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Eder EB, Zárate M, Lewis MN. Light and temperature records of the seawater associated with southern elephant seal dives during foraging trips in South Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Biodivers Data J 2023; 11:e101284. [PMID: 38362312 PMCID: PMC10868126 DOI: 10.3897/bdj.11.e101284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 04/18/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Background The dataset comprises geolocalised records of dive and surface interval durations, light level and temperature of the seawater during the post-resting and post-moulting tracks of 13 immature southern elephant seals, Miroungaleonina. It describes an unpublished open access version of the original data with records of light level and temperature of the water column using the Darwin Core standard (DwC) through ArOBIS, guaranteeing compliance with the FAIR principles, encompassing a wide time scale (2005, 2006 and 2007) and geographic range in the South Atlantic and Pacific Oceans (South West [-58.75, -81.29], North East [-37.60, -28.65]). Seals were simultaneously equipped with affordable light-temperature loggers (LTLs) and satellite tags. The LTLs recorded light level and temperature of the water column at 30-s intervals during dives and light-time records were applied to estimate dive parameters of diurnal records from 06:00 to 17:00 h, since movements up and down the water column are reflected by changes in light level. For that, the minimum light level reached at the surface of a dive was determined experimentally with diurnal dive simulations at sea using the LTLs devices before deployment. The dataset also includes variation of light and temperature of records between 17:00 to 06:00 h. Data can be used to identify temperature changes associated with seawater masses as drivers of the distribution of other taxa of interest and variation of light level in the seawater (light attenuation) could be linked to concentrations of phytoplankton assemblages as an index of primary productivity. New information This dataset provides unpublished data of the duration of dives and surface intervals and associated records of light level and temperature variations along the movements throughout the seawater of 13 immature southern elephant seals in the Southern Hemisphere. The location data were generated by satellite tags and the light and temperature data were recorded with light-temperature loggers (LTLs), both devices deployed on individuals simultaneously and uploaded following the Darwin Core standard and compliance with the FAIR principles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena B. Eder
- Centre for the Study of Marine Systems, Centro Nacional
Patagónico (CESIMAR-CENPAT-CONICET), Puerto Madryn, ArgentinaCentre for the Study of Marine Systems, Centro Nacional Patagónico
(CESIMAR-CENPAT-CONICET)Puerto MadrynArgentina
| | - Marcos Zárate
- Centre for the Study of Marine Systems, Centro Nacional
Patagónico (CESIMAR-CENPAT-CONICET), Puerto Madryn, ArgentinaCentre for the Study of Marine Systems, Centro Nacional Patagónico
(CESIMAR-CENPAT-CONICET)Puerto MadrynArgentina
| | - Mirtha N. Lewis
- Centre for the Study of Marine Systems, Centro Nacional
Patagónico (CESIMAR-CENPAT-CONICET), Puerto Madryn, ArgentinaCentre for the Study of Marine Systems, Centro Nacional Patagónico
(CESIMAR-CENPAT-CONICET)Puerto MadrynArgentina
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2
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Abstract
AbstractDespite the exclusion of the Southern Ocean from assessments of progress towards achieving the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) Strategic Plan, the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) has taken on the mantle of progressing efforts to achieve it. Within the CBD, Aichi Target 11 represents an agreed commitment to protect 10% of the global coastal and marine environment. Adopting an ethos of presenting the best available scientific evidence to support policy makers, CCAMLR has progressed this by designating two Marine Protected Areas in the Southern Ocean, with three others under consideration. The region of Antarctica known as Dronning Maud Land (DML; 20°W to 40°E) and the Atlantic sector of the Southern Ocean that abuts it conveniently spans one region under consideration for spatial protection. To facilitate both an open and transparent process to provide the vest available scientific evidence for policy makers to formulate management options, we review the body of physical, geochemical and biological knowledge of the marine environment of this region. The level of scientific knowledge throughout the seascape abutting DML is polarized, with a clear lack of data in its eastern part which is presumably related to differing levels of research effort dedicated by national Antarctic programmes in the region. The lack of basic data on fundamental aspects of the physical, geological and biological nature of eastern DML make predictions of future trends difficult to impossible, with implications for the provision of management advice including spatial management. Finally, by highlighting key knowledge gaps across the scientific disciplines our review also serves to provide guidance to future research across this important region.
