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Successful use of a translocation program to investigate diving behavior in a male Australian fur seal, Arctocephalus pusillus doriferus

journal contribution
posted on 2023-05-16, 10:50 authored by Mark HindellMark Hindell, Pemberton, D
This study reports some of the first foraging behavior data collected for male fur seals. A nonbreeding male Australian fur seal, Anctocephalus pusillus doriferus, captured at a commercial salmon farm in southern Tasmania, Australia, was relocated 450 km from the site of capture. The animal was equipped with a geolocating time-depth recorder that recorded diving behavior and approximate location for the 14.4 d that it took the seal to travel down the east coast of Tasmania and be recaptured at the salmon farm. During its time at sea, the seal spent most of its time over the relatively shallow shelf waters. It spent 30% of its time ashore on a number of different haul-out sites. The deepest dive was 102 m and the maximum duration was 6.8 min. 'Foraging' type dives made up 31.2% of the time at sea and had a median duration of 2.5 min and a median depth of 14 m. The seal performed these dives more commonly during the latter part of its time at sea, while it was on the east coast. Unlike other fur seal species studied to date, there was no evidence of a diurnal foraging pattern; it made dives at all times of the day and night.

History

Publication title

Marine Mammal Science

Volume

13

Pagination

219-228

ISSN

0824-0469

Department/School

School of Natural Sciences

Publisher

Society for Marine Mammalogy

Place of publication

USA

Repository Status

  • Restricted

Socio-economic Objectives

Assessment and management of terrestrial ecosystems

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