Humpback whales, Megaptera novaeangliae, are a highly migratory species exposed
to a wide range of environmental factors during their lifetime. The spatial and temporal
characteristics of such factors play a significant role in determining suitable habitats for
breeding, feeding and resting. The existing studies of the relationship between oceanic
conditions and humpback whale ecology provide the basis for understanding impacts
on this species. Here we have determined the most relevant environmental drivers
identified in peer-reviewed literature published over the last four decades, and assessed
the methods used to identify relationships. A total of 148 studies were extracted
through an online literature search. These studies used a combined estimated 105,000
humpback whale observations over 1,216 accumulated study years investigating the
relationship between humpback whales and environmental drivers in both Northern
and Southern Hemispheres. Studies focusing on humpback whales in feeding areas
found preferences for areas of upwelling, high chlorophyll-a concentration and frontal
areas with changes in temperature, depth and currents, where prey can be found in
high concentration. Preferred calving grounds were identified as shallow, warm and
with slow water movement to aid the survival of calves. The few studies of migration
routes have found preferences for shallow waters close to shorelines with moderate
temperature and chlorophyll-a concentration. Extracting information and understanding
the influence of key drivers of humpback whale behavioral modes are important for
conservation, particularly in regard to expected changes of environmental conditions
under climate change.
This publication can be found at: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2021.720774/full