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3
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Allegue H, Guinet C, Patrick SC, Hindell MA, McMahon CR, Réale D. Sex, body size, and boldness shape the seasonal foraging habitat selection in southern elephant seals. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e8457. [PMID: 35127010 PMCID: PMC8796948 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2021] [Revised: 11/22/2021] [Accepted: 11/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Selecting foraging habitat is a fundamental behavior in the life of organisms as it directly links resource acquisition to fitness. Differences in habitat selection among individuals may arise from several intrinsic and extrinsic factors, and yet, their interaction has been given little attention in the study of wild populations. We combine sex, body size, and boldness to explain individual differences in the seasonal foraging habitat selection of southern elephant seals (Mirounga leonina) from the Kerguelen Archipelago. We hypothesize that habitat selection is linked to the trade-off between resource acquisition and risk, and that individuals differ in their position along this trade-off because of differences in reproductive strategies, life stages, and metabolic requirements. Before the post-molt foraging trip, we used a novel object approach test to quantify the boldness of 28 subadult and adult females and 42 subadult males and equipped them with data loggers to track their movements at sea. Subadult males selected neritic and oceanic habitats, whereas females mostly selected less productive oceanic habitats. Both sexes showed a seasonal shift from Antarctic habitats in the south in the summer to the free of ice subantarctic and subtropical habitats in the north in the winter. Males avoided oceanic habitats and selected more productive neritic and Antarctic habitats with body size mostly in the winter. Bolder males selected northern warmer waters in winter, while shyer ones selected the Kerguelen plateau and southern colder oceanic waters. Bolder females selected the Kerguelen plateau in the summer when prey profitability is assumed to be the highest. This study not only provides new insights into the spatiotemporal foraging ecology of elephant seals in relation to personality but also emphasizes the relevance of combining several intrinsic and extrinsic factors in understanding among-individual variation in space use essential in wildlife management and conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hassen Allegue
- Département des Sciences BiologiquesUniversité du Québec à MontréalMontréalQCCanada
| | | | | | - Mark A. Hindell
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic StudiesBattery PointTASAustralia
- Antarctic Climate and Ecosystems Cooperative Research CentreUniversity of TasmaniaHobartTASAustralia
| | - Clive R. McMahon
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic StudiesBattery PointTASAustralia
- Sydney Institute of Marine ScienceSydneyNSWAustralia
- Department of Biological SciencesMacquarie UniversitySydneyNSWAustralia
| | - Denis Réale
- Département des Sciences BiologiquesUniversité du Québec à MontréalMontréalQCCanada
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4
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Bestley S, Ropert-Coudert Y, Bengtson Nash S, Brooks CM, Cotté C, Dewar M, Friedlaender AS, Jackson JA, Labrousse S, Lowther AD, McMahon CR, Phillips RA, Pistorius P, Puskic PS, Reis AODA, Reisinger RR, Santos M, Tarszisz E, Tixier P, Trathan PN, Wege M, Wienecke B. Marine Ecosystem Assessment for the Southern Ocean: Birds and Marine Mammals in a Changing Climate. Front Ecol Evol 2020. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2020.566936] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
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5
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Photopoulou T, Heerah K, Pohle J, Boehme L. Sex-specific variation in the use of vertical habitat by a resident Antarctic top predator. Proc Biol Sci 2020; 287:20201447. [PMID: 33081623 PMCID: PMC7661299 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2020.1447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Patterns of habitat use are commonly studied in horizontal space, but this does not capture the four-dimensional nature of ocean habitats (space, depth, and time). Deep-diving marine animals encounter varying oceanographic conditions, particularly at the poles, where there is strong seasonal variation in vertical ocean structuring. This dimension of space use is hidden if we only consider horizontal movement. To identify different diving behaviours and usage patterns of vertically distributed habitat, we use hidden Markov models fitted to telemetry data from an air-breathing top predator, the Weddell seal, in the Weddell Sea, Antarctica. We present evidence of overlapping use of high-density, continental shelf water masses by both sexes, as well as important differences in their preferences for oceanographic conditions. Males spend more time in the unique high-salinity shelf water masses found at depth, while females also venture off the continental shelf and visit warmer, shallower water masses. Both sexes exhibit a diurnal pattern in diving behaviour (deep in the day, shallow at night) that persists from austral autumn into winter. The differences in habitat use in this resident, sexually monomorphic Antarctic top predator suggest a different set of needs and constraints operating at the intraspecific level, not driven by body size.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theoni Photopoulou
