Foraging Ecology and Behavior

Bowen, W. D.; Jonsen, Ian D.

doi:10.1007/978-3-030-88923-4_6

Ethology and Behavioral Ecology of Marine Mammals

2022

DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-88923-4_6

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Foraging Ecology and Behavior

W. D. Bowen

Ian D. Jonsen

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2024

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Cited by 2 publications

References 232 publications

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Prey targeted by lactating Weddell seals (Leptonychotes weddellii) in Erebus Bay, Antarctica

Foster-Dyer,

Goetz,

Iwata

et al. 2024

Polar Biol

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Female Weddell seals (Leptonychotes weddellii) display a mixed capital-income breeding strategy, losing up to 40% of their body mass between birthing and weaning their pups. How and when they regain energy stores, however, remains to be fully explored. To better understand the foraging by lactating Weddell seals, we fitted time-depth recorders and head-mounted cameras on 26 seals in Erebus Bay, Ross Sea, for ~ 5 days in November and December 2018 and 2019. We aimed to (1) identify prey species and foraging depth and (2) investigate relationships between seal physiology and demographics and probability of foraging. We recorded 2782 dives, 903 of which were > 50 m, maximum depth was 449.3 m and maximum duration was 31.1 min. Pup age likely contributes to the probability of a lactating Weddell seal foraging (Est. = 1.21 (SD = 0.61), z = 1.97, p = 0.0484). Among 846 prey encounters, the most frequent prey items were crustaceans (46.2%) and Antarctic silverfish (Pleuragramma antarcticum, 19.0%); two encounters were observed with juvenile Antarctic toothfish (Dissostichus mawsoni, 0.2%). We identified substantial variability in foraging behaviour, individually and between locations, and found that lactating seals target many species and some may specialise on certain prey groups.

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Prey targeted by lactating Weddell seals (Leptonychotes weddellii) in Erebus Bay, Antarctica

Foster-Dyer,

Goetz,

Iwata

et al. 2024

Polar Biol

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DNA analysis of scats reveals spatial and temporal structure in the diversity of harbour seal diet from local haulouts to oceanographic bioregions

Trzcinski,

Majewski,

Nordstrom

et al. 2024

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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Predation shapes ecosystems, and quantifying the impacts of predation on the distribution and abundance of prey requires substantial effort at appropriate spatial and temporal scales for diet estimation of predators. Here, we present diet estimates of a marine predator (harbour seal Phoca vitulina richardsi) from scat collections (n = 3420) sampled at multiple haulout sites (n = 64) in the Strait of Georgia and other coastal regions around Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada, between 2015 and 2019. DNA metabarcoding and hard part analysis were used to identify the proportion and sizes of prey species consumed, respectively. We found that harbour seals consumed 62 primary prey species. Diversity in the diet was highly affected by the number of samples collected and varied at small spatial scales (haulout sites) as well as among broad bioregions. Three to 5 species dominated the diet depending on location, season, and year, including Pacific hake Merluccius productus, Pacific herring Clupea pallasii, and walleye pollock Gadus chalcogrammus. Within the Strait of Georgia, both male and female harbour seals consumed more hake and walleye pollock in areas and seasons in which they were more abundant. Harbour seals consumed a wide size range of prey that also varied by species, season, and region. These results indicate that harbour seal foraging is influenced by both the local abundance and composition of prey. Attempts to model the impact of predation on species of concern risk bias in their estimates and underrepresenting uncertainty if spatial and temporal variation in the diet is not accounted for.

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Foraging Ecology and Behavior

Cited by 2 publications

References 232 publications

Prey targeted by lactating Weddell seals (Leptonychotes weddellii) in Erebus Bay, Antarctica

Prey targeted by lactating Weddell seals (Leptonychotes weddellii) in Erebus Bay, Antarctica

DNA analysis of scats reveals spatial and temporal structure in the diversity of harbour seal diet from local haulouts to oceanographic bioregions

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