A multi-method approach across ocean basins challenges fin whale classic migratory assumptions off South America
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Baleen whale classical pattern of summering in high latitude and wintering in low latitude has been framed within a continuum of migratory schemes. Here, we aim to understand fin whale distribution and migratory patterns off South America by summarizing dedicated visual surveys, passive acoustic monitoring, and telemetry data from Chile, Argentina, and Brazil. Our results agree with findings from other fin whale populations and whaling records from South America, supporting the existence of multiple migratory schemes including year-round residency and classic migration. An unprecedented case of a “seasonally inverted migration”, with an individual summering in low-mid latitudes and wintering in high latitudes is presented as the first description of a fin whale round trip migratory route in the Southern Hemisphere. Our results reinforce the notion that baleen whale migratory movements are more diverse than previously thought and highlight the relevance of international cooperation for the study and conservation of migratory species.
Source: Scientific Reports
Authors: Luis Bedriñana-Romano, Rodrigo Hucke-Gaete, Susannah J. Buchan, Maritza Sepúlveda, Carlos Olavarría, Diego Filún, Natalia Dellabianca, Juliana Couto Di Tullio, Miguel A. Iñiguez-Bessega, Leonardo Wedekin, Patricia M. Zarate, Sofía F. Álvarez-Abarzúa, Robert Bello, Ilia Cari, Victor Castillo, Ljubitza Clavijo-Gorostiaga, Marta Jussara Cremer, Barbara Galletti-Vernazzani, Sidney Gomes, Alicia I. Guerrero, Laura Gutiérrez, Nicolás Muñoz, Renan Lopes Paitach, María José Pérez-Álvarez, M. Vanesa Reyes Reyes, Constanza Rojas-Cerda, Macarena Santos-Carvallo, Eduardo R. Secchi, William Soares-Filho, Kathleen M. Stafford, M. Belén Tartaglia Gamarra, Mónica A. Torres, Maximiliano Vega, Francisco A. Viddi, Alexandre N. Zerbini, Eliana Zuazquita
Institutions: Austral University of Chile, University of Concepción, Center for Dynamic Research on High Latitude Marine Ecosystems, University of Valparaíso, Alfred-Wegener-Institut Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande, Instituto de Fomento Pesquero, Universidade da Região de Joinville, Instituto de Biodiversidad de Ecosistemas Antárticos y Subantárticos, University of Chile, Wildlife Conservation Society Argentina, Oregon State University, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, University of Washington, NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service Alaska Fisheries Science Center, Marine Ecology and Telemetry Research, Cooperative Institute for Climate, Ocean, & Ecosystem Studies
Language: English
Subfield: Ecology
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
SDG: Life below water
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,690
Funders: Cooperative Institute for Climate, Ocean, and Ecosystem Studies, University of Washington, Corporación de Fomento de la Producción, European Commission, Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung, Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico, Petrobras, Instituto Antártico Argentino, Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, Agencia Nacional de Investigación y Desarrollo, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Chevron Brazil Upstream Frade Ltda
Awards: G1035980808, CENTER FOR OCEANOGRAPHIC RESEARCH IN THE EASTERN SOUTH PACIFIC (COPAS), Coastal ecosystem carbon balance in times of rapid glacier melt, RESEARCH PROGRAM FOR CLIMATE ACTION PLANNING, G3265316180, G3597922575, MILLENNIUM INSTITUTE BIODIVERSITY OF ANTARCTIC AND SUBANTARCTIC ECOSYSTEMS, G5736608169, G5810346226, G5927459568, G7646473453, G8346245245, CENTRO DE INVESTIGACION DINAMICA DE ECOSISTEMAS MARINOS DE ALTAS LATITUDES (IDEAL), ECOLOGICAL FACTORS THAT DETERMINE THE INCIDENCE MAGNITUDE AND CONSEQUENCE OF INDIVIDUAL DIET SPECIALIZATION IN A MARINE TOP PREDATOR ALONG THE CHILEAN COAST, SEALS AS DYNAMIC OCEAN OBSERVERS ASSESSING COASTAL OCEANOGRAPHIC CHANGES IN SOUTHERN CHILE WITH ANIMAL-BORNE INSTRUMENTS
OpenAlex ID: W7170829290
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