1
|
Stiegler J, Gallagher CA, Hering R, Müller T, Tucker M, Apollonio M, Arnold J, Barker NA, Barthel L, Bassano B, Beest FMV, Belant JL, Berger A, Beyer DE, Bidner LR, Blake S, Börner K, Brivio F, Brogi R, Buuveibaatar B, Cagnacci F, Dekker J, Dentinger J, Duľa M, Duquette JF, Eccard JA, Evans MN, Ferguson AW, Fichtel C, Ford AT, Fowler NL, Gehr B, Getz WM, Goheen JR, Goossens B, Grignolio S, Haugaard L, Hauptfleisch M, Heim M, Heurich M, Hewison MAJ, Isbell LA, Janssen R, Jarnemo A, Jeltsch F, Miloš J, Kaczensky P, Kamiński T, Kappeler P, Kasper K, Kautz TM, Kimmig S, Kjellander P, Kowalczyk R, Kramer-Schadt S, Kröschel M, Krop-Benesch A, Linderoth P, Lobas C, Lokeny P, Lührs ML, Matsushima SS, McDonough MM, Melzheimer J, Morellet N, Ngatia DK, Obermair L, Olson KA, Patanant KC, Payne JC, Petroelje TR, Pina M, Piqué J, Premier J, Pufelski J, Pyritz L, Ramanzin M, Roeleke M, Rolandsen CM, Saïd S, Sandfort R, Schmidt K, Schmidt NM, Scholz C, Schubert N, Selva N, Sergiel A, Serieys LEK, Silovský V, Slotow R, Sönnichsen L, Solberg EJ, Stelvig M, Street GM, Sunde P, Svoboda NJ, Thaker M, Tomowski M, Ullmann W, Vanak AT, Wachter B, Webb SL, Wilmers CC, Zieba F, Zwijacz-Kozica T, Blaum N. Mammals show faster recovery from capture and tagging in human-disturbed landscapes. Nat Commun 2024; 15:8079. [PMID: 39278967 PMCID: PMC11402999 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-52381-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 08/29/2024] [Indexed: 09/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Wildlife tagging provides critical insights into animal movement ecology, physiology, and behavior amid global ecosystem changes. However, the stress induced by capture, handling, and tagging can impact post-release locomotion and activity and, consequently, the interpretation of study results. Here, we analyze post-tagging effects on 1585 individuals of 42 terrestrial mammal species using collar-collected GPS and accelerometer data. Species-specific displacements and overall dynamic body acceleration, as a proxy for activity, were assessed over 20 days post-release to quantify disturbance intensity, recovery duration, and speed. Differences were evaluated, considering species-specific traits and the human footprint of the study region. Over 70% of the analyzed species exhibited significant behavioral changes following collaring events. Herbivores traveled farther with variable activity reactions, while omnivores and carnivores were initially less active and mobile. Recovery duration proved brief, with alterations diminishing within 4-7 tracking days for most species. Herbivores, particularly males, showed quicker displacement recovery (4 days) but slower activity recovery (7 days). Individuals in high human footprint areas displayed faster recovery, indicating adaptation to human disturbance. Our findings emphasize the necessity of extending tracking periods beyond 1 week and particular caution in remote study areas or herbivore-focused research, specifically in smaller mammals.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jonas Stiegler
- Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation, Institute of Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, 14469, Potsdam, Germany.
- Animal Ecology, Institute of Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, 14469, Potsdam, Germany.
| | - Cara A Gallagher
- Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation, Institute of Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, 14469, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Robert Hering
- Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation, Institute of Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, 14469, Potsdam, Germany
- Ecology and Macroecology Laboratory, Institute for Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, 14469, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Thomas Müller
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung, 60325, Frankfurt (Main), Germany
- Department of Biological Sciences, Goethe University, 60438, Frankfurt (Main), Germany
- Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, National Zoological Park, Front Royal, VA, USA
| | - Marlee Tucker
- Department of Environmental Science, Radboud Institute for Biological and Environmental Sciences, Radboud University, P.O. Box 9010, 6500, GL Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Marco Apollonio
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Sassari, Via Vienna 2, 07100, Sassari, Italy
| | - Janosch Arnold
- Wildlife Research Unit, Agricultural Centre Baden-Wuerttemberg (LAZBW), 88326, Aulendorf, Germany
| | - Nancy A Barker
- School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
| | - Leon Barthel
- Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW), Berlin, Germany
| | | | | | - Jerrold L Belant
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Anne Berger
- Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW), Berlin, Germany
| | - Dean E Beyer
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Laura R Bidner
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
- Mpala Research Centre, 555-10400, Nanyuki, Kenya
| | - Stephen Blake
- Department of Biology, St. Louis University, St. Louis, MO, USA
- WildCare Institute, Saint Louis Zoo, 1 Government Drive, Saint Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Konstantin Börner
- Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW), Berlin, Germany
| | - Francesca Brivio
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Sassari, Via Vienna 2, 07100, Sassari, Italy
| | - Rudy Brogi
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Sassari, Via Vienna 2, 07100, Sassari, Italy
| | | | - Francesca Cagnacci
- Research and Innovation Centre, Animal Ecology Unit, Fondazione Edmund Mach, San Michele all'Adige, Trento, Italy
- NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Centre, Palermo, 90133, Italy
| | | | - Jane Dentinger
- Texas A&M Natural Resources Institute, and Department of Rangeland, Wildlife and Fisheries Management, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843-2138, USA
| | - Martin Duľa
- Department of Forest Ecology, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, Mendel University, 613 00, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Jarred F Duquette
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Jana A Eccard
- Animal Ecology, Institute of Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, 14469, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Meaghan N Evans
- Danau Girang Field Centre, Sabah Wildlife Department, 88100, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
- Organisms and Environment Division, School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, CF10 3AX, UK
| | - Adam W Ferguson
- Mpala Research Centre, 555-10400, Nanyuki, Kenya
- Department of Biological Sciences, Chicago State University, 9501 S. King Drive, Chicago, IL, 60628, USA
| | - Claudia Fichtel
- German Primate Center, Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology Unit, 37077, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Adam T Ford
- Department of Biology, University of British Columbia, 1177 Research Road, Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Nicholas L Fowler
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Benedikt Gehr
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Wayne M Getz
- Department of Environmental Science Policy & Management, 130 Mulford Hall, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720-3112, USA
- School of Mathematical Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Private Bag X54001, Durban, 4000, South Africa
| | - Jacob R Goheen
- Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, 82071, USA
| | - Benoit Goossens
- Danau Girang Field Centre, Sabah Wildlife Department, 88100, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
- Organisms and Environment Division, School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, CF10 3AX, UK
| | - Stefano Grignolio
- Department of Life Science and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, Via Borsari 46, I-44121, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Lars Haugaard
- Department of Ecoscience, Aarhus University, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Morgan Hauptfleisch
- Biodiversity Research Centre, Agriculture and Natural Resources Sciences, Namibia University of Science and Technology, Windhoek, Namibia
| | - Morten Heim
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, P.O. Box 5685 Torgarden, NO-7485, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Marco Heurich
- Department of National Park Monitoring and Animal Management, Bavarian Forest National Park, Freyunger Str. 2, 94481, Grafenau, Germany
- Chair of Wildlife Ecology and Management, Faculty of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Freiburg, Tennenbacher Straße 4, 79106, Freiburg, Germany
- Institute of Forestry and Wildlife Management, Inland Norway University of Applied Science, NO-2480, Koppang, Norway
| | | | - Lynne A Isbell
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
- Animal Behavior Graduate Group, University of California, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | | | - Anders Jarnemo
- School of Business, Innovation and Sustainability, Halmstad University, Halmstad, Sweden
| | - Florian Jeltsch
- Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation, Institute of Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, 14469, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Jezek Miloš
- Department of Game Management and Wildlife Biology, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences, Kamýcká 129, Prague 6-Suchdol, 165 00, Czech Republic
| | - Petra Kaczensky
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, P.O. Box 5685 Torgarden, NO-7485, Trondheim, Norway
- Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, A-1160, Vienna, Austria
| | - Tomasz Kamiński
- Mammal Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, Stoczek 1, 17-230, Białowieża, Poland
| | - Peter Kappeler
- German Primate Center, Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology Unit, 37077, Göttingen, Germany
- Department of Sociobiology/Anthropology, University of Göttingen, 37077, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Katharina Kasper
- Mammal Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, Stoczek 1, 17-230, Białowieża, Poland
| | - Todd M Kautz
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Sophia Kimmig
- Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW), Berlin, Germany
| | - Petter Kjellander
- Grimsö Wildlife Research Station, Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 730 91, Riddarhyttan, Sweden
| | - Rafał Kowalczyk
- Mammal Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, Stoczek 1, 17-230, Białowieża, Poland
| | - Stephanie Kramer-Schadt
- Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW), Berlin, Germany
- Institute of Ecology, Chair of Planning-Related Animal Ecology, Technische Universität Berlin, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Max Kröschel
- Chair of Wildlife Ecology and Management, Faculty of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Freiburg, Tennenbacher Straße 4, 79106, Freiburg, Germany
| | | | - Peter Linderoth
- Wildlife Research Unit, Agricultural Centre Baden-Wuerttemberg (LAZBW), 88326, Aulendorf, Germany
| | - Christoph Lobas
- Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation, Institute of Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, 14469, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Peter Lokeny
- Department of Biological Sciences, Chicago State University, 9501 S. King Drive, Chicago, IL, 60628, USA
| | - Mia-Lana Lührs
- German Primate Center, Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology Unit, 37077, Göttingen, Germany
- Büro Renala, Gülper Hauptstr. 4, 14715, Havelaue, Germany
| | - Stephanie S Matsushima
- Center for Integrated Spatial Research, Environmental Studies Department, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, 95060, USA
| | - Molly M McDonough
- Department of Biological Sciences, Chicago State University, 9501 S. King Drive, Chicago, IL, 60628, USA
| | - Jörg Melzheimer
- Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW), Berlin, Germany
| | | | | | - Leopold Obermair
- Department of Integrative Biology and Biodiversity Research, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Gregor-Mendel-Straße 33, 1180, Vienna, Austria
- Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Savoyenstraße 1, 1160, Vienna, Austria
- Hunting Association of Lower Austria, Wickenburggasse 3, 1080, Vienna, Austria
| | - Kirk A Olson
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, P.O. Box 5685 Torgarden, NO-7485, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Kidan C Patanant
- Technische Universität München, Arcisstraße 21, 80333, München, Germany
| | - John C Payne
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Mongolia Program, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
| | - Tyler R Petroelje
