ABSTRACT Ulban Bay, in the western Sea of Okhotsk, serves as a critical foraging area for bowhead whales ( Balaena mysticetus ) during late summer. This study integrates whale observations with quantitative zooplankton sampling to assess the relationship between whale distribution and prey fields. A total of 38 species and taxa of marine planktonic invertebrates were identified across all sampling stations. Results reveal a dominance of the cold‐water copepod Acartia longiremis and high spatial heterogeneity in zooplankton abundance in this shallow bay habitat. Whale occurrence was closely related to zooplankton density, while abiotic variables showed only minor effects. Key environmental drivers, tidal phase and temperature, were identified, yet biotic predator–prey interactions were found to more strongly influence whale distribution patterns at local scales. Energetic assessments illustrate the capacity of Ulban Bay to support a considerable segment of the Okhotsk Sea bowhead population and emphasize the bay's multifunctional role as a foraging and shelter area.
Slavina et al. (Wed,) studied this question.
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