Divergent migration routes reveal contrasting energy-minimization strategies to deal with differing resource predictability
Abstract Background Seasonal long-distance movements are a common feature in many taxa allowing animals to deal with seasonal habitats and life-history demands. Many species use different strategies to prioritize time- or energy-minimization, sometimes employing stop-over behaviours to offset the ph...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
BMC
2023-06-01
|
| Series: | Movement Ecology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s40462-023-00397-y |
| _version_ | 1797806474387259392 |
|---|---|
| author | Courtney R. Shuert Nigel E. Hussey Marianne Marcoux Mads Peter Heide-Jørgensen Rune Dietz Marie Auger-Méthé |
| author_facet | Courtney R. Shuert Nigel E. Hussey Marianne Marcoux Mads Peter Heide-Jørgensen Rune Dietz Marie Auger-Méthé |
| author_sort | Courtney R. Shuert |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Seasonal long-distance movements are a common feature in many taxa allowing animals to deal with seasonal habitats and life-history demands. Many species use different strategies to prioritize time- or energy-minimization, sometimes employing stop-over behaviours to offset the physiological burden of the directed movement associated with migratory behaviour. Migratory strategies are often limited by life-history and environmental constraints, but can also be modulated by the predictability of resources en route. While theory on population-wide strategies (e.g. energy-minimization) are well studied, there are increasing evidence for individual-level variation in movement patterns indicative of finer scale differences in migration strategies. Methods We aimed to explore sources of individual variation in migration strategies for long-distance migrators using satellite telemetry location data from 41 narwhal spanning a 21-year period. Specifically, we aimed to determine and define the long-distance movement strategies adopted and how environmental variables may modulate these movements. Fine-scale movement behaviours were characterized using move-persistence models, where changes in move-persistence, highlighting autocorrelation in a movement trajectory, were evaluated against potential modulating environmental covariates. Areas of low move-persistence, indicative of area-restricted search-type behaviours, were deemed to indicate evidence of stop-overs along the migratory route. Results Here, we demonstrate two divergent migratory tactics to maintain a similar overall energy-minimization strategy within a single population of narwhal. Narwhal migrating offshore exhibited more tortuous movement trajectories overall with no evidence of spatially-consistent stop-over locations across individuals. Nearshore migrating narwhal undertook more directed routes, contrasted by spatially-explicit stop-over behaviour in highly-productive fjord and canyon systems along the coast of Baffin Island for periods of several days to several weeks. Conclusions Within a single population, divergent migratory tactics can achieve a similar overall energy-minimizing strategy within a species as a response to differing trade-offs between predictable and unpredictable resources. Our methodological approach, which revealed the modulators of fine-scale migratory movements and predicted regional stop-over sites, is widely applicable to a variety of other aquatic and terrestrial species. Quantifying marine migration strategies will be key for adaptive conservation in the face of climate change and ever increasing human pressures. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-13T06:07:52Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-ed8dabbb47214d628a7876a1b7d82cf2 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2051-3933 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-13T06:07:52Z |
| publishDate | 2023-06-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Movement Ecology |
| spelling | doaj.art-ed8dabbb47214d628a7876a1b7d82cf22023-06-11T11:28:29ZengBMCMovement Ecology2051-39332023-06-0111111510.1186/s40462-023-00397-yDivergent migration routes reveal contrasting energy-minimization strategies to deal with differing resource predictabilityCourtney R. Shuert0Nigel E. Hussey1Marianne Marcoux2Mads Peter Heide-Jørgensen3Rune Dietz4Marie Auger-Méthé5Department of Integrative Biology, University of WindsorDepartment of Integrative Biology, University of WindsorFisheries and Oceans Canada, Freshwater InstituteGreenland Institute of Natural ResourcesDepartment of Ecoscience, Aarhus UniversityInstitute for the Oceans & Fisheries, University of British ColumbiaAbstract Background Seasonal long-distance movements are a common feature in many taxa allowing animals to deal with seasonal habitats and