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Manuel Pina
- Tragsatec, C. de Julián Camarillo, 6B, San Blas-Canillejas, 28037, Madrid, Spain
| | - Josep Piqué
- Tragsatec, C. de Julián Camarillo, 6B, San Blas-Canillejas, 28037, Madrid, Spain
| | - Joseph Premier
- Department of National Park Monitoring and Animal Management, Bavarian Forest National Park, Freyunger Str. 2, 94481, Grafenau, Germany
- Chair of Wildlife Ecology and Management, Faculty of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Freiburg, Tennenbacher Straße 4, 79106, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Jan Pufelski
- Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation, Institute of Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, 14469, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Lennart Pyritz
- German Primate Center, Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology Unit, 37077, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Maurizio Ramanzin
- Dipertimento di agronomia, animali, alimenti, risorse naturali e ambiente, Università degli Studi di Padova, 35020, Legnaro PD, Italy
| | - Manuel Roeleke
- Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation, Institute of Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, 14469, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Christer M Rolandsen
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, P.O. Box 5685 Torgarden, NO-7485, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Sonia Saïd
- Office Français de la Biodiversité, Montfort, 01330, Birieux, France
| | - Robin Sandfort
- Department of Integrative Biology and Biodiversity Research, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Gregor-Mendel-Straße 33, 1180, Vienna, Austria
| | - Krzysztof Schmidt
- Mammal Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, Stoczek 1, 17-230, Białowieża, Poland
| | - Niels M Schmidt
- Department of Ecoscience, Aarhus University, Roskilde, Denmark
- Arctic Research Centre, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Carolin Scholz
- Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation, Institute of Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, 14469, Potsdam, Germany
- Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW), Berlin, Germany
| | - Nadine Schubert
- Department of Behavioural Ecology, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Nuria Selva
- Institute of Nature Conservation, Polish Academy of Sciences, 31-120, Kraków, Poland
- Departamento de Ciencias Integradas, Facultad de Ciencias Experimentales, Centro de Estudios Avanzados en Física, Matemáticas y Computación, Universidad de Huelva, Huelva, Spain
- Estación Biológica de Doñana, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Agnieszka Sergiel
- Institute of Nature Conservation, Polish Academy of Sciences, 31-120, Kraków, Poland
| | | | - Václav Silovský
- Department of Game Management and Wildlife Biology, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences, Kamýcká 129, Prague 6-Suchdol, 165 00, Czech Republic
| | - Rob Slotow
- Amarula Elephant Research Programme, School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 4041, South Africa
- Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Leif Sönnichsen
- Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW), Berlin, Germany
- Mammal Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, Stoczek 1, 17-230, Białowieża, Poland
| | - Erling J Solberg
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, P.O. Box 5685 Torgarden, NO-7485, Trondheim, Norway
| | | | - Garrett M Street
- Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Aquaculture, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS, USA
| | - Peter Sunde
- Department of Ecoscience, Aarhus University, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Nathan J Svoboda
- Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Wildlife Division, 11255 W. 8th Street, AK, USA
| | - Maria Thaker
- Center for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, 560012, India
| | - Maxi Tomowski
- Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation, Institute of Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, 14469, Potsdam, Germany
- Evolutionary Biology / Systematic Zoology, Institute of Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Wiebke Ullmann
- Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation, Institute of Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, 14469, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Abi T Vanak
- School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
- Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation, Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment, Bangalore, India
- Wellcome Trust/DBT India Alliance, Clinical and Public Health Program, Bengaluru, India
| | - Bettina Wachter
- Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW), Berlin, Germany
| | - Stephen L Webb
- Texas A&M Natural Resources Institute, and Department of Rangeland, Wildlife and Fisheries Management, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843-2138, USA
| | - Christopher C Wilmers
- Center for Integrated Spatial Research, Environmental Studies Department, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, 95060, USA
| | | | | | - Niels Blaum
- Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation, Institute of Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, 14469, Potsdam, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Gillet A, Jones KE, Pierce SE. Repatterning of mammalian backbone regionalization in cetaceans. Nat Commun 2024; 15:7587. [PMID: 39217194 PMCID: PMC11365943 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-51963-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2024] [Accepted: 08/21/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Cetacean reinvasion of the aquatic realm is an iconic ecological transition that led to drastic modifications of the mammalian body plan, especially in the axial skeleton. Relative to the vertebral column of other mammals that is subdivided into numerous anatomical regions, regional boundaries of the cetacean backbone appear obscured. Whether the traditional mammalian regions are present in cetaceans but hard to detect due to anatomical homogenization or if regions have been entirely repatterned remains unresolved. Here we combine a segmented linear regression approach with spectral clustering to quantitatively investigate the number, position, and homology of vertebral regions across 62 species from all major cetacean clades. We propose the Nested Regions hypothesis under which the cetacean backbone is composed of six homologous modules subdivided into six to nine post-cervical regions, with the degree of regionalization dependent on vertebral count and ecology. Compared to terrestrial mammals, the cetacean backbone is less regionalized in the precaudal segment but more regionalized in the caudal segment, indicating repatterning of the vertebral column associated with the transition from limb-powered to axial-driven locomotion.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Amandine Gillet
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
- Museum of Comparative Zoology and Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.
| | - Katrina E Jones
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
| | - Stephanie E Pierce
- Museum of Comparative Zoology and Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Costa DP, Favilla AB. Field physiology in the aquatic realm: ecological energetics and diving behavior provide context for elucidating patterns and deviations. J Exp Biol 2023; 226:jeb245832. [PMID: 37843467 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.245832] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2023]
Abstract
Comparative physiology has developed a rich understanding of the physiological adaptations of organisms, from microbes to megafauna. Despite extreme differences in size and a diversity of habitats, general patterns are observed in their physiological adaptations. Yet, many organisms deviate from the general patterns, providing an opportunity to understand the importance of ecology in determining the evolution of unusual adaptations. Aquatic air-breathing vertebrates provide unique study systems in which the interplay between ecology, physiology and behavior is most evident. They must perform breath-hold dives to obtain food underwater, which imposes a physiological constraint on their foraging time as they must resurface to breathe. This separation of two critical resources has led researchers to investigate these organisms' physiological adaptations and trade-offs. Addressing such questions on large marine animals is best done in the field, given the difficulty of replicating the environment of these animals in the lab. This Review examines the long history of research on diving physiology and behavior. We show how innovative technology and the careful selection of research animals have provided a holistic understanding of diving mammals' physiology, behavior and ecology. We explore the role of the aerobic diving limit, body size, oxygen stores, prey distribution and metabolism. We then identify gaps in our knowledge and suggest areas for future research, pointing out how this research will help conserve these unique animals.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel P Costa
- Institute of Marine Sciences, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA
| | - Arina B Favilla
- Institute of Marine Sciences, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Cole MR, Ware C, McHuron EA, Costa DP, Ponganis PJ, McDonald BI. Deep dives and high tissue density increase mean dive costs in California sea lions (Zalophus californianus). J Exp Biol 2023; 226:jeb246059. [PMID: 37345474 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.246059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2023] [Accepted: 06/14/2023] [Indexed: 06/23/2023]
Abstract
Diving is central to the foraging strategies of many marine mammals and seabirds. Still, the effect of dive depth on foraging cost remains elusive because energy expenditure is difficult to measure at fine temporal scales in wild animals. We used depth and acceleration data from eight lactating California sea lions (Zalophus californianus) to model body density and investigate the effect of dive depth and tissue density on rates of energy expenditure. We calculated body density in 5 s intervals from the rate of gliding descent. We modeled body density across depth in each dive, revealing high tissue densities and diving lung volumes (DLVs). DLV increased with dive depth in four individuals. We used the buoyancy calculated from dive-specific body-density models and drag calculated from swim speed to estimate metabolic power and cost of transport in 5 s intervals during descents and ascents. Deeper dives required greater mean power for round-trip vertical transit, especially in individuals with higher tissue density. These trends likely follow from increased mean swim speed and buoyant hinderance that increasingly outweighs buoyant aid in deeper dives. This suggests that deep diving is either a 'high-cost, high-reward' strategy or an energetically expensive option to access prey when prey in shallow waters are limited, and that poor body condition may increase the energetic costs of deep diving. These results add to our mechanistic understanding of how foraging strategy and body condition affect energy expenditure in wild breath-hold divers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mason R Cole
- Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, San Jose State University, 8272 Moss Landing Rd, Moss Landing, CA 95039, USA
| | - Colin Ware
- Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03924, USA
| | - Elizabeth A McHuron
- Cooperative Institute for Climate, Ocean, and Ecosystem Studies, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98105, USA
| | - Daniel P Costa
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
| | - Paul J Ponganis
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, Center for Marine Biodiversity and Biomedicine, 8655 Kennel Way, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Birgitte I McDonald
- Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, San Jose State University, 8272 Moss Landing Rd, Moss Landing, CA 95039, USA
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Videsen SKA, Simon M, Christiansen F, Friedlaender A, Goldbogen J, Malte H, Segre P, Wang T, Johnson M, Madsen PT. Cheap gulp foraging of a giga-predator enables efficient exploitation of sparse prey. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eade3889. [PMID: 37352356 PMCID: PMC10289661 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.ade3889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2022] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/25/2023]
Abstract
