Habitat associations of cetaceans and seabirds in the tropical eastern Indian Ocean, Browse Basin, Australia (2008)

There is an increasing demand for integrated pelagic surveys to support ecosystem-based management of marine environments and their associated marine life. The Browse Basin in the tropical eastern Indian Ocean was surveyed using ship line transects to determine habitat associations of cetaceans and seabirds with submarine topography and local oceanographic conditions during winter and spring 2008. Fourteen species of cetaceans, including the data deficient pygmy blue whale, and 23 species of seabirds were encountered throughout the basin. Aggregations of both cetaceans and seabirds were observed at two significant submarine topographic features, Scott Reef and Browse Cliffs, particularly during spring when encounters and abundances of odontocetes were far greater. The attraction of cetaceans and seabirds to Scott Reef and Browse Cliffs was likely foraging-related given these features were associated with upwelling and elevated biomass of krill and fish. Submesoscale sea surface temperature and chlorophyll a fronts also occurred in vicinity to Browse Cliffs and the shelf environment. The Browse Basin is an important, and potentially predictable, foraging ground for a variety of top predators, and their occurrence would have implications for the current and future management practices of oil and gas industries operating in the region
Taxa have been matched to the World Register of Marine Species. The observation data is the mid-period of each of the 4 surveys. The cited paper lists the details of the surveys and the methodology used.

为支撑海洋环境及其关联海洋生物的基于生态系统的管理，对综合性远洋调查的需求日益增长。2008年冬、春季，针对热带东印度洋的Browse盆地（Browse Basin）开展了船舶航线样带调查，以探究鲸类与海鸟的栖息环境与海底地形及局地海洋学条件的关联关系。整个盆地范围内共观测到14种鲸类（其中包括数据匮乏的侏儒蓝鲸）与23种海鸟。鲸类与海鸟的集群均在两处重要海底地形——斯科特暗礁（Scott Reef）与Browse崖（Browse Cliffs）——被观测到，尤以春季为甚；此季齿鲸类的观测频次与种群丰度均显著更高。鲸类与海鸟偏好聚集于斯科特暗礁与Browse崖，这一现象大概率与觅食行为相关——因为该地形与上升流活动及磷虾、鱼类的生物量升高存在关联。在Browse崖与陆架区域附近，还存在亚中尺度的海表温度与叶绿素a（chlorophyll a）锋面。Browse盆地是多种顶级捕食者的重要且具备潜在可预测性的觅食场所，它们的出现将对该区域当前及未来油气产业的运营管理实践产生影响。
分类单元均已匹配至世界海洋物种登记册（World Register of Marine Species）。观测数据取自4次调查各自的中期时段。相关引用文献详述了本次调查的具体细节与所采用的研究方法。