Foraging in the darkness of the Southern Ocean: influence of bioluminescence on a deep diving predator.
How non-echolocating deep diving marine predators locate their prey while foraging remains mostly unknown. Female southern elephant seals (SES) (Mirounga leonina) have vision adapted to low intensity light with a peak sensitivity at 485 nm. This matches the wavelength of bioluminescence produced by...
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:5cdad3d996ae43ca969bb521ba234e3f 2023-05-15T16:05:42+02:00 Foraging in the darkness of the Southern Ocean: influence of bioluminescence on a deep diving predator. Jade Vacquié-Garcia François Royer Anne-Cécile Dragon Morgane Viviant Frédéric Bailleul Christophe Guinet 2012-01-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0043565 https://doaj.org/article/5cdad3d996ae43ca969bb521ba234e3f EN eng Public Library of Science (PLoS) http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3430693?pdf=render https://doaj.org/toc/1932-6203 1932-6203 doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0043565 https://doaj.org/article/5cdad3d996ae43ca969bb521ba234e3f PLoS ONE, Vol 7, Iss 8, p e43565 (2012) Medicine R Science Q article 2012 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0043565 2022-12-31T11:22:52Z How non-echolocating deep diving marine predators locate their prey while foraging remains mostly unknown. Female southern elephant seals (SES) (Mirounga leonina) have vision adapted to low intensity light with a peak sensitivity at 485 nm. This matches the wavelength of bioluminescence produced by a large range of marine organisms including myctophid fish, SES's main prey. In this study, we investigated whether bioluminescence provides an accurate estimate of prey occurrence for SES. To do so, four SES were satellite-tracked during their post-breeding foraging trip and were equipped with Time-Depth-Recorders that also recorded light levels every two seconds. A total of 3386 dives were processed through a light-treatment model that detected light events higher than ambient level, i.e. bioluminescence events. The number of bioluminescence events was related to an index of foraging intensity for SES dives deep enough to avoid the influence of natural ambient light. The occurrence of bioluminescence was found to be negatively related to depth both at night and day. Foraging intensity was also positively related to bioluminescence both during day and night. This result suggests that bioluminescence likely provides SES with valuable indications of prey occurrence and might be a key element in predator-prey interactions in deep-dark marine environments. Article in Journal/Newspaper Elephant Seals Mirounga leonina Southern Elephant Seals Southern Ocean Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Southern Ocean Polar Record 42 4 335 347 |
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Open Polar |
collection |
Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
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ftdoajarticles |
language |
English |
topic |
Medicine R Science Q |
spellingShingle |
Medicine R Science Q Jade Vacquié-Garcia François Royer Anne-Cécile Dragon Morgane Viviant Frédéric Bailleul Christophe Guinet Foraging in the darkness of the Southern Ocean: influence of bioluminescence on a deep diving predator. |
topic_facet |
Medicine R Science Q |
description |
How non-echolocating deep diving marine predators locate their prey while foraging remains mostly unknown. Female southern elephant seals (SES) (Mirounga leonina) have vision adapted to low intensity light with a peak sensitivity at 485 nm. This matches the wavelength of bioluminescence produced by a large range of marine organisms including myctophid fish, SES's main prey. In this study, we investigated whether bioluminescence provides an accurate estimate of prey occurrence for SES. To do so, four SES were satellite-tracked during their post-breeding foraging trip and were equipped with Time-Depth-Recorders that also recorded light levels every two seconds. A total of 3386 dives were processed through a light-treatment model that detected light events higher than ambient level, i.e. bioluminescence events. The number of bioluminescence events was related to an index of foraging intensity for SES dives deep enough to avoid the influence of natural ambient light. The occurrence of bioluminescence was found to be negatively related to depth both at night and day. Foraging intensity was also positively related to bioluminescence both during day and night. This result suggests that bioluminescence likely provides SES with valuable indications of prey occurrence and might be a key element in predator-prey interactions in deep-dark marine environments. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Jade Vacquié-Garcia François Royer Anne-Cécile Dragon Morgane Viviant Frédéric Bailleul Christophe Guinet |
author_facet |
Jade Vacquié-Garcia François Royer Anne-Cécile Dragon Morgane Viviant Frédéric Bailleul Christophe Guinet |
author_sort |
Jade Vacquié-Garcia |
title |
Foraging in the darkness of the Southern Ocean: influence of bioluminescence on a deep diving predator. |
title_short |
Foraging in the darkness of the Southern Ocean: influence of bioluminescence on a deep diving predator. |
title_full |
Foraging in the darkness of the Southern Ocean: influence of bioluminescence on a deep diving predator. |
title_fullStr |
Foraging in the darkness of the Southern Ocean: influence of bioluminescence on a deep diving predator. |
title_full_unstemmed |
Foraging in the darkness of the Southern Ocean: influence of bioluminescence on a deep diving predator. |
title_sort |
foraging in the darkness of the southern ocean: influence of bioluminescence on a deep diving predator. |
publisher |
Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
publishDate |
2012 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0043565 https://doaj.org/article/5cdad3d996ae43ca969bb521ba234e3f |
geographic |
Southern Ocean |
geographic_facet |
Southern Ocean |
genre |
Elephant Seals Mirounga leonina Southern Elephant Seals Southern Ocean |
genre_facet |
Elephant Seals Mirounga leonina Southern Elephant Seals Southern Ocean |
op_source |
PLoS ONE, Vol 7, Iss 8, p e43565 (2012) |
op_relation |
http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3430693?pdf=render https://doaj.org/toc/1932-6203 1932-6203 doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0043565 https://doaj.org/article/5cdad3d996ae43ca969bb521ba234e3f |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0043565 |
container_title |
Polar Record |
container_volume |
42 |
container_issue |
4 |
container_start_page |
335 |
op_container_end_page |
347 |
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1766401609521168384 |