Variations in behaviour and condition of a Southern Ocean top predator in relation to in situ oceanographic conditions

Biuw, M.; Boehme, L.; Guinet, C.; Hindell, M.; Costa, D.; Charrasin, J.-B.; Roquet, F.; Bailleul, F.; Meredith, M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7342-7756; Thorpe, S. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5193-6955; Tremblay, Y.; McDonald, B.; Park, Y.-H.; Rintoul, S.R.; Bindoff, N.; Goebel, M.; Crocker, D.; Lovell, P.; Nicholson, J.; Monks, F.; Fedak, M.A.. 2007 Variations in behaviour and condition of a Southern Ocean top predator in relation to in situ oceanographic conditions. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 104 (34). 13705-13710. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0701121104

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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0701121104

Abstract/Summary

Responses by marine top predators to environmental variability have previously been almost impossible to observe directly. Using novel, animal-mounted instruments simultaneously recording movements, diving behaviour and in-situ oceanographic properties, we studied the behavioural and physiological responses of southern elephant seals to spatial environmental variability throughout their circumpolar range. Improved body condition of seals in the Atlantic sector was associated with Circumpolar Deep Water upwelling regions within the Antarctic Circumpolar Current, while High Salinity Shelf Waters or temperature/salinity gradients under winter pack-ice were important in the Indian and Pacific sectors. Energetic consequences of these variations could help explain recently observed population trends, showing the utility of this approach to examining the sensitivity of top predators to global and regional-scale climate variability.

Item Type:	Publication - Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI):	https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0701121104
Programmes:	BAS Programmes > Global Science in the Antarctic Context (2005-2009) > DISCOVERY 2010 - Integrating Southern Ocean Ecosystems into the Earth System
ISSN:	0027-8424
Additional Keywords:	Body condition, Ocean conservation, Oceanography, Elephant seals
NORA Subject Terms:	Marine Sciences Zoology
Date made live:	19 Jan 2009 13:41 +0 (UTC)
URI:	https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/5702

Item Type:

Publication - Article

Digital Object Identifier (DOI):

https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0701121104

Programmes:

BAS Programmes > Global Science in the Antarctic Context (2005-2009) > DISCOVERY 2010 - Integrating Southern Ocean Ecosystems into the Earth System

ISSN:

0027-8424

Additional Keywords:

Body condition, Ocean conservation, Oceanography, Elephant seals

NORA Subject Terms:

Marine Sciences
Zoology