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Diving ontogeny and lunar responses in a highly migratory mammal, the northen fur seal Callorhinus ursinus
Citation
Lea, MA and Johnson, D and Melin, S and Ream, R and Gelatt, T, Diving ontogeny and lunar responses in a highly migratory mammal, the northen fur seal Callorhinus ursinus, Marine Ecology - Progress Series, 419, (November) pp. 233-247. ISSN 0171-8630 (2010) [Refereed Article]
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Copyright Statement
Copyright © 2010 Inter-Research
Official URL: http://www.int-res.com/abstracts/meps/v419/p233-24...
Abstract
Diving ontogeny studies enable the examination of both the evolution of diving strategies
and the physiological constraints and environmental factors determining foraging behaviour.
Northern fur seal (NFS) Callorhinus ursinus pups that undertake far-ranging migrations in their first
year are an ideal species for examining such factors. The diving behaviour of 64 NFS pups from 4
North American breeding sites was studied using satellite-dive recorders deployed on pups prior to
weaning. Summarised diving activity (6 h histograms of dive depth and duration) was recorded during
the pups first 8 mo at sea and transmitted via satellite. During the first month at sea, pups
adopted the nocturnal diving patterns characteristic of adults, with average maximum nightly and
crepuscular dive depths and durations exceeding daytime values by a factor of from 4 to 4.5. Diving
capacity in terms of maximum depths (112 m) and durations (285 s) attained also increased linearly
with age until ~8 to 10 mo of age. Overlaid on diving capability development was the significant
influence of environmental cues, such as lunar phase, on migratory diving behaviour. During full
moons, pups dived deeper and for longer periods than during other lunar phases, as pups likely mimicked
the behaviour of their vertically migrating prey. These findings indicate that prey accessibility,
particularly for younger pups with reduced diving capacity, may prove more challenging during
higher lunar illumination periods.
Item Details
Item Type: | Refereed Article |
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Keywords: | Foraging · Lunar · North Pacific · Polar ecosystems · Postnatal development |
Research Division: | Biological Sciences |
Research Group: | Ecology |
Research Field: | Behavioural ecology |
Objective Division: | Environmental Policy, Climate Change and Natural Hazards |
Objective Group: | Understanding climate change |
Objective Field: | Effects of climate change on Antarctic and sub-Antarctic environments (excl. social impacts) |
UTAS Author: | Lea, MA (Professor Mary-Anne Lea) |
ID Code: | 67559 |
Year Published: | 2010 |
Web of Science® Times Cited: | 24 |
Deposited By: | IMAS Research and Education Centre |
Deposited On: | 2011-03-04 |
Last Modified: | 2012-03-06 |
Downloads: | 481 View Download Statistics |
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