Modelled mid-trophic pelagic prey fields improve understanding of marine predator foraging behaviour
International audience Biophysical interactions are influential in determining the scale of key ecological processes within marine ecosystems. For oceanic predators, this means foraging behaviour is influenced by processes shaping the distribution of prey. However, oceanic prey is difficult to obser...
Published in: | Ecography |
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Language: | English |
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Online Access: | https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-02543064 https://doi.org/10.1111/ecog.04939 |
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ftccsdartic:oai:HAL:hal-02543064v1 2023-05-15T16:05:23+02:00 Modelled mid-trophic pelagic prey fields improve understanding of marine predator foraging behaviour Green, D. Bestley, S. Trebilco, R. Corney, S. Lehodey, P. Mcmahon, C. Guinet, C. Hindell, Mark Collecte Localisation Satellites (CLS) Institut Français de Recherche pour l'Exploitation de la Mer (IFREMER)-Centre National d'Études Spatiales Toulouse (CNES) Centre d'Études Biologiques de Chizé - UMR 7372 (CEBC) Université de La Rochelle (ULR)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE) Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies Horbat (IMAS) University of Tasmania Hobart, Australia (UTAS) 2020-04 https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-02543064 https://doi.org/10.1111/ecog.04939 en eng HAL CCSD Wiley info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.1111/ecog.04939 hal-02543064 https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-02543064 doi:10.1111/ecog.04939 ISSN: 0906-7590 EISSN: 1600-0587 Ecography https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-02543064 Ecography, Wiley, 2020, 43, pp.1-13. ⟨10.1111/ecog.04939⟩ ecosystem modelling kerguelen plateau predators prey interaction micronekton southern elephant seal Southern Indian Ocean [SDE]Environmental Sciences info:eu-repo/semantics/article Journal articles 2020 ftccsdartic https://doi.org/10.1111/ecog.04939 2021-11-07T01:12:48Z International audience Biophysical interactions are influential in determining the scale of key ecological processes within marine ecosystems. For oceanic predators, this means foraging behaviour is influenced by processes shaping the distribution of prey. However, oceanic prey is difficult to observe and its abundance and distribution is regionally generalised. We use a spatiotemporally resolved simulation model to describe mid‐trophic prey distribution within the Southern Ocean and demonstrate insights that this modelled prey field provides into the foraging behaviour of a widely distributed marine predator, the southern elephant seal.From a five‐year simulation of prey biomass, we computed climatologies of mean prey biomass (average prey conditions) and prey biomass variability (meso‐scale variability). We also compiled spatially gridded metrics of seal density and diving behaviour from 13 yr of tracking data. We statistically modelled these metrics as non‐linear functions of prey biomass (both mean and variability) and used these to predict seal distribution and behaviour. Our predictions were consistent with observations (R2adj = 0.23), indicating that seals aggregate in regions of high mesoscale activity where eddies concentrate prey. Here, seals dived deeper (R2marg = 0.12, R2cond = 0.51) and spent less time hunting (R2marg = 0.05, R2cond = 0.56), likely targeting deep but profitable prey patches. Seals generally avoided areas of low eddy activity where prey was likely dispersed. Most seals foraged south of the Subantarctic Front, despite north of the front exhibiting consistently high simulated prey biomasses. This likely reflects seal prey or habitat preferences, but also emphasises the importance of mesoscale prey biomass variability relative to regionally high mean biomass. This work demonstrates the value of coupling mechanistic representations of prey biomass with predator observations to provide insight into how biophysical processes combine to shape species distributions. This will be ... Article in Journal/Newspaper Elephant Seal Southern Elephant Seal Southern Ocean Archive ouverte HAL (Hyper Article en Ligne, CCSD - Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe) Indian Kerguelen Southern Ocean Ecography 43 7 1014 1026 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Archive ouverte HAL (Hyper Article en Ligne, CCSD - Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe) |
op_collection_id |
ftccsdartic |
language |
English |
topic |
ecosystem modelling kerguelen plateau predators prey interaction micronekton southern elephant seal Southern Indian Ocean [SDE]Environmental Sciences |
spellingShingle |