- Sea Mammal Research Unit, Scottish Oceans Institute, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK.,Centre for Research into Ecological and Environmental Modelling, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK
| | - Karine Heerah
- Marine Bioacoustics Lab, Zoophysiology, Dept. Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Jennifer Pohle
- Department of Business Administration and Economics, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Lars Boehme
- Sea Mammal Research Unit, Scottish Oceans Institute, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK
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6
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Kirkman SP, Costa DP, Harrison AL, Kotze PGH, Oosthuizen WH, Weise M, Botha JA, Arnould JPY. Dive behaviour and foraging effort of female Cape fur seals Arctocephalus pusillus pusillus. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2019; 6:191369. [PMID: 31824733 PMCID: PMC6837185 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.191369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2019] [Accepted: 09/23/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
While marine top predators can play a critical role in ecosystem structure and dynamics through their effects on prey populations, how the predators function in this role is often not well understood. In the Benguela region of southern Africa, the Cape fur seal (Arctocephalus pusillus pusillus) population constitutes the largest marine top predator biomass, but little is known of its foraging ecology other than its diet and some preliminary dive records. Dive information was obtained from 32 adult females instrumented with dive recorders at the Kleinsee colony (29°34.17' S, 16°59.80' E) in South Africa during 2006-2008. Most dives were in the depth range of epipelagic prey species (less than 50 m deep) and at night, reflecting the reliance of Cape fur seals on small, vertically migrating, schooling prey. However, most females also performed benthic dives, and benthic diving was prevalent in some individuals. Benthic diving was significantly associated with the frequency with which females exceeded their aerobic dive limit. The greater putative costs of benthic diving highlight the potential detrimental effects to Cape fur seals of well-documented changes in the availability of epipelagic prey species in the Benguela.
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Affiliation(s)
- S. P. Kirkman
- Oceans and Coastal Research, Department of the Environment, Forestry and Fisheries, Private Bag X4390, Cape Town 8000, South Africa
- Marine Apex Predator Research Unit (MAPRU), Institute for Coastal and Marine Research, Nelson Mandela University, Port Elizabeth 6031, South Africa
| | - D. P. Costa
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA
| | - A.-L. Harrison
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA
- Migratory Bird Center, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, National Zoological Park, Washington, DC 20008, USA
| | - P. G. H. Kotze
- Oceans and Coastal Research, Department of the Environment, Forestry and Fisheries, Private Bag X4390, Cape Town 8000, South Africa
| | - W. H. Oosthuizen
- Oceans and Coastal Research, Department of the Environment, Forestry and Fisheries, Private Bag X4390, Cape Town 8000, South Africa
| | - M. Weise
- Office of Naval Research—Code 32, 875 North Randolph Street, Arlington, VA 22203-1995, USA
| | - J. A. Botha
- Marine Apex Predator Research Unit (MAPRU), Institute for Coastal and Marine Research, Nelson Mandela University, Port Elizabeth 6031, South Africa
| | - J. P. Y. Arnould
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science Engineering and Built Environment, Deakin University, Melbourne, Australia
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7
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Coastal polynyas: Winter oases for subadult southern elephant seals in East Antarctica. Sci Rep 2018; 8:3183. [PMID: 29453356 PMCID: PMC5816617 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-21388-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2017] [Accepted: 02/02/2018] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Antarctic coastal polynyas are regions of persistent open water and are thought to be key bio-physical features within the sea-ice zone. However, their use by the upper trophic levels of ecosystems remains unclear. A unique bio-physical dataset recorded by southern elephant seals reveals that East Antarctic polynyas are a key winter foraging habitat for male seals. During their post-moult trips from Isles Kerguelen to the Antarctic continental shelf, a total of 18 out of 23 seals visited 9 different polynyas, spending on average 25 ± 20% (up to 75%) of their total trip time inside polynyas. Changes in seal foraging and diving behaviours are observed inside polynyas as compared to outside polynyas. Two polynya usages by seals are observed for the inactive and active polynya phases, pointing to different seasonal peaks in prey abundance. During the active polynya phase, we link seal foraging behaviour to changes in the physical stability of the water-column, which likely impact the seasonal biological dynamics within polynyas.
