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Sutton GJ, Angel LP, Speakman JR, Arnould JPY. Determining energy expenditure in a large seabird using accelerometry. J Exp Biol 2023; 226:jeb246922. [PMID: 37947172 PMCID: PMC10714144 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.246922] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2023] [Accepted: 11/01/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023]
Abstract
The trade off between energy gained and expended is the foundation of understanding how, why and when animals perform any activity. Based on the concept that animal movements have an energetic cost, accelerometry is increasingly being used to estimate energy expenditure. However, validation of accelerometry as an accurate proxy for field metabolic rate in free-ranging species is limited. In the present study, Australasian gannets (Morus serrator) from the Pope's Eye colony (38°16'42″S 144°41'48″E), south-eastern Australia, were equipped with GPS and tri-axial accelerometers and dosed with doubly labelled water (DLW) to measure energy expenditure during normal behaviour for 3-5 days. The correlation between daily energy expenditure from the DLW and vectorial dynamic body acceleration (VeDBA) was high for both a simple correlation and activity-specific approaches (R2=0.75 and 0.80, respectively). Varying degrees of success were observed for estimating at-sea metabolic rate from accelerometry when removing time on land using published energy expenditure constants (R2=0.02) or activity-specific approaches (R2=0.42). The predictive capacity of energy expenditure models for total and at-sea periods was improved by the addition of total distance travelled and proportion of the sampling period spent at sea during the night, respectively (R2=0.61-0.82). These results indicate that accelerometry can be used to estimate daily energy expenditure in free-ranging gannets and its accuracy may depend on the inclusion of movement parameters not detected by accelerometry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grace J. Sutton
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, 221 Burwood Hwy, Burwood, VIC 3125, Australia
- Department of Environment & Genetics, and Research Centre for Future Landscapes, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC 3086, Australia
| | - Lauren P. Angel
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, 221 Burwood Hwy, Burwood, VIC 3125, Australia
| | - John R. Speakman
- Institute of Environmental and Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, AB24 2TZ, UK
- Center for Energy Metabolism and Reproduction, Shenzhen Institutes of Advance Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - John P. Y. Arnould
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, 221 Burwood Hwy, Burwood, VIC 3125, Australia
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2
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Videsen SKA, Simon M, Christiansen F, Friedlaender A, Goldbogen J, Malte H, Segre P, Wang T, Johnson M, Madsen PT. Cheap gulp foraging of a giga-predator enables efficient exploitation of sparse prey. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eade3889. [PMID: 37352356 PMCID: PMC10289661 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.ade3889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2022] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/25/2023]
Abstract
The giant rorqual whales are believed to have a massive food turnover driven by a high-intake lunge feeding style aptly described as the world's largest biomechanical action. This high-drag feeding behavior is thought to limit dive times and constrain rorquals to target only the densest prey patches, making them vulnerable to disturbance and habitat change. Using biologging tags to estimate energy expenditure as a function of feeding rates on 23 humpback whales, we show that lunge feeding is energetically cheap. Such inexpensive foraging means that rorquals are flexible in the quality of prey patches they exploit and therefore more resilient to environmental fluctuations and disturbance. As a consequence, the food turnover and hence the ecological role of these marine giants have likely been overestimated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone K. A. Videsen
- Zoophysiology, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Denmark
- Greenland Climate Research Centre, Greenland Institute of Natural Resources, Nuuk, Greenland
| | - Malene Simon
- Greenland Climate Research Centre, Greenland Institute of Natural Resources, Nuuk, Greenland
| | - Fredrik Christiansen
- Aarhus Institute of Advanced Studies, Aarhus University, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
- Marine Mammal Research, Department of Ecoscience, Aarhus University, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Ari Friedlaender
- Institute of Marine Sciences, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | - Jeremy Goldbogen
- Hopkins Marine Station, Department of Biology, Stanford University, Pacific Grove, CA, USA
| | - Hans Malte
- Zoophysiology, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Denmark
| | - Paolo Segre
- Hopkins Marine Station, Department of Biology, Stanford University, Pacific Grove, CA, USA
| | - Tobias Wang
- Zoophysiology, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Denmark
| | - Mark Johnson
- Zoophysiology, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Denmark
- Aarhus Institute of Advanced Studies, Aarhus University, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Peter T. Madsen
- Zoophysiology, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Denmark
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3
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Kok ACM, Hildebrand MJ, MacArdle M, Martinez A, Garrison LP, Soldevilla MS, Hildebrand JA. Kinematics and energetics of foraging behavior in Rice's whales of the Gulf of Mexico. Sci Rep 2023; 13:8996. [PMID: 37268677 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-35049-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 05/11/2023] [Indexed: 06/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Rorqual foraging behavior varies with species, prey type and foraging conditions, and can be a determining factor for their fitness. Little is known about the foraging ecology of Rice's whales (Balaenoptera ricei), an endangered species with a population of fewer than 100 individuals. Suction cup tags were attached to two Rice's whales to collect information on their diving kinematics and foraging behavior. The tagged whales primarily exhibited lunge-feeding near the sea bottom and to a lesser extent in the water-column and at the sea surface. During 6-10 min foraging dives, the whales typically circled their prey before executing one or two feeding lunges. Longer duration dives and dives with more feeding-lunges were followed by an increase in their breathing rate. The median lunge rate of one lunge per dive of both animals was much lower than expected based on comparative research on other lunge-feeding baleen whales, and may be associated with foraging on fish instead of krill or may be an indication of different foraging conditions. Both animals spent extended periods of the night near the sea surface, increasing the risk for ship strike. Furthermore, their circling before lunging may increase the risk for entanglement in bottom-longline fishing gear. Overall, these data show that Rice's whale foraging behavior differs from other lunge feeding rorqual species and may be a significant factor in shaping our understanding of their foraging ecology. Efforts to mitigate threats to Rice's whales will benefit from improved understanding of patterns in their habitat use and fine-scale ecology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annebelle C M Kok
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA.
| | - Maya J Hildebrand
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Maria MacArdle
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Anthony Martinez
- Marine Mammal and Turtle Division, Southeast Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Lance P Garrison
- Marine Mammal and Turtle Division, Southeast Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Melissa S Soldevilla
- Marine Mammal and Turtle Division, Southeast Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, Miami, FL, USA
| | - John A Hildebrand
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
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4
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Cade DE, Kahane-Rapport SR, Gough WT, Bierlich KC, Linsky JMJ, Calambokidis J, Johnston DW, Goldbogen JA, Friedlaender AS. Minke whale feeding rate limitations suggest constraints on the minimum body size for engulfment filtration feeding. Nat Ecol Evol 2023; 7:535-546. [PMID: 36914772 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-023-01993-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2022] [Accepted: 01/05/2023] [Indexed: 03/16/2023]
Abstract
Bulk filter feeding has enabled gigantism throughout evolutionary history. The largest animals, extant rorqual whales, utilize intermittent engulfment filtration feeding (lunge feeding), which increases in efficiency with body size, enabling their gigantism. The smallest extant rorquals (7-10 m minke whales), however, still exhibit short-term foraging efficiencies several times greater than smaller non-filter-feeding cetaceans, raising the question of why smaller animals do not utilize this foraging modality. We collected 437 h of bio-logging data from 23 Antarctic minke whales (Balaenoptera bonaerensis) to test the relationship of feeding rates (λf) to body size. Here, we show that while ultra-high nighttime λf (mean ± s.d.: 165 ± 40 lunges h-1; max: 236 lunges h-1; mean depth: 28 ± 46 m) were indistinguishable from predictions from observations of larger species, daytime λf (mean depth: 72 ± 72 m) were only 25-40% of predicted rates. Both λf were near the maxima allowed by calculated biomechanical, physiological and environmental constraints, but these temporal constraints meant that maximum λf was below the expected λf for animals smaller than ~5 m-the length of weaned minke whales. Our findings suggest that minimum size for specific filter-feeding body plans may relate broadly to temporal restrictions on filtration rate and have implications for the evolution of filter feeding.
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Affiliation(s)
- David E Cade
- Institute of Marine Science, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, USA.
- Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University, Pacific Grove, CA, USA.
| | | | - William T Gough
- Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University, Pacific Grove, CA, USA
| | - K C Bierlich
- Division of Marine Science and Conservation, Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Beaufort, NC, USA
- Marine Mammal Institute, Hatfield Marine Science Center, Oregon State University, Newport, OR, USA
| | - Jacob M J Linsky
- Institute of Marine Science, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | | | - David W Johnston
- Division of Marine Science and Conservation, Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Beaufort, NC, USA
| | | | - Ari S Friedlaender
- Institute of Marine Science, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
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5
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Herr H, Viquerat S, Devas F, Lees A, Wells L, Gregory B, Giffords T, Beecham D, Meyer B. Return of large fin whale feeding aggregations to historical whaling grounds in the Southern Ocean. Sci Rep 2022; 12:9458. [PMID: 35798799 PMCID: PMC9262878 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-13798-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2021] [Accepted: 05/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus quoyi) of the Southern Hemisphere were brought to near extinction by twentieth century industrial whaling. For decades, they had all but disappeared from previously highly frequented feeding grounds in Antarctic waters. Our dedicated surveys now confirm their return to ancestral feeding grounds, gathering at the Antarctic Peninsula in large aggregations to feed. We report on the results of an abundance survey and present the first scientific documentation of large fin whale feeding aggregations at Elephant Island, Antarctica, including the first ever video documentation. We interpret high densities, re-establishment of historical behaviours and the return to ancestral feeding grounds as signs for a recovering population. Recovery of a large whale population has the potential to augment primary productivity at their feeding grounds through the effects of nutrient recycling, known as 'the whale pump'. The recovery of fin whales in that area could thus restore ecosystem functions crucial for atmospheric carbon regulation in the world's most important ocean region for the uptake of anthropogenic CO2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helena Herr
- Institute of Marine Ecosystem and Fishery Science, Center for Earth System Research and Sustainability, University of Hamburg, Große Elbstraße 133, 22767, Hamburg, Germany. .,Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Am Handelshafen 12, 27570, Bremerhaven, Germany.
| | - Sacha Viquerat
- Institute of Marine Ecosystem and Fishery Science, Center for Earth System Research and Sustainability, University of Hamburg, Große Elbstraße 133, 22767, Hamburg, Germany.,Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Am Handelshafen 12, 27570, Bremerhaven, Germany
| | - Fredi Devas
- BBC Studios, Natural History Unit, Bridgewaterhouse, Counterslip, Bristol, UK
| | - Abigail Lees
- BBC Studios, Natural History Unit, Bridgewaterhouse, Counterslip, Bristol, UK
| | - Lucy Wells
- BBC Studios, Natural History Unit, Bridgewaterhouse, Counterslip, Bristol, UK
| | - Bertie Gregory
- BBC Studios, Natural History Unit, Bridgewaterhouse, Counterslip, Bristol, UK
| | - Ted Giffords
- BBC Studios, Natural History Unit, Bridgewaterhouse, Counterslip, Bristol, UK
| | - Dan Beecham
- BBC Studios, Natural History Unit, Bridgewaterhouse, Counterslip, Bristol, UK
| | - Bettina Meyer
- Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Am Handelshafen 12, 27570, Bremerhaven, Germany.,Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment, Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, Carl-von-Ossietzky-Straße 9-11, 26111, Oldenburg, Germany.,Helmholtz Institute for Functional Marine Biodiversity at the University of Oldenburg (HIFMB), Ammerländer Heerstraße 231, 26129, Oldenburg, Germany
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6
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Optimal diving and oxygen use. Anim Behav 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2021.10.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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7
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Grant SM, Waller CL, Morley SA, Barnes DKA, Brasier MJ, Double MC, Griffiths HJ, Hughes KA, Jackson JA, Waluda CM, Constable AJ. Local Drivers of Change in Southern Ocean Ecosystems: Human Activities and Policy Implications. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.624518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Local drivers are human activities or processes that occur in specific locations, and cause physical or ecological change at the local or regional scale. Here, we consider marine and land-derived pollution, non-indigenous species, tourism and other human visits, exploitation of marine resources, recovery of marine mammals, and coastal change as a result of ice loss, in terms of their historic and current extent, and their interactions with the Southern Ocean environment. We summarise projected increases or decreases in the influence of local drivers, and projected changes to their geographic range, concluding that the influence of non-indigenous species, fishing, and the recovery of marine mammals are predicted to increase in the future across the Southern Ocean. Local drivers can be managed regionally, and we identify existing governance frameworks as part of the Antarctic Treaty System and other instruments which may be employed to mitigate or limit their impacts on Southern Ocean ecosystems.
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8
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Hendricks B, Keen EM, Shine C, Wray JL, Alidina HM, Picard CR. Acoustic tracking of fin whales: Habitat use and movement patterns within a Canadian Pacific fjord system. THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2021; 149:4264. [PMID: 34241431 DOI: 10.1121/10.0005044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2021] [Accepted: 04/29/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Fin whale 20 Hz calls were detected, localized, and tracked using a 10 km aperture network of three acoustic receivers deployed for 11 months in a Pacific Canadian fjord system. The area has been historically important for fin whales and is located along a route that tankers will begin using in 2024. A total of 6712 calls were localized, and trajectories were fitted for 55 acoustic tracks. Fin whale tracks occurred throughout the monitoring site. Call activity peaked in September and was low during winter months. Swimming characteristics varied significantly between day- and nighttime: at night, whales swam faster (7.1 vs 4.0 km/h median, +75.2%), which resulted in longer (+34.7%), less predictable (-70.6%) tracks as compared to daylight hours. Call frequencies varied between 16 and 32 Hz. Beside stereotypical song frequencies, fin whales also used irregular frequency components, which contributed the majority of calls in the summer but did not occur in the winter. The results suggest that the area is primarily used as a summer feeding ground, where fin whales follow a diel behavioral cycle. The observed activity patterns will aid in the assessment of strike risk and harassment mitigation and provide a baseline to document behavioral change.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Eric M Keen
- Marine Ecology and Telemetry Research, 2468 Camp McKenzie Trail Northwest, Seabeck, Washington 98380, USA
| | - Chenoah Shine
- North Coast Cetacean Society, 26 Cottonwood Road, Alert Bay, British Columbia V0N 1A0, Canada
| | - Janie L Wray
- North Coast Cetacean Society, 26 Cottonwood Road, Alert Bay, British Columbia V0N 1A0, Canada
| | - Hussein M Alidina
- Oceans Program, World Wildlife Fund-Canada, 259-560 Johnston Street, Victoria, British Columbia V8W 3C6, Canada
| | - Chris R Picard
- Gitga'at Oceans and Lands Department, 445 Hayimiisaxaa Way, Hartley Bay, British Columbia V0V 1A0, Canada
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9
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Busquets-Vass G, Newsome SD, Pardo MA, Calambokidis J, Aguíñiga-García S, Páez-Rosas D, Gómez-Gutiérrez J, Enríquez-Paredes LM, Gendron D. Isotope-based inferences of the seasonal foraging and migratory strategies of blue whales in the eastern Pacific Ocean. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2021; 163:105201. [PMID: 33162117 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2020.105201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2020] [Revised: 10/15/2020] [Accepted: 10/24/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Migratory marine megafauna generally move vast distances between productive foraging grounds and environmentally stable breeding grounds, but characterizing how they use these habitats to maintain homeostasis and reproduce is difficult. We used isotope analysis of blue whale skin strata (n = 621) and potential prey (n = 300) to examine their migratory and foraging strategies in the eastern Pacific Ocean. Our results suggest that most whales in the northeast Pacific use a mixed income and capital breeding strategy, and use the California Current Ecosystem as their primary summer-fall foraging ground. A subset of individuals exhibited migratory plasticity and spend most of the year in the Gulf of California or Costa Rica Dome, two regions believed to be their primary winter-spring breeding grounds. Isotope data also revealed that whales in the southern Eastern Tropical Pacific generally do not forage in the northeast Pacific, which suggests a north-south population structure with a boundary near the equator.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geraldine Busquets-Vass
- Centro de Investigación Científica y Educación Superior de Ensenada, Unidad La Paz, Laboratorio de Macroecología Marina, Baja California Sur, Mexico; University of New Mexico, Biology Department, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Seth D Newsome
- University of New Mexico, Biology Department, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Mario A Pardo
- Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología - Centro de Investigación Científica y Educación Superior de Ensenada, Unidad La Paz, Laboratorio de Macroecología Marina, Baja California Sur, Mexico
| | | | - Sergio Aguíñiga-García
- Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Centro Interdisciplinario de Ciencias Marinas, La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico
| | - Diego Páez-Rosas
- Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Galapagos Science Center, Av. Alsacio Northía, Isla San Cristóbal, Galápagos, Ecuador; Dirección del Parque Nacional Galápagos, Unidad Técnica Operativa San Cristóbal, Av. Perimetral, Isla San Cristóbal, Galápagos, Ecuador
| | - Jaime Gómez-Gutiérrez
- Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Centro Interdisciplinario de Ciencias Marinas, La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico
| | - Luis M Enríquez-Paredes
- Facultad de Ciencias Marinas, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California, Baja California, Mexico
| | - Diane Gendron
- Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Centro Interdisciplinario de Ciencias Marinas, La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico.
