Sex-specific variation in the use of vertical habitat by a resident Antarctic top predator
Patterns of habitat use are commonly studied in horizontal space, but this does not capture the four-dimensional nature of ocean habitats (space, depth, and time). Deep-diving marine animals encounter varying oceanographic conditions, particularly at the poles, where there is strong seasonal variati...
Published in: | Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences |
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2020
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Online Access: | https://pure.au.dk/portal/da/publications/sexspecific-variation-in-the-use-of-vertical-habitat-by-a-resident-antarctic-top-predator(43d8c414-83e3-4e80-8def-e8b1c191b497).html https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2020.1447 https://pure.au.dk/ws/files/223687919/rspb.2020.1447.pdf |
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ftuniaarhuspubl:oai:pure.atira.dk:publications/43d8c414-83e3-4e80-8def-e8b1c191b497 2023-05-15T13:53:31+02:00 Sex-specific variation in the use of vertical habitat by a resident Antarctic top predator Photopoulou, Theoni Heerah, Karine Pohle, Jennifer Boehme, Lars 2020-10 application/pdf https://pure.au.dk/portal/da/publications/sexspecific-variation-in-the-use-of-vertical-habitat-by-a-resident-antarctic-top-predator(43d8c414-83e3-4e80-8def-e8b1c191b497).html https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2020.1447 https://pure.au.dk/ws/files/223687919/rspb.2020.1447.pdf eng eng info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess Photopoulou , T , Heerah , K , Pohle , J & Boehme , L 2020 , ' Sex-specific variation in the use of vertical habitat by a resident Antarctic top predator ' , Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences , vol. 287 , no. 1937 , 20201447 . https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2020.1447 article 2020 ftuniaarhuspubl https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2020.1447 2023-02-01T23:56:01Z Patterns of habitat use are commonly studied in horizontal space, but this does not capture the four-dimensional nature of ocean habitats (space, depth, and time). Deep-diving marine animals encounter varying oceanographic conditions, particularly at the poles, where there is strong seasonal variation in vertical ocean structuring. This dimension of space use is hidden if we only consider horizontal movement. To identify different diving behaviours and usage patterns of vertically distributed habitat, we use hidden Markov models fitted to telemetry data from an air-breathing top predator, the Weddell seal, in the Weddell Sea, Antarctica. We present evidence of overlapping use of high-density, continental shelf water masses by both sexes, as well as important differences in their preferences for oceanographic conditions. Males spend more time in the unique high-salinity shelf water masses found at depth, while females also venture off the continental shelf and visit warmer, shallower water masses. Both sexes exhibit a diurnal pattern in diving behaviour (deep in the day, shallow at night) that persists from austral autumn into winter. The differences in habitat use in this resident, sexually monomorphic Antarctic top predator suggest a different set of needs and constraints operating at the intraspecific level, not driven by body size. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica Weddell Sea Weddell Seal Aarhus University: Research Antarctic Austral Weddell Weddell Sea Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 287 1937 20201447 |
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Open Polar |
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Aarhus University: Research |
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ftuniaarhuspubl |
language |
English |
description |
Patterns of habitat use are commonly studied in horizontal space, but this does not capture the four-dimensional nature of ocean habitats (space, depth, and time). Deep-diving marine animals encounter varying oceanographic conditions, particularly at the poles, where there is strong seasonal variation in vertical ocean structuring. This dimension of space use is hidden if we only consider horizontal movement. To identify different diving behaviours and usage patterns of vertically distributed habitat, we use hidden Markov models fitted to telemetry data from an air-breathing top predator, the Weddell seal, in the Weddell Sea, Antarctica. We present evidence of overlapping use of high-density, continental shelf water masses by both sexes, as well as important differences in their preferences for oceanographic conditions. Males spend more time in the unique high-salinity shelf water masses found at depth, while females also venture off the continental shelf and visit warmer, shallower water masses. Both sexes exhibit a diurnal pattern in diving behaviour (deep in the day, shallow at night) that persists from austral autumn into winter. The differences in habitat use in this resident, sexually monomorphic Antarctic top predator suggest a different set of needs and constraints operating at the intraspecific level, not driven by body size. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Photopoulou, Theoni Heerah, Karine Pohle, Jennifer Boehme, Lars |
spellingShingle |
Photopoulou, Theoni Heerah, Karine Pohle, Jennifer Boehme, Lars Sex-specific variation in the use of vertical habitat by a resident Antarctic top predator |
author_facet |
Photopoulou, Theoni Heerah, Karine Pohle, Jennifer Boehme, Lars |
author_sort |
Photopoulou, Theoni |
title |
Sex-specific variation in the use of vertical habitat by a resident Antarctic top predator |
title_short |
Sex-specific variation in the use of vertical habitat by a resident Antarctic top predator |
title_full |
Sex-specific variation in the use of vertical habitat by a resident Antarctic top predator |
title_fullStr |
Sex-specific variation in the use of vertical habitat by a resident Antarctic top predator |
title_full_unstemmed |
Sex-specific variation in the use of vertical habitat by a resident Antarctic top predator |
title_sort |
sex-specific variation in the use of vertical habitat by a resident antarctic top predator |
publishDate |
2020 |
url |
https://pure.au.dk/portal/da/publications/sexspecific-variation-in-the-use-of-vertical-habitat-by-a-resident-antarctic-top-predator(43d8c414-83e3-4e80-8def-e8b1c191b497).html https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2020.1447 https://pure.au.dk/ws/files/223687919/rspb.2020.1447.pdf |
geographic |
Antarctic Austral Weddell Weddell Sea |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic Austral Weddell Weddell Sea |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica Weddell Sea Weddell Seal |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica Weddell Sea Weddell Seal |
op_source |
Photopoulou , T , Heerah , K , Pohle , J & Boehme , L 2020 , ' Sex-specific variation in the use of vertical habitat by a resident Antarctic top predator ' , Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences , vol. 287 , no. 1937 , 20201447 . https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2020.1447 |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2020.1447 |
container_title |
Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences |
container_volume |
287 |
container_issue |
1937 |
container_start_page |
20201447 |
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1766258687197839360 |