A recent study, led by biologist María Piotto and published in Marine Ecology Progress Series, has revealed how harassment and attacks by seagulls affect the survival of whale calves born in the coastal waters of Península Valdés.
This phenomenon, known as micropredation, represents a significant threat to the southern right whale population.
Main Findings on the study of seagull harassment on southern right whales
- Preference for calves: Between 2004 and 2019, calves received almost three times more attacks than their mothers, concentrating in the Golfo Nuevo.
- Increase in mortality: The attacks increased calf mortality, being 2.26 times higher in years with average intensity.
- Accumulative effect: Calf deaths potentially influenced by seagull harassment tended to occur towards the end of the season, in October, probably as a consequence of the accumulation of injuries and physiological stress generated by the attacks in the previous months.
- Temporal dynamics: In the last 25 years, the intensity of attacks showed variable periods, reaching extreme peaks between 2011 and 2013.
Study Methodology
The analysis, based on 25 years of data collected by the Southern Right Whale Program and aerial surveys by ICB and Ocean Alliance, included records of attacks, counting of live and dead calves, and their relationship with the behavior and health of the whale calves.
Causes and Recommended Actions
While the attacks are carried out by seagulls, their behavior has been influenced by human activities, such as fishing discards and poor organic waste management. Diego Taboada, president of ICB, emphasized the importance of comprehensive measures, such as:
- Control of fishing discards.
- Closure of open-air landfills.
- Proper waste management.
He also urged the creation of working groups among authorities, academics, and civil society to implement long-term solutions.
Scientific Publication
List of authors: María Piotto, Iván Barberá, Mariano Sironi, Victoria J. Rowntree, Marcela M. Uhart, Macarena Agrelo, Alejandro A. Fernández Ajó, Jon Seger, Carina F. Marón
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