Long-distance communication can enable collective migration in a dynamic seascape

Area of Science:

• Marine Biology
• Animal Behavior
• Ecology

Background:

• Social information influences animal migration decisions in dynamic environments.
• The role of social information in marine megafauna migration is largely unknown.
• Understanding long-range communication in oceanic ecosystems is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the cues used by blue whales for breeding migration timing.
• To determine if blue whales utilize social information for migration decisions.
• To assess the impact of social communication on foraging and migration.

Main Methods:

• Individual-based models parameterized with empirical behavioral data.
• Comparison of model outputs with empirical migration timing metrics.
• Hypothesis testing on social vs. personal information use.

Main Results:

• Blue whales use both personal and social information for migration timing.
• Long-distance social information from conspecific songs is essential for accurate migration timing.
• Social communication boosts pre-migration foraging performance by over 60%.

Conclusions:

• Long-range acoustic communication enhances blue whales' perceptual range and foraging.
• Social information is vital for collective migration timing in wide-ranging marine species.
• Nonlocal social information significantly benefits oceanic migrants.