Modelled mid‐trophic pelagic prey fields improve understanding of marine predator foraging behaviour
Biophysical interactions are influential in determining the scale of key ecological processes within marine ecosystems. For oceanic predators, this means foraging behaviour is influenced by processes shaping the distribution of prey. However, oceanic prey is difficult to observe and its abundance an...
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ftzenodo:oai:zenodo.org:4947695 2024-09-15T18:04:38+00:00 Modelled mid‐trophic pelagic prey fields improve understanding of marine predator foraging behaviour Green, David Bestley, Sophie Trebilco, Rowan Corney, Stuart Lehodey, Patrick McMahon, Clive Guinet, C. Hindell, Mark A. 2020-05-05 https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.vhhmgqnqn unknown Zenodo https://doi.org/10.1111/ecog.04939 https://zenodo.org/communities/dryad https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.vhhmgqnqn oai:zenodo.org:4947695 info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess Creative Commons Zero v1.0 Universal https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/legalcode Predators prey interaction Kerguelen plateau Ecosystem modelling Micronekton Southern Indian Ocean Southern elephant seal Ecology Evolution Behavior and Systematics info:eu-repo/semantics/other 2020 ftzenodo https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.vhhmgqnqn10.1111/ecog.04939 2024-07-25T19:51:06Z Biophysical interactions are influential in determining the scale of key ecological processes within marine ecosystems. For oceanic predators, this means foraging behaviour is influenced by processes shaping the distribution of prey. However, oceanic prey is difficult to observe and its abundance and distribution is regionally generalised. We use a spatiotemporally resolved simulation model to describe mid-trophic prey distribution within the Southern Ocean and demonstrate insights that this modelled prey field provides into the foraging behaviour of a widely distributed marine predator, the southern elephant seal. From a five-year simulation of prey biomass, we computed climatologies of mean prey biomass (average prey conditions) and prey biomass variability (meso-scale variability). We also compiled spatially gridded metrics of seal density and diving behaviour from 13 years of tracking data. We statistically modelled these metrics as non-linear functions of prey biomass (both mean and variability) and used these to predict seal distribution and behaviour. Our predictions were consistent with observations (R2adj = 0.23), indicating that seals aggregate in regions of high mesoscale activity where eddies concentrate prey. Here, seals dived deeper (R2marg = 0.12, R2cond = 0.51) and spent less time hunting (R2marg = 0.05, R2cond = 0.56), likely targeting deep but profitable prey patches. Seals generally avoided areas of low eddy activity where prey was likely dispersed. Most seals foraged south of the Subantarctic Front, despite north of the front exhibiting consistently high simulated prey biomasses. This likely reflects seal prey or habitat preferences, but also emphasises the importance of mesoscale prey biomass variability relative to regionally high mean biomass. This work demonstrates the value of coupling mechanistic representations of prey biomass with predator observations to provide insight into how biophysical processes combine to shape species distributions. This will be increasingly important for the ... Other/Unknown Material Elephant Seal Southern Elephant Seal Southern Ocean Zenodo |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Zenodo |
op_collection_id |
ftzenodo |
language |
unknown |
topic |
Predators prey interaction Kerguelen plateau Ecosystem modelling Micronekton Southern Indian Ocean Southern elephant seal Ecology Evolution Behavior and Systematics |
spellingShingle |
Predators prey interaction Kerguelen plateau Ecosystem modelling Micronekton Southern Indian Ocean Southern elephant seal Ecology Evolution Behavior and Systematics Green, David Bestley, Sophie Trebilco, Rowan Corney, Stuart Lehodey, Patrick McMahon, Clive Guinet, C. Hindell, Mark A. Modelled mid‐trophic pelagic prey fields improve understanding of marine predator foraging behaviour |
topic_facet |
Predators prey interaction Kerguelen plateau Ecosystem modelling Micronekton Southern Indian Ocean Southern elephant seal Ecology Evolution Behavior and Systematics |
description |
Biophysical interactions are influential in determining the scale of key ecological processes within marine ecosystems. For oceanic predators, this means foraging behaviour is influenced by processes shaping the distribution of prey. However, oceanic prey is difficult to observe and its abundance and distribution is regionally generalised. We use a spatiotemporally resolved simulation model to describe mid-trophic prey distribution within the Southern Ocean and demonstrate insights that this modelled prey field provides into the foraging behaviour of a widely distributed marine predator, the southern elephant seal. From a five-year simulation of prey biomass, we computed climatologies of mean prey biomass (average prey conditions) and prey biomass variability (meso-scale variability). We also compiled spatially gridded metrics of seal density and diving behaviour from 13 years of tracking data. We statistically modelled these metrics as non-linear functions of prey biomass (both mean and variability) and used these to predict seal distribution and behaviour. Our predictions were consistent with observations (R2adj = 0.23), indicating that seals aggregate in regions of high mesoscale activity where eddies concentrate prey. Here, seals dived deeper (R2marg = 0.12, R2cond = 0.51) and spent less time hunting (R2marg = 0.05, R2cond = 0.56), likely targeting deep but profitable prey patches. Seals generally avoided areas of low eddy activity where prey was likely dispersed. Most seals foraged south of the Subantarctic Front, despite north of the front exhibiting consistently high simulated prey biomasses. This likely reflects seal prey or habitat preferences, but also emphasises the importance of mesoscale prey biomass variability relative to regionally high mean biomass. This work demonstrates the value of coupling mechanistic representations of prey biomass with predator observations to provide insight into how biophysical processes combine to shape species distributions. This will be increasingly important for the ... |
format |
Other/Unknown Material |
author |
Green, David Bestley, Sophie Trebilco, Rowan Corney, Stuart Lehodey, Patrick McMahon, Clive Guinet, C. Hindell, Mark A. |
author_facet |
Green, David Bestley, Sophie Trebilco, Rowan Corney, Stuart Lehodey, Patrick McMahon, Clive Guinet, C. Hindell, Mark A. |
author_sort |
Green, David |
title |
Modelled mid‐trophic pelagic prey fields improve understanding of marine predator foraging behaviour |
title_short |
Modelled mid‐trophic pelagic prey fields improve understanding of marine predator foraging behaviour |
title_full |
Modelled mid‐trophic pelagic prey fields improve understanding of marine predator foraging behaviour |
title_fullStr |
Modelled mid‐trophic pelagic prey fields improve understanding of marine predator foraging behaviour |
title_full_unstemmed |
Modelled mid‐trophic pelagic prey fields improve understanding of marine predator foraging behaviour |
title_sort |
modelled mid‐trophic pelagic prey fields improve understanding of marine predator foraging behaviour |
publisher |
Zenodo |
publishDate |
2020 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.vhhmgqnqn |
genre |
Elephant Seal Southern Elephant Seal Southern Ocean |
genre_facet |
Elephant Seal Southern Elephant Seal Southern Ocean |
op_relation |
https://doi.org/10.1111/ecog.04939 https://zenodo.org/communities/dryad https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.vhhmgqnqn oai:zenodo.org:4947695 |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess Creative Commons Zero v1.0 Universal https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/legalcode |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.vhhmgqnqn10.1111/ecog.04939 |
_version_ |
1810442249237954560 |