Seasons of the ringed seal: pelagic open-water hyperphagy, benthic feeding over winter and spring fasting during molt
Context. The ringed seal (Phoca hispida), a small phocid seal with a circumpolar Arctic distribution and a strong association with sea ice, occurs at the southern limit of its range in Hudson and James Bays: an area that experiences complete ice cover in winter and complete open water in summer. Bec...
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ftbioone:10.1071/WR12168 2024-06-02T08:02:48+00:00 Seasons of the ringed seal: pelagic open-water hyperphagy, benthic feeding over winter and spring fasting during molt B. G. Young S. H. Ferguson B. G. Young S. H. Ferguson world 2013-02-18 text/HTML https://doi.org/10.1071/WR12168 en eng CSIRO Publishing doi:10.1071/WR12168 All rights reserved. https://doi.org/10.1071/WR12168 Text 2013 ftbioone https://doi.org/10.1071/WR12168 2024-05-07T00:49:46Z Context. The ringed seal (Phoca hispida), a small phocid seal with a circumpolar Arctic distribution and a strong association with sea ice, occurs at the southern limit of its range in Hudson and James Bays: an area that experiences complete ice cover in winter and complete open water in summer. Because of the high seasonal variability in environmental conditions, it is expected that ringed seals experience seasonal changes in diet and foraging habitat, which will be reflected in body condition and biomarkers of stable isotopes and fatty acids.Aims. The purpose of the present study was to investigate intra-annual variation in the feeding habits and body condition of the ringed seal.Methods. Tissue samples and morphological measurements from south-eastern Hudson Bay ringed seals were obtained every month during the Inuit subsistence hunt from November 2009 to May 2011 (n = 192). Muscle samples were used for δ15N and δ13C stable isotope analysis, blubber was used for analysis of fatty acid composition, bodyweight and sculp weight were used to estimate percentage blubber, and lower right canines were used to determine age.Key results. Fatty acid composition, δ15N, and δ13C varied significantly by season, suggesting seasonal changes in foraging habitat and diet. Variation in percentage blubber indicated that poorest body condition occurs following the molting and fasting period, followed by a gradual increase from late summer through fall, with the highest body condition occurring in time for freeze-up in December.Key conclusions. Patterns of δ13C indicate pelagic feeding during the open-water season (August–December) when fat and energy stores are replenished, increased benthic foraging during the period of ice cover (January–May), followed by a period of fasting during the spring molt (June–July). Fatty acid composition suggested seasonal changes in diet that could include increased importance of pelagic fish in the fall during the period of positive energy balance.Implications. The first continuous collection of ... Text Arctic Hudson Bay inuit Phoca hispida ringed seal Sea ice BioOne Online Journals Arctic Hudson Bay Hudson Wildlife Research 40 1 52 |
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Open Polar |
collection |
BioOne Online Journals |
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ftbioone |
language |
English |
description |
Context. The ringed seal (Phoca hispida), a small phocid seal with a circumpolar Arctic distribution and a strong association with sea ice, occurs at the southern limit of its range in Hudson and James Bays: an area that experiences complete ice cover in winter and complete open water in summer. Because of the high seasonal variability in environmental conditions, it is expected that ringed seals experience seasonal changes in diet and foraging habitat, which will be reflected in body condition and biomarkers of stable isotopes and fatty acids.Aims. The purpose of the present study was to investigate intra-annual variation in the feeding habits and body condition of the ringed seal.Methods. Tissue samples and morphological measurements from south-eastern Hudson Bay ringed seals were obtained every month during the Inuit subsistence hunt from November 2009 to May 2011 (n = 192). Muscle samples were used for δ15N and δ13C stable isotope analysis, blubber was used for analysis of fatty acid composition, bodyweight and sculp weight were used to estimate percentage blubber, and lower right canines were used to determine age.Key results. Fatty acid composition, δ15N, and δ13C varied significantly by season, suggesting seasonal changes in foraging habitat and diet. Variation in percentage blubber indicated that poorest body condition occurs following the molting and fasting period, followed by a gradual increase from late summer through fall, with the highest body condition occurring in time for freeze-up in December.Key conclusions. Patterns of δ13C indicate pelagic feeding during the open-water season (August–December) when fat and energy stores are replenished, increased benthic foraging during the period of ice cover (January–May), followed by a period of fasting during the spring molt (June–July). Fatty acid composition suggested seasonal changes in diet that could include increased importance of pelagic fish in the fall during the period of positive energy balance.Implications. The first continuous collection of ... |
author2 |
B. G. Young S. H. Ferguson |
format |
Text |
author |
B. G. Young S. H. Ferguson |
spellingShingle |
B. G. Young S. H. Ferguson Seasons of the ringed seal: pelagic open-water hyperphagy, benthic feeding over winter and spring fasting during molt |
author_facet |
B. G. Young S. H. Ferguson |
author_sort |
B. G. Young |
title |
Seasons of the ringed seal: pelagic open-water hyperphagy, benthic feeding over winter and spring fasting during molt |
title_short |
Seasons of the ringed seal: pelagic open-water hyperphagy, benthic feeding over winter and spring fasting during molt |
title_full |
Seasons of the ringed seal: pelagic open-water hyperphagy, benthic feeding over winter and spring fasting during molt |
title_fullStr |
Seasons of the ringed seal: pelagic open-water hyperphagy, benthic feeding over winter and spring fasting during molt |
title_full_unstemmed |
Seasons of the ringed seal: pelagic open-water hyperphagy, benthic feeding over winter and spring fasting during molt |
title_sort |
seasons of the ringed seal: pelagic open-water hyperphagy, benthic feeding over winter and spring fasting during molt |
publisher |
CSIRO Publishing |
publishDate |
2013 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1071/WR12168 |
op_coverage |
world |
geographic |
Arctic Hudson Bay Hudson |
geographic_facet |
Arctic Hudson Bay Hudson |
genre |
Arctic Hudson Bay inuit Phoca hispida ringed seal Sea ice |
genre_facet |
Arctic Hudson Bay inuit Phoca hispida ringed seal Sea ice |
op_source |
https://doi.org/10.1071/WR12168 |
op_relation |
doi:10.1071/WR12168 |
op_rights |
All rights reserved. |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1071/WR12168 |
container_title |
Wildlife Research |
container_volume |
40 |
container_issue |
1 |
container_start_page |
52 |
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1800747268672847872 |