1
|
Adamczak SK, McHuron EA, Christiansen F, Dunkin R, McMahon CR, Noren S, Pirotta E, Rosen D, Sumich J, Costa DP. Growth in marine mammals: a review of growth patterns, composition and energy investment. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2023; 11:coad035. [PMID: 37492466 PMCID: PMC10364341 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coad035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2022] [Revised: 04/01/2023] [Accepted: 06/05/2023] [Indexed: 07/27/2023]
Abstract
Growth of structural mass and energy reserves influences individual survival, reproductive success, population and species life history. Metrics of structural growth and energy storage of individuals are often used to assess population health and reproductive potential, which can inform conservation. However, the energetic costs of tissue deposition for structural growth and energy stores and their prioritization within bioenergetic budgets are poorly documented. This is particularly true across marine mammal species as resources are accumulated at sea, limiting the ability to measure energy allocation and prioritization. We reviewed the literature on marine mammal growth to summarize growth patterns, explore their tissue compositions, assess the energetic costs of depositing these tissues and explore the tradeoffs associated with growth. Generally, marine mammals exhibit logarithmic growth. This means that the energetic costs related to growth and tissue deposition are high for early postnatal animals, but small compared to the total energy budget as animals get older. Growth patterns can also change in response to resource availability, habitat and other energy demands, such that they can serve as an indicator of individual and population health. Composition of tissues remained consistent with respect to protein and water content across species; however, there was a high degree of variability in the lipid content of both muscle (0.1-74.3%) and blubber (0.4-97.9%) due to the use of lipids as energy storage. We found that relatively few well-studied species dominate the literature, leaving data gaps for entire taxa, such as beaked whales. The purpose of this review was to identify such gaps, to inform future research priorities and to improve our understanding of how marine mammals grow and the associated energetic costs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie K Adamczak
- Corresponding author: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz CA, USA.
| | - Elizabeth A McHuron
- Cooperative Institute for Climate, Ocean, and Ecosystem Studies, University of Washington, 3737 Brooklyn Ave NE, Seattle, WA 98105, USA
| | - Fredrik Christiansen
- Department of Ecoscience – Marine Mammal Research, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Robin Dunkin
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department, University of California Santa Cruz, 130 McAlister Way, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
| | - Clive R McMahon
- Sydney Institute of Marine Science, 9 Chowder Bay Road, Mosman, NSW 2088, Australia
| | - Shawn Noren
- Institute of Marine Science, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz CA, USA
| | - Enrico Pirotta
- Centre for Research into Ecology and Environmental Modelling, University of St. Andrews, St. Andrews, KY16 9LZ, UK
| | - David Rosen
- Marine Mammal Research Unit, Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, University of British Columbia, 2022 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - James Sumich
- Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Science Department, Oregon State University, Hatfield Marine Science Center, 2030 SE Marine Science Driver, Newport, Oregon 97365, USA
| | - Daniel P Costa
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department, University of California Santa Cruz, 130 McAlister Way, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
- Institute of Marine Science, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz CA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Booth CG, Guilpin M, Darias-O’Hara AK, Ransijn JM, Ryder M, Rosen D, Pirotta E, Smout S, McHuron EA, Nabe-Nielsen J, Costa DP. Estimating energetic intake for marine mammal bioenergetic models. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2023; 11:coac083. [PMID: 36756464 PMCID: PMC9900471 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coac083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2022] [Revised: 11/08/2022] [Accepted: 12/21/2022] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Bioenergetics is the study of how animals achieve energetic balance. Energetic balance results from the energetic expenditure of an individual and the energy they extract from their environment. Ingested energy depends on several extrinsic (e.g prey species, nutritional value and composition, prey density and availability) and intrinsic factors (e.g. foraging effort, success at catching prey, digestive processes and associated energy losses, and digestive capacity). While the focus in bioenergetic modelling is often on the energetic costs an animal incurs, the robust estimation of an individual's energy intake is equally critical for producing meaningful predictions. Here, we review the components and processes that affect energy intake from ingested gross energy to biologically useful net energy (NE). The current state of knowledge of each parameter is reviewed, shedding light on research gaps to advance this field. The review highlighted that the foraging behaviour of many marine mammals is relatively well studied via biologging tags, with estimates of success rate typically assumed for most species. However, actual prey capture success rates are often only assumed, although we note studies that provide approaches for its estimation using current techniques. A comprehensive collation of the nutritional content of marine mammal prey species revealed a robust foundation from which prey quality (comprising prey species, size and energy density) can be assessed, though data remain unavailable for many prey species. Empirical information on various energy losses following ingestion of prey was unbalanced among marine mammal species, with considerably more literature available for pinnipeds. An increased understanding and accurate estimate of each of the components that comprise a species NE intake are an integral part of bioenergetics. Such models provide a key tool to investigate the effects of disturbance on marine mammals at an individual and population level and to support effective conservation and management.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cormac G Booth
- Corresponding author: SMRU Consulting, Scottish Oceans Institute, University of St Andrews, East Sands, St Andrews, KY16 8LB, UK.
| | | | - Aimee-Kate Darias-O’Hara
- SMRU Consulting, Scottish Oceans Institute, University of St Andrews, East Sands, St Andrews, KY16 8LB, UK
| | - Janneke M Ransijn
- Sea Mammal Research Unit, Scottish Oceans Institute, East Sands, University of St. Andrews, St. Andrews, KY16 8LB, UK
| | - Megan Ryder
- SMRU Consulting, Scottish Oceans Institute, University of St Andrews, East Sands, St Andrews, KY16 8LB, UK
| | - Dave Rosen
- Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, University of British Columbia, 2202 Main Mall,
Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Enrico Pirotta
- Centre for Research into Ecological and Environmental Modelling,
The Observatory, Buchanan
Gardens, University of St. Andrews, St. Andrews,
KY16 9LZ, UK
| | - Sophie Smout
- Sea Mammal Research Unit, Scottish Oceans Institute, East Sands, University of St. Andrews, St. Andrews, KY16 8LB, UK
| | - Elizabeth A McHuron
- Cooperative Institute for Climate, Ocean, and Ecosystem Studies, University of Washington, 3737 Brooklyn Ave NE, Seattle, WA, 98105, USA
| | - Jacob Nabe-Nielsen
- Marine Mammal Research, Department of Ecoscience, Aarhus University, Aarhus, DK-4000
Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Daniel P Costa
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department, University of California Santa Cruz, 130
McAlister Way, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064, USA
| |
Collapse
|