Bio-physical characterisation of polynyas as a key foraging habitat for juvenile male southern elephant seals (Mirounga leonina) in Prydz Bay, East Antarctica
Antarctic coastal polynyas are persistent open water areas in the sea ice zone, and regions of high biological productivity thought to be important foraging habitat for marine predators. This study quantified southern elephant seal (Mirounga leonina) habitat use within and around the polynyas of the...
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Online Access: | https://eprints.utas.edu.au/25940/ https://eprints.utas.edu.au/25940/1/122403%20final.pdf https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0184536 |
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ftunivtasmania:oai:eprints.utas.edu.au:25940 2023-05-15T13:31:52+02:00 Bio-physical characterisation of polynyas as a key foraging habitat for juvenile male southern elephant seals (Mirounga leonina) in Prydz Bay, East Antarctica Malpress, V Bestley, S Corney, S Welsford, DC Labrousse, S Sumner, M Hindell, M 2017 application/pdf https://eprints.utas.edu.au/25940/ https://eprints.utas.edu.au/25940/1/122403%20final.pdf https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0184536 en eng Public Library of Science https://eprints.utas.edu.au/25940/1/122403%20final.pdf Malpress, V, Bestley, S orcid:0000-0001-9342-669X , Corney, S orcid:0000-0002-8293-0863 , Welsford, DC, Labrousse, S, Sumner, M and Hindell, M orcid:0000-0002-7823-7185 2017 , 'Bio-physical characterisation of polynyas as a key foraging habitat for juvenile male southern elephant seals (Mirounga leonina) in Prydz Bay, East Antarctica' , PLoS One, vol. 12, no. 9 , pp. 1-24 , doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0184536 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0184536>. Southern Ocean polynyas oceanography elephant seals Article PeerReviewed 2017 ftunivtasmania https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0184536 2021-09-13T22:17:08Z Antarctic coastal polynyas are persistent open water areas in the sea ice zone, and regions of high biological productivity thought to be important foraging habitat for marine predators. This study quantified southern elephant seal (Mirounga leonina) habitat use within and around the polynyas of the Prydz Bay region (63°E– 88°E) in East Antarctica, and examined the bio-physical characteristics structuring polynyas as foraging habitat. Output from a climatological regional ocean model was used to provide context for in situ temperature-salinity vertical profiles collected by tagged elephant seals and to characterise the physical properties structuring polynyas. Biological properties were explored using remotely-sensed surface chlorophyll (Chl-a) and, qualitatively, historical fish assemblage data. Spatially gridded residence time of seals was examined in relation to habitat characteristics using generalized additive mixed models. The results showed clear polynya usage during early autumn and increasingly concentrated usage during early winter. Bathymetry, Chl-a, surface net heat flux (representing polynya location), and bottom temperature were identified as significant bio-physical predictors of the spatio-temporal habitat usage. The findings from this study confirm that the most important marine habitats for juvenile male southern elephant seals within Prydz Bay region are polynyas. A hypothesis exists regarding the seasonal evolution of primary productivity, coupling from surface to subsurface productivity and supporting elevated rates of secondary production in the upper water column during summer-autumn. An advancement to this hypothesis is proposed here, whereby this bio-physical coupling is likely to extend throughout the water column as it becomes fully convected during autumn-winter, to also promote pelagic-benthic linkages important for benthic foraging within polynyas. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica East Antarctica Elephant Seal Elephant Seals Mirounga leonina Prydz Bay Sea ice Southern Elephant Seal Southern Elephant Seals Southern Ocean University of Tasmania: UTas ePrints Antarctic East Antarctica Prydz Bay Southern Ocean PLOS ONE 12 9 e0184536 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
University of Tasmania: UTas ePrints |
op_collection_id |
ftunivtasmania |
language |
English |
topic |
Southern Ocean polynyas oceanography elephant seals |
spellingShingle |
Southern Ocean polynyas oceanography elephant seals Malpress, V Bestley, S Corney, S Welsford, DC Labrousse, S Sumner, M Hindell, M Bio-physical characterisation of polynyas as a key foraging habitat for juvenile male southern elephant seals (Mirounga leonina) in Prydz Bay, East Antarctica |
topic_facet |
Southern Ocean polynyas oceanography elephant seals |
description |
