GIARD, J. R. MICHAUD, M. HARVEY, AND J.A. RUNGE. (2001) Fin whales tune
their dispersion and grouping pattern on krill standing stock biomass.
European Cetacean Society, 15th annual conference, Rome, 6-10 may 2001.  Download this document
Department of Fisheries and Oceans of Canada. 2002. 2001 State of the Ocean: Chemical and Biological Oceanographic
Conditions in the Estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence. DFO Science Stock
Status Report G4-03 (2002). Download this document
M. HARVEY, J.F. ST-PIERRE, PIERRE JOLY AND G. MORRIER (2002) Oceanographic
conditions in the Estuary and the Gulf of St. Lawrence during (2001). DFO
Can. Stock assessment Sec. Res. Doc. 2001/117, 19 p.
Department of Fisheries and Oceans of Canada. 2001. Oceanographic Conditions in the Gulf of
St. Lawrence during year 2000. DFO Science Stock Status Report G4-01
(2001).Download this document
HARVEY, M., R. MICHAUD, J.A. RUNGE, J.F. SAINT-PIERRE, P. JOLY. 2001.
Interannual variability of the krill standing stock biomass in the Lower
St. Lawrence Estuary: impact on fin whales dispersion. American Society
of Limnology and Oceanography, 2001 Aquatic Sciences meeting, 12-16
February 2001, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA.
Abstract
An annual zooplankton survey was initiated in 1994 to study the
spatio-temporal variability of zooplankton biomass in the lower St.
Lawrence Estuary (LSLE). This survey is conducted in September at up to 48
stations along 8 transects. Systematic whale observations were made from
commercial whale-watching vessels at the head the Laurentian Channel from
June to September 1994 to 2000. The average number of fin whales per
sighting _ within 2000 m radius _ was used as an annual index of the whale
dispersion. The krill standing stock biomass was not evenly distributed
within the LSLE and showed high interannual variability. The estimated
average wet biomass of krill varied between 7.2 and 38.1 t·km-2 from 1994
to 2000 with the highest and the lowest values found in 1994 and 1996
respectively. The overall average biomass of krill for the whole LSLE was
estimated to be 170,000 ± 90,000 t. The interannual variability of the
krill standing stock biomass explains 92% of the interannual fin whale
dispersion index. The ecological significance of this relationship will be
discussed.
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