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8
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Bras YL, Jouma’a J, Guinet C. Three-dimensional space use during the bottom phase of southern elephant seal dives. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2017; 5:18. [PMID: 28861272 PMCID: PMC5577837 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-017-0108-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2016] [Accepted: 08/18/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In marine pelagic ecosystems, the spatial distribution of biomass is heterogeneous and dynamic. At large scales, physical processes are the main driving forces of biomass distribution. At fine scales, both biotic and abiotic parameters are likely to be key determinants in the horizontal and vertical distribution of biomass, with direct consequences on the foraging behaviour of diving predators. However, fine scale three-dimensional (3D) spatial interactions between diving predators and their prey are still poorly known. RESULTS We reconstructed and examined the patterns of southern elephant seals 3D path during the bottom phase of their dives, and related them to estimated prey encounter density. We found that southern elephant seal tracks at bottom are strongly dominated by a single horizontal direction. In high prey density areas, seals travelled shorter distances but their track remained strongly orientated according to a main linear direction. Horizontal, and more importantly, vertical deviations from this main direction, were related negatively to the estimated prey density. We found that prey encounter density decreased with diving depth but tended to be more predictable. CONCLUSION Southern elephant seal behaviour during the bottom phase of their dives suggest that the prey are dispersed and distributed into layers in which their density relates to the vertical spread of the layer. The linear trajectories performed by the elephant seals would allow to explore the largest volume of water, maximizing the opportunities of prey encounter, while travelling great horizontal distances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yves Le Bras
- Centre d’Études Biologiques de Chizé, UMR 7372, CNRS-ULR, Villiers-en-bois, 79360 France
| | - Joffrey Jouma’a
- Centre d’Études Biologiques de Chizé, UMR 7372, CNRS-ULR, Villiers-en-bois, 79360 France
| | - Christophe Guinet
- Centre d’Études Biologiques de Chizé, UMR 7372, CNRS-ULR, Villiers-en-bois, 79360 France
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9
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McIntyre T, Bester MN, Bornemann H, Tosh CA, de Bruyn PN. Slow to change? Individual fidelity to three-dimensional foraging habitats in southern elephant seals, Mirounga leonina. Anim Behav 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2017.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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10
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Labrousse S, Sallée JB, Fraser AD, Massom RA, Reid P, Hobbs W, Guinet C, Harcourt R, McMahon C, Authier M, Bailleul F, Hindell MA, Charrassin JB. Variability in sea ice cover and climate elicit sex specific responses in an Antarctic predator. Sci Rep 2017; 7:43236. [PMID: 28233791 PMCID: PMC5324094 DOI: 10.1038/srep43236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2016] [Accepted: 01/20/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Contrasting regional changes in Southern Ocean sea ice have occurred over the last 30 years with distinct regional effects on ecosystem structure and function. Quantifying how Antarctic predators respond to such changes provides the context for predicting how climate variability/change will affect these assemblages into the future. Over an 11-year time-series, we examine how inter-annual variability in sea ice concentration and advance affect the foraging behaviour of a top Antarctic predator, the southern elephant seal. Females foraged longer in pack ice in years with greatest sea ice concentration and earliest sea ice advance, while males foraged longer in polynyas in years of lowest sea ice concentration. There was a positive relationship between near-surface meridional wind anomalies and female foraging effort, but not for males. This study reveals the complexities of foraging responses to climate forcing by a poleward migratory predator through varying sea ice property and dynamic anomalies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Labrousse
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ., Paris 06, UMR 7159 CNRS-IRD-MNHN, LOCEAN-IPSL, 75005 Paris, France.,Marine Predator Unit, Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 129, Hobart, Tasmania 7001, Australia
| | - Jean-Baptiste Sallée
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ., Paris 06, UMR 7159 CNRS-IRD-MNHN, LOCEAN-IPSL, 75005 Paris, France.,British Antarctic Survey, High Cross, Cambridge, CB3 0ET, UK
| | - Alexander D Fraser
- Institute of Low Temperature Science, Hokkaido University, N19 W8, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0819, Japan.,Antarctic Climate &Ecosystems Cooperative Research Centre, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 80, Hobart, Tasmania 7001, Australia
| | - Rob A Massom
- Antarctic Climate &Ecosystems Cooperative Research Centre, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 80, Hobart, Tasmania 7001, Australia.,Australian Antarctic Division, Channel Highway, Kingston, Tasmania 7050, Australia
