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Factors influencing the winter haulout behaviour of Weddell seals: consequences for satellite telemetry
Citation
Andrews-Goff, V and Hindell, MA and Field, IC and Wheatley, KE and Charrassin, JB, Factors influencing the winter haulout behaviour of Weddell seals: consequences for satellite telemetry, Endangered Species Research , 10, (1) pp. 83-92. ISSN 1863-5407 (2010) [Refereed Article]
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Copyright Statement
Copyright © 2010 Inter-Research.
Official URL: http://www.int-res.com/abstracts/esr/v10/p83-92/
DOI: doi:10.3354/esr00257
Abstract
An understanding of pinniped haulout behaviour can provide information on how animals
interact with their environment, their foraging strategies and the behaviour of their prey. For
Weddell seals Leptonychotes weddelli, knowledge of haulout patterns and the environmental drivers
of haulout is comprehensive for the austral spring and summer, but is poorly described outside this
period. Pinniped behaviour is commonly examined using satellite telemetry; however, it is unclear
whether the behavioural state of the seal can itself influence data acquisition. We examined haulout
behaviour of female Weddell seals in eastern Antarctica over 3 winters (March to August, 2006–2008)
using satellite-linked data loggers. Haulout behaviour followed a diel cycle with predominantly nocturnal
haulouts. The environmental variables wind speed and temperature were influential on
haulout, with seals tending to haul out more in lower winds and at higher temperatures. Haulout
duration decreased across the winter, as did the number of satellite uplinks, suggesting that haulout
duration played a role in data acquisition. There was no evidence of a decline in tag condition over
this period, indicating that the decrease in uplinks was primarily the result of the winter behaviour of
the seals. Overall, the number of haulout locations in the data set was over-represented, with more
uplinks per hour occurring when the seals were hauled out than when they were at sea. For Weddell
seals and other ice seals, tracking data that include haulout locations can bias spatial representations
of foraging behaviour (e.g. haulout sites may be mistaken for regions of area-restricted search).
Item Details
Item Type: | Refereed Article |
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Keywords: | Weddell seal · Haulout · Winter · Satellite telemetry |
Research Division: | Biological Sciences |
Research Group: | Ecology |
Research Field: | Marine and estuarine ecology (incl. marine ichthyology) |
Objective Division: | Environmental Management |
Objective Group: | Coastal and estuarine systems and management |
Objective Field: | Assessment and management of coastal and estuarine ecosystems |
UTAS Author: | Andrews-Goff, V (Ms Virginia Andrews-Goff) |
UTAS Author: | Hindell, MA (Professor Mark Hindell) |
UTAS Author: | Field, IC (Dr Iain Field) |
UTAS Author: | Wheatley, KE (Dr Kathryn Wheatley) |
ID Code: | 66356 |
Year Published: | 2010 |
Deposited By: | Zoology |
Deposited On: | 2011-01-13 |
Last Modified: | 2012-03-06 |
Downloads: | 511 View Download Statistics |
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