Decadal changes in blood δ 13 C values, at-sea distribution, and weaning mass of southern elephant seals from Kerguelen Islands
Changes in the foraging environment and at-sea distribution of southern elephant seals from Kerguelen Islands were investigated over a decade (2004–2018) using tracking, weaning mass, and blood δ 13 C values. Females showed either a sub-Antarctic or an Antarctic foraging strategy, and no significant...
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crroyalsociety:10.1098/rspb.2020.1544 2024-06-02T07:58:24+00:00 Decadal changes in blood δ 13 C values, at-sea distribution, and weaning mass of southern elephant seals from Kerguelen Islands Mestre, Julie Authier, Matthieu Cherel, Yves Harcourt, Rob McMahon, Clive R. Hindell, Mark A. Charrassin, Jean-Benoît Guinet, Christophe Agence Nationale de la Recherche Australian Government Total Foundation Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales BNP Paribas Foundation Institut Polaire Français Paul Emile Victor 2020 http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2020.1544 https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/pdf/10.1098/rspb.2020.1544 https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full-xml/10.1098/rspb.2020.1544 en eng The Royal Society https://royalsociety.org/-/media/journals/author/Licence-to-Publish-20062019-final.pdf https://royalsociety.org/journals/ethics-policies/data-sharing-mining/ Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences volume 287, issue 1933 ISSN 0962-8452 1471-2954 journal-article 2020 crroyalsociety https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2020.1544 2024-05-07T14:16:16Z Changes in the foraging environment and at-sea distribution of southern elephant seals from Kerguelen Islands were investigated over a decade (2004–2018) using tracking, weaning mass, and blood δ 13 C values. Females showed either a sub-Antarctic or an Antarctic foraging strategy, and no significant shift in their at-sea distribution was detected between 2004 and 2017. The proportion of females foraging in sub-Antarctic versus Antarctic habitats did not change over the 2006–2018 period. Pup weaning mass varied according to the foraging habitat of their mothers. The weaning mass of sub-Antarctic foraging mothers' pups decreased by 11.7 kg over the study period, but they were on average 5.8 kg heavier than pups from Antarctic foraging mothers. Pup blood δ 13 C values decreased by 1.1‰ over the study period regardless of their sex and the presumed foraging habitat of their mothers. Together, these results suggest an ecological change is occurring within the Indian sector of the Southern Ocean with possible consequences on the foraging performance of southern elephant seals. We hypothesize that this shift in δ 13 C is related to a change in primary production and/or in the composition of phytoplankton communities, but this requires further multidisciplinary investigations. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic Elephant Seals Kerguelen Islands Southern Elephant Seals Southern Ocean The Royal Society Antarctic Indian Kerguelen Kerguelen Islands Southern Ocean Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 287 1933 20201544 |
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English |
description |
Changes in the foraging environment and at-sea distribution of southern elephant seals from Kerguelen Islands were investigated over a decade (2004–2018) using tracking, weaning mass, and blood δ 13 C values. Females showed either a sub-Antarctic or an Antarctic foraging strategy, and no significant shift in their at-sea distribution was detected between 2004 and 2017. The proportion of females foraging in sub-Antarctic versus Antarctic habitats did not change over the 2006–2018 period. Pup weaning mass varied according to the foraging habitat of their mothers. The weaning mass of sub-Antarctic foraging mothers' pups decreased by 11.7 kg over the study period, but they were on average 5.8 kg heavier than pups from Antarctic foraging mothers. Pup blood δ 13 C values decreased by 1.1‰ over the study period regardless of their sex and the presumed foraging habitat of their mothers. Together, these results suggest an ecological change is occurring within the Indian sector of the Southern Ocean with possible consequences on the foraging performance of southern elephant seals. We hypothesize that this shift in δ 13 C is related to a change in primary production and/or in the composition of phytoplankton communities, but this requires further multidisciplinary investigations. |
author2 |
Agence Nationale de la Recherche Australian Government Total Foundation Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales BNP Paribas Foundation Institut Polaire Français Paul Emile Victor |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Mestre, Julie Authier, Matthieu Cherel, Yves Harcourt, Rob McMahon, Clive R. Hindell, Mark A. Charrassin, Jean-Benoît Guinet, Christophe |
spellingShingle |
Mestre, Julie Authier, Matthieu Cherel, Yves Harcourt, Rob McMahon, Clive R. Hindell, Mark A. Charrassin, Jean-Benoît Guinet, Christophe Decadal changes in blood δ 13 C values, at-sea distribution, and weaning mass of southern elephant seals from Kerguelen Islands |
author_facet |
Mestre, Julie Authier, Matthieu Cherel, Yves Harcourt, Rob McMahon, Clive R. Hindell, Mark A. Charrassin, Jean-Benoît Guinet, Christophe |
author_sort |
Mestre, Julie |
title |
Decadal changes in blood δ 13 C values, at-sea distribution, and weaning mass of southern elephant seals from Kerguelen Islands |
title_short |
Decadal changes in blood δ 13 C values, at-sea distribution, and weaning mass of southern elephant seals from Kerguelen Islands |
title_full |
Decadal changes in blood δ 13 C values, at-sea distribution, and weaning mass of southern elephant seals from Kerguelen Islands |
title_fullStr |
Decadal changes in blood δ 13 C values, at-sea distribution, and weaning mass of southern elephant seals from Kerguelen Islands |
title_full_unstemmed |
Decadal changes in blood δ 13 C values, at-sea distribution, and weaning mass of southern elephant seals from Kerguelen Islands |
title_sort |
decadal changes in blood δ 13 c values, at-sea distribution, and weaning mass of southern elephant seals from kerguelen islands |
publisher |
The Royal Society |
publishDate |
2020 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2020.1544 https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/pdf/10.1098/rspb.2020.1544 https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full-xml/10.1098/rspb.2020.1544 |
geographic |
Antarctic Indian Kerguelen Kerguelen Islands Southern Ocean |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic Indian Kerguelen Kerguelen Islands Southern Ocean |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic Elephant Seals Kerguelen Islands Southern Elephant Seals Southern Ocean |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic Elephant Seals Kerguelen Islands Southern Elephant Seals Southern Ocean |
op_source |
Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences volume 287, issue 1933 ISSN 0962-8452 1471-2954 |
op_rights |
https://royalsociety.org/-/media/journals/author/Licence-to-Publish-20062019-final.pdf https://royalsociety.org/journals/ethics-policies/data-sharing-mining/ |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2020.1544 |
container_title |
Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences |
container_volume |
287 |
container_issue |
1933 |
container_start_page |
20201544 |
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1800741716578271232 |