| | - Phillip Reid
- Australian Bureau of Meteorology, Centre for Australian Weather and Climate Research, Hobart, Tasmania 7001, Australia
| | - William Hobbs
- Antarctic Climate &Ecosystems Cooperative Research Centre, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 80, Hobart, Tasmania 7001, Australia.,Centre of Excellence for Climate System Science, Australian Research Council, Sydney, New South Wales 2052, Australia
| | - Christophe Guinet
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372 Université de la Rochelle-CNRS, 79360 Villiers en Bois, France
| | - Robert Harcourt
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales 2109, Australia
| | - Clive McMahon
- Marine Predator Unit, Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 129, Hobart, Tasmania 7001, Australia.,Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales 2109, Australia.,Sydney Institute of Marine Science, 19 Chowder Bay Road, Mosman, New South Wales 2088, Australia
| | - Matthieu Authier
- Observatoire PELAGIS, UMS 3462 CNRS-ULR, 17000 La Rochelle, France
| | - Frédéric Bailleul
- South Australian Research &Development Institute (SARDI), 2 Hamra Avenue, West Beach, South Australia 5024, Australia
| | - Mark A Hindell
- Marine Predator Unit, Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 129, Hobart, Tasmania 7001, Australia.,Antarctic Climate &Ecosystems Cooperative Research Centre, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 80, Hobart, Tasmania 7001, Australia
| | - Jean-Benoit Charrassin
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ., Paris 06, UMR 7159 CNRS-IRD-MNHN, LOCEAN-IPSL, 75005 Paris, France
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11
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Boehme L, Baker A, Fedak M, Årthun M, Nicholls K, Robinson P, Costa D, Biuw M, Photopoulou T. Bimodal Winter Haul-Out Patterns of Adult Weddell Seals (Leptonychotes weddellii) in the Southern Weddell Sea. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0155817. [PMID: 27196097 PMCID: PMC4873014 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0155817] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2015] [Accepted: 05/04/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Hauling out is an essential component of pinniped life-history. Haul-out behaviour may be affected by biological (e.g. sex, age and condition) and physical factors (e.g. food availability and environmental conditions), and identifying these factors may help explain the spatio-temporal distribution and habitat use of pinnipeds. The aim of this study is to describe observed winter haul-out patterns of adult Weddell seals in the Weddell Sea and investigate the role of potential predictors to gain insight into the way these animals interact with the physical environment in this region. We examined the haul-out behaviour in relation to available biological (i.e., diving effort, sex) and physical information (i.e., sun angle). Thirty-three satellite telemetry tags were deployed on adult Weddell seals in the southern Weddell Sea during February 2007, 2009 and 2011, following their annual moult recording information on the behavioural mode of the animal: at surface, hauled out or diving. At the end of the austral summer Weddell seals spent, on average, more than 40% of their time hauled out on the ice. Under constant light conditions, it appears that physiological factors drive sex differences in the timing and duration of haul-out behaviour, with females spending on average more time hauled out than males during daylight hours. This time spent hauled-out declined to around 15% in both sexes by the beginning of autumn and remained at this level with a clear nocturnal haul-out pattern during the winter. The time spent diving increased during this period, indicating an increase in foraging effort during the winter months, and led to a common haul-out pattern in both sexes over winter. We found a positive relationship between haul-out duration and the percentage of time spent diving prior to a haul-out in both sexes, with the exception of female daytime haul-outs early in the year.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lars Boehme
- Sea Mammal Research Unit, Scottish Oceans Institute, St Andrews, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
| | - Amy Baker
- Sea Mammal Research Unit, Scottish Oceans Institute, St Andrews, United Kingdom
| | - Mike Fedak
- Sea Mammal Research Unit, Scottish Oceans Institute, St Andrews, United Kingdom
| | | | | | - Patrick Robinson
- University of California, Long Marine Laboratory, Santa Cruz, United States of America
| | - Dan Costa
- University of California, Long Marine Laboratory, Santa Cruz, United States of America
| | - Martin Biuw
- Sea Mammal Research Unit, Scottish Oceans Institute, St Andrews, United Kingdom
| | - Theoni Photopoulou
- Sea Mammal Research Unit, Scottish Oceans Institute, St Andrews, United Kingdom
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12
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Lowther AD, Lydersen C, Kovacs KM. A sum greater than its parts: merging multi-predator tracking studies to increase ecological understanding. Ecosphere 2015. [DOI: 10.1890/es15-00293.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
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13
