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Prey of killer whales (Orcinus orca) in Iceland

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dc.contributor Háskóli Íslands
dc.contributor University of Iceland
dc.contributor.author Samarra, Filipa
dc.contributor.author Bassoi, Manuela
dc.contributor.author Béesau, Julie
dc.contributor.author Elíasdóttir, Margrét Ó.
dc.contributor.author Gunnarsson, Karl
dc.contributor.author Mrusczok, Marie-Thérèse
dc.contributor.author Rasmussen, Marianne
dc.contributor.author Rempel, Jonathan N.
dc.contributor.author Þorvaldsson, Baldur
dc.contributor.author Víkingsson, Gísli
dc.date.accessioned 2019-04-04T10:39:26Z
dc.date.available 2019-04-04T10:39:26Z
dc.date.issued 2018-12-12
dc.identifier.citation Samarra, F. I. P., Bassoi, M., Béesau, J., Elíasdóttir, M. Ó., Gunnarsson, K., Mrusczok, M.-T., . . . Víkingsson, G. A. (2018). Prey of killer whales (Orcinus orca) in Iceland. PLoS One, 13(12), e0207287. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0207287
dc.identifier.issn 1932-6203
dc.identifier.uri https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11815/1095
dc.description Publisher's version (útgefin grein)
dc.description.abstract Killer whales have a cosmopolitan distribution and as a species are generalists, feeding on a variety of prey. However, local populations tend to specialise on specific prey types. In Icelandic waters, killer whales are generally associated with herring and, thus, have been presumed to be herring specialists. However, recent studies suggest a more complex foraging ecology, possibly including a mosaic of strategies. With increased observational effort in recent years due to research and whale-watching activities, there have been several reports of interactions with different prey, including confirmed predation events. In this study we aimed to summarise the range of potential prey of killer whales observed in Icelandic waters. We report on 12 previously unpublished accounts and review 15 accounts published in the scientific literature or local newspapers, making a total of 27 events where killer whales were observed interacting with actual or potential prey. Thirteen different species, including birds (n = 1), cephalopods (n = 1), fish (n = 5) and marine mammals (n = 6), are reported, although herring is by far the species that killer whales are most often observed interacting with. This study provides the first summary of actual and suspected killer whale prey in Icelandic waters, and contributes towards our understanding of this population’s prey preferences. However, describing the diet of individuals/groups was not possible and this study points to a need for continued monitoring to understand the intricacies of killer whale foraging behaviour in this area.
dc.description.sponsorship MB was employed by Elding Whale Watching, MOE was employed by Whales Hauganes ehf., MTM was employed by Láki Tours, JNR was employed by Special Tours and BT was employed by Iceland Pro Cruises. The funders provided support in the form of salaries for authors and in all cases (except Iceland Pro Cruises) provided platforms from where observations were made, but did not have any additional role in the study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. The specific roles of these authors are articulated in the ‘author contributions’ section. Funding for dedicated research was provided by the Icelandic Research Fund. The funder had no role in the study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.
dc.format.extent e0207287
dc.language.iso en
dc.publisher Public Library of Science (PLoS)
dc.relation.ispartofseries Plos One;13(12)
dc.rights info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
dc.subject Killer whales
dc.subject Predation
dc.subject Minke whales
dc.subject Seals
dc.subject Iceland
dc.subject Pilot whales
dc.subject Marine mammals
dc.subject Porpoises
dc.subject Háhyrningur
dc.subject Ránlífi
dc.subject Hrefna
dc.subject Selir
dc.subject Grindhvalur
dc.subject Sjávarspendýr
dc.title Prey of killer whales (Orcinus orca) in Iceland
dc.type info:eu-repo/semantics/article
dcterms.license This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
dc.description.version Peer Reviewed
dc.identifier.journal Plos One
dc.identifier.doi 10.1371/journal.pone.0207287
dc.relation.url http://dx.plos.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0207287
dc.contributor.department Rannsóknasetur á Húsavík (HÍ)
dc.contributor.department Research Centre in Húsavík (UI)


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