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10
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Caruso F, Hickmott L, Warren JD, Segre P, Chiang G, Bahamonde P, Español-Jiménez S, Li S, Bocconcelli A. Diel differences in blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus) dive behavior increase nighttime risk of ship strikes in northern Chilean Patagonia. Integr Zool 2020; 16:594-611. [PMID: 33166068 PMCID: PMC9290343 DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The northern Chilean Patagonia region is a key feeding ground and a nursing habitat in the southern hemisphere for blue whales (Balaenoptera musculus). From 2014 to 2019, during 6 separate research cruises, the dive behavior of 28 individual blue whales was investigated using bio‐logging tags (DTAGs), generating ≈190 h of data. Whales dove to significantly greater depths during the day compared to nighttime (day: 32.6 ± 18.7 m; night: 6.2 ± 2.7 m; P < 0.01). During the night, most time was spent close to the surface (86% ± 9.4%; P < 0.01) and at depths of less than 12 m. From 2016 to 2019, active acoustics (scientific echosounders) were used to record prey (euphausiids) density and distribution simultaneously with whale diving data. Tagged whales appeared to perform dives relative to the vertical migration of prey during the day. The association between diurnal prey migration and shallow nighttime dive behavior suggests that blue whales are at increased risk of ship collisions during periods of darkness since the estimated maximum ship draft of vessels operating in the region is also ≈12 m. In recent decades, northern Chilean Patagonia has seen a large increase in marine traffic due to a boom in salmon aquaculture and the passenger ship industry. Vessel strike risks for large whales are likely underestimated in this region. Results reported in this study may be valuable for policy and mitigation decisions regarding conservation of the endangered blue whale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Caruso
- Marine Mammals and Marine Bioacoustics Laboratory, Institute of Deep-sea Science and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Sanya, China.,Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Leigh Hickmott
- Open Ocean Consulting, Hampshire, UK.,Scottish Oceans Institute, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK
| | | | - Paolo Segre
- Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University, Pacific Grove, California, USA
| | - Gustavo Chiang
- Melimoyu Ecosystem Research Institute, Santiago de Chile, Chile
| | - Paulina Bahamonde
- Melimoyu Ecosystem Research Institute, Santiago de Chile, Chile.,HUB Ambiental-Centro de Estudios Avanzado, Universidad de Playa Ancha (UPLA), Valparaíso, Chile
| | | | - Songhai Li
- Marine Mammals and Marine Bioacoustics Laboratory, Institute of Deep-sea Science and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Sanya, China
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11
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Cade DE, Carey N, Domenici P, Potvin J, Goldbogen JA. Predator-informed looming stimulus experiments reveal how large filter feeding whales capture highly maneuverable forage fish. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:472-478. [PMID: 31871184 PMCID: PMC6955359 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1911099116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The unique engulfment filtration strategy of microphagous rorqual whales has evolved relatively recently (<5 Ma) and exploits extreme predator/prey size ratios to overcome the maneuverability advantages of swarms of small prey, such as krill. Forage fish, in contrast, have been engaged in evolutionary arms races with their predators for more than 100 million years and have performance capabilities that suggest they should easily evade whale-sized predators, yet they are regularly hunted by some species of rorqual whales. To explore this phenomenon, we determined, in a laboratory setting, when individual anchovies initiated escape from virtually approaching whales, then used these results along with in situ humpback whale attack data to model how predator speed and engulfment timing affected capture rates. Anchovies were found to respond to approaching visual looming stimuli at expansion rates that give ample chance to escape from a sea lion-sized predator, but humpback whales could capture as much as 30-60% of a school at once because the increase in their apparent (visual) size does not cross their prey's response threshold until after rapid jaw expansion. Humpback whales are, thus, incentivized to delay engulfment until they are very close to a prey school, even if this results in higher hydrodynamic drag. This potential exaptation of a microphagous filter feeding strategy for fish foraging enables humpback whales to achieve 7× the energetic efficiency (per lunge) of krill foraging, allowing for flexible foraging strategies that may underlie their ecological success in fluctuating oceanic conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- David E Cade
- Hopkins Marine Station, Department of Biology, Stanford University, Pacific Grove, CA 93950;
| | - Nicholas Carey
- Hopkins Marine Station, Department of Biology, Stanford University, Pacific Grove, CA 93950
| | - Paolo Domenici
- Istituto per lo studio degli impatti Antropici e Sostenibilità in ambiente marino, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, IAS-CNR, 09170, Torregrande, Oristano, Italy
| | - Jean Potvin
- Department of Physics, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, MO 63103
| | - Jeremy A Goldbogen
- Hopkins Marine Station, Department of Biology, Stanford University, Pacific Grove, CA 93950
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12
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McHuron EA, Sterling JT, Costa DP, Goebel ME. Factors affecting energy expenditure in a declining fur seal population. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2019; 7:coz103. [PMID: 31890212 PMCID: PMC6933311 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coz103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2019] [Revised: 10/11/2019] [Accepted: 11/08/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Quantifying metabolic rates and the factors that influence them is key to wildlife conservation efforts because anthropogenic activities and habitat alteration can disrupt energy balance, which is critical for reproduction and survival. We investigated the effect of diving behaviour, diet and season on field metabolic rates (FMR) and foraging success of lactating northern fur seals (Callorhinus ursinus) from the Pribilof Islands during a period of population decline. Variation in at-sea FMR was in part explained by season and trip duration, with values that ranged from 5.18 to 9.68 W kg-1 (n = 48). Fur seals experienced a 7.2% increase in at-sea FMR from summer to fall and a 1.9% decrease in at-sea FMR for each additional day spent at sea. There was no effect of foraging effort, dive depth or diet on at-sea FMR. Mass gains increased with trip duration and were greater in the fall compared with summer, but were unrelated to at-sea FMR, diving behaviour and diet. Seasonal increases in at-sea FMR may have been due to costs associated with the annual molt but did not appear to adversely impact the ability of females to gain mass on foraging trips. The overall high metabolic rates in conjunction with the lack of any diet-related effects on at-sea FMR suggests that northern fur seals may have reached a metabolic ceiling early in the population decline. This provides indirect evidence that food limitation may be contributing to the low pup growth rates observed in the Pribilof Islands, as a high metabolic overhead likely results in less available energy for lactation. The limited ability of female fur seals to cope with changes in prey availability through physiological mechanisms is particularly concerning given the recent and unprecedented environmental changes in the Bering Sea that are predicted to have ecosystem-level impacts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth A McHuron
- Joint Institute for the Atmosphere and Ocean, University of Washington, 3737 Brooklyn Ave NE, Seattle, WA 98105, USA
| | - Jeremy T Sterling
- Marine Mammal Laboratory, Alaska Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service – NOAA, 7600 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle, WA 98115, USA
| | - Daniel P Costa
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of California Santa Cruz, 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
| | - Michael E Goebel
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of California Santa Cruz, 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
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13
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Affiliation(s)
- Terrie M Williams
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, 130 McAllister Way, University of California-Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA.
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14
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Powering Ocean Giants: The Energetics of Shark and Ray Megafauna. Trends Ecol Evol 2019; 34:1009-1021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2019.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2019] [Revised: 06/26/2019] [Accepted: 07/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
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15
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Abstract
The largest animals are baleen filter feeders that exploit large aggregations of small-bodied plankton. Although this feeding mechanism has evolved multiple times in marine vertebrates, rorqual whales exhibit a distinct lunge filter feeding mode that requires extreme physiological adaptations-most of which remain poorly understood. Here, we review the biomechanics of the lunge feeding mechanism in rorqual whales that underlies their extraordinary foraging performance and gigantic body size.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert E Shadwick
- Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Jean Potvin
- Department of Physics, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Jeremy A Goldbogen
- Department of Biology, Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University, Pacific Grove, California
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16
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Helminth Load in Feces of Free-Ranging Blue and Fin Whales from the Gulf of California. Acta Parasitol 2019; 64:625-637. [PMID: 31165986 DOI: 10.2478/s11686-019-00069-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2018] [Accepted: 05/06/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION This is the first worldwide systematic and quantitative study to count and identify helminth parasites from 100 blue and 44 fin whale fecal samples collected in the Gulf of California during winter (1993-2014). RESULTS Blue and fin whale feces had similar prevalence of adult acanthocephalans (Bolbosoma sp.) in feces (18.2% and 14.6%, respectively), but blue whales had significantly higher helminth egg prevalence in feces (100%) and mean intensity (443 ± 318 eggs/g) compared to fin whales (61%, 252 ± 327 eggs/g). Diphyllobothrium sp. eggs were identified in blue whale feces and Diphyllobothridae, Ogmogaster sp. and Crassicauda sp. eggs were identified in fin whale feces. We tested the hypothesis that egg intensity in blue whale's feces varies as a function of age class, reproductive status, sex, preservation and sampling years using a Generalized Linear Model. This model explained 61% of the variance in the helminth egg intensity, but it was not significant. Eighteen blue whale individuals were resampled over time without significant difference between consecutive samples. CONCLUSIONS Thus, all individual blue whales that migrate to the Gulf of California during winter are permanently parasitized with helminths, while the resident fin whales showed lower prevalence and intensity. This helminth load difference is likely due to their different diets duringsummer-fall, when blue whales feed on other krill species in the California Current System and fin whales shift to school fish prey types in the Gulf of California.
