DIFFERENCES IN FORAGING LOCATION OF MEXICAN AND CALIFORNIA ELEPHANT SEALS: EVIDENCE FROM STABLE ISOTOPES IN PUPS
Abstract Female northern elephant seals, Mirounga angustirostris, from Año Nuevo (AN) in central California feed offshore in mid‐latitude waters (40°–55°N). Migratory patterns and foraging locations of seals from Mexico are unknown. Rookeries on San Benitos (SB) islands in Baja California Sur, Mexic...
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crwiley:10.1111/j.1748-7692.2006.00023.x 2024-09-15T18:04:43+00:00 DIFFERENCES IN FORAGING LOCATION OF MEXICAN AND CALIFORNIA ELEPHANT SEALS: EVIDENCE FROM STABLE ISOTOPES IN PUPS Aurioles, David Koch, Paul L. Le Boeuf, Burney J. 2006 http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1748-7692.2006.00023.x https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1111%2Fj.1748-7692.2006.00023.x https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1748-7692.2006.00023.x en eng Wiley http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor Marine Mammal Science volume 22, issue 2, page 326-338 ISSN 0824-0469 1748-7692 journal-article 2006 crwiley https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1748-7692.2006.00023.x 2024-08-13T04:17:41Z Abstract Female northern elephant seals, Mirounga angustirostris, from Año Nuevo (AN) in central California feed offshore in mid‐latitude waters (40°–55°N). Migratory patterns and foraging locations of seals from Mexico are unknown. Rookeries on San Benitos (SB) islands in Baja California Sur, Mexico, are ∼1,170 km south of AN. Although the colonies are similar in size, seals from SB begin breeding earlier and have an earlier breeding birthing peak than seals from AN. To determine if the foraging location of seals from Mexico was similar to that of seals from California, we measured δ 13 C and δ 15 N values in the hair of 48 suckling pups at SB and 37 from AN, assuming that their isotopic signatures reflected those of mothers' milk, their exclusive diet. The mean δ 13 C and δ 15 N values for SB pups (−16.1‰± 0.9‰ and 17.7‰± 0.9‰, respectively) were significantly higher than those for AN pups (−17.6‰± 0.4‰ and 15.6‰± 1.0‰, respectively). From data on environmental isotope gradients and known behavior of SB and AN populations, we hypothesize that the isotope differences are due to females in the SB colony foraging ∼8° south of seals from AN. This hypothesis can be tested by deployment of satellite tags on adult females from the SB colony. Article in Journal/Newspaper Elephant Seals Wiley Online Library Marine Mammal Science 22 2 326 338 |
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English |
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Abstract Female northern elephant seals, Mirounga angustirostris, from Año Nuevo (AN) in central California feed offshore in mid‐latitude waters (40°–55°N). Migratory patterns and foraging locations of seals from Mexico are unknown. Rookeries on San Benitos (SB) islands in Baja California Sur, Mexico, are ∼1,170 km south of AN. Although the colonies are similar in size, seals from SB begin breeding earlier and have an earlier breeding birthing peak than seals from AN. To determine if the foraging location of seals from Mexico was similar to that of seals from California, we measured δ 13 C and δ 15 N values in the hair of 48 suckling pups at SB and 37 from AN, assuming that their isotopic signatures reflected those of mothers' milk, their exclusive diet. The mean δ 13 C and δ 15 N values for SB pups (−16.1‰± 0.9‰ and 17.7‰± 0.9‰, respectively) were significantly higher than those for AN pups (−17.6‰± 0.4‰ and 15.6‰± 1.0‰, respectively). From data on environmental isotope gradients and known behavior of SB and AN populations, we hypothesize that the isotope differences are due to females in the SB colony foraging ∼8° south of seals from AN. This hypothesis can be tested by deployment of satellite tags on adult females from the SB colony. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Aurioles, David Koch, Paul L. Le Boeuf, Burney J. |
spellingShingle |
Aurioles, David Koch, Paul L. Le Boeuf, Burney J. DIFFERENCES IN FORAGING LOCATION OF MEXICAN AND CALIFORNIA ELEPHANT SEALS: EVIDENCE FROM STABLE ISOTOPES IN PUPS |
author_facet |
Aurioles, David Koch, Paul L. Le Boeuf, Burney J. |
author_sort |
Aurioles, David |
title |
DIFFERENCES IN FORAGING LOCATION OF MEXICAN AND CALIFORNIA ELEPHANT SEALS: EVIDENCE FROM STABLE ISOTOPES IN PUPS |
title_short |
DIFFERENCES IN FORAGING LOCATION OF MEXICAN AND CALIFORNIA ELEPHANT SEALS: EVIDENCE FROM STABLE ISOTOPES IN PUPS |
title_full |
DIFFERENCES IN FORAGING LOCATION OF MEXICAN AND CALIFORNIA ELEPHANT SEALS: EVIDENCE FROM STABLE ISOTOPES IN PUPS |
title_fullStr |
DIFFERENCES IN FORAGING LOCATION OF MEXICAN AND CALIFORNIA ELEPHANT SEALS: EVIDENCE FROM STABLE ISOTOPES IN PUPS |
title_full_unstemmed |
DIFFERENCES IN FORAGING LOCATION OF MEXICAN AND CALIFORNIA ELEPHANT SEALS: EVIDENCE FROM STABLE ISOTOPES IN PUPS |
title_sort |
differences in foraging location of mexican and california elephant seals: evidence from stable isotopes in pups |
publisher |
Wiley |
publishDate |
2006 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1748-7692.2006.00023.x https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1111%2Fj.1748-7692.2006.00023.x https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1748-7692.2006.00023.x |
genre |
Elephant Seals |
genre_facet |
Elephant Seals |
op_source |
Marine Mammal Science volume 22, issue 2, page 326-338 ISSN 0824-0469 1748-7692 |
op_rights |
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1748-7692.2006.00023.x |
container_title |
Marine Mammal Science |
container_volume |
22 |
container_issue |
2 |
container_start_page |
326 |
op_container_end_page |
338 |
_version_ |
1810442324721795072 |