ecosystem modelling kerguelen plateau predators prey interaction micronekton southern elephant seal Southern Indian Ocean [SDE]Environmental Sciences Green, D. Bestley, S. Trebilco, R. Corney, S. Lehodey, P. Mcmahon, C. Guinet, C. Hindell, Mark Modelled mid-trophic pelagic prey fields improve understanding of marine predator foraging behaviour |
topic_facet |
ecosystem modelling kerguelen plateau predators prey interaction micronekton southern elephant seal Southern Indian Ocean [SDE]Environmental Sciences |
description |
International audience Biophysical interactions are influential in determining the scale of key ecological processes within marine ecosystems. For oceanic predators, this means foraging behaviour is influenced by processes shaping the distribution of prey. However, oceanic prey is difficult to observe and its abundance and distribution is regionally generalised. We use a spatiotemporally resolved simulation model to describe mid‐trophic prey distribution within the Southern Ocean and demonstrate insights that this modelled prey field provides into the foraging behaviour of a widely distributed marine predator, the southern elephant seal.From a five‐year simulation of prey biomass, we computed climatologies of mean prey biomass (average prey conditions) and prey biomass variability (meso‐scale variability). We also compiled spatially gridded metrics of seal density and diving behaviour from 13 yr of tracking data. We statistically modelled these metrics as non‐linear functions of prey biomass (both mean and variability) and used these to predict seal distribution and behaviour. Our predictions were consistent with observations (R2adj = 0.23), indicating that seals aggregate in regions of high mesoscale activity where eddies concentrate prey. Here, seals dived deeper (R2marg = 0.12, R2cond = 0.51) and spent less time hunting (R2marg = 0.05, R2cond = 0.56), likely targeting deep but profitable prey patches. Seals generally avoided areas of low eddy activity where prey was likely dispersed. Most seals foraged south of the Subantarctic Front, despite north of the front exhibiting consistently high simulated prey biomasses. This likely reflects seal prey or habitat preferences, but also emphasises the importance of mesoscale prey biomass variability relative to regionally high mean biomass. This work demonstrates the value of coupling mechanistic representations of prey biomass with predator observations to provide insight into how biophysical processes combine to shape species distributions. This will be ... |
author2 |
Collecte Localisation Satellites (CLS) Institut Français de Recherche pour l'Exploitation de la Mer (IFREMER)-Centre National d'Études Spatiales Toulouse (CNES) Centre d'Études Biologiques de Chizé - UMR 7372 (CEBC) Université de La Rochelle (ULR)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE) Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies Horbat (IMAS) University of Tasmania Hobart, Australia (UTAS) |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Green, D. Bestley, S. Trebilco, R. Corney, S. Lehodey, P. Mcmahon, C. Guinet, C. Hindell, Mark |
author_facet |
Green, D. Bestley, S. Trebilco, R. Corney, S. Lehodey, P. Mcmahon, C. Guinet, C. Hindell, Mark |
author_sort |
Green, D. |
title |
Modelled mid-trophic pelagic prey fields improve understanding of marine predator foraging behaviour |
title_short |
Modelled mid-trophic pelagic prey fields improve understanding of marine predator foraging behaviour |
title_full |
Modelled mid-trophic pelagic prey fields improve understanding of marine predator foraging behaviour |
title_fullStr |
Modelled mid-trophic pelagic prey fields improve understanding of marine predator foraging behaviour |
title_full_unstemmed |
Modelled mid-trophic pelagic prey fields improve understanding of marine predator foraging behaviour |
title_sort |
modelled mid-trophic pelagic prey fields improve understanding of marine predator foraging behaviour |
publisher |
HAL CCSD |
publishDate |
2020 |
url |
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-02543064 https://doi.org/10.1111/ecog.04939 |
geographic |
Indian Kerguelen Southern Ocean |
geographic_facet |
Indian Kerguelen Southern Ocean |
genre |
Elephant Seal Southern Elephant Seal Southern Ocean |
genre_facet |
Elephant Seal Southern Elephant Seal Southern Ocean |
op_source |
ISSN: 0906-7590 EISSN: 1600-0587 Ecography https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-02543064 Ecography, Wiley, 2020, 43, pp.1-13. ⟨10.1111/ecog.04939⟩ |
op_relation |
info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.1111/ecog.04939 hal-02543064 https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-02543064 doi:10.1111/ecog.04939 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1111/ecog.04939 |
container_title |
Ecography |
container_volume |
43 |
container_issue |
7 |
container_start_page |
1014 |
op_container_end_page |
1026 |
_version_ |
1766401281992163328 |