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Oosthuizen WC, Bester MN, Altwegg R, McIntyre T, de Bruyn PJN. Decomposing the variance in southern elephant seal weaning mass: partitioning environmental signals and maternal effects. Ecosphere 2015. [DOI: 10.1890/es14-00508.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
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14
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Blanchet MA, Lydersen C, Ims RA, Kovacs KM. Seasonal, Oceanographic and Atmospheric Drivers of Diving Behaviour in a Temperate Seal Species Living in the High Arctic. PLoS One 2015. [PMID: 26196289 PMCID: PMC4509669 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0132686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The harbour seal (Phoca vitulina) population in Svalbard marks the northernmost limit of the species’ range. This small population experiences environmental extremes in sea and air temperatures, sea ice cover and also in light regime for this normally temperate species. This study deployed Conductivity Temperature Depth Satellite Relay Data Loggers (CTD-SRDLs) on 30 adult and juvenile harbour seals in 2009 and 2010 to study their foraging behaviour across multiple seasons. A total of 189,104 dives and 16,640 CTD casts (mean depth 72 m ± 59) were recorded. Individuals dove to a mean depth of 41 m ± 24 with a maximum dive depth range of 24 – 403 m. Dives lasted on average 204 sec ± 120 with maximum durations ranging between 240 – 2,220 sec. Average daily depth and duration of dives, number of dives, time spent diving and dive time/surface time were influenced by date, while sex, age, sea-ice concentration and their interactions were not particularly influential. Dives were deeper (~150 m), longer (~480 sec), less numerous (~250 dives/day) and more pelagic during the winter/early spring compared to the fall and animals spent proportionally less time at the bottom of their dives during the winter. Influxes of warm saline water, corresponding to Atlantic Water characteristics, were observed intermittently at depths ~100 m during both winters in this study. The seasonal changes in diving behaviour were linked to average weekly wind stresses from the north or north-east, which induced upwelling events onto the shelf through offshore Ekman transport. During these events the shelf became flooded with AW from the West Spitsbergen Current, which presumably brought Atlantic fish species close to shore and within the seals’ foraging depth-range. Predicted increased in the influx of AW in this region are likely going to favour the growth and geographic expansion of this harbour seal population in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie-Anne Blanchet
- Norwegian Polar Institute, Fram Center, 9296 Tromsø, Norway
- Department of Arctic and Marine Biology, UiT-Arctic University of Norway, 9037 Tromsø, Norway
- * E-mail:
| | | | - Rolf A. Ims
- Department of Arctic and Marine Biology, UiT-Arctic University of Norway, 9037 Tromsø, Norway
| | - Kit M. Kovacs
- Norwegian Polar Institute, Fram Center, 9296 Tromsø, Norway
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15
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Zheng W, Xie Z, Bergquist BA. Mercury Stable Isotopes in Ornithogenic Deposits As Tracers of Historical Cycling of Mercury in Ross Sea, Antarctica. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2015; 49:7623-7632. [PMID: 26020587 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.5b00523] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Production of methylmercury (MeHg) in ocean waters and its bioaccumulation in marine organisms are critical processes controlling the fate and toxicity of mercury (Hg). However, these processes are not well understood in the Antarctic, where high levels of MeHg are observed in the subsurface ocean (100-1000 m). We explored the use of Hg stable isotope compositions in historical and modern biological deposits as a new approach for discerning Hg sources and tracing MeHg cycling in the ocean and bioaccumulation in marine biota. We found similar mass independent isotope fractionation (MIF) of Hg between a sediment profile containing historical penguin and seal feces deposits from coastal Antarctica and modern penguin and seal feces, suggesting that penguin and seal feces were the dominant sources of Hg to the sediments at different time periods. Furthermore, sediments dominated by seal feces displayed a significantly lower MIF slope (Δ(199)Hg/Δ(201)Hg) than those dominated by penguin feces despite similar extents of MIF. Since seals forage at greater depths (>400 m) than penguins (<100 m), the high MIF values and lower Δ(199)Hg/Δ(201)Hg in seal feces suggest that a significant fraction of MeHg accumulated by seals was produced in situ in the subsurface ocean from residual inorganic Hg(II) that sank from the euphotic zone after partial photoreduction. Our results suggest that in situ Hg methylation can be an important source of MeHg for marine biota, and Hg isotope compositions in biological archives can be valuable tracers of MeHg cycling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wang Zheng
- †Department of Earth Sciences, University of Toronto, 22 Russell Street, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3B1, Canada
| | - Zhouqing Xie
- ‡Institute of Polar Environment, School of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, China
| | - Bridget A Bergquist
- †Department of Earth Sciences, University of Toronto, 22 Russell Street, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3B1, Canada