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Arranz P, Benoit-Bird KJ, Friedlaender AS, Hazen EL, Goldbogen JA, Stimpert AK, DeRuiter SL, Calambokidis J, Southall BL, Fahlman A, Tyack PL. Diving Behavior and Fine-Scale Kinematics of Free-Ranging Risso's Dolphins Foraging in Shallow and Deep-Water Habitats. Front Ecol Evol 2019. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2019.00053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
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18
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Montuelle SJ, Kane EA. Food Capture in Vertebrates: A Complex Integrative Performance of the Cranial and Postcranial Systems. FEEDING IN VERTEBRATES 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-13739-7_4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
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19
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Kahane‐Rapport SR, Goldbogen JA. Allometric scaling of morphology and engulfment capacity in rorqual whales. J Morphol 2018; 279:1256-1268. [DOI: 10.1002/jmor.20846] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2018] [Revised: 05/16/2018] [Accepted: 05/17/2018] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Shirel R. Kahane‐Rapport
- Department of Biology, Hopkins Marine Station Stanford University 120 Ocean View Blvd, Pacific Grove California
| | - Jeremy A. Goldbogen
- Department of Biology, Hopkins Marine Station Stanford University 120 Ocean View Blvd, Pacific Grove California
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20
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Lewis LA, Calambokidis J, Stimpert AK, Fahlbusch J, Friedlaender AS, McKenna MF, Mesnick SL, Oleson EM, Southall BL, Szesciorka AR, Širović A. Context-dependent variability in blue whale acoustic behaviour. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2018; 5:180241. [PMID: 30225013 PMCID: PMC6124089 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.180241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2018] [Accepted: 07/03/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Acoustic communication is an important aspect of reproductive, foraging and social behaviours for many marine species. Northeast Pacific blue whales (Balaenoptera musculus) produce three different call types-A, B and D calls. All may be produced as singular calls, but A and B calls also occur in phrases to form songs. To evaluate the behavioural context of singular call and phrase production in blue whales, the acoustic and dive profile data from tags deployed on individuals off southern California were assessed using generalized estimating equations. Only 22% of all deployments contained sounds attributed to the tagged animal. A larger proportion of tagged animals were female (47%) than male (13%), with 40% of unknown sex. Fifty per cent of tags deployed on males contained sounds attributed to the tagged whale, while only a few (5%) deployed on females did. Most calls were produced at shallow depths (less than 30 m). Repetitive phrasing (singing) and production of singular calls were most common during shallow, non-lunging dives, with the latter also common during surface behaviour. Higher sound production rates occurred during autumn than summer and they varied with time-of-day: singular call rates were higher at dawn and dusk, while phrase production rates were highest at dusk and night.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leah A. Lewis
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - John Calambokidis
- Cascadia Research Collective, 218 ½ W 4th Ave., Olympia, WA 98501, USA
| | - Alison K. Stimpert
- Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, 8272 Moss Landing Road, Moss Landing, CA 95039, USA
| | - James Fahlbusch
- Cascadia Research Collective, 218 ½ W 4th Ave., Olympia, WA 98501, USA
| | - Ari S. Friedlaender
- Institute for Marine Sciences, University of California Santa Cruz, 115 McAllister Way, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
- Southall Environmental Associates, 9099 Soquel Drive, Suite 8, Aptos, CA 95003, USA
| | - Megan F. McKenna
- Natural Sounds and Night Skies Division, National Park Service, 1201 Oakridge Drive, Fort Collins, CO 80525, USA
| | - Sarah L. Mesnick
- Southwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA, 8901 La Jolla Shores Drive, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Erin M. Oleson
- Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA, 1845 Wasp Blvd., Building 176, Honolulu, HI 96818, USA
| | - Brandon L. Southall
- Institute for Marine Sciences, University of California Santa Cruz, 115 McAllister Way, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
- Southall Environmental Associates, 9099 Soquel Drive, Suite 8, Aptos, CA 95003, USA
| | - Angela R. Szesciorka
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
- Cascadia Research Collective, 218 ½ W 4th Ave., Olympia, WA 98501, USA
| | - Ana Širović
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
- Texas A&M University Galveston, 200 Seawolf Parkway, Galveston, TX 77554, USA
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21
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Goldbogen JA, Madsen PT. The evolution of foraging capacity and gigantism in cetaceans. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2018; 221:221/11/jeb166033. [PMID: 29895582 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.166033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The extant diversity and rich fossil record of cetaceans provides an extraordinary evolutionary context for investigating the relationship between form, function and ecology. The transition from terrestrial to marine ecosystems is associated with a complex suite of morphological and physiological adaptations that were required for a fully aquatic mammalian life history. Two specific functional innovations that characterize the two great clades of cetaceans, echolocation in toothed whales (Odontoceti) and filter feeding in baleen whales (Mysticeti), provide a powerful comparative framework for integrative studies. Both clades exhibit gigantism in multiple species, but we posit that large body size may have evolved for different reasons and in response to different ecosystem conditions. Although these foraging adaptations have been studied using a combination of experimental and tagging studies, the precise functional drivers and consequences of morphological change within and among these lineages remain less understood. Future studies that focus at the interface of physiology, ecology and paleontology will help elucidate how cetaceans became the largest predators in aquatic ecosystems worldwide.
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Affiliation(s)
- J A Goldbogen
- Department of Biology, Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University, 120 Ocean View Boulevard, Pacific Grove, CA 93950, USA
| | - P T Madsen
- Zoophysiology, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, C.F. Møllers Allé 3, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark.,Aarhus Institute of Advanced Studies, Høegh-Guldbergs Gade 6B, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
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22
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23
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McHuron EA, Peterson SH, Hückstädt LA, Melin SR, Harris JD, Costa DP. The energetic consequences of behavioral variation in a marine carnivore. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:4340-4351. [PMID: 29721302 PMCID: PMC5916299 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.3983] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2017] [Accepted: 02/11/2018] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Intraspecific variability in foraging behavior has been documented across a range of taxonomic groups, yet the energetic consequences of this variation are not well understood for many species. Understanding the effect of behavioral variation on energy expenditure and acquisition is particularly crucial for mammalian carnivores because they have high energy requirements that place considerable pressure on prey populations. To determine the influence of behavior on energy expenditure and balance, we combined simultaneous measurements of at‐sea field metabolic rate (FMR) and foraging behavior in a marine carnivore that exhibits intraspecific behavioral variation, the California sea lion (Zalophus californianus). Sea lions exhibited variability in at‐sea FMR, with some individuals expending energy at a maximum of twice the rate of others. This variation was in part attributable to differences in diving behavior that may have been reflective of diet; however, this was only true for sea lions using a foraging strategy consisting of epipelagic (<200 m within the water column) and benthic dives. In contrast, sea lions that used a deep‐diving foraging strategy all had similar values of at‐sea FMR that were unrelated to diving behavior. Energy intake did not differ between foraging strategies and was unrelated to energy expenditure. Our findings suggest that energy expenditure in California sea lions may be influenced by interactions between diet and oxygen conservation strategies. There were no apparent energetic trade‐offs between foraging strategies, although there was preliminary evidence that foraging strategies may differ in their variability in energy balance. The energetic consequences of behavioral variation may influence the reproductive success of female sea lions and result in differential impacts of individuals on prey populations. These findings highlight the importance of quantifying the relationships between energy expenditure and foraging behavior in other carnivores for studies addressing fundamental and applied physiological and ecological questions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth A McHuron
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology University of California Santa Cruz Santa Cruz CA USA
| | - Sarah H Peterson
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology University of California Santa Cruz Santa Cruz CA USA.,Institute of Marine Sciences Long Marine Laboratory University of California Santa Cruz Santa Cruz CA USA
| | - Luis A Hückstädt
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology University of California Santa Cruz Santa Cruz CA USA
| | - Sharon R Melin
- Marine Mammal Laboratory Alaska Fisheries Science Center/NOAA Seattle WA USA
| | - Jeffrey D Harris
- Marine Mammal Laboratory Alaska Fisheries Science Center/NOAA Seattle WA USA
| | - Daniel P Costa
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology University of California Santa Cruz Santa Cruz CA USA
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24
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Bedriñana-Romano L, Hucke-Gaete R, Viddi FA, Morales J, Williams R, Ashe E, Garcés-Vargas J, Torres-Florez JP, Ruiz J. Integrating multiple data sources for assessing blue whale abundance and distribution in Chilean Northern Patagonia. DIVERS DISTRIB 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.12739] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Luis Bedriñana-Romano
- Facultad de Ciencias; Instituto de Ciencias Marinas y Limnológicas; Universidad Austral de Chile; Valdivia Chile
- NGO Centro Ballena Azul; Valdivia Chile
| | - Rodrigo Hucke-Gaete
- Facultad de Ciencias; Instituto de Ciencias Marinas y Limnológicas; Universidad Austral de Chile; Valdivia Chile
- NGO Centro Ballena Azul; Valdivia Chile
| | - Francisco Alejandro Viddi
