Three-dimensional space use during the bottom phase of southern elephant seal dives
Abstract Background In marine pelagic ecosystems, the spatial distribution of biomass is heterogeneous and dynamic. At large scales, physical processes are the main driving forces of biomass distribution. At fine scales, both biotic and abiotic parameters are likely to be key determinants in the hor...
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ftdatacite:10.6084/m9.figshare.c.3869152 2023-05-15T16:05:10+02:00 Three-dimensional space use during the bottom phase of southern elephant seal dives Bras, Yves JoumaâA, Joffrey Guinet, Christophe 2017 https://dx.doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.3869152 https://springernature.figshare.com/collections/Three-dimensional_space_use_during_the_bottom_phase_of_southern_elephant_seal_dives/3869152 unknown Figshare https://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s40462-017-0108-y CC BY 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 CC-BY Cell Biology 59999 Environmental Sciences not elsewhere classified FOS Earth and related environmental sciences Ecology FOS Biological sciences 69999 Biological Sciences not elsewhere classified Inorganic Chemistry FOS Chemical sciences Collection article 2017 ftdatacite https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.3869152 https://doi.org/10.1186/s40462-017-0108-y 2021-11-05T12:55:41Z Abstract Background In marine pelagic ecosystems, the spatial distribution of biomass is heterogeneous and dynamic. At large scales, physical processes are the main driving forces of biomass distribution. At fine scales, both biotic and abiotic parameters are likely to be key determinants in the horizontal and vertical distribution of biomass, with direct consequences on the foraging behaviour of diving predators. However, fine scale three-dimensional (3D) spatial interactions between diving predators and their prey are still poorly known. Results We reconstructed and examined the patterns of southern elephant seals 3D path during the bottom phase of their dives, and related them to estimated prey encounter density. We found that southern elephant seal tracks at bottom are strongly dominated by a single horizontal direction. In high prey density areas, seals travelled shorter distances but their track remained strongly orientated according to a main linear direction. Horizontal, and more importantly, vertical deviations from this main direction, were related negatively to the estimated prey density. We found that prey encounter density decreased with diving depth but tended to be more predictable. Conclusion Southern elephant seal behaviour during the bottom phase of their dives suggest that the prey are dispersed and distributed into layers in which their density relates to the vertical spread of the layer. The linear trajectories performed by the elephant seals would allow to explore the largest volume of water, maximizing the opportunities of prey encounter, while travelling great horizontal distances. Article in Journal/Newspaper Elephant Seal Elephant Seals Southern Elephant Seal Southern Elephant Seals DataCite Metadata Store (German National Library of Science and Technology) |
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DataCite Metadata Store (German National Library of Science and Technology) |
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Cell Biology 59999 Environmental Sciences not elsewhere classified FOS Earth and related environmental sciences Ecology FOS Biological sciences 69999 Biological Sciences not elsewhere classified Inorganic Chemistry FOS Chemical sciences |
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Cell Biology 59999 Environmental Sciences not elsewhere classified FOS Earth and related environmental sciences Ecology FOS Biological sciences 69999 Biological Sciences not elsewhere classified Inorganic Chemistry FOS Chemical sciences Bras, Yves JoumaâA, Joffrey Guinet, Christophe Three-dimensional space use during the bottom phase of southern elephant seal dives |
topic_facet |
Cell Biology 59999 Environmental Sciences not elsewhere classified FOS Earth and related environmental sciences Ecology FOS Biological sciences 69999 Biological Sciences not elsewhere classified Inorganic Chemistry FOS Chemical sciences |
description |
Abstract Background In marine pelagic ecosystems, the spatial distribution of biomass is heterogeneous and dynamic. At large scales, physical processes are the main driving forces of biomass distribution. At fine scales, both biotic and abiotic parameters are likely to be key determinants in the horizontal and vertical distribution of biomass, with direct consequences on the foraging behaviour of diving predators. However, fine scale three-dimensional (3D) spatial interactions between diving predators and their prey are still poorly known. Results We reconstructed and examined the patterns of southern elephant seals 3D path during the bottom phase of their dives, and related them to estimated prey encounter density. We found that southern elephant seal tracks at bottom are strongly dominated by a single horizontal direction. In high prey density areas, seals travelled shorter distances but their track remained strongly orientated according to a main linear direction. Horizontal, and more importantly, vertical deviations from this main direction, were related negatively to the estimated prey density. We found that prey encounter density decreased with diving depth but tended to be more predictable. Conclusion Southern elephant seal behaviour during the bottom phase of their dives suggest that the prey are dispersed and distributed into layers in which their density relates to the vertical spread of the layer. The linear trajectories performed by the elephant seals would allow to explore the largest volume of water, maximizing the opportunities of prey encounter, while travelling great horizontal distances. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Bras, Yves JoumaâA, Joffrey Guinet, Christophe |
author_facet |
Bras, Yves JoumaâA, Joffrey Guinet, Christophe |
author_sort |
Bras, Yves |
title |
Three-dimensional space use during the bottom phase of southern elephant seal dives |
title_short |
Three-dimensional space use during the bottom phase of southern elephant seal dives |
title_full |
Three-dimensional space use during the bottom phase of southern elephant seal dives |
title_fullStr |
Three-dimensional space use during the bottom phase of southern elephant seal dives |
title_full_unstemmed |
Three-dimensional space use during the bottom phase of southern elephant seal dives |
title_sort |
three-dimensional space use during the bottom phase of southern elephant seal dives |
publisher |
Figshare |
publishDate |
2017 |
url |
https://dx.doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.3869152 https://springernature.figshare.com/collections/Three-dimensional_space_use_during_the_bottom_phase_of_southern_elephant_seal_dives/3869152 |
genre |
Elephant Seal Elephant Seals Southern Elephant Seal Southern Elephant Seals |
genre_facet |
Elephant Seal Elephant Seals Southern Elephant Seal Southern Elephant Seals |
op_relation |
https://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s40462-017-0108-y |
op_rights |
CC BY 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 |
op_rightsnorm |
CC-BY |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.3869152 https://doi.org/10.1186/s40462-017-0108-y |
_version_ |
1766400975972597760 |