This two-year, $465,684 project grant from the National Science Foundation's Polar Programs will support research exploring the role of bubble-net feeding cultural innovations in humpback whale populations in the Antarctic Peninsula region. The University of California Santa Cruz will leverage long-term data from the LTER study on the western Antarctic Peninsula, including from animal-borne tags, behavioral observations, biopsies, photo-identification, and drone footage. Researchers will model how bubble-netting behaviors have emerged and spread, relative to both demographic and environmental variables, with the hypothesis that it represents a socially learned response to changing foraging conditions from climate change. Outreach materials will engage the public on this unique Antarctic research and its conservation implications. Ultimately, the project aims to further understanding of how species may adapt to climate impacts through social learning and culture. The research products will advance the NSF Polar Programs' mission to support basic research in polar regions through increased scientific knowledge and understanding.
Mod # | Description | Reason For Modification | Federal Obligation (Click to sort descending) | Date (Click to sort ascending) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Not listed | $232.8k | 6/6/22 |