- Facultad de Ciencias; Instituto de Ciencias Marinas y Limnológicas; Universidad Austral de Chile; Valdivia Chile
- NGO Centro Ballena Azul; Valdivia Chile
| | - Juan Morales
- LaboratorioEcotono; INIBIOMA-CONICET; Universidad Nacional del Comahue; Bariloche Argentina
| | | | | | - José Garcés-Vargas
- Facultad de Ciencias; Instituto de Ciencias Marinas y Limnológicas; Universidad Austral de Chile; Valdivia Chile
- Centro FONDAP de Investigación en Dinámica de Ecosistemas Marinos de Altas Latitudes (IDEAL); Valdivia Chile
| | - Juan Pablo Torres-Florez
- NGO Centro Ballena Azul; Valdivia Chile
- Departamento de Genetica e Evolução; Universidade Federal de São Carlos; São Carlos SP Brazil
| | - Jorge Ruiz
- Facultad de Ciencias; Instituto de Ciencias Marinas y Limnológicas; Universidad Austral de Chile; Valdivia Chile
- NGO Centro Ballena Azul; Valdivia Chile
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25
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Respiratory behaviors in sympatric rorqual whales: the influence of prey depth and implications for temporal access to prey. J Mammal 2017. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyx170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
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26
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Fossette S, Abrahms B, Hazen EL, Bograd SJ, Zilliacus KM, Calambokidis J, Burrows JA, Goldbogen JA, Harvey JT, Marinovic B, Tershy B, Croll DA. Resource partitioning facilitates coexistence in sympatric cetaceans in the California Current. Ecol Evol 2017; 7:9085-9097. [PMID: 29152200 PMCID: PMC5677487 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.3409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2017] [Revised: 08/01/2017] [Accepted: 08/01/2017] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Resource partitioning is an important process driving habitat use and foraging strategies in sympatric species that potentially compete. Differences in foraging behavior are hypothesized to contribute to species coexistence by facilitating resource partitioning, but little is known on the multiple mechanisms for partitioning that may occur simultaneously. Studies are further limited in the marine environment, where the spatial and temporal distribution of resources is highly dynamic and subsequently difficult to quantify. We investigated potential pathways by which foraging behavior may facilitate resource partitioning in two of the largest co-occurring and closely related species on Earth, blue (Balaenoptera musculus) and humpback (Megaptera novaeangliae) whales. We integrated multiple long-term datasets (line-transect surveys, whale-watching records, net sampling, stable isotope analysis, and remote-sensing of oceanographic parameters) to compare the diet, phenology, and distribution of the two species during their foraging periods in the highly productive waters of Monterey Bay, California, USA within the California Current Ecosystem. Our long-term study reveals that blue and humpback whales likely facilitate sympatry by partitioning their foraging along three axes: trophic, temporal, and spatial. Blue whales were specialists foraging on krill, predictably targeting a seasonal peak in krill abundance, were present in the bay for an average of 4.7 months, and were spatially restricted at the continental shelf break. In contrast, humpback whales were generalists apparently feeding on a mixed diet of krill and fishes depending on relative abundances, were present in the bay for a more extended period (average of 6.6 months), and had a broader spatial distribution at the shelf break and inshore. Ultimately, competition for common resources can lead to behavioral, morphological, and physiological character displacement between sympatric species. Understanding the mechanisms for species coexistence is both fundamental to maintaining biodiverse ecosystems, and provides insight into the evolutionary drivers of morphological differences in closely related species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabrina Fossette
- Environmental Research Division NOAA Southwest Fisheries Science Center Monterey CA USA.,Present address: Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions 17 Dick Perry Av Kensington WA 6151 Australia
| | - Briana Abrahms
- Environmental Research Division NOAA Southwest Fisheries Science Center Monterey CA USA.,Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of California Santa Cruz Santa Cruz CA USA
| | - Elliott L Hazen
- Environmental Research Division NOAA Southwest Fisheries Science Center Monterey CA USA.,Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of California Santa Cruz Santa Cruz CA USA
| | - Steven J Bograd
- Environmental Research Division NOAA Southwest Fisheries Science Center Monterey CA USA
| | - Kelly M Zilliacus
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of California Santa Cruz Santa Cruz CA USA
| | | | - Julia A Burrows
- Division of Marine Science and Conservation Duke University Marine Laboratory Beaufort NC USA.,Moss Landing Marine Laboratories Moss Landing CA USA
| | - Jeremy A Goldbogen
- Department of Biology Hopkins Marine Station Stanford University Pacific Grove CA USA
| | | | - Baldo Marinovic
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of California Santa Cruz Santa Cruz CA USA
| | - Bernie Tershy
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of California Santa Cruz Santa Cruz CA USA
| | - Donald A Croll
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of California Santa Cruz Santa Cruz CA USA
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27
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Williams TM, Kendall TL, Richter BP, Ribeiro-French CR, John JS, Odell KL, Losch BA, Feuerbach DA, Stamper MA. Swimming and diving energetics in dolphins: a stroke-by-stroke analysis for predicting the cost of flight responses in wild odontocetes. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2017; 220:1135-1145. [PMID: 28298467 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.154245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2016] [Accepted: 01/07/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Exponential increases in hydrodynamic drag and physical exertion occur when swimmers move quickly through water, and underlie the preference for relatively slow routine speeds by marine mammals regardless of body size. Because of this and the need to balance limited oxygen stores when submerged, flight (escape) responses may be especially challenging for this group. To examine this, we used open-flow respirometry to measure the energetic cost of producing a swimming stroke during different levels of exercise in bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). These data were then used to model the energetic cost of high-speed escape responses by other odontocetes ranging in mass from 42 to 2738 kg. The total cost per stroke during routine swimming by dolphins, 3.31±0.20 J kg-1 stroke-1, was doubled during maximal aerobic performance. A comparative analysis of locomotor costs (LC; in J kg-1 stroke-1), representing the cost of moving the flukes, revealed that LC during routine swimming increased with body mass (M) for odontocetes according to LC=1.46±0.0005M; a separate relationship described LC during high-speed stroking. Using these relationships, we found that continuous stroking coupled with reduced glide time in response to oceanic noise resulted in a 30.5% increase in metabolic rate in the beaked whale, a deep-diving odontocete considered especially sensitive to disturbance. By integrating energetics with swimming behavior and dive characteristics, this study demonstrates the physiological consequences of oceanic noise on diving mammals, and provides a powerful tool for predicting the biological significance of escape responses by cetaceans facing anthropogenic disturbances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Terrie M Williams
- Center for Ocean Health, Long Marine Laboratory, University of California, Santa Cruz, 115 MacAlister Way, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA
| | - Traci L Kendall
- Center for Ocean Health, Long Marine Laboratory, University of California, Santa Cruz, 115 MacAlister Way, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA
| | - Beau P Richter
- Center for Ocean Health, Long Marine Laboratory, University of California, Santa Cruz, 115 MacAlister Way, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA
| | - Courtney R Ribeiro-French
- Center for Ocean Health, Long Marine Laboratory, University of California, Santa Cruz, 115 MacAlister Way, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA
| | - Jason S John
- Center for Ocean Health, Long Marine Laboratory, University of California, Santa Cruz, 115 MacAlister Way, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA
| | - Kim L Odell
- Epcot's The Seas, Walt Disney World Resorts™, Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830-1000, USA
| | - Barbara A Losch
- Epcot's The Seas, Walt Disney World Resorts™, Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830-1000, USA
| | - David A Feuerbach
- Epcot's The Seas, Walt Disney World Resorts™, Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830-1000, USA
| | - M Andrew Stamper
- Epcot's The Seas, Walt Disney World Resorts™, Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830-1000, USA
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28
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Lesage V, Omrane A, Doniol-Valcroze T, Mosnier A. Increased proximity of vessels reduces feeding opportunities of blue whales in the St. Lawrence Estuary, Canada. ENDANGER SPECIES RES 2017. [DOI: 10.3354/esr00825] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
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29
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Nichol LM, Wright BM, O’Hara P, Ford JKB. Risk of lethal vessel strikes to humpback and fin whales off the west coast of Vancouver Island, Canada. ENDANGER SPECIES RES 2017. [DOI: 10.3354/esr00813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
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30
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Goldbogen JA, Cade DE, Calambokidis J, Friedlaender AS, Potvin J, Segre PS, Werth AJ. How Baleen Whales Feed: The Biomechanics of Engulfment and Filtration. ANNUAL REVIEW OF MARINE SCIENCE 2017; 9:367-386. [PMID: 27620830 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-marine-122414-033905] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Baleen whales are gigantic obligate filter feeders that exploit aggregations of small-bodied prey in littoral, epipelagic, and mesopelagic ecosystems. At the extreme of maximum body size observed among mammals, baleen whales exhibit a unique combination of high overall energetic demands and low mass-specific metabolic rates. As a result, most baleen whale species have evolved filter-feeding mechanisms and foraging strategies that take advantage of seasonally abundant yet patchily and ephemerally distributed prey resources. New methodologies consisting of multi-sensor tags, active acoustic prey mapping, and hydrodynamic modeling have revolutionized our ability to study the physiology and ecology of baleen whale feeding mechanisms. Here, we review the current state of the field by exploring several hypotheses that aim to explain how baleen whales feed. Despite significant advances, major questions remain about the processes that underlie these extreme feeding mechanisms, which enabled the evolution of the largest animals of all time.
