Baleen stable isotopes reveal climate-driven behavioural shifts in North Atlantic fin whales

Abstract

Climate variability impacts the structure and functioning of marine ecosystems and can trigger behavioural responses in organisms. We investigated whether such variability modulates diet and migration in the North Atlantic fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus). To reconstruct the dietary and migratory behaviours over time, we conducted stable isotope analysis of nitrogen (δ15N) and carbon (δ13C) along baleen plates from 29 fin whales sampled off southwestern (SW) Iceland in summer. We estimated a baleen growth rate of 16.1 ± 2.5 cm per year from the stable isotope oscillations observed along the baleens. We also assigned a deposition date for each baleen segment, thus obtaining isotopic sequential time series. We then assessed the potential association of these time series with the main climate patterns of the North Atlantic basin. Baleen δ15N and δ13C values are associated with the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO). During high AMO and low NAO periods, which tend to decrease krill abundance, there is an increase in both the mean and standard deviation of baleen δ15N values, suggesting that fin whales shift to higher trophic resources and expand their dietary niche. Additionally, high AMO periods, which relate to positive temperature anomalies, lead to a decrease in baleen δ13C values, suggesting that fin whales adjust their migratory routes and destinations towards higher latitudes. Significant variation in isotopic niche width between years also reflected these dietary and migratory behavioural shifts. This highlights the plasticity of the North Atlantic fin whale behaviour, a trait likelyto strengthen the resilience of the species within the current context of rapid and intense climate variability.