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Biological consequences of global warming: does sea surface temperature affect cetacean distribution in the western Ligurian Sea?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 September 2008

A. Azzellino ,
S.A. Gaspari ,
S. Airoldi  and
C. Lanfredi
A. Azzellino*
Affiliation:
Politecnico di Milano, (University of Technology), DIIAR Environmental Engineering Division, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci, 32, Milano, Italy Tethys Research Institute, Viale Gadio, 2 Milano, Italy
S.A. Gaspari
Affiliation:
University of Firenze, Department of Animal Biology and Genetics, Via Romana, 17–50125 Firenze, Italy
S. Airoldi
Affiliation:
Tethys Research Institute, Viale Gadio, 2 Milano, Italy
C. Lanfredi
Affiliation:
Tethys Research Institute, Viale Gadio, 2 Milano, Italy
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: A. Azzellino, Politecnico di Milano, (University of Technology), DIIAR Environmental Engineering Division, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci, 32, Milano, Italy email: arianna.azzellino@polimi.it
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Abstract

The aim of this study was to assess if sea surface temperature does affect cetacean distribution in the western Ligurian Sea. Relationships with temperature were investigated for: striped dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba), fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) and sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus). Remotely sensed sea surface temperature (SST) data were studied. A series of 20 monthly images (i.e. June to September monthly images from 1996 to 2000) was considered. Concurrently, distribution data collected during shipboard summer surveys, and covering an area of about 20,000 km2 in the western Ligurian Sea, were analysed. The relationship between the three species presence and SST was investigated by using a grid of 3 × 3 nautical mile cell units. For every cell the SST mean, standard deviation, coefficient of variance and the deviation from the monthly average were calculated. Finally, binary logistic regression functions allowed to assess significant (P < 0.05) relationships with temperature in these species. These logistic models, were able to predict 60–78% of the species presence(1)/absence(0) cells, and suggest the need for further investigations spanning longer time periods to assess how the global climate change has been changing and will change in the future cetacean distribution in the western Ligurian Sea.

Keywords

cetaceanshabitatdistributionclimate changewestern Ligurian Sea
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom , Volume 88 , Special Issue 6: Marine Mammals , September 2008 , pp. 1145 - 1152
Copyright
Copyright © Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 2008

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