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Affiliation(s)
- J A Goldbogen
- Department of Biology, Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University, Pacific Grove, California 93950; , ,
| | - D E Cade
- Department of Biology, Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University, Pacific Grove, California 93950; , ,
| | - J Calambokidis
- Cascadia Research Collective, Olympia, Washington 98501;
| | - A S Friedlaender
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Marine Mammal Institute, Hatfield Marine Science Center, Oregon State University, Newport, Oregon 97365;
| | - J Potvin
- Department of Physics, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, Missouri 63103;
| | - P S Segre
- Department of Biology, Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University, Pacific Grove, California 93950; , ,
| | - A J Werth
- Department of Biology, Hampden-Sydney College, Hampden-Sydney, Virginia 23943;
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31
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Mate BR, Irvine LM, Palacios DM. The development of an intermediate-duration tag to characterize the diving behavior of large whales. Ecol Evol 2016; 7:585-595. [PMID: 28116055 PMCID: PMC5243192 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.2649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2016] [Revised: 11/09/2016] [Accepted: 11/14/2016] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The development of high-resolution archival tag technologies has revolutionized our understanding of diving behavior in marine taxa such as sharks, turtles, and seals during their wide-ranging movements. However, similar applications for large whales have lagged behind due to the difficulty of keeping tags on the animals for extended periods of time. Here, we present a novel configuration of a transdermally attached biologging device called the Advanced Dive Behavior (ADB) tag. The ADB tag contains sensors that record hydrostatic pressure, three-axis accelerometers, magnetometers, water temperature, and light level, all sampled at 1 Hz. The ADB tag also collects Fastloc GPS locations and can send dive summary data through Service Argos, while staying attached to a whale for typical periods of 3-7 weeks before releasing for recovery and subsequent data download. ADB tags were deployed on sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus; N = 46), blue whales (Balaenoptera musculus; N = 8), and fin whales (B. physalus; N = 5) from 2007 to 2015, resulting in attachment durations from 0 to 49.6 days, and recording 31 to 2,539 GPS locations and 27 to 2,918 dives per deployment. Archived dive profiles matched well with published dive shapes of each species from short-term records. For blue and fin whales, feeding lunges were detected using peaks in accelerometer data and matched corresponding vertical excursions in the depth record. In sperm whales, rapid orientation changes in the accelerometer data, often during the bottom phase of dives, were likely related to prey pursuit, representing a relative measure of foraging effort. Sperm whales were documented repeatedly diving to, and likely foraging along, the seafloor. Data from the temperature sensor described the vertical structure of the water column in all three species, extending from the surface to depths >1,600 m. In addition to providing information needed to construct multiweek time budgets, the ADB tag is well suited to studying the effects of anthropogenic sound on whales by allowing for pre- and post-exposure monitoring of the whale's dive behavior. This tag begins to bridge the gap between existing long-duration but low-data throughput tags, and short-duration, high-resolution data loggers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruce R Mate
- Marine Mammal Institute and Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Oregon State University Newport OR USA
| | - Ladd M Irvine
- Marine Mammal Institute and Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Oregon State University Newport OR USA
| | - Daniel M Palacios
- Marine Mammal Institute and Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Oregon State University Newport OR USA
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Cade D, Friedlaender A, Calambokidis J, Goldbogen J. Kinematic Diversity in Rorqual Whale Feeding Mechanisms. Curr Biol 2016; 26:2617-2624. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2016.07.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2016] [Revised: 06/21/2016] [Accepted: 07/14/2016] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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Ekdale EG. Morphological variation among the inner ears of extinct and extant baleen whales (Cetacea: Mysticeti). J Morphol 2016; 277:1599-1615. [PMID: 27627739 DOI: 10.1002/jmor.20610] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2016] [Revised: 08/12/2016] [Accepted: 08/22/2016] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Living mysticetes (baleen whales) and odontocetes (toothed whales) differ significantly in auditory function in that toothed whales are sensitive to high-frequency and ultrasonic sound vibrations and mysticetes to low-frequency and infrasonic noises. Our knowledge of the evolution and phylogeny of cetaceans, and mysticetes in particular, is at a point at which we can explore morphological and physiological changes within the baleen whale inner ear. Traditional comparative anatomy and landmark-based 3D-geometric morphometric analyses were performed to investigate the anatomical diversity of the inner ears of extinct and extant mysticetes in comparison with other cetaceans. Principal component analyses (PCAs) show that the cochlear morphospace of odontocetes is tangential to that of mysticetes, but odontocetes are completely separated from mysticetes when semicircular canal landmarks are combined with the cochlear data. The cochlea of the archaeocete Zygorhiza kochii and early diverging extinct mysticetes plot within the morphospace of crown mysticetes, suggesting that mysticetes possess ancestral cochlear morphology and physiology. The PCA results indicate variation among mysticete species, although no major patterns are recovered to suggest separate hearing or locomotor regimes. Phylogenetic signal was detected for several clades, including crown Cetacea and crown Mysticeti, with the most clades expressing phylogenetic signal in the semicircular canal dataset. Brownian motion could not be excluded as an explanation for the signal, except for analyses combining cochlea and semicircular canal datasets for Balaenopteridae. J. Morphol. 277:1599-1615, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric G Ekdale
- Department of Biology, San Diego State University, San Diego, California.,Department of Paleontology, San Diego Natural History Museum, San Diego, California
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Tyson R, Friedlaender A, Nowacek D. Does optimal foraging theory predict the foraging performance of a large air-breathing marine predator? Anim Behav 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2016.03.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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van Dijk JGB, Matson KD. Ecological Immunology through the Lens of Exercise Immunology: New Perspective on the Links between Physical Activity and Immune Function and Disease Susceptibility in Wild Animals. Integr Comp Biol 2016; 56:290-303. [PMID: 27252202 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icw045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Locomotion and other physical activities by free-living animals may influence immune function and disease susceptibility. This influence may be a consequence of energetic trade-offs or other mechanisms that are often, but not always, inseparably linked to an animal's life history (e.g., flight and migration). Ecological immunology has mainly focused on these life-history trade-offs, overlooking the possible effects of physical activity per se on immune function and disease susceptibility. In this review, we explore the field of exercise immunology, which examines the impact of exercise on immune function and disease susceptibility in humans, with the aim of presenting new perspectives that might be transferable to ecological immunology. First, we explore key concepts in exercise immunology that could be extended to animals. Next, we investigate the concept "exercise" in animals, and propose the use of "physical activity" instead. We briefly discuss methods used in animals to quantify physical activity in terms of energy expenditure and summarize several examples of animals engaging in physical activity. Then, we highlight potential consequences of physical activity on immune function and disease susceptibility in animals, together with an overview of animal studies that examine these links. Finally, we explore and discuss the potential for incorporating perspectives from exercise immunology into ecological immunology. Such integration could help advance our understanding of human and animal health and contribute new ideas to budding "One Health" initiatives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacintha G B van Dijk
- *Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EJ, UK
| | - Kevin D Matson
- Resource Ecology Group, Department of Environmental Sciences, Wageningen University, Wageningen, PO Box 47, 6700 AA, The Netherlands
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Friedlaender AS, Johnston DW, Tyson RB, Kaltenberg A, Goldbogen JA, Stimpert AK, Curtice C, Hazen EL, Halpin PN, Read AJ, Nowacek DP. Multiple-stage decisions in a marine central-place forager. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2016; 3:160043. [PMID: 27293784 PMCID: PMC4892446 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.160043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2016] [Accepted: 04/08/2016] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Air-breathing marine animals face a complex set of physical challenges associated with diving that affect the decisions of how to optimize feeding. Baleen whales (Mysticeti) have evolved bulk-filter feeding mechanisms to efficiently feed on dense prey patches. Baleen whales are central place foragers where oxygen at the surface represents the central place and depth acts as the distance to prey. Although hypothesized that baleen whales will target the densest prey patches anywhere in the water column, how depth and density interact to influence foraging behaviour is poorly understood. We used multi-sensor archival tags and active acoustics to quantify Antarctic humpback whale foraging behaviour relative to prey. Our analyses reveal multi-stage foraging decisions driven by both krill depth and density. During daylight hours when whales did not feed, krill were found in deep high-density patches. As krill migrated vertically into larger and less dense patches near the surface, whales began to forage. During foraging bouts, we found that feeding rates (number of feeding lunges per hour) were greatest when prey was shallowest, and feeding rates decreased with increasing dive depth. This strategy is consistent with previous models of how air-breathing diving animals optimize foraging efficiency. Thus, humpback whales forage mainly when prey is more broadly distributed and shallower, presumably to minimize diving and searching costs and to increase feeding rates overall and thus foraging efficiency. Using direct measurements of feeding behaviour from animal-borne tags and prey availability from echosounders, our study demonstrates a multi-stage foraging process in a central place forager that we suggest acts to optimize overall efficiency by maximizing net energy gain over time. These data reveal a previously unrecognized level of complexity in predator-prey interactions and underscores the need to simultaneously measure prey distribution in marine central place forager studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ari S. Friedlaender
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Marine Mammal Institute, Hatfield Marine Science Center, Oregon State University, Newport, OR, USA
| | - David W. Johnston
- Division of Marine Science and Conservation, Duke University Marine Laboratory, Beaufort, NC, USA
| | - Reny B. Tyson
- Division of Marine Science and Conservation, Duke University Marine Laboratory, Beaufort, NC, USA
| | | | - Jeremy A. Goldbogen
- Hopkins Marine Station, Department of Biology, Stanford University, Pacific Grove, CA, USA
| | | | - Corrie Curtice
- Division of Marine Science and Conservation, Duke University Marine Laboratory, Beaufort, NC, USA
| | | | - Patrick N. Halpin
- Division of Marine Science and Conservation, Duke University Marine Laboratory, Beaufort, NC, USA
| | - Andrew J. Read
- Division of Marine Science and Conservation, Duke University Marine Laboratory, Beaufort, NC, USA
| | - Douglas P. Nowacek
