Satellite imagery survey of beluga whales in the Severn and Winisk River estuaries

Very High Resolution (VHR) satellite imagery has expanded the scale at which researchers can monitor marine mammal species in Arctic and sub-Arctic regions. It can be used to provide abundance estimates and describe habitat associations in remote ecosystems which can help inform current and future management efforts in data deficient areas. We used 31 cm resolution VHR satellite imagery and habitat selection models to estimate the abundance and habitat associations of beluga whales in the Severn and Winisk River estuaries at the relatively understudied southern extent of the Western Hudson Bay (WHB) beluga whale population’s range. Availability bias corrected beluga whale abundance estimates across both estuaries was 638 (95% CI = 615 - 662). Habitat closer to the river mouths was preferred in both estuaries where prey species are presumably more abundant. This study provides an updated abundance estimate of beluga whales in the southern extent of the WHB beluga whale distribution and is the first to describe habitat preference in this region. VHR imagery has the potential to improve monitoring efforts and further our understanding of beluga whale habitat use in this region.