Variability in sea ice cover and climate elicit sex specific responses in an Antarctic predator

Labrousse, Sara; Sallee, Jean-Baptiste; Fraser, Alexander D.; Massom, Rob A.; Reid, Phillip; Hobbs, William; Guinet, Christophe; Harcourt, Robert; McMahon, Clive; Authier, Matthieu; Bailleul, Frédéric; Hindell, Mark A.; Charrassin, Jean-Benoit. 2017 Variability in sea ice cover and climate elicit sex specific responses in an Antarctic predator. Scientific Reports, 7, 43236. 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1038/srep43236

Before downloading, please read NORA policies.

Preview

Text
srep43236.pdf - Published Version
Available under License Creative Commons Attribution 4.0.
Download (1MB) | Preview

Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/srep43236

Abstract/Summary

Contrasting regional changes in Southern Ocean sea ice have occurred over the last 30 years with distinct regional effects on ecosystem structure and function. Quantifying how Antarctic predators respond to such changes provides the context for predicting how climate variability/change will affect these assemblages into the future. Over an 11-year time-series, we examine how inter-annual variability in sea ice concentration and advance affect the foraging behaviour of a top Antarctic predator, the southern elephant seal. Females foraged longer in pack ice in years with greatest sea ice concentration and earliest sea ice advance, while males foraged longer in polynyas in years of lowest sea ice concentration. There was a positive relationship between near-surface meridional wind anomalies and female foraging effort, but not for males. This study reveals the complexities of foraging responses to climate forcing by a poleward migratory predator through varying sea ice property and dynamic anomalies.

Item Type:	Publication - Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI):	https://doi.org/10.1038/srep43236
Programmes:	BAS Programmes > BAS Programmes 2015 > Polar Oceans
ISSN:	2045-2322
Date made live:	28 Feb 2017 15:13 +0 (UTC)
URI:	https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/516407

Item Type:

Publication - Article

Digital Object Identifier (DOI):

https://doi.org/10.1038/srep43236

Programmes:

BAS Programmes > BAS Programmes 2015 > Polar Oceans

ISSN:

2045-2322

Date made live:

28 Feb 2017 15:13 +0 (UTC)

URI:

https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/516407