The giant rorqual whales are believed to have a massive food turnover driven by a high-intake lunge feeding style aptly described as the world's largest biomechanical action. This high-drag feeding behavior is thought to limit dive times and constrain rorquals to target only the densest prey patches, making them vulnerable to disturbance and habitat change. Using biologging tags to estimate energy expenditure as a function of feeding rates on 23 humpback whales, we show that lunge feeding is energetically cheap. Such inexpensive foraging means that rorquals are flexible in the quality of prey patches they exploit and therefore more resilient to environmental fluctuations and disturbance. As a consequence, the food turnover and hence the ecological role of these marine giants have likely been overestimated.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Simone K. A. Videsen
- Zoophysiology, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Denmark
- Greenland Climate Research Centre, Greenland Institute of Natural Resources, Nuuk, Greenland
| | - Malene Simon
- Greenland Climate Research Centre, Greenland Institute of Natural Resources, Nuuk, Greenland
| | - Fredrik Christiansen
- Aarhus Institute of Advanced Studies, Aarhus University, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
- Marine Mammal Research, Department of Ecoscience, Aarhus University, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Ari Friedlaender
- Institute of Marine Sciences, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | - Jeremy Goldbogen
- Hopkins Marine Station, Department of Biology, Stanford University, Pacific Grove, CA, USA
| | - Hans Malte
- Zoophysiology, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Denmark
| | - Paolo Segre
- Hopkins Marine Station, Department of Biology, Stanford University, Pacific Grove, CA, USA
| | - Tobias Wang
- Zoophysiology, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Denmark
| | - Mark Johnson
- Zoophysiology, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Denmark
- Aarhus Institute of Advanced Studies, Aarhus University, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Peter T. Madsen
- Zoophysiology, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Denmark
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Zhang D, Goodbar K, West N, Lesage V, Parks SE, Wiley DN, Barton K, Shorter KA. Pose-gait analysis for cetacean biologging tag data. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0261800. [PMID: 36149842 PMCID: PMC9506652 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0261800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2021] [Accepted: 09/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Biologging tags are a key enabling tool for investigating cetacean behavior and locomotion in their natural habitat. Identifying and then parameterizing gait from movement sensor data is critical for these investigations, but how best to characterize gait from tag data remains an open question. Further, the location and orientation of a tag on an animal in the field are variable and can change multiple times during a deployment. As a result, the relative orientation of the tag with respect to (wrt) the animal must be determined for analysis. Currently, custom scripts that involve species-specific heuristics tend to be used in the literature. These methods require a level of knowledge and experience that can affect the reliability and repeatability of the analysis. Swimming gait is composed of a sequence of body poses that have a specific spatial pattern, and tag-based measurements of this pattern can be utilized to determine the relative orientation of the tag. This work presents an automated data processing pipeline (and software) that takes advantage of these patterns to 1) Identify relative motion between the tag and animal; 2) Estimate the relative orientation of the tag wrt the animal using a data-driven approach; and 3) Calculate gait parameters that are stable and invariant to animal pose. Validation results from bottlenose dolphin tag data show that the average relative orientation error (tag wrt the body) after processing was within 11 degrees in roll, pitch, and yaw directions. The average precision and recall for detecting instances of relative motion in the dolphin data were 0.87 and 0.89, respectively. Tag data from humpback and beluga whales were then used to demonstrate how the gait analysis can be used to enhance tag-based investigations of movement and behavior. The MATLAB source code and data presented in the paper are publicly available (https://github.com/ding-z/cetacean-pose-gait-analysis.git), along with suggested best practices.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ding Zhang
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Kari Goodbar
- Dolphin Quest Oahu, Honolulu, HI, United States of America
| | - Nicole West
- Dolphin Quest Oahu, Honolulu, HI, United States of America
| | | | - Susan E. Parks
- Department of Biology, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY, United States of America
| | - David N. Wiley
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency’s (NOAA) Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, Scituate, MA, United States of America
| | - Kira Barton
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America
| | - K. Alex Shorter
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Stiegler J, Lins A, Dammhahn M, Kramer-Schadt S, Ortmann S, Blaum N. Personality drives activity and space use in a mammalian herbivore. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2022; 10:33. [PMID: 35964147 PMCID: PMC9375925 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-022-00333-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2022] [Accepted: 08/09/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Animal personality has emerged as a key concept in behavioral ecology. While many studies have demonstrated the influence of personality traits on behavioral patterns, its quantification, especially in wild animal populations, remains a challenge. Only a few studies have established a link between personality and recurring movements within home ranges, although these small-scale movements are of key importance for identifying ecological interactions and forming individual niches. In this regard, differences in space use among individuals might reflect different exploration styles between behavioral types along the shy-bold continuum. METHODS We assessed among-individual differences in behavior in the European hare (Lepus europaeus), a characteristic mammalian herbivore in agricultural landscapes using a standardized box emergence test for captive and wild hares. We determined an individuals' degree of boldness by measuring the latencies of behavioral responses in repeated emergence tests in captivity. During capture events of wild hares, we conducted a single emergence test and recorded behavioral responses proven to be stable over time in captive hares. Applying repeated novel environment tests in a near-natural enclosure, we further quantified aspects of exploration and activity in captive hares. Finally, we investigated whether and how this among-individual behavioral variation is related to general activity and space use in a wild hare population. Wild and captive hares were treated similarly and GPS-collared with internal accelerometers prior to release to the wild or the outdoor enclosure, respectively. General activity was quantified as overall dynamic body acceleration (ODBA) obtained from accelerometers. Finally, we tested whether boldness explained variation in (i) ODBA in both settings and (ii) variation in home ranges and core areas across different time scales of GPS-collared hares in a wild population. RESULTS We found three behavioral responses to be consistent over time in captive hares. ODBA was positively related to boldness (i.e., short latencies to make first contact with the new environment) in both captive and wild hares. Space use in wild hares also varied with boldness, with shy individuals having smaller core areas and larger home ranges than bold conspecifics (yet in some of the parameter space, this association was just marginally significant). CONCLUSIONS Against our prediction, shy individuals occupied relatively large home ranges but with small core areas. We suggest that this space use pattern is due to them avoiding risky, and energy-demanding competition for valuable resources. Carefully validated, activity measurements (ODBA) from accelerometers provide a valuable tool to quantify aspects of animal personality along the shy-bold continuum remotely. Without directly observing-and possibly disturbing-focal individuals, this approach allows measuring variability in animal personality, especially in species that are difficult to assess with experiments. Considering that accelerometers are often already built into GPS units, we recommend activating them at least during the initial days of tracking to estimate individual variation in general activity and, if possible, match them with a simple novelty experiment. Furthermore, information on individual behavioral types will help to facilitate mechanistic understanding of processes that drive spatial and ecological dynamics in heterogeneous landscapes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jonas Stiegler
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biology, Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany.
| | - Alisa Lins
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biology, Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Melanie Dammhahn
- Department for Behavioral Biology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Stephanie Kramer-Schadt
- Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW), Berlin, Germany
- Institute of Ecology, Technische Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Sylvia Ortmann
- Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW), Berlin, Germany
| | - Niels Blaum
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biology, Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Parameterizing animal sounds and motion with animal-attached tags to study acoustic communication. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-022-03154-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Stemming from the traditional use of field observers to score states and events, the study of animal behaviour often relies on analyses of discrete behavioural categories. Many studies of acoustic communication record sequences of animal sounds, classify vocalizations, and then examine how call categories are used relative to behavioural states and events. However, acoustic parameters can also convey information independent of call type, offering complementary study approaches to call classifications. Animal-attached tags can continuously sample high-resolution behavioural data on sounds and movements, which enables testing how acoustic parameters of signals relate to parameters of animal motion. Here, we present this approach through case studies on wild common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). Using data from sound-and-movement recording tags deployed in Sarasota (FL), we parameterized dolphin vocalizations and motion to investigate how senders and receivers modified movement parameters (including vectorial dynamic body acceleration, “VeDBA”, a proxy for activity intensity) as a function of signal parameters. We show that (1) VeDBA of one female during consortships had a negative relationship with centroid frequency of male calls, matching predictions about agonistic interactions based on motivation-structural rules; (2) VeDBA of four males had a positive relationship with modulation rate of their pulsed vocalizations, confirming predictions that click-repetition rate of these calls increases with agonism intensity. Tags offer opportunities to study animal behaviour through analyses of continuously sampled quantitative parameters, which can complement traditional methods and facilitate research replication. Our case studies illustrate the value of this approach to investigate communicative roles of acoustic parameter changes.
Significance statement
Studies of animal behaviour have traditionally relied on classification of behavioural patterns and analyses of discrete behavioural categories. Today, technologies such as animal-attached tags enable novel approaches, facilitating the use of quantitative metrics to characterize behaviour. In the field of acoustic communication, researchers typically classify vocalizations and examine usage of call categories. Through case studies of bottlenose dolphin social interactions, we present here a novel tag-based complementary approach. We used high-resolution tag data to parameterize dolphin sounds and motion, and we applied continuously sampled parameters to examine how individual dolphins responded to conspecifics’ signals and moved while producing sounds. Activity intensity of senders and receivers changed with specific call parameters, matching our predictions and illustrating the value of our approach to test communicative roles of acoustic parameter changes. Parametric approaches can complement traditional methods for animal behaviour and facilitate research replication.
