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A matter of scale: Identifying the best spatial and temporal scale of environmental variables to model the distribution of a small cetacean
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  • Tiffany Goh,
  • Mark Jessopp,
  • Emer Rogan,
  • Enrico Pirotta
Tiffany Goh
University College Cork

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

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Mark Jessopp
University College Cork National University of Ireland
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Emer Rogan
University College Cork
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Enrico Pirotta
University of St Andrews
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Abstract

The importance of scale when investigating ecological patterns and processes is recognised across many species. In marine ecosystems, the processes that drive species distribution have a hierarchical structure over multiple nested spatial and temporal scales. Hence, multi-scale approaches should be considered when developing accurate distribution models to identify key habitats, particularly for populations of conservation concern. Here, we propose a modelling procedure to identify the best spatial and temporal scale for each modelled and remotely sensed oceanographic variable to model harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) distribution. Harbour porpoise sightings were recorded during dedicated line-transect aerial surveys conducted in the summer of 2016, 2021 and 2022 in the northeast Atlantic. Binary generalised additive models were used to assess the relationships between porpoise presence and oceanographic variables at different spatial (5, 20 and 40 km) and temporal (daily, monthly and across survey period) scales. Selected variables included sea surface temperature, thermal fronts, chlorophyll-a, sea surface height, mixed layer depth and salinity. A total of 30,514 km was covered on-effort with 216 harbour porpoise sightings recorded. Overall, the best spatial scale corresponded to the coarsest resolution considered in this study (40 km), while porpoise presence showed stronger association with oceanographic variables summarised at a longer temporal scale (monthly and averaged over survey period). Habitat models including covariates at coarse spatial and temporal scales may better reflect the processes driving availability and abundance of prey resources at the large scales covered during the surveys. These findings support the hypothesis that a multi-scale approach should be applied when investigating species distribution. Identifying suitable spatial and temporal scale would improve the functional interpretation of the underlying relationships, particularly when studying how a small marine predator interacts with its environment and responds to climate and ecosystem changes.
04 Mar 2024Submitted to Ecology and Evolution
07 Mar 2024Submission Checks Completed
07 Mar 2024Assigned to Editor
18 Mar 2024Reviewer(s) Assigned
11 May 2024Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
08 Jul 20241st Revision Received
08 Jul 2024Submission Checks Completed
08 Jul 2024Assigned to Editor
08 Jul 2024Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
15 Jul 2024Editorial Decision: Accept