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Photopoulou T, Lovell P, Fedak MA, Thomas L, Matthiopoulos J. Efficient abstracting of dive profiles using a broken‐stick model. Methods Ecol Evol 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.12328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Theoni Photopoulou
- Centre for Statistics in Ecology, Environment and Conservation Department of Statistical Sciences University of Cape Town Rondebosch Cape Town 7701 South Africa
| | - Philip Lovell
- Sea Mammal Research Unit Scottish Oceans Institute University of St Andrews Scotland KY16 8LB UK
| | - Michael A. Fedak
- Sea Mammal Research Unit Scottish Oceans Institute University of St Andrews Scotland KY16 8LB UK
| | - Len Thomas
- Centre for Research into Ecological and Environmental Modelling The Observatory University of St Andrews Scotland KY16 9LZ UK
| | - Jason Matthiopoulos
- Institute of Biodiversity Animal Health and Comparative Medicine Graham Kerr Building University of Glasgow Glasgow Scotland G12 8QQ UK
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Investigating annual diving behaviour by hooded seals (Cystophora cristata) within the Northwest Atlantic Ocean. PLoS One 2013; 8:e80438. [PMID: 24282541 PMCID: PMC3840026 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0080438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2012] [Accepted: 10/10/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
With the exception of relatively brief periods when they reproduce and moult, hooded seals, Cystophora cristata, spend most of the year in the open ocean where they undergo feeding migrations to either recover or prepare for the next fasting period. Valuable insights into habitat use and diving behaviour during these periods have been obtained by attaching Satellite Relay Data Loggers (SRDLs) to 51 Northwest (NW) Atlantic hooded seals (33 females and 18 males) during ice-bound fasting periods (2004−2008). Using General Additive Models (GAMs) we describe habitat use in terms of First Passage Time (FPT) and analyse how bathymetry, seasonality and FPT influence the hooded seals’ diving behaviour described by maximum dive depth, dive duration and surface duration. Adult NW Atlantic hooded seals exhibit a change in diving activity in areas where they spend >20 h by increasing maximum dive depth, dive duration and surface duration, indicating a restricted search behaviour. We found that male and female hooded seals are spatially segregated and that diving behaviour varies between sexes in relation to habitat properties and seasonality. Migration periods are described by increased dive duration for both sexes with a peak in May, October and January. Males demonstrated an increase in dive depth and dive duration towards May (post-breeding/pre-moult) and August–October (post-moult/pre-breeding) but did not show any pronounced increase in surface duration. Females dived deepest and had the highest surface duration between December and January (post-moult/pre-breeding). Our results suggest that the smaller females may have a greater need to recover from dives than that of the larger males. Horizontal segregation could have evolved as a result of a resource partitioning strategy to avoid sexual competition or that the energy requirements of males and females are different due to different energy expenditure during fasting periods.
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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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Costa DP, Breed GA, Robinson PW. New Insights into Pelagic Migrations: Implications for Ecology and Conservation. ANNUAL REVIEW OF ECOLOGY EVOLUTION AND SYSTEMATICS 2012. [DOI: 10.1146/annurev-ecolsys-102710-145045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 154] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Highly pelagic large marine vertebrates have evolved the capability of moving across large expanses of the marine environment; some species routinely move across entire ocean basins. Our understanding of these movements has been enhanced by new technologies that now allow us to follow their movements over great distances and long time periods in great detail. This technology provides not only detailed information on the movements of a wide variety of marine species, but also detailed characteristics of the habitats they use and clues to their navigation abilities. Advances in electronic tracking technologies have been coupled with rapid development of statistical and analytical techniques. With these developments, conservation of highly migratory species has been aided by providing new information on where uncommon or endangered species go, what behaviors they perform and why, which habitats are critical, and where they range, as well as, in many cases, better estimates of their population size and the interconnectedness of subpopulations. Together these tools are providing critical insights into the ecology of highly pelagic marine vertebrates that are key for their conservation and management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel P. Costa
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, California 95060
| | - Greg A. Breed
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, California 95060
| | - Patrick W. Robinson
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, California 95060
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