An exploratory investigation of gray whale (Eschrichtius robustus) spatial foraging strategy and the effect of vessel traffic
| dc.contributor.author | Garner, Steven | en_US |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2024-08-13T22:52:05Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2024-08-13T22:52:05Z | |
| dc.date.copyright | 1993 | en_US |
| dc.date.issued | 1993 | |
| dc.degree.department | Department of Geography | |
| dc.degree.level | Master of Arts M.A. | en |
| dc.description.abstract | Rapid expansion of the whale-watching industry in Tofino, British Columbia has raised concerns over the effect that increased vessel traffic may have on gray whale (Eschrichtius robustus) behaviour. This thesis studies the possible influence that vessel traffic may have on the spatial utilization patterns of summering gray whales in Clayoquot Sound near Tofino. The thesis formulates a spatial foraging model based on optimal foraging theory in patches and compares this with field observations. Observations made use of surface sightings of feeding whales resulting in a series of points. Exploratory' analysis was conducted because of data uncertainty and a lack of a suitable sample size. The thesis concludes that observed gray whales appear to feed in a manner similar to the spatial foraging model and that these whales showed little evidence of spatial variability associated with the presence of vessel traffic. The thesis also demonstrates the effectiveness of exploratory analysis in evaluating spatial patterns in a behavioral study where data is limited. | en |
| dc.format.extent | 74 pages | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://hdl.handle.net/1828/17860 | |
| dc.rights | Available to the World Wide Web | en_US |
| dc.title | An exploratory investigation of gray whale (Eschrichtius robustus) spatial foraging strategy and the effect of vessel traffic | en_US |
| dc.type | Thesis | en_US |
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