Plasticity in the morphometrics and movements of an Antarctic apex predator, the leopard seal
Animals that display plasticity in behavioral, ecological, and morphological traits are better poised to cope with environmental disturbances. Here, we examined individual plasticity and intraspecific variation in the morphometrics, movement patterns, and dive behavior of an enigmatic apex predator,...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2022-08-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Marine Science |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2022.976019/full |
| _version_ | 1811308669089873920 |
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| author | Sarah S. Kienle Michael E. Goebel Michael E. Goebel Erin LaBrecque Renato Borras-Chavez Renato Borras-Chavez Stephen J. Trumble Shane B. Kanatous Daniel E. Crocker Daniel P. Costa |
| author_facet | Sarah S. Kienle Michael E. Goebel Michael E. Goebel Erin LaBrecque Renato Borras-Chavez Renato Borras-Chavez Stephen J. Trumble Shane B. Kanatous Daniel E. Crocker Daniel P. Costa |
| author_sort | Sarah S. Kienle |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Animals that display plasticity in behavioral, ecological, and morphological traits are better poised to cope with environmental disturbances. Here, we examined individual plasticity and intraspecific variation in the morphometrics, movement patterns, and dive behavior of an enigmatic apex predator, the leopard seal (Hydrurga leptonyx). Satellite/GPS tags and time-depth recorders were deployed on 22 leopard seals off the Western Antarctic Peninsula. Adult female leopard seals were significantly larger (454±59 kg) and longer (302±11 cm) than adult males (302±22 kg, 276±11 cm). As females were 50% larger than their male counterparts, leopard seals are therefore one of the most extreme examples of female-biased sexual size dimorphism in marine mammals. Female leopard seals also spent more time hauled-out on land and ice than males. In the austral spring/summer, three adult female leopard seals hauled-out on ice for 10+ days, which likely represent the first satellite tracks of parturition and lactation for the species. While we found sex-based differences in morphometrics and haul-out durations, other variables, including maximum distance traveled and dive parameters, did not vary by sex. Regardless of sex, some leopard seals remained in near-shore habitats, traveling less than 50 kilometers, while other leopard seals traveled up to 1,700 kilometers away from the tagging location. Overall, leopard seals were short (3.0±0.7 min) and shallow (29±8 m) divers. However, within this general pattern, some individual leopard seals primarily used short, shallow dives, while others switched between short, shallow dives and long, deep dives. We also recorded the single deepest and longest dive made by any leopard seal—1, 256 meters for 25 minutes. Together, our results showcased high plasticity among leopard seals tagged in a single location. These flexible behaviors and traits may offer leopard seals, an ice-associated apex predator, resilience to the rapidly changing Southern Ocean. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T09:28:35Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-12b9e8097b0a41fcab60af85329ea20c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-7745 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T09:28:35Z |
| publishDate | 2022-08-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Marine Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-12b9e8097b0a41fcab60af85329ea20c2022-12-22T02:52:21ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Marine Science2296-77452022-08-01910.3389/fmars.2022.976019976019Plasticity in the morphometrics and movements of an Antarctic apex predator, the leopard sealSarah S. Kienle0Michael E. Goebel1Michael E. Goebel2Erin LaBrecque3Renato Borras-Chavez4Renato Borras-Chavez5Stephen J. Trumble6Shane B. Kanatous7Daniel E. Crocker8Daniel P. Costa9Department of Biology, Baylor University, Waco, TX, United StatesAntarctic Ecosystem Research Division, Southwest Fisheries Science Center, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries, La Jolla, CA, United StatesDepartment of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, United StatesMarine Mammal Commission, Bethesda, MD, United StatesCenter of Applied Ecology and Sustainability (CAPES), Department of Ecology, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, ChileInstituto Antártico Chileno (INACH), Punta Arenas, ChileDepartment of Biology, Baylor University, Waco, TX, United StatesDepartment of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United StatesDepartment of Biology, Sonoma State University, Rohnert Park, CA, United StatesDepartment of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, United StatesAnimals that display plasticity in behavioral, ecological, and morphological traits are better poised to cope with environmental disturbances. Here, we examined individual plasticity and intraspecific variation in the morphometrics, movement patterns, and dive behavior of an enigmatic apex predator, the leopard seal (Hydrurga leptonyx). Satellite/GPS tags and time-depth recorders were deployed on 22 leopard seals off the Western Antarctic Peninsula. Adult female leopard seals were significantly larger (454±59 kg) and longer (302±11 cm) than adult males (302±22 kg, 276±11 cm). As females were 50% larger than their male counterparts, leopard seals are therefore one of the most extreme examples of female-biased sexual size dimorphism in marine mammals. Female leopard seals also spent more time hauled-out on land and ice than males. In the austral spring/summer, three adult female leopard seals hauled-out on ice for 10+ days, which likely represent the first satellite tracks of parturition and lactation for the species. While we found sex-based differences in morphometrics and haul-out durations, other variables, including maximum distance traveled and dive parameters, did not vary by sex. Regardless of sex, some leopard seals remained in near-shore habitats, traveling less than 50 kilometers, while other leopard seals traveled up to 1,700 kilometers away from the tagging location. Overall, leopard seals were short (3.0±0.7 min) and shallow (29±8 m) divers. However, within this general pattern, some individual leopard seals primarily used short, shallow dives, while others switched between short, shallow dives and long, deep dives. We also recorded the single deepest and longest dive made by any leopard seal—1, 256 meters for 25 minutes. Together, our results showcased high plasticity among leopard seals tagged in a single location. These flexible behaviors and traits may offer leopard seals, an ice-associated apex predator, resilience to the rapidly changing Southern Ocean.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2022.976019/fullapex predatordive behaviorflexibilityintraspecific variationleopard sealmorphometrics |
| spellingShingle | Sarah S. Kienle Michael E. Goebel Michael E. Goebel Erin LaBrecque Renato Borras-Chavez Renato Borras-Chavez Stephen J. Trumble Shane B. Kanatous Daniel E. Crocker Daniel P. Costa Plasticity in the morphometrics and movements of an Antarctic apex predator, the leopard seal Frontiers in Marine Science apex predator dive behavior flexibility intraspecific variation leopard seal morphometrics |
| title | Plasticity in the morphometrics and movements of an Antarctic apex predator, the leopard seal |
| title_full | Plasticity in the morphometrics and movements of an Antarctic apex predator, the leopard seal |
| title_fullStr | Plasticity in the morphometrics and movements of an Antarctic apex predator, the leopard seal |
| title_full_unstemmed | Plasticity in the morphometrics and movements of an Antarctic apex predator, the leopard seal |
| title_short | Plasticity in the morphometrics and movements of an Antarctic apex predator, the leopard seal |
| title_sort | plasticity in the morphometrics and movements of an antarctic apex predator the leopard seal |
| topic | apex predator dive behavior flexibility intraspecific variation leopard seal morphometrics |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2022.976019/full |
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