Feeding ecology of phocid seals and some walrus in the Alaskan and Canadian Arctic as determined by stomach contents and stable isotope analysis

Dehn, Larissa-A.; Follmann, Erich H.; Duffy, Lawrence K.; Thomas, Dana L.; O’Hara, Todd M.

doi:10.1007/s00300-006-0171-0

Cited by 158 publications

(134 citation statements)

References 60 publications

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“…Studies of stomach contents suggest that ribbon seals feed primarily in the midwater, often at the edge of the continental slope (Deguchi et al, 2004), which fits with the depth profile of the recording site. Although little is known about feeding behavior of ribbon seals from July through March, a number of studies have shown that Arctic cod (Boreogadus saida) is at least an occasional prey species (e.g., Shustov, 1965;Frost and Lowry, 1980;Dehn et al, 2007). Taken together, the results of this study and a growing body of evidence from other studies suggest that the Chukchi Sea slope waters likely provide foraging habitat for ribbon seals at least during some open water seasons.…”

Section: Seasonal Presence and Variation In Acoustic Repertoiresupporting

confidence: 61%

Ringed, Bearded, and Ribbon Seal Vocalizations North of Barrow, Alaska: Seasonal Presence and Relationship with Sea Ice

Jones¹,

Thayre²,

Roth³

et al. 2014

ARCTIC

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ABSTRACT. The acoustic repertoires of ringed, bearded, and ribbon seals are described, along with their seasonal occurrence and relationship to sea ice concentration. Acoustic recordings were made between September and June over three years (2006 -09) along the continental slope break in the Chukchi Sea, 120 km north-northwest of Barrow, Alaska. Vocalizations of ringed and bearded seals occurred in winter and during periods of 80% -100% ice cover but were mostly absent during open water periods. The presence of ringed and bearded seal calls throughout winter and spring suggests that some portion of their population is overwintering. Analysis of the repertoire of ringed and bearded seal calls shows seasonal variation. Ringed seal calls are primarily barks in winter and yelps in spring, while bearded seal moans increase during spring. Ribbon seal calls were detected only in the fall of 2008 during the open water period. The repertoire of known ribbon seal vocalizations was expanded to include three additional calls, and two stereotyped call sequences were common. Retrospective analyses of ringed seal recordings from 1982 and ribbon seal recordings from 1967 showed a high degree of stability in call repertoire across large spatial and temporal scales.Key words: ringed seal, bearded seal, ribbon seal, Arctic phocid, call repertoire, seasonality, vocalization, sea ice RÉSUMÉ. Le répertoire acoustique des phoques annelés, des phoques barbus et des phoques à bandes sont décrits, de même que leur présence saisonnière et leur rapport avec la concentration de glace de mer. Des enregistrements acoustiques ont été effectués entre septembre et juin sur une période de trois ans (2006 -2009), le long de la rupture de la pente continentale, dans la mer des Tchouktches, à 120 km au nord-nord-ouest de Barrow, en Alaska. Les vocalisations de phoques annelés et de phoques barbus étaient présentes pendant l'hiver et pendant les périodes où la concentration de glace était de 80 % à 100 %, mais elles se faisaient rares pendant les périodes d'eau libre. La présence des cris de phoques annelés et de phoques barbus tout au long de l'hiver et du printemps suggère qu'une partie de leur population hiverne. L'analyse du répertoire de cris de phoques annelés et de phoques barbus indique une variation saisonnière. L'hiver, le cri du phoque annelé prend principalement la forme d'aboiements, tandis que le printemps, il prend la forme de glapissements. Les gémissements du phoque barbu s'intensifient au printemps. Le cri des phoques à bandes n'a été capté qu'à l'automne 2008, pendant la période des eaux libres. Le répertoire des vocalisations connues du phoque à bandes a été élargi pour inclure trois autres cris, bien que deux séquences de cris stéréotypées étaient courantes. L'analyse rétrospective des enregistrements de cris de phoques annelés de 1982 et de phoques à bandes de 1967 a laissé entrevoir une grande stabilité du point de vue du répertoire des cris, et ce, sur de vastes échelles spatiales et temporelles.Mots clés : phoque annelé, pho...