- Division of Marine Science and Conservation, Duke University Marine Laboratory, Beaufort, NC, USA
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Hazen EL, Friedlaender AS, Goldbogen JA. Blue whales (Balaenoptera musculus) optimize foraging efficiency by balancing oxygen use and energy gain as a function of prey density. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2015; 1:e1500469. [PMID: 26601290 PMCID: PMC4646804 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.1500469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2015] [Accepted: 07/28/2015] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Terrestrial predators can modulate the energy used for prey capture to maximize efficiency, but diving animals face the conflicting metabolic demands of energy intake and the minimization of oxygen depletion during a breath hold. It is thought that diving predators optimize their foraging success when oxygen use and energy gain act as competing currencies, but this hypothesis has not been rigorously tested because it has been difficult to measure the quality of prey that is targeted by free-ranging animals. We used high-resolution multisensor digital tags attached to foraging blue whales (Balaenoptera musculus) with concurrent acoustic prey measurements to quantify foraging performance across depth and prey density gradients. We parameterized two competing physiological models to estimate energy gain and expenditure based on foraging decisions. Our analyses show that at low prey densities, blue whale feeding rates and energy intake were low to minimize oxygen use, but at higher prey densities feeding frequency increased to maximize energy intake. Contrary to previous paradigms, we demonstrate that blue whales are not indiscriminate grazers but instead switch foraging strategies in response to variation in prey density and depth to maximize energetic efficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elliott Lee Hazen
- Environmental Research Division/Southwest Fisheries Science Center/National Marine Fisheries Service/National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Monterey, CA 93940, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 94923, USA
- Corresponding author. E-mail:
| | - Ari Seth Friedlaender
- Marine Mammal Institute, Hatfield Marine Science Center, Oregon State University, Newport, OR 97365, USA
- Southall Environmental Associates, Aptos, CA 95003, USA
| | - Jeremy Arthur Goldbogen
- Department of Biology, Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University, Pacific Grove, CA 93950, USA
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Christiansen F, Lynas NM, Lusseau D, Tscherter U. Structure and dynamics of minke whale surfacing patterns in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, Canada. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0126396. [PMID: 25970425 PMCID: PMC4430536 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0126396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2014] [Accepted: 04/01/2015] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Animal behavioral patterns can help us understand physiological and ecological constraints on animals and its influence on fitness. The surfacing patterns of aquatic air-breathing mammals constitute a behavioral pattern that has evolved as a trade-off between the need to replenish oxygen stores at the surface and the need to conduct other activities underwater. This study aims to better understand the surfacing pattern of a marine top predator, the minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata), by investigating how their dive duration and surfacing pattern changes across their activity range. Activities were classified into resting, traveling, surface feeding and foraging at depth. For each activity, we classified dives into short and long dives and then estimated the temporal dependence between dive types. We found that minke whales modified their surfacing pattern in an activity-specific manner, both by changing the expression of their dives (i.e. density distribution) and the temporal dependence (transition probability) between dive types. As the depth of the prey layer increased between activities, the surfacing pattern of foraging whales became increasingly structured, going from a pattern dominated by long dives, when feeding at the surface, to a pattern where isolated long dives were followed by an increasing number of breaths (i.e. short dives), when the whale was foraging at depth. A similar shift in surfacing pattern occurred when prey handling time (inferred from surface corralling maneuvers) increased for surface feeding whales. The surfacing pattern also differed between feeding and non-feeding whales. Resting whales did not structure their surfacing pattern, while traveling whales did, possibly as a way to minimize cost of transport. Our results also suggest that minke whales might balance their oxygen level over multiple, rather than single, dive cycles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fredrik Christiansen
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Warrnambool, Victoria, Australia
- Foundation for Marine Environment Research (ORES), Basel, Switzerland
| | - Ned M. Lynas
- Foundation for Marine Environment Research (ORES), Basel, Switzerland
- Ocean Research and Education Society (ORES), Les Bergeronnes, Quebec, Canada
| | - David Lusseau
- Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Institute of Marine Alliance for Science and Technology for Scotland, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
| | - Ursula Tscherter
- Foundation for Marine Environment Research (ORES), Basel, Switzerland
- Ocean Research and Education Society (ORES), Les Bergeronnes, Quebec, Canada
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McClain CR, Balk MA, Benfield MC, Branch TA, Chen C, Cosgrove J, Dove ADM, Gaskins L, Helm RR, Hochberg FG, Lee FB, Marshall A, McMurray SE, Schanche C, Stone SN, Thaler AD. Sizing ocean giants: patterns of intraspecific size variation in marine megafauna. PeerJ 2015; 3:e715. [PMID: 25649000 PMCID: PMC4304853 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.715] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2014] [Accepted: 12/10/2014] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
What are the greatest sizes that the largest marine megafauna obtain? This is a simple question with a difficult and complex answer. Many of the largest-sized species occur in the world’s oceans. For many of these, rarity, remoteness, and quite simply the logistics of measuring these giants has made obtaining accurate size measurements difficult. Inaccurate reports of maximum sizes run rampant through the scientific literature and popular media. Moreover, how intraspecific variation in the body sizes of these animals relates to sex, population structure, the environment, and interactions with humans remains underappreciated. Here, we review and analyze body size for 25 ocean giants ranging across the animal kingdom. For each taxon we document body size for the largest known marine species of several clades. We also analyze intraspecific variation and identify the largest known individuals for each species. Where data allows, we analyze spatial and temporal intraspecific size variation. We also provide allometric scaling equations between different size measurements as resources to other researchers. In some cases, the lack of data prevents us from fully examining these topics and instead we specifically highlight these deficiencies and the barriers that exist for data collection. Overall, we found considerable variability in intraspecific size distributions from strongly left- to strongly right-skewed. We provide several allometric equations that allow for estimation of total lengths and weights from more easily obtained measurements. In several cases, we also quantify considerable geographic variation and decreases in size likely attributed to humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Craig R McClain
- National Evolutionary Synthesis Center , Durham, NC , USA ; Department of Biology, Duke University , Durham, NC , USA
| | - Meghan A Balk
- Department of Biology, University of New Mexico , Albuquerque, NM , USA
| | - Mark C Benfield
- Department of Oceanography and Coastal Sciences, Louisiana State University , Baton Rouge, LA , USA
| | - Trevor A Branch
- School of Aquatic & Fishery Sciences, University of Washington , Seattle, WA , USA
| | - Catherine Chen
- Department of Biology, Duke University , Durham, NC , USA
| | - James Cosgrove
- Natural History Section, Royal British Columbia Museum , Victoria, BC , Canada
| | | | - Leo Gaskins
- Department of Biology, Duke University , Durham, NC , USA
| | - Rebecca R Helm
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Brown University , Providence, RI , USA
| | - Frederick G Hochberg
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology, Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History , Santa Barbara, CA , USA
| | - Frank B Lee
- Department of Biology, Duke University , Durham, NC , USA
| | | | - Steven E McMurray
- Department of Biology and Marine Biology, University of North Carolina Wilmington , Wilmington, NC , USA
| | | | - Shane N Stone
- Department of Biology, Duke University , Durham, NC , USA
| | - Andrew D Thaler
- Blackbeard Biologic: Science and Environmental Advisors , Vallejo, CA , USA
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40
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Maresh JL, Simmons SE, Crocker DE, McDonald BI, Williams TM, Costa DP. Free-swimming northern elephant seals have low field metabolic rates that are sensitive to an increased cost of transport. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2015; 217:1485-95. [PMID: 24790099 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.094201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Widely ranging marine predators often adopt stereotyped, energy-saving behaviours to minimize the energetic cost of transport while maximizing energy gain. Environmental and anthropogenic disturbances can disrupt energy balance by prompting avoidance behaviours that increase transport costs, thereby decreasing foraging efficiency. We examined the ability of 12 free-ranging, juvenile northern elephant seals (Mirounga angustirostris) to mitigate the effects of experimentally increased transport costs by modifying their behaviour and/or energy use in a compensatory manner. Under normal locomotion, elephant seals had low energy requirements (106.5±28.2 kJ kg(-1) day(-1)), approaching or even falling below predictions of basal requirements. Seals responded to a small increase in locomotion costs by spending more time resting between dives (149±44 s) compared with matched control treatments (102±11 s; P<0.01). Despite incurred costs, most other dive and transit behaviours were conserved across treatments, including fixed, rhythmic swimming gaits. Because of this, and because each flipper stroke had a predictable effect on total costs (P<0.001), total energy expenditure was strongly correlated with time spent at sea under both treatments (P<0.0001). These results suggest that transiting elephant seals have a limited capacity to modify their locomotory behaviour without increasing their transport costs. Based on this, we conclude that elephant seals and other ocean predators occupying similar niches may be particularly sensitive to increased transport costs incurred when avoiding unanticipated disturbances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer L Maresh
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
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41
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Kooyman G. Marine mammals and Emperor penguins: a few applications of the Krogh principle. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 2014; 308:R96-104. [PMID: 25411360 DOI: 10.1152/ajpregu.00264.2014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The diving physiology of aquatic animals at sea began 50 years ago with studies of the Weddell seal. Even today with the advancements in marine recording and tracking technology, only a few species are suitable for investigation. The first experiments were in McMurdo Sound, Antarctica. In this paper are examples of what was learned in Antarctica and elsewhere. Some methods employed relied on willingness of Weddell seals and emperor penguins to dive under sea ice. Diving depth and duration were obtained with a time depth recorder. Some dives were longer than an hour and as deep as 600 m. From arterial blood samples, lactate and nitrogen concentrations were obtained. These results showed how Weddell seals manage their oxygen stores, that they become reliant on a positive contribution of anaerobic metabolism during a dive duration of more than 20 min, and that nitrogen blood gases remain so low that lung collapse must occur at about 25 to 50 m. This nitrogen level was similar to that determined in elephant seals during forcible submersion with compression to depths greater than 100 m. These results led to further questions about diving mammal's terminal airway structure in the lungs. Much of the strengthening of the airways is not for avoiding the "bends," by enhancing lung collapse at depth, but for reducing the resistance to high flow rates during expiration. The most exceptional examples are the small whales that maintain high expiratory flow rates throughout the entire vital capacity, which represents about 90% of their total lung capacity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerald Kooyman
