Migratory Cetaceans and Their Relation

Migratory Cetaceans and Their Relation To the Trophic Level they Feed within the Foodweb seasonal migratory patterns of 3 species of whales; is the global primary production pattern evidenced in VGPM maps related to their seasonal migration? What are cetaceans? Cetaceans are Mammalian Order Cetacea, and include whales, dolphins and porpoises. The Cetaceans are further separated into two major subgroups: the Mysticetes, the baleen whales, and the Odontocytes, the toothed whales, which includes the smaller dolphins and porpoises.

General morphological characteristics of Cetacea are: the fusiform shape of their body (i.e., spindle shaped); their forelimbs are modified into flippers; whereas their hindlimbs are completely vestigial (i.e., not attached to backbone, and hidden within body); their tails have horizontal flukes; they breathe from a dorsally oriented blowhole, a reduced nares resituated on the top of head; they are nearly hairless -- with only a few bristle like whiskers surrounding lips of young; and they are insulated from cooler ambient ocean by their layer of blubber.

Some species are noted for their intelligence, and complex group behavior, remarkable communication, and even songs. 2) Choose three marine cetacean species, which are migratory from NOAA Protected Resources List. 1) Gray whale, Eschrichtius robustus. E/D (denotes endangered / depleted stock) 2) Humpback whale, Megaptera novaeangliae E/D 3) Blue whale, Balaenoptera musculus E/D 3) Briefly describe the migratory patterns of each species. 1) Gray whale migration: There are two isolated geographic distributions: the North Pacific Ocean group (visible off the coastal waters of Oregon). And the Korean North Pacific group.

The whales summer in the rich feeding grounds of the Bering and Chukchi Seas, southeast Alaska, British Columbia, Washington, Oregon and northern California. They use their ballen to filter feed the copepods, also known as krill This fattens up their blubber for the long migration to tropical waters down south.

In the fall, they migrate from the summer feeding grounds, heading south along the coast of North America to Mexico, to the calving and nesting waters of the Sea of Cortez, where they seek shelter and the calmer waters of Scammon's Lagoon, at Baja, California. Calves are born in the shallow lagoons and bays from early January to mid February.

Then the north bound journey begins in mid February to May, the Eastern North Pacific stock of gray whales can be seen migrating with newborn calves along the west coast of America. The new born calves have a pebbly appearance, like a slate gray 'dill pickle" -- this is an easy visual to identify them. Thanks to the whalewatch industry, that began in the 1970's, this is one of the best documented whale species on earth.

2) Humpback whale migration During the summer months, humpbacks spend the majority of their time building up their protective.