Year-Round Dive Characteristics of Male Beluga Whales From the Eastern Beaufort Sea Population Indicate Seasonal Shifts in Foraging Strategies
Dive behavior represents multiple ecological functions for marine mammals, but our understanding of dive characteristics is typically limited by the resolution or longevity of tagging studies. Knowledge on the time-depth structures of dives can provide insight into the behaviors represented by verti...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Frontiers Media S.A.
2022-01-01
|
| Series: | Frontiers in Marine Science |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2021.715412/full |
| _version_ | 1819099047852507136 |
|---|---|
| author | Luke Storrie Luke Storrie Nigel E. Hussey Shannon A. MacPhee Greg O’Corry-Crowe John Iacozza David G. Barber Alex Nunes Lisa L. Loseto Lisa L. Loseto |
| author_facet | Luke Storrie Luke Storrie Nigel E. Hussey Shannon A. MacPhee Greg O’Corry-Crowe John Iacozza David G. Barber Alex Nunes Lisa L. Loseto Lisa L. Loseto |
| author_sort | Luke Storrie |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Dive behavior represents multiple ecological functions for marine mammals, but our understanding of dive characteristics is typically limited by the resolution or longevity of tagging studies. Knowledge on the time-depth structures of dives can provide insight into the behaviors represented by vertical movements; furthering our understanding of the ecological importance of habitats occupied, seasonal shifts in activity, and the energetic consequences of targeting prey at a given depth. Given our incomplete understanding of Eastern Beaufort Sea (EBS) beluga whale behavior over an annual cycle, we aimed to characterize dives made by belugas, with a focus on analyzing shifts in foraging strategies. Objectives were to (i) characterize and classify the range of beluga-specific dive types over an annual cycle, (ii) propose dive functions based on optimal foraging theory, physiology, and association with environmental variables, and (iii) identify whether belugas undergo seasonal shifts in the frequency of dives associated with variable foraging strategies. Satellite-linked time-depth-recorders (TDRs) were attached to 13 male belugas from the EBS population in 2018 and 2019, and depth data were collected in time series at a 75 s sampling interval. Tags collected data for between 13 and 357 days, including three tags which collected data across all months. A total of 90,211 dives were identified and characterized by twelve time and depth metrics and classified into eight dive types using a Gaussian mixed modeling and hierarchical clustering analysis approach. Dive structures identify various seasonal behaviors and indicate year-round foraging. Shallower and more frequent diving during winter in the Bering Sea indicate foraging may be energetically cheaper, but less rewarding than deeper diving during summer in the Beaufort Sea and Arctic Archipelago, which frequently exceeded the aerobic dive limit previously calculated for this population. Structure, frequency and association with environmental variables supports the use of other dives in recovery, transiting, and navigating through sea ice. The current study provides the first comprehensive description of the year-round dive structures of any beluga population, providing baseline information to allow improved characterization and to monitor how this population may respond to environmental change and increasing anthropogenic stressors. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-22T00:40:40Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-46f3da2ece46481694185d64e4acd7c7 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-7745 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-22T00:40:40Z |
| publishDate | 2022-01-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Marine Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-46f3da2ece46481694185d64e4acd7c72022-12-21T18:44:41ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Marine Science2296-77452022-01-01810.3389/fmars.2021.715412715412Year-Round Dive Characteristics of Male Beluga Whales From the Eastern Beaufort Sea Population Indicate Seasonal Shifts in Foraging StrategiesLuke Storrie0Luke Storrie1Nigel E. Hussey2Shannon A. MacPhee3Greg O’Corry-Crowe4John Iacozza5David G. Barber6Alex Nunes7Lisa L. Loseto8Lisa L. Loseto9Centre for Earth Observation Science, Department of Environment and Geography, The University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, CanadaFreshwater Institute, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Winnipeg, MB, CanadaDepartment of Integrative Biology, University of Windsor, Windsor, ON, CanadaFreshwater Institute, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Winnipeg, MB, CanadaHarbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, Florida Atlantic University, Fort Pierce, FL, United StatesCentre for Earth Observation Science, Department of Environment and Geography, The University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, CanadaCentre for Earth Observation Science, Department of Environment and Geography, The University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, CanadaOcean Tracking Network, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, CanadaCentre for Earth Observation Science, Department of Environment and Geography, The University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, CanadaFreshwater Institute, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Winnipeg, MB, CanadaDive behavior represents