_version_ 1867168666325352448
author Massie, Philip P
McIntyre, Trevor
Ryan, Peter G
Bester, Marthán Nieuwoudt
Bornemann, Horst
Ansorge, Isabelle J
author_facet Massie, Philip P
McIntyre, Trevor
Ryan, Peter G
Bester, Marthán Nieuwoudt
Bornemann, Horst
Ansorge, Isabelle J
collection Datos científicos de ciencias marinas y ambientales
contents As the Antarctic Circumpolar Current crosses the South-West Indian Ocean Ridge, it creates an extensive eddy field characterised by high sea level anomaly variability. We investigated the diving behaviour of female southern elephant seals from Marion Island during their post-moult migrations in relation to this eddy field in order to determine its role in the animals' at-sea dispersal. Most seals dived within the region significantly more often than predicted by chance, and these dives were generally shallower and shorter than dives outside the eddy field. Mixed effects models estimated reductions of 44.33 ± 3.00 m (maximum depth) and 6.37 ± 0.10 min (dive duration) as a result of diving within the region, along with low between-seal variability (maximum depth: 5.5 % and dive duration: 8.4 %). U-shaped dives increased in frequency inside the eddy field, whereas W-shaped dives with multiple vertical movements decreased. Results suggest that Marion Island's adult female elephant seals' dives are characterised by lowered cost-of-transport when they encounter the eddy field during the start and end of their post-moult migrations. This might result from changes in buoyancy associated with varying body condition upon leaving and returning to the island. Our results do not suggest that the eddy field is a vital foraging ground for Marion Island's southern elephant seals. However, because seals preferentially travel through this area and likely forage opportunistically while minimising transport costs, we hypothesise that climate-mediated changes in the nature or position of this region may alter the seals' at-sea dispersal patterns.
format Dataset Open Access
id pangaea_https___doi_org_10_1594_PANGAEA_150014
institution PANGAEA
language en
publishDate 2015
publisher PANGAEA
record_format pangaea
spellingShingle Water temperature data from southern elephant seal from Marion Island with links to datasets
Massie, Philip P
McIntyre, Trevor
Ryan, Peter G
Bester, Marthán Nieuwoudt
Bornemann, Horst
Ansorge, Isabelle J
MAR2007; MAR2007_sel_a_f_02; MAR2007_sel_a_f_06; MAR2007_sel_a_f_18; MAR2007_sel_a_m_23; MAR2008; MAR2008_sel_a_f_08; MAR2008_sel_a_f_10; MAR2008_sel_a_f_11; MAR2008_sel_a_f_12; MAR2008_sel_a_f_14; MAR2008_sel_a_f_15; MAR2008_sel_a_f_16; MAR2008_sel_a_f_18; MAR2008_sel_a_f_23; MAR2008_sel_s_m_01; MAR2008_sel_s_m_03; MAR2009; MAR2009_sel_a_f_04; MAR2009_sel_a_f_05; MAR2009_sel_a_f_06; MAR2009_sel_a_f_07; MAR2009_sel_a_f_08; MAR2010; MAR2010_sel_a_f_01; MAR2010_sel_a_f_03; Marine endotherm; Marine Mammal Tracking; Marion Island Research Station; MET; MMT; Southern Ocean - Indian sector
As the Antarctic Circumpolar Current crosses the South-West Indian Ocean Ridge, it creates an extensive eddy field characterised by high sea level anomaly variability. We investigated the diving behaviour of female southern elephant seals from Marion Island during their post-moult migrations in relation to this eddy field in order to determine its role in the animals' at-sea dispersal. Most seals dived within the region significantly more often than predicted by chance, and these dives were generally shallower and shorter than dives outside the eddy field. Mixed effects models estimated reductions of 44.33 ± 3.00 m (maximum depth) and 6.37 ± 0.10 min (dive duration) as a result of diving within the region, along with low between-seal variability (maximum depth: 5.5 % and dive duration: 8.4 %). U-shaped dives increased in frequency inside the eddy field, whereas W-shaped dives with multiple vertical movements decreased. Results suggest that Marion Island's adult female elephant seals' dives are characterised by lowered cost-of-transport when they encounter the eddy field during the start and end of their post-moult migrations. This might result from changes in buoyancy associated with varying body condition upon leaving and returning to the island. Our results do not suggest that the eddy field is a vital foraging ground for Marion Island's southern elephant seals. However, because seals preferentially travel through this area and likely forage opportunistically while minimising transport costs, we hypothesise that climate-mediated changes in the nature or position of this region may alter the seals' at-sea dispersal patterns.
title Water temperature data from southern elephant seal from Marion Island with links to datasets
topic MAR2007; MAR2007_sel_a_f_02; MAR2007_sel_a_f_06; MAR2007_sel_a_f_18; MAR2007_sel_a_m_23; MAR2008; MAR2008_sel_a_f_08; MAR2008_sel_a_f_10; MAR2008_sel_a_f_11; MAR2008_sel_a_f_12; MAR2008_sel_a_f_14; MAR2008_sel_a_f_15; MAR2008_sel_a_f_16; MAR2008_sel_a_f_18; MAR2008_sel_a_f_23; MAR2008_sel_s_m_01; MAR2008_sel_s_m_03; MAR2009; MAR2009_sel_a_f_04; MAR2009_sel_a_f_05; MAR2009_sel_a_f_06; MAR2009_sel_a_f_07; MAR2009_sel_a_f_08; MAR2010; MAR2010_sel_a_f_01; MAR2010_sel_a_f_03; Marine endotherm; Marine Mammal Tracking; Marion Island Research Station; MET; MMT; Southern Ocean - Indian sector
url https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.150014