Fine-scale three-dimensional spatial use by diving, lactating female Weddell seals Leptonychotes weddellii
Despite the importance of fine-scale spatial use in understanding an animal's foraging ecology, these data cannot readily be collected for free-ranging marine mammals. We used an acoustic positioning system to quantify, for the first time, the fine-scale 3-dimensional (3D) spatial use of free-r...
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Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.3354/meps242275 http://ecite.utas.edu.au/25177 |
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ftunivtasecite:oai:ecite.utas.edu.au:25177 2023-05-15T13:59:07+02:00 Fine-scale three-dimensional spatial use by diving, lactating female Weddell seals Leptonychotes weddellii Hindell, MA Harcourt, RG Waas, JR Thompson, D 2002 https://doi.org/10.3354/meps242275 http://ecite.utas.edu.au/25177 en eng Inter-Research http://dx.doi.org/10.3354/meps242275 Hindell, MA and Harcourt, RG and Waas, JR and Thompson, D, Fine-scale three-dimensional spatial use by diving, lactating female Weddell seals Leptonychotes weddellii, Marine Ecology Progress Series, 242 pp. 275-284. ISSN 0171-8630 (2002) [Refereed Article] http://ecite.utas.edu.au/25177 Environmental Sciences Environmental Science and Management Wildlife and Habitat Management Refereed Article PeerReviewed 2002 ftunivtasecite https://doi.org/10.3354/meps242275 2019-12-13T21:06:23Z Despite the importance of fine-scale spatial use in understanding an animal's foraging ecology, these data cannot readily be collected for free-ranging marine mammals. We used an acoustic positioning system to quantify, for the first time, the fine-scale 3-dimensional (3D) spatial use of free-ranging Weddell seals swimming under ice. Unlike many other phocid species, lactating Weddell seals spent up to 25% of their time diving. Given the limited foraging range imposed on the seals by the fast ice upon which they breed, this could lead to prey depletion and even inter-specific competition. The seals focused their underwater activity on a relatively small region associated with a steep bottom contour, using the entire water column, with very little time spent at the bottom. This behaviour is consistent with feeding on bentho-pelagic prey such as Pleurogramma antarcticum. The 3D profile of individual dives consisted of the seals making simple, directed dives which gradually converged with the ocean floor. There was some variation from this pattern, usually associated with increased searching time. Such focused foraging activity may result in local prey depletion and intra-specific competition. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Weddell Seals eCite UTAS (University of Tasmania) Weddell Marine Ecology Progress Series 242 275 284 |
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eCite UTAS (University of Tasmania) |
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ftunivtasecite |
language |
English |
topic |
Environmental Sciences Environmental Science and Management Wildlife and Habitat Management |
spellingShingle |
Environmental Sciences Environmental Science and Management Wildlife and Habitat Management Hindell, MA Harcourt, RG Waas, JR Thompson, D Fine-scale three-dimensional spatial use by diving, lactating female Weddell seals Leptonychotes weddellii |
topic_facet |
Environmental Sciences Environmental Science and Management Wildlife and Habitat Management |
description |
Despite the importance of fine-scale spatial use in understanding an animal's foraging ecology, these data cannot readily be collected for free-ranging marine mammals. We used an acoustic positioning system to quantify, for the first time, the fine-scale 3-dimensional (3D) spatial use of free-ranging Weddell seals swimming under ice. Unlike many other phocid species, lactating Weddell seals spent up to 25% of their time diving. Given the limited foraging range imposed on the seals by the fast ice upon which they breed, this could lead to prey depletion and even inter-specific competition. The seals focused their underwater activity on a relatively small region associated with a steep bottom contour, using the entire water column, with very little time spent at the bottom. This behaviour is consistent with feeding on bentho-pelagic prey such as Pleurogramma antarcticum. The 3D profile of individual dives consisted of the seals making simple, directed dives which gradually converged with the ocean floor. There was some variation from this pattern, usually associated with increased searching time. Such focused foraging activity may result in local prey depletion and intra-specific competition. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Hindell, MA Harcourt, RG Waas, JR Thompson, D |
author_facet |
Hindell, MA Harcourt, RG Waas, JR Thompson, D |
author_sort |
Hindell, MA |
title |
Fine-scale three-dimensional spatial use by diving, lactating female Weddell seals Leptonychotes weddellii |
title_short |
Fine-scale three-dimensional spatial use by diving, lactating female Weddell seals Leptonychotes weddellii |
title_full |
Fine-scale three-dimensional spatial use by diving, lactating female Weddell seals Leptonychotes weddellii |
title_fullStr |
Fine-scale three-dimensional spatial use by diving, lactating female Weddell seals Leptonychotes weddellii |
title_full_unstemmed |
Fine-scale three-dimensional spatial use by diving, lactating female Weddell seals Leptonychotes weddellii |
title_sort |
fine-scale three-dimensional spatial use by diving, lactating female weddell seals leptonychotes weddellii |
publisher |
Inter-Research |
publishDate |
2002 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.3354/meps242275 http://ecite.utas.edu.au/25177 |
geographic |
Weddell |
geographic_facet |
Weddell |
genre |
Antarc* Weddell Seals |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Weddell Seals |
op_relation |
http://dx.doi.org/10.3354/meps242275 Hindell, MA and Harcourt, RG and Waas, JR and Thompson, D, Fine-scale three-dimensional spatial use by diving, lactating female Weddell seals Leptonychotes weddellii, Marine Ecology Progress Series, 242 pp. 275-284. ISSN 0171-8630 (2002) [Refereed Article] http://ecite.utas.edu.au/25177 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.3354/meps242275 |
container_title |
Marine Ecology Progress Series |
container_volume |
242 |
container_start_page |
275 |
op_container_end_page |
284 |
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1766267522932277248 |