Collapse
|
9
|
Ratsimbazafindranahaka MN, Huetz C, Andrianarimisa A, Reidenberg JS, Saloma A, Adam O, Charrier I. Characterizing the suckling behavior by video and 3D-accelerometry in humpback whale calves on a breeding ground. PeerJ 2022; 10:e12945. [PMID: 35194528 PMCID: PMC8858581 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.12945] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2021] [Accepted: 01/25/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Getting maternal milk through nursing is vital for all newborn mammals. Despite its importance, nursing has been poorly documented in humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae). Nursing is difficult to observe underwater without disturbing the whales and is usually impossible to observe from a ship. We attempted to observe nursing from the calf's perspective by placing CATS cam tags on three humpback whale calves in the Sainte Marie channel, Madagascar, Indian Ocean, during the breeding seasons. CATS cam tags are animal-borne multi-sensor tags equipped with a video camera, a hydrophone, and several auxiliary sensors (including a 3-axis accelerometer, a 3-axis magnetometer, and a depth sensor). The use of multi-sensor tags minimized potential disturbance from human presence. A total of 10.52 h of video recordings were collected with the corresponding auxiliary data. Video recordings were manually analyzed and correlated with the auxiliary data, allowing us to extract different kinematic features including the depth rate, speed, Fluke Stroke Rate (FSR), Overall Body Dynamic Acceleration (ODBA), pitch, roll, and roll rate. We found that suckling events lasted 18.8 ± 8.8 s on average (N = 34) and were performed mostly during dives. Suckling events represented 1.7% of the total observation time. During suckling, the calves were visually estimated to be at a 30-45° pitch angle relative to the midline of their mother's body and were always observed rolling either to the right or to the left. In our auxiliary dataset, we confirmed that suckling behavior was primarily characterized by a high average absolute roll and additionally we also found that it was likely characterized by a high average FSR and a low average speed. Kinematic features were used for supervised machine learning in order to subsequently detect suckling behavior automatically. Our study is a proof of method on which future investigations can build upon. It opens new opportunities for further investigation of suckling behavior in humpback whales and the baleen whale species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maevatiana N. Ratsimbazafindranahaka
- Association Cétamada, Barachois Sainte Marie, Madagascar,Institut des Neurosciences Paris-Saclay, Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Saclay, France,Département de Zoologie et Biodiversité Animale, Université d’Antananarivo, Antananarivo, Madagascar
| | - Chloé Huetz
- Institut des Neurosciences Paris-Saclay, Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Saclay, France
| | - Aristide Andrianarimisa
- Département de Zoologie et Biodiversité Animale, Université d’Antananarivo, Antananarivo, Madagascar
| | - Joy S. Reidenberg
- Center for Anatomy and Functional Morphology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, United States of America
| | - Anjara Saloma
- Association Cétamada, Barachois Sainte Marie, Madagascar
| | - Olivier Adam
- Institut des Neurosciences Paris-Saclay, Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Saclay, France,Institut Jean Le Rond d’Alembert, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
| | - Isabelle Charrier
- Institut des Neurosciences Paris-Saclay, Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Saclay, France
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Visser F, Keller OA, Oudejans MG, Nowacek DP, Kok ACM, Huisman J, Sterck EHM. Risso's dolphins perform spin dives to target deep-dwelling prey. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2021; 8:202320. [PMID: 34966548 PMCID: PMC8633802 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.202320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2021] [Accepted: 10/29/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Foraging decisions of deep-diving cetaceans can provide fundamental insight into food web dynamics of the deep pelagic ocean. Cetacean optimal foraging entails a tight balance between oxygen-conserving dive strategies and access to deep-dwelling prey of sufficient energetic reward. Risso's dolphins (Grampus griseus) displayed a thus far unknown dive strategy, which we termed the spin dive. Dives started with intense stroking and right-sided lateral rotation. This remarkable behaviour resulted in a rapid descent. By tracking the fine-scale foraging behaviour of seven tagged individuals, matched with prey layer recordings, we tested the hypothesis that spin dives are foraging dives targeting deep-dwelling prey. Hunting depth traced the diel movement of the deep scattering layer, a dense aggregation of prey, that resides deep during the day and near-surface at night. Individuals shifted their foraging strategy from deep spin dives to shallow non-spin dives around dusk. Spin dives were significantly faster, steeper and deeper than non-spin dives, effectively minimizing transit time to bountiful mesopelagic prey, and were focused on periods when the migratory prey might be easier to catch. Hence, whereas Risso's dolphins were mostly shallow, nocturnal foragers, their spin dives enabled extended and rewarding diurnal foraging on deep-dwelling prey.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fleur Visser
- Department of Freshwater and Marine Ecology, Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, PO Box 94240, 1090 GE, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Coastal Systems, NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, PO Box 59, 1790 AB, Den Burg, Texel, The Netherlands
- Kelp Marine Research, 1624 CJ, Hoorn, The Netherlands
| | - Onno A. Keller
- Department of Freshwater and Marine Ecology, Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, PO Box 94240, 1090 GE, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Coastal Systems, NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, PO Box 59, 1790 AB, Den Burg, Texel, The Netherlands
- Department of Biology, Utrecht University, 3584 CH, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | | | - Douglas P. Nowacek
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University Marine Laboratory, Beaufort, NC 28516, USA
- Pratt School of Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Annebelle C. M. Kok
- Kelp Marine Research, 1624 CJ, Hoorn, The Netherlands
- Institute of Biology, Leiden University, PO Box 9509, 2300 RA, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UCSD, La Jolla 92093–0205, USA
| | - Jef Huisman
- Department of Freshwater and Marine Ecology, Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, PO Box 94240, 1090 GE, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Elisabeth H. M. Sterck
- Department of Biology, Utrecht University, 3584 CH, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Animal Science Department, Biomedical Primate Research Centre, 2288 GJ, Rijswijk, The Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Martín López LM, Aguilar de Soto N, Madsen PT, Johnson M. Overall dynamic body acceleration measures activity differently on large versus small aquatic animals. Methods Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.13751] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Lucía Martina Martín López
- School of Environmental Sciences University of Liverpool Liverpool UK
- Ipar Perspective Asociación Karabiondo Kalea Sopela Spain
| | - Natacha Aguilar de Soto
- BIOECOMAC Department of Animal Biology, Edaphology and Geology University of La Laguna Tenerife Spain
| | - Peter T. Madsen
- Zoophysiology Department of Biology Aarhus University Aarhus Denmark
| | - Mark Johnson
- Zoophysiology Department of Biology Aarhus University Aarhus Denmark
- Aarhus Institute of Advanced Studies Aarhus University Aarhus Denmark
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Rowlands CE, McLellan WA, Rommel SA, Costidis AM, Yopak KE, Koopman HN, Glandon HL, Ann Pabst D. Comparative morphology of the spinal cord and associated vasculature in shallow versus deep diving cetaceans. J Morphol 2021; 282:1415-1431. [PMID: 34228354 DOI: 10.1002/jmor.21395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2021] [Revised: 06/29/2021] [Accepted: 07/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The cetacean vertebral canal houses the spinal cord and arterial supply to and venous drainage from the entire central nervous system (CNS). Thus, unlike terrestrial mammals, the cetacean spinal cord lies within a highly vascularized space. We compared spinal cord size and vascular volumes within the vertebral canal across a sample of shallow and deep diving odontocetes. We predicted that the (a) spinal cord, a metabolically expensive tissue, would be relatively small, while (b) volumes of vascular structures would be relatively large, in deep versus shallow divers. Our sample included the shallow diving Tursiops truncatus (n = 2) and Delphinus delphis (n = 3), and deep diving Kogia breviceps (n = 2), Mesoplodon europaeus (n = 2), and Ziphius cavirostris (n = 1). Whole, frozen vertebral columns were cross-sectioned at each intervertebral disc, scaled photographs of vertebral canal contents acquired, and cross-sectional areas of structures digitally measured. Areas were multiplied by vertebral body lengths and summed to calculated volumes of neural and vascular structures. Allometric analyses revealed that the spinal cord scaled with negative allometry (b = 0.51 ± 0.13) with total body mass (TBM), and at a rate significantly lower than that of terrestrial mammals. As predicted, the spinal cord represented a smaller percentage of the total vertebral canal volume in the deep divers relative to shallow divers studied, as low as 2.8% in Z. cavirostris. Vascular volume scaled with positive allometry (b = 1.2 ± 0.22) with TBM and represented up to 96.1% (Z. cavirostris) of the total vertebral canal volume. The extreme deep diving beaked whales possessed 22-35 times more vascular volume than spinal cord volume within the vertebral canal, compared with the 6-10 ratio in the shallow diving delphinids. These data offer new insights into morphological specializations of neural and vascular structures that may contribute to differential diving capabilities across odontocete cetaceans.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Carrie E Rowlands
- Department of Biology and Marine Biology, University of North Carolina Wilmington, Wilmington, North Carolina, USA
| | - William A McLellan
- Department of Biology and Marine Biology, University of North Carolina Wilmington, Wilmington, North Carolina, USA
| | - Sentiel A Rommel
- Department of Biology and Marine Biology, University of North Carolina Wilmington, Wilmington, North Carolina, USA
| | - Alexander M Costidis
- Virginia Aquarium Stranding Response Program, Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Center, Virginia Beach, Virginia, USA
| | - Kara E Yopak
- Department of Biology and Marine Biology, University of North Carolina Wilmington, Wilmington, North Carolina, USA
| | - Heather N Koopman
- Department of Biology and Marine Biology, University of North Carolina Wilmington, Wilmington, North Carolina, USA
| | - Hillary L Glandon
- Department of Biology and Marine Biology, University of North Carolina Wilmington, Wilmington, North Carolina, USA
| | - D Ann Pabst
- Department of Biology and Marine Biology, University of North Carolina Wilmington, Wilmington, North Carolina, USA
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Watanabe YY, Goldbogen JA. Too big to study? The biologging approach to understanding the behavioural energetics of ocean giants. J Exp Biol 2021; 224:270831. [PMID: 34232316 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.202747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Wild animals are under selective pressure to optimise energy budgets; therefore, quantifying energy expenditure, intake and allocation to specific activities is important if we are to understand how animals survive in their environment. One approach toward estimating energy budgets has involved measuring oxygen consumption rates under controlled conditions and constructing allometric relationships across species. However, studying 'giant' marine vertebrates (e.g. pelagic sharks, whales) in this way is logistically difficult or impossible. An alternative approach involves the use of increasingly sophisticated electronic tags that have allowed recordings of behaviour, internal states and the surrounding environment of marine animals. This Review outlines how we could study the energy expenditure and intake of free-living ocean giants using this 'biologging' technology. There are kinematic, physiological and theoretical approaches for estimating energy expenditure, each of which has merits and limitations. Importantly, tag-derived energy proxies can hardly be validated against oxygen consumption rates for giant species. The proxies are thus qualitative, rather than quantitative, estimates of energy expenditure, and have more limited utilities. Despite this limitation, these proxies allow us to study the energetics of ocean giants in their behavioural context, providing insight into how these animals optimise their energy budgets under natural conditions. We also outline how information on energy intake and foraging behaviour can be gained from tag data. These methods are becoming increasingly important owing to the natural and anthropogenic environmental changes faced by ocean giants that can alter their energy budgets, fitness and, ultimately, population sizes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yuuki Y Watanabe
- National Institute of Polar Research, Tachikawa, Tokyo 190-8518, Japan.,Department of Polar Science, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, SOKENDAI, Tachikawa, Tokyo 190-8518, Japan
| | - Jeremy A Goldbogen
- Hopkins Marine Station, Department of Biology, Stanford University, Pacific Grove, CA 93950, USA
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Abstract
Central place foragers are expected to offset travel costs between a central place and foraging areas by targeting productive feeding zones. Harbour seals (Phoca vitulina) make multi-day foraging trips away from coastal haul-out sites presumably to target rich food resources, but periodic track points from telemetry tags may be insufficient to infer reliably where, and how often, foraging takes place. To study foraging behaviour during offshore trips, and assess what factors limit trip duration, we equipped harbour seals in the German Wadden Sea with high-resolution multi-sensor bio-logging tags, recording 12 offshore trips from 8 seals. Using acceleration transients as a proxy for prey capture attempts, we found that foraging rates during travel to and from offshore sites were comparable to offshore rates. Offshore foraging trips may, therefore, reflect avoidance of intra-specific competition rather than presence of offshore foraging hotspots. Time spent resting increased by approx. 37 min/day during trips suggesting that a resting deficit rather than patch depletion may influence trip length. Foraging rates were only weakly correlated with surface movement patterns highlighting the value of integrating multi-sensor data from on-animal bio-logging tags (GPS, depth, accelerometers and magnetometers) to infer behaviour and habitat use.