multiple ecological functions for marine mammals, but our understanding of dive characteristics is typically limited by the resolution or longevity of tagging studies. Knowledge on the time-depth structures of dives can provide insight into the behaviors represented by vertical movements; furthering our understanding of the ecological importance of habitats occupied, seasonal shifts in activity, and the energetic consequences of targeting prey at a given depth. Given our incomplete understanding of Eastern Beaufort Sea (EBS) beluga whale behavior over an annual cycle, we aimed to characterize dives made by belugas, with a focus on analyzing shifts in foraging strategies. Objectives were to (i) characterize and classify the range of beluga-specific dive types over an annual cycle, (ii) propose dive functions based on optimal foraging theory, physiology, and association with environmental variables, and (iii) identify whether belugas undergo seasonal shifts in the frequency of dives associated with variable foraging strategies. Satellite-linked time-depth-recorders (TDRs) were attached to 13 male belugas from the EBS population in 2018 and 2019, and depth data were collected in time series at a 75 s sampling interval. Tags collected data for between 13 and 357 days, including three tags which collected data across all months. A total of 90,211 dives were identified and characterized by twelve time and depth metrics and classified into eight dive types using a Gaussian mixed modeling and hierarchical clustering analysis approach. Dive structures identify various seasonal behaviors and indicate year-round foraging. Shallower and more frequent diving during winter in the Bering Sea indicate foraging may be energetically cheaper, but less rewarding than deeper diving during summer in the Beaufort Sea and Arctic Archipelago, which frequently exceeded the aerobic dive limit previously calculated for this population. Structure, frequency and association with environmental variables supports the use of other dives in recovery, transiting, and navigating through sea ice. The current study provides the first comprehensive description of the year-round dive structures of any beluga population, providing baseline information to allow improved characterization and to monitor how this population may respond to environmental change and increasing anthropogenic stressors.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2021.715412/fullBeaufort Seabiologgingdive classificationenergeticsforagingbeluga whale (Delphinapterus leucas) |
| spellingShingle | Luke Storrie Luke Storrie Nigel E. Hussey Shannon A. MacPhee Greg O’Corry-Crowe John Iacozza David G. Barber Alex Nunes Lisa L. Loseto Lisa L. Loseto Year-Round Dive Characteristics of Male Beluga Whales From the Eastern Beaufort Sea Population Indicate Seasonal Shifts in Foraging Strategies Frontiers in Marine Science Beaufort Sea biologging dive classification energetics foraging beluga whale (Delphinapterus leucas) |
| title | Year-Round Dive Characteristics of Male Beluga Whales From the Eastern Beaufort Sea Population Indicate Seasonal Shifts in Foraging Strategies |
| title_full | Year-Round Dive Characteristics of Male Beluga Whales From the Eastern Beaufort Sea Population Indicate Seasonal Shifts in Foraging Strategies |
| title_fullStr | Year-Round Dive Characteristics of Male Beluga Whales From the Eastern Beaufort Sea Population Indicate Seasonal Shifts in Foraging Strategies |
| title_full_unstemmed | Year-Round Dive Characteristics of Male Beluga Whales From the Eastern Beaufort Sea Population Indicate Seasonal Shifts in Foraging Strategies |
| title_short | Year-Round Dive Characteristics of Male Beluga Whales From the Eastern Beaufort Sea Population Indicate Seasonal Shifts in Foraging Strategies |
| title_sort | year round dive characteristics of male beluga whales from the eastern beaufort sea population indicate seasonal shifts in foraging strategies |
| topic | Beaufort Sea biologging dive classification energetics foraging beluga whale (Delphinapterus leucas) |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2021.715412/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT lukestorrie yearrounddivecharacteristicsofmalebelugawhalesfromtheeasternbeaufortseapopulationindicateseasonalshiftsinforagingstrategies AT lukestorrie yearrounddivecharacteristicsofmalebelugawhalesfromtheeasternbeaufortseapopulationindicateseasonalshiftsinforagingstrategies AT nigelehussey yearrounddivecharacteristicsofmalebelugawhalesfromtheeasternbeaufortseapopulationindicateseasonalshiftsinforagingstrategies AT shannonamacphee yearrounddivecharacteristicsofmalebelugawhalesfromtheeasternbeaufortseapopulationindicateseasonalshiftsinforagingstrategies AT gregocorrycrowe yearrounddivecharacteristicsofmalebelugawhalesfromtheeasternbeaufortseapopulationindicateseasonalshiftsinforagingstrategies AT johniacozza yearrounddivecharacteristicsofmalebelugawhalesfromtheeasternbeaufortseapopulationindicateseasonalshiftsinforagingstrategies AT davidgbarber yearrounddivecharacteristicsofmalebelugawhalesfromtheeasternbeaufortseapopulationindicateseasonalshiftsinforagingstrategies AT alexnunes yearrounddivecharacteristicsofmalebelugawhalesfromtheeasternbeaufortseapopulationindicateseasonalshiftsinforagingstrategies AT lisalloseto yearrounddivecharacteristicsofmalebelugawhalesfromtheeasternbeaufortseapopulationindicateseasonalshiftsinforagingstrategies AT lisalloseto yearrounddivecharacteristicsofmalebelugawhalesfromtheeasternbeaufortseapopulationindicateseasonalshiftsinforagingstrategies |