River-influenced beluga ( Delphinapterus leucas) summer habitat use in western Hudson Bay, Canada

• Published in: Arctic science Vol. 9; no. 4; pp. 869 - 885
• Main Authors: Ausen, Emma L., Barber, David G., Basu, Atreya, Ehn, Jens, Walker, David, Dalman, Laura, Marcoux, Marianne
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Ottawa Canadian Science Publishing NRC Research Press 01.12.2023; Canadian Science Publishing
• Subjects: Aerial photographs; Aerial photography; Aquatic mammals; Baseline studies; beluga whale; CDOM; Colour; Conservation areas; Delphinapterus leucas; Discriminant analysis; Dissolved organic matter; Estuaries; Estuarine dynamics; Habitat selection; Habitat utilization; Habitats; Industrial development; Inuit; Investigations; Marine conservation; Marine mammals; Prey; remote sensing; River mouth; River mouths; river plume; River plumes; Rivers; Sediments; Stream flow; Summer; Suspended sediments; TSS; Water temperature; Wavelength; Whales; Whales & whaling; Canada; Nunavut Territory Canada; Churchill River; United States > US; Arctic region; Alaska; Hudson Bay; Nelson River

River estuaries along western Hudson Bay, Canada, are important summer habitats for beluga whales ( Delphinapterus leucus (Pallas, 1776)) and subject to increasing industrial development activities including vessel traffic. The feasibility of establishing a National Marine Conservation Area (NMCA) i...