Collapse
|
15
|
Shuert CR, Marcoux M, Hussey NE, Watt CA, Auger-Méthé M. Assessing the post-release effects of capture, handling and placement of satellite telemetry devices on narwhal (Monodon monoceros) movement behaviour. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2021; 9:coaa128. [PMID: 33659061 PMCID: PMC7905160 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coaa128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2020] [Revised: 12/01/2020] [Accepted: 12/04/2020] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Animal-borne telemetry devices have become a popular and valuable means for studying the cryptic lives of cetaceans. Evaluating the effect of capture, handling and tagging procedures remains largely unassessed across species. Here, we examine the effect of capture, handling and tagging activities on an iconic Arctic cetacean, the narwhal (Monodon monoceros), which has previously been shown to exhibit an extreme response to extended capture and handling. Using accelerometry-derived metrics of behaviour, including activity level, energy expenditure and swimming activity, we quantify the post-release responses and time to recovery of 19 individuals following capture and tagging activities considering the intrinsic covariates of sex and individual size and the extrinsic covariates of handling time and presence of a 'bolt-on' satellite telemetry device. From accelerometer-derived behaviour, most narwhals appeared to return to mean baseline behaviour (recovery) within 24 hours after release, which was supported by longer-term measures of diving data. None of the covariates measured, however, had an effect on the time individuals took to recover following release. Using generalized additive models to describe changes in behaviour over time, we found handling time to be a significant predictor of activity levels, energy expenditure and swimming behaviour following release. Individuals held for the longest period (>40 min) were found to display the largest effect in behaviour immediately following release with respect to swimming behaviour and activity levels. We also found some support for relationships between activity levels, energy expenditure and swimming activity and two other covariates: sex and the attachment of a bolt-on configuration satellite tags. Our results indicate that narwhals recover relatively quickly following capture, handling and tagging procedures, but we suggest that researchers should minimize handling time and further investigation is needed on how to mitigate potential effects of bolt-on satellite tags in these sensitive species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Courtney R Shuert
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Windsor, Windsor, ON N9B 3P4, Canada
| | - Marianne Marcoux
- Arctic Aquatic Research Division, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N6, Canada
| | - Nigel E Hussey
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Windsor, Windsor, ON N9B 3P4, Canada
| | - Cortney A Watt
- Arctic Aquatic Research Division, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N6, Canada
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada
| | - Marie Auger-Méthé
- Department of Statistics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
- Institute for the Oceans & Fisheries, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Quick NJ, Cioffi WR, Shearer JM, Fahlman A, Read AJ. Extreme diving in mammals: first estimates of behavioural aerobic dive limits in Cuvier's beaked whales. J Exp Biol 2020; 223:223/18/jeb222109. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.222109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2020] [Accepted: 07/13/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
ABSTRACT
We analysed 3680 dives from 23 satellite-linked tags deployed on Cuvier's beaked whales to assess the relationship between long duration dives and inter-deep dive intervals and to estimate aerobic dive limit (ADL). The median duration of presumed foraging dives was 59 min and 5% of dives exceeded 77.7 min. We found no relationship between the longest 5% of dive durations and the following inter-deep dive interval nor any relationship with the ventilation period immediately prior to or following a long dive. We suggest that Cuvier's beaked whales have low metabolic rates, high oxygen storage capacities and a high acid-buffering capacity to deal with the by-products of both aerobic and anaerobic metabolism, which enables them to extend dive durations and exploit their bathypelagic foraging habitats.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nicola J. Quick
- Duke University Marine Laboratory, Marine Science and Conservation, Nicholas School of the Environment, Beaufort, NC 28516, USA
| | - William R. Cioffi
- Duke University Marine Laboratory, University Program in Ecology, Nicholas School of the Environment, Beaufort, NC 28516, USA
| | - Jeanne M. Shearer
- Duke University Marine Laboratory, University Program in Ecology, Nicholas School of the Environment, Beaufort, NC 28516, USA
| | - Andreas Fahlman
- Fundación Oceanogràfic de la Comunitat Valencia, Valencia, 46005, Spain
| | - Andrew J. Read
- Duke University Marine Laboratory, Marine Science and Conservation, Nicholas School of the Environment, Beaufort, NC 28516, USA
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Noren SR. Postnatal development of diving physiology: implications of anthropogenic disturbance for immature marine mammals. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2020; 223:223/17/jeb227736. [PMID: 32917778 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.227736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Marine mammals endure extended breath-holds while performing active behaviors, which has fascinated scientists for over a century. It is now known that these animals have large onboard oxygen stores and utilize oxygen-conserving mechanisms to prolong aerobically supported dives to great depths, while typically avoiding (or tolerating) hypoxia, hypercarbia, acidosis and decompression sickness (DCS). Over the last few decades, research has revealed that diving physiology is underdeveloped at birth. Here, I review the postnatal development of the body's oxygen stores, cardiorespiratory system and other attributes of diving physiology for pinnipeds and cetaceans to assess how physiological immaturity makes young marine mammals vulnerable to disturbance. Generally, the duration required for body oxygen stores to mature varies across species in accordance with the maternal dependency period, which can be over 2 years long in some species. However, some Arctic and deep-diving species achieve mature oxygen stores comparatively early in life (prior to weaning). Accelerated development in these species supports survival during prolonged hypoxic periods when calves accompany their mothers under sea ice and to the bathypelagic zone, respectively. Studies on oxygen utilization patterns and heart rates while diving are limited, but the data indicate that immature marine mammals have a limited capacity to regulate heart rate (and hence oxygen utilization) during breath-hold. Underdeveloped diving physiology, in combination with small body size, limits diving and swimming performance. This makes immature marine mammals particularly vulnerable to mortality during periods of food limitation, habitat alterations associated with global climate change, fishery interactions and other anthropogenic disturbances, such as exposure to sonar.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shawn R Noren
- Institute of Marine Science, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Gunner RM, Wilson RP, Holton MD, Scott R, Hopkins P, Duarte CM. A new direction for differentiating animal activity based on measuring angular velocity about the yaw axis. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:7872-7886. [PMID: 32760571 PMCID: PMC7391348 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2019] [Revised: 06/08/2020] [Accepted: 06/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The use of animal-attached data loggers to quantify animal movement has increased in popularity and application in recent years. High-resolution tri-axial acceleration and magnetometry measurements have been fundamental in elucidating fine-scale animal movements, providing information on posture, traveling speed, energy expenditure, and associated behavioral patterns. Heading is a key variable obtained from the tandem use of magnetometers and accelerometers, although few field investigations have explored fine-scale changes in heading to elucidate differences in animal activity (beyond the notable exceptions of dead-reckoning).This paper provides an overview of the value and use of animal heading and a prime derivative, angular velocity about the yaw axis, as an important element for assessing activity extent with potential to allude to behaviors, using "free-ranging" Loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) as a model species.We also demonstrate the value of yaw rotation for assessing activity extent, which varies over the time scales considered and show that various scales of body rotation, particularly rate of change of yaw, can help resolve differences between fine-scale behavior-specific movements. For example, oscillating yaw movements about a central point of the body's arc implies bouts of foraging, while unusual circling behavior, indicative of conspecific interactions, could be identified from complete revolutions of the longitudinal axis.We believe this approach should help identification of behaviors and "space-state" approaches to enhance our interpretation of behavior-based movements, particularly in scenarios where acceleration metrics have limited value, such as for slow-moving animals.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Richard M. Gunner
- Swansea Lab for Animal Movement, BiosciencesCollege of ScienceSwansea UniversitySwanseaUK
| | - Rory P. Wilson
- Swansea Lab for Animal Movement, BiosciencesCollege of ScienceSwansea UniversitySwanseaUK
| | - Mark D. Holton
- Swansea Lab for Animal Movement, BiosciencesCollege of ScienceSwansea UniversitySwanseaUK
| | - Rebecca Scott
- Future Ocean Cluster of ExcellenceGEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean ResearchKielGermany
- Natural Environmental Research Council, Polaris HouseSwindonUK
| | - Phil Hopkins
- Swansea Lab for Animal Movement, BiosciencesCollege of ScienceSwansea UniversitySwanseaUK
| | - Carlos M. Duarte
- Red Sea Research CentreKing Abdullah University of Science and TechnologyThuwalSaudi Arabia
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Mauro M, Pérez-Arjona I, Perez EJB, Ceraulo M, Bou-Cabo M, Benson T, Espinosa V, Beltrame F, Mazzola S, Vazzana M, Buscaino G. The effect of low frequency noise on the behaviour of juvenile Sparus aurata. THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2020; 147:3795. [PMID: 32611157 DOI: 10.1121/10.0001255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2019] [Accepted: 04/27/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Anthropogenic activities are causing increased noise levels in the marine environment. To date, few studies have been undertaken to investigate the effects of different noise frequencies on the behaviour of juvenile fish. In this study, the behavioural changes of juvenile gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata) are evaluated when exposed to white noise filtered in third-octave bands centred at 63, 125, 500, and 1000 Hz (sound pressure level, 140-150 dB re 1 μΡa) for 7 h. The group dispersion, motility, and swimming height of the fish were analysed before and during the acoustic emission. Dispersion of the fish was found to reduce immediately upon application of low frequency sound (63 and 125 Hz) with a return to control condition after 2 h (indicative of habituation), whereas at 1 kHz, dispersion increased after 2 h without any habituation. The motility decreased significantly at 63 Hz throughout the 7 h of sound exposure. The swimming height decreased significantly for all frequencies other than 125 Hz. The results of this study highlight significant variations in the behavioural responses of juvenile fish that could have consequences on their fitness and survival.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Manuela Mauro
