Baleen whales - Hump-back whale - ecosystem component from the WIO Symphony tool

Species distribution models (SDMs) were created for Megaptera novaeangliae (humpback whale) and Eubalaena australis (southern right whale), using ensemble modelling with 25 predictor variables and observation records from the Ocean Biodiversity Information System (OBIS). Probability of occurrence maps produced in the SDM were then summed across all species. The output layer was scaled to between 0 and 100, with 0 representing predicted absence, 1 representing the lowest predicted probability of presence, and 100 representing the highest predicted probability of presence. These probabilities may serve as a proxy for relative taxa abundance and/or biomass. Known limitations: The species distribution models are based on available records, and therefore likely to contain observation bias. As such, the model is likely to overestimate occurrence in regions with many recorded observations of marine wildlife (e.g. South Africa) and underestimate occurrence in regions with few recorded observations of marine wildlife (e.g. Somalia).