Whale entanglements disentangled through the lens of cumulative habitat compression
Fig 6
Forecasts and observations of habitat compression for 2024 for Region 3 (central California).
(top) The rate of thermal habitat accumulation (cHCI) was forecast below average (dashed line; see Fig 3c) for 2024 and demonstrates skill in forecast at 1-6 months leads. (bottom) Strategic example of how the forecast of cHCI can be implemented to inform changes in spring through applying a forecast from December to March. This is the March cHCI values for every year (2000-2024) for forecasts starting the previous December 14 (i.e., Jan = 0.5, Feb = 1.5, Mar = 2.5 etc…). For example, this strategic short-term forecast of the cHCI can inform the status of habitat compression during a critical time period when humpback whales are migrating back to California waters and when the spring Dungeness Crab fishery is operating and decisions are being made about the length of the season.