Nearest neighbors as foraging cues: information transfer in a patchy environment

Silverman, Emily; Veit, Richard R.; Nevitt, Gabrielle A.

doi:10.3354/meps277025

Cited by 81 publications

(77 citation statements)

References 40 publications

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“…The results of the present study suggest that African penguins can detect DMS, and this ability may assist them in foraging. Like procellariiforms (Silverman et al, 2004), penguins might use a multi-modal search strategy to locate prey. On a coarse scale, the presence of high levels of DMS at the water surface may be used to identify foraging areas where fish are located (e.g.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

African penguins (Spheniscus demersus) can detect dimethyl sulphide, a prey-related odour

Cunningham

Strauss²,

Ryan

2008

Journal of Experimental Biology

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SUMMARYAlthough it is well established that certain procellariiform seabirds use odour cues to find prey, it is not clear whether penguins use olfactory cues to forage. It is commonly assumed that penguins lack a sense of smell, yet they are closely related to procellariiforms and forage on similar types of prey in similar areas to many procellariiforms. Such regions are characterized by having high levels of dimethyl sulphide (DMS) a scented compound that many marine animals use to locate foraging grounds. If penguins can smell, DMS may be a biologically relevant scented compound that they may be sensitive to in nature. To test this hypothesis, we investigated whether adult African penguins (Spheniscus demersus) could detect DMS using two separate experiments. We tested wild penguins on Robben Island, South Africa, by deploying μmolar DMS solutions in the colonies, and found that birds slowed down their walking speeds. We also tested captive penguins in a Y-maze. In both cases, our data convincingly demonstrate that African penguins have a functioning sense of smell and are attracted to DMS. The implication of this work is that the detection of changes in the odour landscape (DMS) may assist penguins in identifying productive areas of the ocean for foraging. At-sea studies are needed to investigate this issue further.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

African penguins (Spheniscus demersus) can detect dimethyl sulphide, a prey-related odour

Cunningham

Strauss²,

Ryan

2008

Journal of Experimental Biology

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“…However, they may also indirectly locate schools or swarms of prey by observing the foraging behavior of other seabirds (Hoffman et al 1981, Harrison et al 1991, Grünbaum & Veit 2003, Silverman et al 2004). This strategy has been termed 'local enhancement' and simply assumes that it is much easier for a seabird to detect foraging conspecifics than it is to detect prey patches directly.…”

Section: Local Enhancementmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spatial interaction between seabirds and prey: review and synthesis

Fauchald¹

2009

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

149

142

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The Ideal Free Distribution theory predicts a close spatial match between predators and prey. Studies have shown that seabird and prey distribution seldom conforms with this prediction. In this study, I review recent theoretical advances in spatial predator-prey interactions and relate these with studies of seabirds and pelagic schooling fish and crustaceans. Studies on seabirds and prey have generally assumed that prey are nonresponsive. Predator-prey interactions should, however, be viewed as a 2-way spatial game where seabirds track concentrations of prey while prey move away from areas with high risk of predation. The outcome of the game depends on how seabirds and prey are spatially constrained. Constraints include the spatial distribution of resources, interspecific competition, the location of spawning and breeding areas, and limitations on diving depth. Although game theoretic models can explain some general aspects of the spatial interaction, the spatial distribution of seabirds and prey is generally much more aggregated and elusive than can be expected from the game theoretic equilibrium. This is because spatial pattern is formed through selforganizing behavior that includes schooling, local enhancement and area-restricted search (ARS). Schooling and local enhancement are processes with strong positive density dependence that destabilize the predator-prey interaction locally. However, the unstable local dynamics might be stabilized by spatial constraints and the effects of ARS processes at large scales.

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“…Scents that the fledgling has previously associated with feeding may then serve to alert the bird to potential foraging opportunities as they are encountered at sea. These foraging opportunities will likely also involve interactions with hetero-or conspecifics (Silverman et al, 2004;Ward and Zahavi, 1973). As the fledgling gains foraging experience, it acquires a working knowledge of potential foraging locations by associating foraging success with other cues (e.g.…”

Section: Burrow Nestingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sensory ecology on the high seas: the odor world of the procellariiform seabirds

Nevitt

2008

Journal of Experimental Biology

209

191

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SummaryProcellariiform seabirds wander the world's oceans aided by olfactory abilities rivaling those of any animal on earth. Over the past 15 years, I have been privileged to study the sensory ecology of procellariiforms, focusing on how olfaction contributes to behaviors, ranging from foraging and navigation to individual odor recognition, in a broader sensory context. We have developed a number of field techniques for measuring both olfactory-and visually based behaviors in chicks and adults of various species. Our choice of test odors has been informed by long-term dietary studies and geochemical data on the production and distribution of identifiable, scented compounds found in productive waters. This multidisciplinary approach has shown us that odors provide different information over the ocean depending on the spatial scale. At large spatial scales (thousands of square kilometers), an olfactory landscape superimposed upon the ocean surface reflects oceanographic or bathymetric features where phytoplankton accumulate and an area-restricted search for prey is likely to be successful. At small spatial scales (tens to hundreds of square kilometers), birds use odors and visual cues to pinpoint and capture prey directly. We have further identified species-specific, sensory-based foraging strategies, which we have begun to explore in evolutionary and developmental contexts. With respect to chemical communication among individuals, we have shown that some species can distinguish familiar individuals by scent cues alone. We are now set to explore the mechanistic basis for these discriminatory abilities in the context of kin recognition, and whether or not the major histocompatibility complex is involved.

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Nearest neighbors as foraging cues: information transfer in a patchy environment

Cited by 81 publications

References 40 publications

African penguins (Spheniscus demersus) can detect dimethyl sulphide, a prey-related odour

African penguins (Spheniscus demersus) can detect dimethyl sulphide, a prey-related odour

Spatial interaction between seabirds and prey: review and synthesis

Sensory ecology on the high seas: the odor world of the procellariiform seabirds

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