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (STEBICEF), University of Palermo, Via Archirafi 18, Palermo, 90123, Italy
| | - Isabel Pérez-Arjona
- Universitat Politècnica de València, Campus de Gandia, C/Paranimf, 1-46730, Spain
| | | | - Maria Ceraulo
- BioacousticsLab, National Research Council UOS of Capo Granitola, Via del mare, Torretta Granitola, 3-91021, Italy
| | - Manuel Bou-Cabo
- Instituto Español de Oceanografía (IEO), C. O. Murcia, San Pedro del Pinatar (Murcia), 1-30740, Spain
| | - Thomas Benson
- HR Wallingford, Howbery Park, Wallingford, OX10 8BA, United Kingdom
| | - Victor Espinosa
- Universitat Politècnica de València, Campus de Gandia, C/Paranimf, 1-46730, Spain
| | - Francesco Beltrame
- ENR, The Italian Institution for Research and Promotion of Standardization, Via Francesco Crispi, Palermo, 248-90139, Italy
| | - Salvatore Mazzola
- BioacousticsLab, National Research Council UOS of Capo Granitola, Via del mare, Torretta Granitola, 3-91021, Italy
| | - Mirella Vazzana
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (STEBICEF), University of Palermo, Via Archirafi 18, Palermo, 90123, Italy
| | - Giuseppa Buscaino
- BioacousticsLab, National Research Council UOS of Capo Granitola, Via del mare, Torretta Granitola, 3-91021, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Segre PS, Potvin J, Cade DE, Calambokidis J, Di Clemente J, Fish FE, Friedlaender AS, Gough WT, Kahane-Rapport SR, Oliveira C, Parks SE, Penry GS, Simon M, Stimpert AK, Wiley DN, Bierlich KC, Madsen PT, Goldbogen JA. Energetic and physical limitations on the breaching performance of large whales. eLife 2020; 9:e51760. [PMID: 32159511 PMCID: PMC7065846 DOI: 10.7554/elife.51760] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2019] [Accepted: 01/29/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The considerable power needed for large whales to leap out of the water may represent the single most expensive burst maneuver found in nature. However, the mechanics and energetic costs associated with the breaching behaviors of large whales remain poorly understood. In this study we deployed whale-borne tags to measure the kinematics of breaching to test the hypothesis that these spectacular aerial displays are metabolically expensive. We found that breaching whales use variable underwater trajectories, and that high-emergence breaches are faster and require more energy than predatory lunges. The most expensive breaches approach the upper limits of vertebrate muscle performance, and the energetic cost of breaching is high enough that repeated breaching events may serve as honest signaling of body condition. Furthermore, the confluence of muscle contractile properties, hydrodynamics, and the high speeds required likely impose an upper limit to the body size and effectiveness of breaching whales.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Paolo S Segre
- Hopkins Marine Station of Stanford UniversityPacific GroveUnited States
| | | | - David E Cade
- Hopkins Marine Station of Stanford UniversityPacific GroveUnited States
| | | | | | - Frank E Fish
- West Chester UniversityWest ChesterUnited States
| | - Ari S Friedlaender
- Institute of Marine Sciences, University of CaliforniaSanta CruzUnited States
| | - William T Gough
- Hopkins Marine Station of Stanford UniversityPacific GroveUnited States
| | | | - Cláudia Oliveira
- Okeanos R&D Centre and the Institute of Marine Research, University of the AzoresHortaPortugal
| | - Susan E Parks
- Department of Biology, Syracuse UniversitySyracuseUnited States
| | - Gwenith S Penry
- Institute for Coastal and Marine Research, Nelson Mandela UniversityPort ElizabethSouth Africa
| | - Malene Simon
- Department of Birds and Mammals, Greenland Institute of Natural ResourcesNuukGreenland
| | - Alison K Stimpert
- Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, San Jose State UniversitySan JoseUnited States
| | - David N Wiley
- Stellwagen Bank National Marine SanctuaryScituateUnited States
| | - KC Bierlich
- Duke University Marine LaboratoryPiver’s IslandUnited States
| | - Peter T Madsen
- Aarhus Institute for Advanced Studies, Aarhus UniversityAarhusDenmark
- Zoophysiology, Department of BioscienceAarhus UniversityAarhusDenmark
| | | |
Collapse
|
21
|
Bernaldo de Quirós Y, Fernandez A, Baird RW, Brownell RL, Aguilar de Soto N, Allen D, Arbelo M, Arregui M, Costidis A, Fahlman A, Frantzis A, Gulland FMD, Iñíguez M, Johnson M, Komnenou A, Koopman H, Pabst DA, Roe WD, Sierra E, Tejedor M, Schorr G. Advances in research on the impacts of anti-submarine sonar on beaked whales. Proc Biol Sci 2020; 286:20182533. [PMID: 30963955 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2018.2533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Mass stranding events (MSEs) of beaked whales (BWs) were extremely rare prior to the 1960s but increased markedly after the development of naval mid-frequency active sonar (MFAS). The temporal and spatial associations between atypical BW MSEs and naval exercises were first observed in the Canary Islands, Spain, in the mid-1980s. Further research on BWs stranded in association with naval exercises demonstrated pathological findings consistent with decompression sickness (DCS). A 2004 ban on MFASs around the Canary Islands successfully prevented additional BW MSEs in the region, but atypical MSEs have continued in other places of the world, especially in the Mediterranean Sea, with examined individuals showing DCS. A workshop held in Fuerteventura, Canary Islands, in September 2017 reviewed current knowledge on BW atypical MSEs associated with MFAS. Our review suggests that the effects of MFAS on BWs vary among individuals or populations, and predisposing factors may contribute to individual outcomes. Spatial management specific to BW habitat, such as the MFAS ban in the Canary Islands, has proven to be an effective mitigation tool and mitigation measures should be established in other areas taking into consideration known population-level information.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Y Bernaldo de Quirós
- 1 Institute of Animal Health, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Veterinary School , C/Transmontaña s/n, 35416, Arucas, Las Palmas , Spain
| | - A Fernandez
- 1 Institute of Animal Health, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Veterinary School , C/Transmontaña s/n, 35416, Arucas, Las Palmas , Spain
| | - R W Baird
- 2 Cascadia Research Collective , 218½ W. 4th Avenue, Olympia, WA 98501 , USA
| | - R L Brownell
- 3 NOAA Fisheries, Southwest Fisheries Science Center , Monterey, CA 93940 , USA
| | - N Aguilar de Soto
- 4 BIOECOMAC. Dept. Animal Biology, Geology and Edaphology, University of La Laguna , Tenerife , Spain
| | - D Allen
- 5 US Marine Mammal Commission , 4340 East-West Highway, Suite 700, Bethesda, MD 20814 , USA
| | - M Arbelo
- 1 Institute of Animal Health, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Veterinary School , C/Transmontaña s/n, 35416, Arucas, Las Palmas , Spain
| | - M Arregui
- 1 Institute of Animal Health, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Veterinary School , C/Transmontaña s/n, 35416, Arucas, Las Palmas , Spain
| | - A Costidis
- 6 Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center Stranding Response Program , 717 General Booth Blvd, Virginia Beach, VA 23451 , USA
| | - A Fahlman
- 7 Fundación Oceanogràfic de la Comunitat Valenciana , Gran Vía Marqués del Turia 19, 46005, Valencia , Spain
| | - A Frantzis
- 8 Pelagos Cetacean Research Institute , Terpsichoris 21, 16671 Vouliagmeni , Greece
| | - F M D Gulland
- 5 US Marine Mammal Commission , 4340 East-West Highway, Suite 700, Bethesda, MD 20814 , USA.,9 The Marine Mammal Center , 2000 Bunker Road, Sausalito, CA 94965 , USA
| | - M Iñíguez
- 10 Fundación Cethus and WDC , Cap J. Bermúdez 1598, (1636), Olivos, Prov. Buenos Aires , Argentina
| | - M Johnson
- 11 Sea Mammal Research Unit, University of St Andrews , St Andrews , UK
| | - A Komnenou
- 12 School of Veterinary Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki , Thessaloniki , Greece
| | - H Koopman
- 13 Department of Biology and Marine Biology, University of North Carolina Wilmington , Wilmington, NC 28403 , USA
| | - D A Pabst
- 13 Department of Biology and Marine Biology, University of North Carolina Wilmington , Wilmington, NC 28403 , USA
| | - W D Roe
- 14 Massey University , Palmerston North, PN4222 , New Zealand
| | - E Sierra
- 1 Institute of Animal Health, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Veterinary School , C/Transmontaña s/n, 35416, Arucas, Las Palmas , Spain
| | - M Tejedor
- 15 Canary Islands Stranding Network , Irlanda 7, Playa Blanca, 35580, Lanzarote , Spain
| | - G Schorr
- 16 Marine Ecology & Telemetry Research , 2468 Camp McKenzie Tr NW, Seabeck, WA 98380 , USA
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Fear of Killer Whales Drives Extreme Synchrony in Deep Diving Beaked Whales. Sci Rep 2020; 10:13. [PMID: 32029750 PMCID: PMC7005263 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-55911-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2019] [Accepted: 11/13/2019] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Fear of predation can induce profound changes in the behaviour and physiology of prey species even if predator encounters are infrequent. For echolocating toothed whales, the use of sound to forage exposes them to detection by eavesdropping predators, but while some species exploit social defences or produce cryptic acoustic signals, deep-diving beaked whales, well known for mass-strandings induced by navy sonar, seem enigmatically defenceless against their main predator, killer whales. Here we test the hypothesis that the stereotyped group diving and vocal behaviour of beaked whales has benefits for abatement of predation risk and thus could have been driven by fear of predation over evolutionary time. Biologging data from 14 Blainville’s and 12 Cuvier’s beaked whales show that group members have an extreme synchronicity, overlapping vocal foraging time by 98% despite hunting individually, thereby reducing group temporal availability for acoustic detection by killer whales to <25%. Groups also perform a coordinated silent ascent in an unpredictable direction, covering a mean of 1 km horizontal distance from their last vocal position. This tactic sacrifices 35% of foraging time but reduces by an order of magnitude the risk of interception by killer whales. These predator abatement behaviours have likely served beaked whales over millions of years, but may become maladaptive by playing a role in mass strandings induced by man-made predator-like sonar sounds.
