plSSN : 0374-8111 | elSSN : 2287-8815
plSSN : 0374-8111 | elSSN : 2287-8815
plSSN : 0374-8111elSSN : 2287-8815
이다솜·신동훈1·김명준1·이경리*
국립수산과학원 고래연구소, 1국립수산과학원 수산자원연구센터
The baleen plates of mysticetes provide valuable insights into their recent foraging activities through stable isotope analyses, with variations in carbon and nitrogen isotopic compositions allowing for the reconstruction of seasonal migration patterns. In March 2023, a sei whale Balaenoptera borealis carcass was stranded off the coast of Buan, Jeonbuk, in the Yellow Sea, Korea. The whale was a young male, measuring 9.39 m in length. The total length of its baleen plate was approximately 34 cm, with δ13C values ranging from -20.9 to -18.8‰, and δ15N values ranging from 8.5 to 12.0‰. The variations in carbon and nitrogen isotopes were as much as 1.26‰ and 1.94‰, respectively. No significant periodicity was observed in the stable isotope fluctuations, which may be attributable to the age of the whale. However, when compared with previous studies on stable isotope analyses of sei whale baleen plates, this study showed similar patterns, as the δ13C values gradually increased and δ15N values decreased. The period during which these two isotope values crossed probably reflects the weaning phase of the whale.
Sei whale, Balaenoptera borealis, Stable isotope analysis, Baleen plate