Predictions replaced by facts: a keystone species' behavioural responses to declining arctic sea-ice
Since the first documentation of climate-warming induced declines in arctic sea-ice, predictions have been made regarding the expected negative consequences for endemic marine mammals. But, several decades later, little hard evidence exists regarding the responses of these animals to the ongoing env...
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crroyalsociety:10.1098/rsbl.2015.0803 2024-06-23T07:49:25+00:00 Predictions replaced by facts: a keystone species' behavioural responses to declining arctic sea-ice Hamilton, Charmain D. Lydersen, Christian Ims, Rolf A. Kovacs, Kit M. Norwegian Research Council VISTA Norwegian Polar Institute's Centre for Ice, Climate and Ecosystems 2015 http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2015.0803 https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/pdf/10.1098/rsbl.2015.0803 https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full-xml/10.1098/rsbl.2015.0803 en eng The Royal Society https://royalsociety.org/journals/ethics-policies/data-sharing-mining/ Biology Letters volume 11, issue 11, page 20150803 ISSN 1744-9561 1744-957X journal-article 2015 crroyalsociety https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2015.0803 2024-06-04T06:22:50Z Since the first documentation of climate-warming induced declines in arctic sea-ice, predictions have been made regarding the expected negative consequences for endemic marine mammals. But, several decades later, little hard evidence exists regarding the responses of these animals to the ongoing environmental changes. Herein, we report the first empirical evidence of a dramatic shift in movement patterns and foraging behaviour of the arctic endemic ringed seal ( Pusa hispida ), before and after a major collapse in sea-ice in Svalbard, Norway. Among other changes to the ice-regime, this collapse shifted the summer position of the marginal ice zone from over the continental shelf, northward to the deep Arctic Ocean Basin. Following this change, which is thought to be a ‘tipping point’, subadult ringed seals swam greater distances, showed less area-restricted search behaviour, dived for longer periods, exhibited shorter surface intervals, rested less on sea-ice and did less diving directly beneath the ice during post-moulting foraging excursions. In combination, these behavioural changes suggest increased foraging effort and thus also likely increases in the energetic costs of finding food. Continued declines in sea-ice are likely to result in distributional changes, range reductions and population declines in this keystone arctic species. Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Arctic Ocean Pusa hispida ringed seal Sea ice Svalbard The Royal Society Arctic Arctic Ocean Norway Svalbard Biology Letters 11 11 20150803 |
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The Royal Society |
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crroyalsociety |
language |
English |
description |
Since the first documentation of climate-warming induced declines in arctic sea-ice, predictions have been made regarding the expected negative consequences for endemic marine mammals. But, several decades later, little hard evidence exists regarding the responses of these animals to the ongoing environmental changes. Herein, we report the first empirical evidence of a dramatic shift in movement patterns and foraging behaviour of the arctic endemic ringed seal ( Pusa hispida ), before and after a major collapse in sea-ice in Svalbard, Norway. Among other changes to the ice-regime, this collapse shifted the summer position of the marginal ice zone from over the continental shelf, northward to the deep Arctic Ocean Basin. Following this change, which is thought to be a ‘tipping point’, subadult ringed seals swam greater distances, showed less area-restricted search behaviour, dived for longer periods, exhibited shorter surface intervals, rested less on sea-ice and did less diving directly beneath the ice during post-moulting foraging excursions. In combination, these behavioural changes suggest increased foraging effort and thus also likely increases in the energetic costs of finding food. Continued declines in sea-ice are likely to result in distributional changes, range reductions and population declines in this keystone arctic species. |
author2 |
Norwegian Research Council VISTA Norwegian Polar Institute's Centre for Ice, Climate and Ecosystems |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Hamilton, Charmain D. Lydersen, Christian Ims, Rolf A. Kovacs, Kit M. |
spellingShingle |
Hamilton, Charmain D. Lydersen, Christian Ims, Rolf A. Kovacs, Kit M. Predictions replaced by facts: a keystone species' behavioural responses to declining arctic sea-ice |
author_facet |
Hamilton, Charmain D. Lydersen, Christian Ims, Rolf A. Kovacs, Kit M. |
author_sort |
Hamilton, Charmain D. |
title |
Predictions replaced by facts: a keystone species' behavioural responses to declining arctic sea-ice |
title_short |
Predictions replaced by facts: a keystone species' behavioural responses to declining arctic sea-ice |
title_full |
Predictions replaced by facts: a keystone species' behavioural responses to declining arctic sea-ice |
title_fullStr |
Predictions replaced by facts: a keystone species' behavioural responses to declining arctic sea-ice |
title_full_unstemmed |
Predictions replaced by facts: a keystone species' behavioural responses to declining arctic sea-ice |
title_sort |
predictions replaced by facts: a keystone species' behavioural responses to declining arctic sea-ice |
publisher |
The Royal Society |
publishDate |
2015 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2015.0803 https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/pdf/10.1098/rsbl.2015.0803 https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full-xml/10.1098/rsbl.2015.0803 |
geographic |
Arctic Arctic Ocean Norway Svalbard |
geographic_facet |
Arctic Arctic Ocean Norway Svalbard |
genre |
Arctic Arctic Ocean Pusa hispida ringed seal Sea ice Svalbard |
genre_facet |
Arctic Arctic Ocean Pusa hispida ringed seal Sea ice Svalbard |
op_source |
Biology Letters volume 11, issue 11, page 20150803 ISSN 1744-9561 1744-957X |
op_rights |
https://royalsociety.org/journals/ethics-policies/data-sharing-mining/ |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2015.0803 |
container_title |
Biology Letters |
container_volume |
11 |
container_issue |
11 |
container_start_page |
20150803 |
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1802639823367831552 |