Collapse
|
23
|
Gough WT, Segre PS, Bierlich KC, Cade DE, Potvin J, Fish FE, Dale J, di Clemente J, Friedlaender AS, Johnston DW, Kahane-Rapport SR, Kennedy J, Long JH, Oudejans M, Penry G, Savoca MS, Simon M, Videsen SKA, Visser F, Wiley DN, Goldbogen JA. Scaling of swimming performance in baleen whales. J Exp Biol 2019; 222:jeb.204172. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.204172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2019] [Accepted: 09/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The scale-dependence of locomotor factors have long been studied in comparative biomechanics, but remain poorly understood for animals at the upper extremes of body size. Rorqual baleen whales include the largest animals, but we lack basic kinematic data about their movements and behavior below the ocean surface. Here we combined morphometrics from aerial drone photogrammetry, whale-borne inertial sensing tag data, and hydrodynamic modeling to study the locomotion of five rorqual species. We quantified changes in tail oscillatory frequency and cruising speed for individual whales spanning a threefold variation in body length, corresponding to an order of magnitude variation in estimated body mass. Our results showed that oscillatory frequency decreases with body length (∝ length−0.53) while cruising speed remains roughly invariant (∝ length0.08) at 2 m s−1. We compared these measured results for oscillatory frequency against simplified models of an oscillating cantilever beam (∝ length−1) and an optimized oscillating Strouhal vortex generator (∝ length−1). The difference between our length-scaling exponent and the simplified models suggests that animals are often swimming non-optimally in order to feed or perform other routine behaviors. Cruising speed aligned more closely with an estimate of the optimal speed required to minimize the energetic cost of swimming (∝ length0.07). Our results are among the first to elucidate the relationships between both oscillatory frequency and cruising speed and body size for free-swimming animals at the largest scale.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- William T. Gough
- Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University, Pacific Grove, CA 93950, USA
| | - Paolo S. Segre
- Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University, Pacific Grove, CA 93950, USA
| | - K. C. Bierlich
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Beaufort, NC 28516, USA
| | - David E. Cade
- Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University, Pacific Grove, CA 93950, USA
| | - Jean Potvin
- Department of Physics, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, MO 633103, USA
| | - Frank E. Fish
- Department of Biology, West Chester University, West Chester, PA 19383, USA
| | - Julian Dale
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Beaufort, NC 28516, USA
| | | | - Ari S. Friedlaender
- Institute of Marine Sciences, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
| | - David W. Johnston
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Beaufort, NC 28516, USA
| | | | - John Kennedy
- Department of Physics, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, MO 633103, USA
| | - John H. Long
- Departments of Biology and Cognitive Science, Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, NY 12604, USA
| | | | - Gwenith Penry
- Department of Zoology, Institute for Coastal and Marine Research, Nelson Mandela University, Port Elizabeth, South Africa
| | - Matthew S. Savoca
- Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University, Pacific Grove, CA 93950, USA
| | - Malene Simon
- Greenland Climate Research Centre, Greenland Institute of Natural Resources, Kivioq 2, 3900 Nuuk, Greenland
| | - Simone K. A. Videsen
- Zoophysiology, Department of Bioscience, Faculty of Science and Technology, Aarhus University, Aarhus 8000, Denmark
| | - Fleur Visser
- Kelp Marine Research, Hoorn, the Netherlands
- Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics – Freshwater and Marine Ecology, University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Texel, the Netherlands
| | - David N. Wiley
- US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, Scituate, MA 02066, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
24
|
Marsh L, Huvenne VAI, Jones DOB. Geomorphological evidence of large vertebrates interacting with the seafloor at abyssal depths in a region designated for deep-sea mining. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2018; 5:180286. [PMID: 30225016 PMCID: PMC6124127 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.180286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2018] [Accepted: 07/24/2018] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Exploration licences for seafloor mineral deposits have been granted across large areas of the world's oceans, with the abyssal Pacific Ocean being the primary target for polymetallic nodules-a potentially valuable source of minerals. These nodule-bearing areas support a large diversity of deep-sea life and although studies have begun to characterize the benthic fauna within the region, the ecological interactions between large bathypelagic vertebrates of the open ocean and the abyssal seafloor remain largely unknown. Here we report seafloor geomorphological alterations observed by an autonomous underwater vehicle that suggest large vertebrates could have interacted with the seafloor to a maximum depth of 4258 m in the recent geological past. Patterns of disturbance on the seafloor are broadly comparable to those recorded in other regions of the world's oceans attributed to beaked whales. These observations have important implications for baseline ecological assessments and the environmental management of potential future mining activities within this region of the Pacific.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Leigh Marsh
- National Oceanography Centre, European Way, Southampton SO14 3ZH, UK
- Ocean and Earth Science, University of Southampton, Waterfront Campus, Southampton SO14 3ZH, UK
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
25
|
Fahlman A, McHugh K, Allen J, Barleycorn A, Allen A, Sweeney J, Stone R, Faulkner Trainor R, Bedford G, Moore MJ, Jensen FH, Wells R. Resting Metabolic Rate and Lung Function in Wild Offshore Common Bottlenose Dolphins, Tursiops truncatus, Near Bermuda. Front Physiol 2018; 9:886. [PMID: 30065656 PMCID: PMC6056772 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2018.00886] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2018] [Accepted: 06/19/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Diving mammals have evolved a suite of physiological adaptations to manage respiratory gases during extended breath-hold dives. To test the hypothesis that offshore bottlenose dolphins have evolved physiological adaptations to improve their ability for extended deep dives and as protection for lung barotrauma, we investigated the lung function and respiratory physiology of four wild common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) near the island of Bermuda. We measured blood hematocrit (Hct, %), resting metabolic rate (RMR, l O2 ⋅ min-1), tidal volume (VT, l), respiratory frequency (fR, breaths ⋅ min-1), respiratory flow (l ⋅ min-1), and dynamic lung compliance (CL, l ⋅ cmH2O-1) in air and in water, and compared measurements with published results from coastal, shallow-diving dolphins. We found that offshore dolphins had greater Hct (56 ± 2%) compared to shallow-diving bottlenose dolphins (range: 30–49%), thus resulting in a greater O2 storage capacity and longer aerobic diving duration. Contrary to our hypothesis, the specific CL (sCL, 0.30 ± 0.12 cmH2O-1) was not different between populations. Neither the mass-specific RMR (3.0 ± 1.7 ml O2 ⋅ min-1 ⋅ kg-1) nor VT (23.0 ± 3.7 ml ⋅ kg-1) were different from coastal ecotype bottlenose dolphins, both in the wild and under managed care, suggesting that deep-diving dolphins do not have metabolic or respiratory adaptations that differ from the shallow-diving ecotypes. The lack of respiratory adaptations for deep diving further support the recently developed hypothesis that gas management in cetaceans is not entirely passive but governed by alteration in the ventilation-perfusion matching, which allows for selective gas exchange to protect against diving related problems such as decompression sickness.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Fahlman
- Fundación Oceanografic de la Comunidad Valenciana, Gran Vía Marques del Turia, Valencia, Spain.,Department of Life Sciences, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, Corpus Christi, TX, United States.,Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA, United States
| | - Katherine McHugh
- Chicago Zoological Society's Sarasota Dolphin Research Program, Mote Marine Laboratory, Sarasota, FL, United States
| | - Jason Allen
- Chicago Zoological Society's Sarasota Dolphin Research Program, Mote Marine Laboratory, Sarasota, FL, United States
| | - Aaron Barleycorn
- Chicago Zoological Society's Sarasota Dolphin Research Program, Mote Marine Laboratory, Sarasota, FL, United States
| | - Austin Allen
- Duke University Marine Lab, Beaufort, NC, United States
| | | | - Rae Stone
- Dolphin Quest, Waikoloa, HI, United States
| | | | - Guy Bedford
- Wildlife Consulting Service, Currumbin, QLD, Australia
| | - Michael J Moore
- Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA, United States
| | - Frants H Jensen
- Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA, United States.,Aarhus Institute of Advanced Studies, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Randall Wells
- Chicago Zoological Society's Sarasota Dolphin Research Program, Mote Marine Laboratory, Sarasota, FL, United States
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Goldbogen JA, Madsen PT. The evolution of foraging capacity and gigantism in cetaceans. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2018; 221:221/11/jeb166033. [PMID: 29895582 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.166033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The extant diversity and rich fossil record of cetaceans provides an extraordinary evolutionary context for investigating the relationship between form, function and ecology. The transition from terrestrial to marine ecosystems is associated with a complex suite of morphological and physiological adaptations that were required for a fully aquatic mammalian life history. Two specific functional innovations that characterize the two great clades of cetaceans, echolocation in toothed whales (Odontoceti) and filter feeding in baleen whales (Mysticeti), provide a powerful comparative framework for integrative studies. Both clades exhibit gigantism in multiple species, but we posit that large body size may have evolved for different reasons and in response to different ecosystem conditions. Although these foraging adaptations have been studied using a combination of experimental and tagging studies, the precise functional drivers and consequences of morphological change within and among these lineages remain less understood. Future studies that focus at the interface of physiology, ecology and paleontology will help elucidate how cetaceans became the largest predators in aquatic ecosystems worldwide.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- J A Goldbogen
- Department of Biology, Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University, 120 Ocean View Boulevard, Pacific Grove, CA 93950, USA
| | - P T Madsen
- Zoophysiology, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, C.F. Møllers Allé 3, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark.,Aarhus Institute of Advanced Studies, Høegh-Guldbergs Gade 6B, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Hughey LF, Hein AM, Strandburg-Peshkin A, Jensen FH. Challenges and solutions for studying collective animal behaviour in the wild. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2018; 373:20170005. [PMID: 29581390 PMCID: PMC5882975 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2017.0005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/15/2017] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Mobile animal groups provide some of the most compelling examples of self-organization in the natural world. While field observations of songbird flocks wheeling in the sky or anchovy schools fleeing from predators have inspired considerable interest in the mechanics of collective motion, the challenge of simultaneously monitoring multiple animals in the field has historically limited our capacity to study collective behaviour of wild animal groups with precision. However, recent technological advancements now present exciting opportunities to overcome many of these limitations. Here we review existing methods used to collect data on the movements and interactions of multiple animals in a natural setting. We then survey emerging technologies that are poised to revolutionize the study of collective animal behaviour by extending the spatial and temporal scales of inquiry, increasing data volume and quality, and expediting the post-processing of raw data.This article is part of the theme issue 'Collective movement ecology'.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lacey F Hughey
