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Deep divers in even deeper seas: habitat use of male southern elephant seals from Marion Island

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 August 2012

Trevor Mcintyre ,
Horst Bornemann ,
Joachim Plötz ,
Cheryl A. Tosh  and
Marthán N. Bester
Trevor Mcintyre*
Affiliation:
Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X20, Hatfield 0028, South Africa
Horst Bornemann
Affiliation:
Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research, Postfach 120161, D-27515 Bremerhaven, Germany
Joachim Plötz
Affiliation:
Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research, Postfach 120161, D-27515 Bremerhaven, Germany
Cheryl A. Tosh
Affiliation:
Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X20, Hatfield 0028, South Africa
Marthán N. Bester
Affiliation:
Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X20, Hatfield 0028, South Africa
*
[email protected]
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Abstract

We describe the habitat use of 22 male southern elephant seals (Mirounga leonina) satellite tagged at Marion Island between 2004 and 2008. While a few areas of increased utilization appeared to be associated with areas of shallower bathymetry (such as sea-floor ridges and fracture zones), seals in our study did not target other areas of shallow bathymetry within close proximity to Marion Island. Rather, most elephant seals foraged pelagically over very deep water where much variation was evident in diel vertical migration strategies. These strategies resulted in generally deeper and longer dives than what has been reported for male elephant seals from other colonies. No significant differences were recorded for dive durations or dive depths between adults and sub-adults. However, younger animals displayed a positive relationship between dive durations and age, as well as between dive depths and age, while these relationships became negative for older animals. Mixed model outputs suggested that seals increased their aerobic fitness as migrations progressed, enabling them to undertake longer dives. We conclude that Marion Island male elephant seals exhibit much variability in dive strategy and are seemingly capable of exploiting a range of different prey types occurring in various depth layers.

Keywords

dive behaviourmarine mammalsPrince Edward islandsutilization distribution
Type
Biological Sciences
Information
Antarctic Science , Volume 24 , Issue 6 , December 2012 , pp. 561 - 570
Copyright
Copyright © Antarctic Science Ltd 2012

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