life-history demands. Many species use different strategies to prioritize time- or energy-minimization, sometimes employing stop-over behaviours to offset the physiological burden of the directed movement associated with migratory behaviour. Migratory strategies are often limited by life-history and environmental constraints, but can also be modulated by the predictability of resources en route. While theory on population-wide strategies (e.g. energy-minimization) are well studied, there are increasing evidence for individual-level variation in movement patterns indicative of finer scale differences in migration strategies. Methods We aimed to explore sources of individual variation in migration strategies for long-distance migrators using satellite telemetry location data from 41 narwhal spanning a 21-year period. Specifically, we aimed to determine and define the long-distance movement strategies adopted and how environmental variables may modulate these movements. Fine-scale movement behaviours were characterized using move-persistence models, where changes in move-persistence, highlighting autocorrelation in a movement trajectory, were evaluated against potential modulating environmental covariates. Areas of low move-persistence, indicative of area-restricted search-type behaviours, were deemed to indicate evidence of stop-overs along the migratory route. Results Here, we demonstrate two divergent migratory tactics to maintain a similar overall energy-minimization strategy within a single population of narwhal. Narwhal migrating offshore exhibited more tortuous movement trajectories overall with no evidence of spatially-consistent stop-over locations across individuals. Nearshore migrating narwhal undertook more directed routes, contrasted by spatially-explicit stop-over behaviour in highly-productive fjord and canyon systems along the coast of Baffin Island for periods of several days to several weeks. Conclusions Within a single population, divergent migratory tactics can achieve a similar overall energy-minimizing strategy within a species as a response to differing trade-offs between predictable and unpredictable resources. Our methodological approach, which revealed the modulators of fine-scale migratory movements and predicted regional stop-over sites, is widely applicable to a variety of other aquatic and terrestrial species. Quantifying marine migration strategies will be key for adaptive conservation in the face of climate change and ever increasing human pressures.https://doi.org/10.1186/s40462-023-00397-yArcticMigrationMigratory corridorsMove-persistenceNarwhalState-space models |
| spellingShingle | Courtney R. Shuert Nigel E. Hussey Marianne Marcoux Mads Peter Heide-Jørgensen Rune Dietz Marie Auger-Méthé Divergent migration routes reveal contrasting energy-minimization strategies to deal with differing resource predictability Movement Ecology Arctic Migration Migratory corridors Move-persistence Narwhal State-space models |
| title | Divergent migration routes reveal contrasting energy-minimization strategies to deal with differing resource predictability |
| title_full | Divergent migration routes reveal contrasting energy-minimization strategies to deal with differing resource predictability |
| title_fullStr | Divergent migration routes reveal contrasting energy-minimization strategies to deal with differing resource predictability |
| title_full_unstemmed | Divergent migration routes reveal contrasting energy-minimization strategies to deal with differing resource predictability |
| title_short | Divergent migration routes reveal contrasting energy-minimization strategies to deal with differing resource predictability |
| title_sort | divergent migration routes reveal contrasting energy minimization strategies to deal with differing resource predictability |
| topic | Arctic Migration Migratory corridors Move-persistence Narwhal State-space models |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s40462-023-00397-y |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT courtneyrshuert divergentmigrationroutesrevealcontrastingenergyminimizationstrategiestodealwithdifferingresourcepredictability AT nigelehussey divergentmigrationroutesrevealcontrastingenergyminimizationstrategiestodealwithdifferingresourcepredictability AT mariannemarcoux divergentmigrationroutesrevealcontrastingenergyminimizationstrategiestodealwithdifferingresourcepredictability AT madspeterheidejørgensen divergentmigrationroutesrevealcontrastingenergyminimizationstrategiestodealwithdifferingresourcepredictability AT runedietz divergentmigrationroutesrevealcontrastingenergyminimizationstrategiestodealwithdifferingresourcepredictability AT marieaugermethe divergentmigrationroutesrevealcontrastingenergyminimizationstrategiestodealwithdifferingresourcepredictability |