Antarctic coastal polynyas are persistent open water areas in the sea ice zone, and regions of high biological productivity thought to be important foraging habitat for marine predators. This study quantified southern elephant seal (Mirounga leonina) habitat use within and around the polynyas of the Prydz Bay region (63°E– 88°E) in East Antarctica, and examined the bio-physical characteristics structuring polynyas as foraging habitat. Output from a climatological regional ocean model was used to provide context for in situ temperature-salinity vertical profiles collected by tagged elephant seals and to characterise the physical properties structuring polynyas. Biological properties were explored using remotely-sensed surface chlorophyll (Chl-a) and, qualitatively, historical fish assemblage data. Spatially gridded residence time of seals was examined in relation to habitat characteristics using generalized additive mixed models. The results showed clear polynya usage during early autumn and increasingly concentrated usage during early winter. Bathymetry, Chl-a, surface net heat flux (representing polynya location), and bottom temperature were identified as significant bio-physical predictors of the spatio-temporal habitat usage. The findings from this study confirm that the most important marine habitats for juvenile male southern elephant seals within Prydz Bay region are polynyas. A hypothesis exists regarding the seasonal evolution of primary productivity, coupling from surface to subsurface productivity and supporting elevated rates of secondary production in the upper water column during summer-autumn. An advancement to this hypothesis is proposed here, whereby this bio-physical coupling is likely to extend throughout the water column as it becomes fully convected during autumn-winter, to also promote pelagic-benthic linkages important for benthic foraging within polynyas. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Malpress, V Bestley, S Corney, S Welsford, DC Labrousse, S Sumner, M Hindell, M |
author_facet |
Malpress, V Bestley, S Corney, S Welsford, DC Labrousse, S Sumner, M Hindell, M |
author_sort |
Malpress, V |
title |
Bio-physical characterisation of polynyas as a key foraging habitat for juvenile male southern elephant seals (Mirounga leonina) in Prydz Bay, East Antarctica |
title_short |
Bio-physical characterisation of polynyas as a key foraging habitat for juvenile male southern elephant seals (Mirounga leonina) in Prydz Bay, East Antarctica |
title_full |
Bio-physical characterisation of polynyas as a key foraging habitat for juvenile male southern elephant seals (Mirounga leonina) in Prydz Bay, East Antarctica |
title_fullStr |
Bio-physical characterisation of polynyas as a key foraging habitat for juvenile male southern elephant seals (Mirounga leonina) in Prydz Bay, East Antarctica |
title_full_unstemmed |
Bio-physical characterisation of polynyas as a key foraging habitat for juvenile male southern elephant seals (Mirounga leonina) in Prydz Bay, East Antarctica |
title_sort |
bio-physical characterisation of polynyas as a key foraging habitat for juvenile male southern elephant seals (mirounga leonina) in prydz bay, east antarctica |
publisher |
Public Library of Science |
publishDate |
2017 |
url |
https://eprints.utas.edu.au/25940/ https://eprints.utas.edu.au/25940/1/122403%20final.pdf https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0184536 |
geographic |
Antarctic East Antarctica Prydz Bay Southern Ocean |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic East Antarctica Prydz Bay Southern Ocean |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica East Antarctica Elephant Seal Elephant Seals Mirounga leonina Prydz Bay Sea ice Southern Elephant Seal Southern Elephant Seals Southern Ocean |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica East Antarctica Elephant Seal Elephant Seals Mirounga leonina Prydz Bay Sea ice Southern Elephant Seal Southern Elephant Seals Southern Ocean |
op_relation |
https://eprints.utas.edu.au/25940/1/122403%20final.pdf Malpress, V, Bestley, S orcid:0000-0001-9342-669X , Corney, S orcid:0000-0002-8293-0863 , Welsford, DC, Labrousse, S, Sumner, M and Hindell, M orcid:0000-0002-7823-7185 2017 , 'Bio-physical characterisation of polynyas as a key foraging habitat for juvenile male southern elephant seals (Mirounga leonina) in Prydz Bay, East Antarctica' , PLoS One, vol. 12, no. 9 , pp. 1-24 , doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0184536 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0184536>. |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0184536 |
container_title |
PLOS ONE |
container_volume |
12 |
container_issue |
9 |
container_start_page |
e0184536 |
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1766021759567396864 |