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
| | - Andrew M Hein
- Southwest Fisheries Science Center, National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA
- Institute of Marine Sciences, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA
| | - Ariana Strandburg-Peshkin
- Department of Migration and Immuno-Ecology, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Am Obstberg 1, 78315 Radolfzell, Germany
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Frants H Jensen
- Aarhus Institute of Advanced Studies, Aarhus University, Høegh-Guldbergs Gade 6B, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
- Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Williams TM, Kendall TL, Richter BP, Ribeiro-French CR, John JS, Odell KL, Losch BA, Feuerbach DA, Stamper MA. Swimming and diving energetics in dolphins: a stroke-by-stroke analysis for predicting the cost of flight responses in wild odontocetes. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2017; 220:1135-1145. [PMID: 28298467 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.154245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2016] [Accepted: 01/07/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Exponential increases in hydrodynamic drag and physical exertion occur when swimmers move quickly through water, and underlie the preference for relatively slow routine speeds by marine mammals regardless of body size. Because of this and the need to balance limited oxygen stores when submerged, flight (escape) responses may be especially challenging for this group. To examine this, we used open-flow respirometry to measure the energetic cost of producing a swimming stroke during different levels of exercise in bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). These data were then used to model the energetic cost of high-speed escape responses by other odontocetes ranging in mass from 42 to 2738 kg. The total cost per stroke during routine swimming by dolphins, 3.31±0.20 J kg-1 stroke-1, was doubled during maximal aerobic performance. A comparative analysis of locomotor costs (LC; in J kg-1 stroke-1), representing the cost of moving the flukes, revealed that LC during routine swimming increased with body mass (M) for odontocetes according to LC=1.46±0.0005M; a separate relationship described LC during high-speed stroking. Using these relationships, we found that continuous stroking coupled with reduced glide time in response to oceanic noise resulted in a 30.5% increase in metabolic rate in the beaked whale, a deep-diving odontocete considered especially sensitive to disturbance. By integrating energetics with swimming behavior and dive characteristics, this study demonstrates the physiological consequences of oceanic noise on diving mammals, and provides a powerful tool for predicting the biological significance of escape responses by cetaceans facing anthropogenic disturbances.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Terrie M Williams
- Center for Ocean Health, Long Marine Laboratory, University of California, Santa Cruz, 115 MacAlister Way, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA
| | - Traci L Kendall
- Center for Ocean Health, Long Marine Laboratory, University of California, Santa Cruz, 115 MacAlister Way, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA
| | - Beau P Richter
- Center for Ocean Health, Long Marine Laboratory, University of California, Santa Cruz, 115 MacAlister Way, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA
| | - Courtney R Ribeiro-French
- Center for Ocean Health, Long Marine Laboratory, University of California, Santa Cruz, 115 MacAlister Way, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA
| | - Jason S John
- Center for Ocean Health, Long Marine Laboratory, University of California, Santa Cruz, 115 MacAlister Way, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA
| | - Kim L Odell
- Epcot's The Seas, Walt Disney World Resorts™, Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830-1000, USA
| | - Barbara A Losch
- Epcot's The Seas, Walt Disney World Resorts™, Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830-1000, USA
| | - David A Feuerbach
- Epcot's The Seas, Walt Disney World Resorts™, Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830-1000, USA
| | - M Andrew Stamper
- Epcot's The Seas, Walt Disney World Resorts™, Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830-1000, USA
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Pabst DA, McLellan WA, Rommel SA. How to Build a Deep Diver: The Extreme Morphology of Mesoplodonts. Integr Comp Biol 2016; 56:1337-1348. [DOI: 10.1093/icb/icw126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
|
30
|
Diving physiology of seabirds and marine mammals: Relevance, challenges and some solutions for field studies. Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol 2016; 202:38-52. [PMID: 27421239 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2016.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2016] [Revised: 07/06/2016] [Accepted: 07/06/2016] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
To fully understand how diving seabirds and marine mammals balance the potentially conflicting demands of holding their breath while living their lives underwater (and maintaining physiological homeostasis during exercise, feeding, growth, and reproduction), physiological studies must be conducted with animals in their natural environments. The purpose of this article is to review the importance of making physiological measurements on diving animals in field settings, while acknowledging the challenges and highlighting some solutions. The most extreme divers are great candidates for study, especially in a comparative and mechanistic context. However, physiological data are also required of a wide range of species for problems relating to other disciplines, in particular ecology and conservation biology. Physiological data help with understanding and predicting the outcomes of environmental change, and the direct impacts of anthropogenic activities. Methodological approaches that have facilitated the development of field-based diving physiology include the isolated diving hole protocol and the translocation paradigm, and while there are many techniques for remote observation, animal-borne biotelemetry, or "biologging", has been critical. We discuss issues related to the attachment of instruments, the retrieval of data and sensing of physiological variables, while also considering negative impacts of tagging. This is illustrated with examples from a variety of species, and an in-depth look at one of the best studied and most extreme divers, the emperor penguin (Aptenodytes forsteri). With a variety of approaches and high demand for data on the physiology of diving seabirds and marine mammals, the future of field studies is bright.
Collapse
|
31
|
Ware C, Trites AW, Rosen DAS, Potvin J. Averaged Propulsive Body Acceleration (APBA) Can Be Calculated from Biologging Tags That Incorporate Gyroscopes and Accelerometers to Estimate Swimming Speed, Hydrodynamic Drag and Energy Expenditure for Steller Sea Lions. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0157326. [PMID: 27285467 PMCID: PMC4902303 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0157326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2014] [Accepted: 05/27/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Forces due to propulsion should approximate forces due to hydrodynamic drag for animals horizontally swimming at a constant speed with negligible buoyancy forces. Propulsive forces should also correlate with energy expenditures associated with locomotion-an important cost of foraging. As such, biologging tags containing accelerometers are being used to generate proxies for animal energy expenditures despite being unable to distinguish rotational movements from linear movements. However, recent miniaturizations of gyroscopes offer the possibility of resolving this shortcoming and obtaining better estimates of body accelerations of swimming animals. We derived accelerations using gyroscope data for swimming Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus), and determined how well the measured accelerations correlated with actual swimming speeds and with theoretical drag. We also compared dive averaged dynamic body acceleration estimates that incorporate gyroscope data, with the widely used Overall Dynamic Body Acceleration (ODBA) metric, which does not use gyroscope data. Four Steller sea lions equipped with biologging tags were trained to swim alongside a boat cruising at steady speeds in the range of 4 to 10 kph. At each speed, and for each dive, we computed a measure called Gyro-Informed Dynamic Acceleration (GIDA) using a method incorporating gyroscope data with accelerometer data. We derived a new metric-Averaged Propulsive Body Acceleration (APBA), which is the average gain in speed per flipper stroke divided by mean stroke cycle duration. Our results show that the gyro-based measure (APBA) is a better predictor of speed than ODBA. We also found that APBA can estimate average thrust production during a single stroke-glide cycle, and can be used to estimate energy expended during swimming. The gyroscope-derived methods we describe should be generally applicable in swimming animals where propulsive accelerations can be clearly identified in the signal-and they should also prove useful for dead-reckoning and improving estimates of energy expenditures from locomotion.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Colin Ware
- Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping, University of New Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire, United States of America
| | - Andrew W. Trites
- Marine Mammal Research Unit, Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - David A. S. Rosen
- Marine Mammal Research Unit, Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Jean Potvin
- Department of Physics, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Martín López LM, Aguilar de Soto N, Miller P, Johnson M. Tracking the kinematics of caudal-oscillatory swimming: a comparison of two on-animal sensing methods. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2016; 219:2103-9. [PMID: 27207638 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.136242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2015] [Accepted: 05/11/2016] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Studies of locomotion kinematics require high-resolution information about body movements and the specific acceleration (SA) that these generate. On-animal accelerometers measure both orientation and SA but an additional orientation sensor is needed to accurately separate these. Although gyroscopes can perform this function, their power consumption, drift and complex data processing make them unattractive for biologging. Lower power magnetometers can also be used with some limitations. Here, we present an integrated and simplified method for estimating body rotations and SA applicable to both gyroscopes and magnetometers, enabling a direct comparison of these two sensors. We use a tag with both sensors to demonstrate how caudal-oscillation rate and SA are adjusted by a diving whale in response to rapidly changing buoyancy forces as the lungs compress while descending. The two sensors gave similar estimates of the dynamic forces, demonstrating that magnetometers may offer a simpler low-power alternative for miniature tags in some applications.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lucía Martina Martín López
- SMRU (Sea Mammal Research Unit), University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife KY16 8LB, UK Asociación Ipar Perspective, C/Karabiondo 17, 48600 Sopela, Bizkaia, Spain
| | - Natacha Aguilar de Soto
- CREEM (Centre for Research in Ecological and Environmental Modelling), University of St Andrews, Fife KY16 9LZ, UK BIOECOMAC (Biodiversidad, Ecología Marina y Conservación), Universidad de La Laguna, 38200 La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
| | - Patrick Miller
- SMRU (Sea Mammal Research Unit), University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife KY16 8LB, UK
| | - Mark Johnson
- SMRU (Sea Mammal Research Unit), University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife KY16 8LB, UK Zoophysiology, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Building 1131, C. F. Moellers Alle 3, Aarhus C DK-8000, Denmark
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Knight K. Beaked whales B-stroke for long dives. J Exp Biol 2015. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.123869] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
|