The narwhal (Monodon monoceros) is an Arctic cetacean
occupying a habitat characterized by environmental extremes. Narwhal studies
range from work to 1) identify spatial and temporal sub-population specific
movement patterns and elucidate stock discreteness, 2) evaluate of narwhal
habitat selection in relation to prey resources and natural or anthropogenic
changes in the highly specialized pack-ice habitat, and 3) development of
methods for understanding resource selection and habitat use from satellite-linked
radio telemetry data. In addition, we are using tagged narwhals as
autonomous oceanographic sampling platforms to monitor changes in deep-water
temperatures (>1,800 m) in offshore Baffin Bay. The results of this
research identify processes key to determining effects of climate change on
narwhal adaptation, fitness, and survival, and demonstrate that narwhals are
important indicators for change in the offshore habitats in the high Arctic.
This work has been funded by NASA, NOAA Ocean Exploration, the Greenland
Institute of Natural Resources, and the Office of Naval Research.