Baleen Whale Ecology

Greenlandic waters are important feeding grounds for several baleen whales species, such as bowhead, humpback, fin, minke, sei and blue whales. As apex predators feeding in the lower parts of the ecosystem, they are a key component in the marine ecosystem. Additionally, several of them are important to society for tourism and subsistence hunting. 

We address research and management questions concerning habitat use, the impact on the food web, the effects of climate changes and the impact of humane activities like hunting and tourism. To understand habitat use, migration, sex and age determination, interrelatedness, prey selection and behavior, we use a variety of techniques, including satellite and archival tagging, tissue sampling from biopsies and subsistence hunting, echosounders to monitor prey fields and local knowledge.