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Section: Seasonal Presence and Variation In Acoustic Repertoiresupporting

confidence: 61%

Ringed, Bearded, and Ribbon Seal Vocalizations North of Barrow, Alaska: Seasonal Presence and Relationship with Sea Ice

Jones¹,

Thayre²,

Roth³

et al. 2014

ARCTIC

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“…In contrast, the marine mammal fauna of the Chukchi Sea has a large complement of benthic-foraging species (Dehn et al, 2007), in particular walrus, bearded seal, and gray whale (Eschrichtius robustus) (Highsmith et al, 2006), which is the dominant cetacean in the Chukchi Sea (Tables 2, 3). Even bowhead whales (Balaena mysticetus) take epibenthic prey, sometimes in very shallow (b 20 m) water .…”

Section: Standing Stocks Of Marine Mammalsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, both beluga and bowhead whales spend some time feeding in the Chukchi Sea in late summer and fall Moore et al, 1995;Quakenbush et al, 2010aQuakenbush et al, , 2010b. Pelagic-foraging spotted (Phoca largha), ringed, and ribbon seals (Histriophoca fasciata) feed mostly on fish and large zooplankton (Dehn et al, 2007).…”

Section: Standing Stocks Of Marine Mammalsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Barents and Chukchi Seas: Comparison of two Arctic shelf ecosystems

Hunt

Blanchard

Boveng

et al. 2013

Journal of Marine Systems

142

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“…Consequently, a large portion of organic carbon is deposited to the seafloor, effectively coupling pelagic production to benthic invertebrate communities (Feder et al 1994, Grebmeier et al 2006, Grebmeier 2012. These benthic communities provide food for large invertebrates such as snow crabs Chionoecetes opilio (Kolts et al 2013) and fishes (Atkinson & Percy 1992) as well as large bottomfeeding marine mammals such as gray whales Eschrichtius robustus, walrus Odobenus rosmarus, and bearded seals Erignathus barbatus (Lowry et al 2004, Dehn et al 2007). Climate change-driven shifts in the timing and quantity of primary production available for benthic secondary production will likely have profound effects on ecosystem functioning and services (e.g.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Regional benthic food web structure on the Alaska Beaufort Sea shelf

Divine¹,

Iken²,

Bluhm³

2015

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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Trophic structure and resilience of regional benthic food webs were studied on the Alaska Beaufort Sea shelf across 3 geographic regions (east, central, and west) and 2 depth ranges C values of the water column and sediment POM were patchy but generally indicative of terrestrial input across the shelf, especially near the mouth of the Colville River (< −25.5 ‰). Food web structures in the shallow and deep western Beaufort regions, however, reflected marine carbon inputs, with most consumers occupying intermediate trophic levels (TLs) and food webs of intermediate trophic redundancy and separation relative to the other regions. In the central shallow and east regions, the terrestrial carbon found in sediments was mirrored in consumer tissues. The central deep region contained the highest proportions of higher TL taxa, particularly within the predator feeding guild, possibly reflecting resource partitioning of a limited prey spectrum. The comparatively large isotopic niche space in the central deep region, with high trophic niche separation but low trophic redundancy, suggests that this region may be most vulnerable to perturbations. This study provides a valuable new understanding of benthic food web dynamics in the understudied Alaska Beaufort Sea region and represents a baseline for future comparison.

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Feeding ecology of phocid seals and some walrus in the Alaskan and Canadian Arctic as determined by stomach contents and stable isotope analysis

Cited by 158 publications

References 60 publications

Ringed, Bearded, and Ribbon Seal Vocalizations North of Barrow, Alaska: Seasonal Presence and Relationship with Sea Ice

Ringed, Bearded, and Ribbon Seal Vocalizations North of Barrow, Alaska: Seasonal Presence and Relationship with Sea Ice

The Barents and Chukchi Seas: Comparison of two Arctic shelf ecosystems

Regional benthic food web structure on the Alaska Beaufort Sea shelf

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