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California
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42
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Konishi K, Hakamada T, Kiwada H, Kitakado T, Walløe L. Decrease in stomach contents in the Antarctic minke whale (Balaenoptera bonaerensis) in the Southern Ocean. Polar Biol 2013. [DOI: 10.1007/s00300-013-1424-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Silva MA, Prieto R, Jonsen I, Baumgartner MF, Santos RS. North Atlantic blue and fin whales suspend their spring migration to forage in middle latitudes: building up energy reserves for the journey? PLoS One 2013; 8:e76507. [PMID: 24116112 PMCID: PMC3792998 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0076507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 108] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2013] [Accepted: 08/26/2013] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The need to balance energy reserves during migration is a critical factor for most long-distance migrants and an important determinant of migratory strategies in birds, insects and land mammals. Large baleen whales migrate annually between foraging and breeding sites, crossing vast ocean areas where food is seldom abundant. How whales respond to the demands and constraints of such long migrations remains unknown. We applied a behaviour discriminating hierarchical state-space model to the satellite tracking data of 12 fin whales and 3 blue whales tagged off the Azores, to investigate their movements, behaviour (transiting and area-restricted search, ARS) and daily activity cycles during the spring migration. Fin and blue whales remained at middle latitudes for prolonged periods, spending most of their time there in ARS behaviour. While near the Azores, fin whale ARS behaviour occurred within a restricted area, with a high degree of overlap among whales. There were noticeable behavioural differences along the migratory pathway of fin whales tracked to higher latitudes: ARS occurred only in the Azores and north of 56°N, whereas in between these areas whales travelled at higher overall speeds while maintaining a nearly direct trajectory. This suggests fin whales may alternate periods of active migration with periods of extended use of specific habitats along the migratory route. ARS behaviour in blue whales occurred over a much wider area as whales slowly progressed northwards. The tracks of these whales terminated still at middle latitudes, before any behavioural switch was detected. Fin whales exhibited behavioural-specific diel rhythms in swimming speed but these varied significantly between geographic areas, possibly due to differences in the day-night cycle across areas. Finally, we show a link between fin whales seen in the Azores and those summering in eastern Greenland-western Iceland along a migratory corridor located in central Atlantic waters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mónica A. Silva
- Center of the Institute of Marine Research (IMAR) & Department of Oceanography and Fisheries, University of the Azores, Horta, Azores, Portugal
- Laboratory of Robotics and Systems in Engineering and Science (LARSyS), Lisboa, Portugal
- Biology Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Rui Prieto
- Center of the Institute of Marine Research (IMAR) & Department of Oceanography and Fisheries, University of the Azores, Horta, Azores, Portugal
- Laboratory of Robotics and Systems in Engineering and Science (LARSyS), Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Ian Jonsen
- Department of Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Mark F. Baumgartner
- Biology Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Ricardo S. Santos
- Center of the Institute of Marine Research (IMAR) & Department of Oceanography and Fisheries, University of the Azores, Horta, Azores, Portugal
- Laboratory of Robotics and Systems in Engineering and Science (LARSyS), Lisboa, Portugal
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Christiansen F, Rasmussen MH, Lusseau D. Inferring activity budgets in wild animals to estimate the consequences of disturbances. Behav Ecol 2013. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/art086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Fredrik Christiansen
- Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Zoology Building, Tillydrone Avenue, AB24 2TZ Aberdeen, UK,
| | - Marianne H. Rasmussen
- Húsavik Research Center, University of Iceland, Hafnarstett 3, 640 Húsavik, Iceland, and
| | - David Lusseau
- Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Zoology Building, Tillydrone Avenue, AB24 2TZ Aberdeen, UK,
- Marine Alliance for Science and Technology for Scotland, University of Aberdeen, Zoology Building, Tillydrone Avenue, AB24 2TZ Aberdeen, UK
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45
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Integrative Approaches to the Study of Baleen Whale Diving Behavior, Feeding Performance, and Foraging Ecology. Bioscience 2013. [DOI: 10.1525/bio.2013.63.2.5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 146] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
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Širović A, Williams LN, Kerosky SM, Wiggins SM, Hildebrand JA. Temporal separation of two fin whale call types across the eastern North Pacific. MARINE BIOLOGY 2013; 160:47-57. [PMID: 24391281 PMCID: PMC3873066 DOI: 10.1007/s00227-012-2061-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2012] [Accepted: 08/27/2012] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus) produce a variety of low-frequency, short-duration, frequency-modulated calls. The differences in temporal patterns between two fin whale call types are described from long-term passive acoustic data collected intermittently between 2005 and 2011 at three locations across the eastern North Pacific: the Bering Sea, off Southern California, and in Canal de Ballenas in the northern Gulf of California. Fin whale calls were detected at all sites year-round, during all periods with recordings. At all three locations, 40-Hz calls peaked in June, preceding a peak in 20-Hz calls by 3-5 months. Monitoring both call types may provide a more accurate insight into the seasonal presence of fin whales across the eastern North Pacific than can be obtained from a single call type. The 40-Hz call may be associated with a foraging function, and temporal separation between 40- and 20-Hz calls may indicate the separation between predominately feeding behavior and other social interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Širović
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0205 USA
| | - Lauren N. Williams
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0205 USA
| | - Sara M. Kerosky
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0205 USA
| | - Sean M. Wiggins
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0205 USA
| | - John A. Hildebrand
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0205 USA
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47
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Schumann N, Gales NJ, Harcourt RG, Arnould JPY. Impacts of climate change on Australian marine mammals. AUST J ZOOL 2013. [DOI: 10.1071/zo12131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Increasing evidence suggests that climate change is negatively affecting marine ecosystems and biota. However, little is known of how climate change will impact marine mammals. This review aims to identify the effects of climatic variations on Australian marine mammals and determine their potential responses to climate change. Shifts in distributions and reproductive success have been associated with climatic factors, while stranding events, drowning of seal pups, exposure to altered water conditions and disease in several marine mammal species have followed extreme weather events. Climate change may produce distributional shifts as the ranges of warm-water species expand or shift southwards, and those of cold-water species contract. Reductions in the extent of key habitats, changes in breeding success, a greater incidence of strandings in dugongs and cetaceans, and increased exposure of coastal species to pollutants and pathogens are likely. The capacity of Australian marine mammals to adapt to climate change is poorly understood, though there is evidence that several species may be able to modify their physiology or behaviour in response to warming temperatures. To increase the resilience of marine mammals, it is necessary to address non-climatic threats, such as ensuring that key habitats are protected in Australia.
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48
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Simon M, Johnson M, Madsen PT. Keeping momentum with a mouthful of water: behavior and kinematics of humpback whale lunge feeding. J Exp Biol 2012; 215:3786-98. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.071092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 116] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
SUMMARY
Rorqual baleen whales lunge feed by engulfment of tons of prey-laden water in a large and expandable buccal pouch. According to prior interpretations, feeding rorquals are brought to a near-halt at the end of each lunge by drag forces primarily generated by the open mouth. Accelerating the body from a standstill is energetically costly and is purported to be the key factor determining oxygen consumption in lunge-feeding rorquals, explaining the shorter dive times than expected given their sizes. Here, we use multi-sensor archival tags (DTAGs) sampling at high rates in a fine-scale kinematic study of lunge feeding to examine the sequence of events within lunges and how energy may be expended and conserved in the process of prey capture. Analysis of 479 lunges from five humpback whales reveals that the whales accelerate as they acquire prey, opening their gape in synchrony with strong fluke strokes. The high forward speed (mean depth rate: 2.0±0.32 m s−1) during engulfment serves both to corral active prey and to expand the ventral margin of the buccal pouch and so maximize the engulfed water volume. Deceleration begins after mouth opening when the pouch nears full expansion and momentum starts to be transferred to the engulfed water. Lunge-feeding humpback whales time fluke strokes throughout the lunge to impart momentum to the engulfed water mass and so avoid a near or complete stop, but instead continue to glide at ~1–1.5 m s−1 after the lunge has ended. Subsequent filtration and prey handling appear to take an average of 46 s and are performed in parallel with re-positioning for the next lunge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Malene Simon
- Zoophysiology, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, C. F. Møllers Allé, Building 1131, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
- Greenland Climate Research Centre, Greenland Institute of Natural Resources, P.O. Box 570, Kivioq 2, 3900 Nuuk, Greenland
| | - Mark Johnson
- Zoophysiology, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, C. F. Møllers Allé, Building 1131, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
- Sea Mammal Research Unit, University of St Andrews, Fife KY16 8LB, UK
| | - Peter T. Madsen
- Zoophysiology, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, C. F. Møllers Allé, Building 1131, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
- Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA
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49
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Nakamura G, Kato H, Fujise Y. Relative Growth of the Skull of the Common Minke WhaleBalaenoptera acutorostratafrom the North Pacific in Comparison to OtherBalaenopteraSpecies. MAMMAL STUDY 2012. [DOI: 10.3106/041.037.0201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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Goldbogen JA, Calambokidis J, Croll DA, McKenna MF, Oleson E, Potvin J, Pyenson ND, Schorr G, Shadwick RE, Tershy BR. Scaling of lunge-feeding performance in rorqual whales: mass-specific energy expenditure increases with body size and progressively limits diving capacity. Funct Ecol 2011. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2435.2011.01905.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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