High mortality rates in a juvenile free‐ranging marine predator and links to dive and forage ability
Abstract High juvenile mortality rates are typical of many long‐lived marine vertebrate predators. Insufficient development in dive and forage ability is considered a key driver of this. However, direct links to survival outcome are sparse, particularly in free‐ranging marine animals that may not re...
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:34ba65c572aa4e4f940b45e090592b30 2023-05-15T16:05:15+02:00 High mortality rates in a juvenile free‐ranging marine predator and links to dive and forage ability Sam L. Cox Matthieu Authier Florian Orgeret Henri Weimerskirch Christophe Guinet 2020-01-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.5905 https://doaj.org/article/34ba65c572aa4e4f940b45e090592b30 EN eng Wiley https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.5905 https://doaj.org/toc/2045-7758 2045-7758 doi:10.1002/ece3.5905 https://doaj.org/article/34ba65c572aa4e4f940b45e090592b30 Ecology and Evolution, Vol 10, Iss 1, Pp 410-430 (2020) bio‐logging early life foraging ecology juvenile mortality Mirounga leonina southern elephant seal Ecology QH540-549.5 article 2020 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.5905 2022-12-31T10:40:21Z Abstract High juvenile mortality rates are typical of many long‐lived marine vertebrate predators. Insufficient development in dive and forage ability is considered a key driver of this. However, direct links to survival outcome are sparse, particularly in free‐ranging marine animals that may not return to land. In this study, we conduct exploratory investigations toward early mortality in juvenile southern elephant seals Mirounga leonina. Twenty postweaning pups were equipped with (a) a new‐generation satellite relay data tag, capable of remotely transmitting fine‐scale behavioral movements from accelerometers, and (b) a location transmitting only tag (so that mortality events could be distinguished from device failures). Individuals were followed during their first trip at sea (until mortality or return to land). Two analyses were conducted. First, the behavioral movements and encountered environmental conditions of nonsurviving pups were individually compared to temporally concurrent observations from grouped survivors. Second, common causes of mortality were investigated using Cox's proportional hazard regression and penalized shrinkage techniques. Nine individuals died (two females and seven males) and 11 survived (eight females and three males). All but one individual died before the return phase of their first trip at sea, and all but one were negatively buoyant. Causes of death were variable, although common factors included increased horizontal travel speeds and distances, decreased development in dive and forage ability, and habitat type visited (lower sea surface temperatures and decreased total [eddy] kinetic energy). For long‐lived marine vertebrate predators, such as the southern elephant seal, the first few months of life following independence represent a critical period, when small deviations in behavior from the norm appear sufficient to increase mortality risk. Survival rates may subsequently be particularly vulnerable to changes in climate and environment, which will have concomitant ... Article in Journal/Newspaper Elephant Seal Elephant Seals Mirounga leonina Southern Elephant Seal Southern Elephant Seals Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Ecology and Evolution 10 1 410 430 |
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Open Polar |
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Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
op_collection_id |
ftdoajarticles |
language |
English |
topic |
bio‐logging early life foraging ecology juvenile mortality Mirounga leonina southern elephant seal Ecology QH540-549.5 |
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bio‐logging early life foraging ecology juvenile mortality Mirounga leonina southern elephant seal Ecology QH540-549.5 Sam L. Cox Matthieu Authier Florian Orgeret Henri Weimerskirch Christophe Guinet High mortality rates in a juvenile free‐ranging marine predator and links to dive and forage ability |
topic_facet |
bio‐logging early life foraging ecology juvenile mortality Mirounga leonina southern elephant seal Ecology QH540-549.5 |
description |
Abstract High juvenile mortality rates are typical of many long‐lived marine vertebrate predators. Insufficient development in dive and forage ability is considered a key driver of this. However, direct links to survival outcome are sparse, particularly in free‐ranging marine animals that may not return to land. In this study, we conduct exploratory investigations toward early mortality in juvenile southern elephant seals Mirounga leonina. Twenty postweaning pups were equipped with (a) a new‐generation satellite relay data tag, capable of remotely transmitting fine‐scale behavioral movements from accelerometers, and (b) a location transmitting only tag (so that mortality events could be distinguished from device failures). Individuals were followed during their first trip at sea (until mortality or return to land). Two analyses were conducted. First, the behavioral movements and encountered environmental conditions of nonsurviving pups were individually compared to temporally concurrent observations from grouped survivors. Second, common causes of mortality were investigated using Cox's proportional hazard regression and penalized shrinkage techniques. Nine individuals died (two females and seven males) and 11 survived (eight females and three males). All but one individual died before the return phase of their first trip at sea, and all but one were negatively buoyant. Causes of death were variable, although common factors included increased horizontal travel speeds and distances, decreased development in dive and forage ability, and habitat type visited (lower sea surface temperatures and decreased total [eddy] kinetic energy). For long‐lived marine vertebrate predators, such as the southern elephant seal, the first few months of life following independence represent a critical period, when small deviations in behavior from the norm appear sufficient to increase mortality risk. Survival rates may subsequently be particularly vulnerable to changes in climate and environment, which will have concomitant ... |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Sam L. Cox Matthieu Authier Florian Orgeret Henri Weimerskirch Christophe Guinet |
author_facet |
Sam L. Cox Matthieu Authier Florian Orgeret Henri Weimerskirch Christophe Guinet |
author_sort |
Sam L. Cox |
title |
High mortality rates in a juvenile free‐ranging marine predator and links to dive and forage ability |
title_short |
High mortality rates in a juvenile free‐ranging marine predator and links to dive and forage ability |
title_full |
High mortality rates in a juvenile free‐ranging marine predator and links to dive and forage ability |
title_fullStr |
High mortality rates in a juvenile free‐ranging marine predator and links to dive and forage ability |
title_full_unstemmed |
High mortality rates in a juvenile free‐ranging marine predator and links to dive and forage ability |
title_sort |
high mortality rates in a juvenile free‐ranging marine predator and links to dive and forage ability |
publisher |
Wiley |
publishDate |
2020 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.5905 https://doaj.org/article/34ba65c572aa4e4f940b45e090592b30 |
genre |
Elephant Seal Elephant Seals Mirounga leonina Southern Elephant Seal Southern Elephant Seals |
genre_facet |
Elephant Seal Elephant Seals Mirounga leonina Southern Elephant Seal Southern Elephant Seals |
op_source |
Ecology and Evolution, Vol 10, Iss 1, Pp 410-430 (2020) |
op_relation |
https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.5905 https://doaj.org/toc/2045-7758 2045-7758 doi:10.1002/ece3.5905 https://doaj.org/article/34ba65c572aa4e4f940b45e090592b30 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.5905 |
container_title |
Ecology and Evolution |
container_volume |
10 |
container_issue |
1 |
container_start_page |
410 |
op_container_end_page |
430 |
_version_ |
1766401160358395904 |