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Life-history evolution, climate change, and the future of Arctic marine mammals
January 30 @ 11:00 am - 12:00 pm
Speaker: Dr. Steve Ferguson
DFO Arctic Region
The Arctic is undergoing unprecedented transformations due to rapid climate warming, fundamentally altering the ecological dynamics of Arctic marine mammals. My early research focused on monitoring these changes, but the scope has since expanded to include collaborations with Inuit communities to co-develop adaptive and mitigative strategies for a shifting climate. I explore how life-history traits, such as those of ringed seals, are used to predict the demographic mechanisms driving distributional shifts, as well as the impacts of reproduction dynamics exemplified by beluga whales. I will also delve into the ecological consequences of top-down predation by killer whales and the arrival of temperate “new Arctic whales”, driven northward by warming waters. Conflicting patterns emerge with increased human activity, including vessel traffic and fisheries, complicating conservation and management efforts. Flexible species, such as bowhead whales, demonstrate remarkable adaptability through large-scale movements to track food sources and predator refugia, offering insights into potential resilience pathways. Comparative models of top predators, such as Arctic and subarctic seals, highlight the competitive outcomes of climate change, identifying winners and losers in this new ecological landscape. Ultimately, this seminar emphasizes the importance of accepting species distribution changes while prioritizing ecosystem resilience, offering pathways for conservation strategies that balance ecological shifts with sustainable Arctic stewardship.
BIO: Dr. Steven Ferguson has been a marine mammal Research Scientist with Fisheries and Oceans Canada based in Winnipeg since 2002. He did his undergrad at Guelph University, MSc on caribou at University of Victoria, PhD on polar bears at University of Saskatchewan and post-doc at Lakehead University. He holds adjunct status at the University of Manitoba where he supervises graduate students. He currently studies ice seals and ice whales and his interest in predation and life-history evolution has resulted in over 300 primary publications.
