needed to reach a conservation objective of 2.3% annual population growth. Prey limitation is the most important factor affecting population growth. However, to meet recovery targets through prey management alone, Chinook abundance would have to be sustained near the highest levels since the 1970s. The most optimistic mitigation of noise and contaminants would make the difference between a declining and increasing population, but would be insufficient to reach recovery targets. Reducing acoustic disturbance by 50% combined with increasing Chinook by 15% would allow the population to reach 2.3% growth.
The effect of prey abundance and fisheries on the survival, reproduction, and social structure of killer whales (Orcinus orca) at subantarctic Marion Island
<p>Most marine apex predators are keystone species that fundamentally influence their ecosystems through cascading top-down processes. Reductions in worldwide predator abundances, attributed to environmental and anthropogenic-induced changes to prey availability and negative interactions with fisheries, can have far-reaching ecosystem impacts. We tested whether the survival of killer whales (<em>Orcinus orca</em>) observed at Marion Island in the Southern Indian Ocean correlated with social structure and prey variables (direct measures of prey abundance, Patagonian toothfish fishery effort, and environmental proxies) using multistate models of capture-recapture data spanning 12 years (2006 to 2018). We also tested the effect of these same variables on killer whale social structure and reproduction measured over the same period. Indices of social structure had the strongest correlation with survival, with higher sociality associated with increased survival probability. Survival was also positively correlated to Patagonian toothfish fishing effort during the previous year, suggesting that fishery-linked resource availability is an important determinant of survival. No correlation between survival and environmental proxies of prey abundance was found. At-island prey availability influenced the social structure of Marion Island killer whales, but none of the variables explained variability in reproduction. Future increases in legal fishing activity may benefit this population of killer whales through the artificial provisioning of resources they provide.</p>
Data from: Vocalisations of killer whales (Orcinus orca) in the Bremer Canyon, Western Australia
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Long-term biennial patterns in Puget Sound Chinook salmon and Southern Resident killer whales: the role of pink salmon and implications for ecosystem management
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Data from: Sperm whales reduce foraging effort during exposure to 1-2 kHz sonar and killer whale sounds
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Data from: Evaluating anthropogenic threats to endangered killer whales to inform effective recovery plans
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Data from: Killer whales (Orcinus orca) in Iceland show weak genetic structure among diverse isotopic signatures and observed movement patterns
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Data from: Genome-wide SNP data suggests complex ancestry of sympatric North Pacific killer whale ecotypes
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The effect of prey abundance and fisheries on the survival, reproduction, and social structure of killer whales (Orcinus orca) at subantarctic Marion Island
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Data from: Colonizing the wild west: low diversity of complete mitochondrial genomes in western North Pacific killer whales suggests a founder effect
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Data from: Host‐derived population genomics data provides insights into bacterial and diatom composition of the killer whale skin
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Revised taxonomy of eastern North Pacific killer whales (Orcinus orca): Bigg’s and resident ecotypes deserve species status
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