Acta Zool. Fennico 172:129-131. 1984 Hawaiian monk seal diving behavior

• Main Authors: R. L. Delong, G. L. Kooyman, W. G. Gilmartin, T. R. Loughlin
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Subjects: G. L. Kooyman; Physiological Kesearch Lobururor; ScrippJ Insrirurion of Or.eunogrnpn; Lu lol lu; Rookery Islands
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.471.5520; http://swfsc.noaa.gov/publications/cr/1984/8419.pdf

Diving behavior of Hawaiian monk seals Has studied to gain an understanding of their use 01 thc marine habitat. Radio tags and maximum-multiple-depth recorders (MMDR) were attached ulth anklets tu seven adult male monk seals at Lisianski Isldnd. 24-h automatic monitoring of radio tag\ provided a detailed record 0 1 hauling ou t activity on the island's beaches. Over 4800 individual dives b) six animals were recorded by the MMDR system. The majorit) (59 ' i J of dives were in the 10-40 m depth range, the remaining dives were to depths gcnerall) greater than 4tI m. with l i diier to at least 121 m. Monk seal prey items were identified l rom exammaticn cl seal scat and included fish otoliths. cephalopod beaks and invertebrate ekoskeleron lragment3. The:)re) assemblage uas benthic; the majority of prey were shallow water for:n * nnd a rmaller nun ib r r species were dcep water forms. The depth at which the preq were taken generally agrecd with the distribution of monk seal dive depths recorded. rhii information indicuted that Hdwdiiair insr ik seals depend entirely upon the food resources tound over the reel wrfdce and slopez while at rookery islands during the breeding season.