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Soldatini C, Rosas Hernandez MP, Albores-Barajas YV, Catoni C, Ramos A, Dell'Omo G, Rattenborg N, Chimienti M. Individual variability in diving behavior of the Black-vented Shearwater in an ever-changing habitat. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 880:163286. [PMID: 37023816 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.163286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2022] [Revised: 03/30/2023] [Accepted: 03/31/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Oceanic mesoscale systems are characterized by inherent variability. Climatic change adds entropy to this system, making it a highly variable environment in which marine species live. Being at the higher levels of the food chain, predators maximize their performance through plastic foraging strategies. Individual variability within a population and the possible repeatability across time and space may provide stability in a population facing environmental changes. Therefore, variability and repeatability of behaviors, particularly diving behavior, could play an important role in understanding the adaptation pathway of a species. This study focuses on characterizing the frequency and timing of different dives (termed simple and complex) and how these are influenced by individual and environmental characteristics (sea surface temperature, chlorophyll a concentration, bathymetry, salinity, and Ekman transport). This study is based on GPS and accelerometer-recorded information from a breeding group of 59 Black-vented Shearwater and examine consistency in diving behavior at both individual and sex levels across four different breeding seasons. The species was found to be the best performing free diver in the Puffinus genus with a maximum dive duration of 88 s. Among the environmental variables assessed, a relationship was found with active upwelling conditions enhancing low energetic cost diving, on the contrary, reduced upwelling and warmer superficial waters induce more energetically demanding diving affecting diving performance and ultimately body conditions. The body conditions of Black-vented Shearwaters in 2016 were worse than in subsequent years, in 2016, deepest and longest complex dives were recorded, while simple dives were longer in 2017-2019. Nevertheless, the species' plasticity allows at least part of the population to breed and feed during warmer events. While carry-over effects have already been reported, the effect of more frequent warm events is still unknown.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cecilia Soldatini
- Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada - Unidad La Paz, Miraflores 334, La Paz, Baja California Sur 23050, Mexico
| | - Martha P Rosas Hernandez
- Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada - Unidad La Paz, Miraflores 334, La Paz, Baja California Sur 23050, Mexico
| | - Yuri V Albores-Barajas
- CONACYT. Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología, Av. Insurgentes Sur 1582, Col. Crédito Constructor, Alcaldía Benito Juárez, C.P. 03940 Mexico City, Mexico; Universidad Autónoma de Baja California Sur, Km. 5.5 Carr. 1, La Paz, B.C.S., Mexico.
| | - Carlo Catoni
- Ornis italica, Piazza Crati 15, 00199 Rome, Italy
| | - Alejandro Ramos
- Universidad Autónoma de Baja California Sur, Km. 5.5 Carr. 1, La Paz, B.C.S., Mexico
| | | | - Niels Rattenborg
- Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Eberhard-Gwinner-Straße 82319, Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Marianna Chimienti
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, UMR7372 CNRS - La Rochelle Université, 405 Route de Prissé la Charrière, 79360 Villiers-en-Bois, France
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2
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Carlsen AA, Wright J, Lorentsen S, Lea SEG. Prey predictability and preparation versus recovery breathing strategies in European shags
Gulosus aristotelis
(L.) diving in different habitats. Ethology 2023. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.13367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/11/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Astrid A. Carlsen
- Department of Aquatic Resources Institute of Marine Research, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences Lysekil Sweden
- Center for Biodiversity Dynamics, Department of Biology Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) Trondheim Norway
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research Trondheim Norway
| | - Jonathan Wright
- Center for Biodiversity Dynamics, Department of Biology Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) Trondheim Norway
| | | | - Stephen E. G. Lea
- Department of Psychology, Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour University of Exeter Exeter UK
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3
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Kang B, Lee Y, Piao T, Ding Z, Wang WD. Robotic soft swim bladder using liquid-vapor phase transition. MATERIALS HORIZONS 2021; 8:939-947. [PMID: 34821324 DOI: 10.1039/d0mh01788d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The swim bladder is crucial to underwater robots to enhance their overall performance and to expand their range of motion. However, previous attempts to incorporate this function have failed or have adopted mechanical swim bladders with high-disturbances. This study presents an entirely soft swim bladder capable of controlling buoyancy selectively and noiselessly, making it applicable to sensitive underwater environments. The soft swim bladder, which consists of an elastic cover layer, flexible heating elements, and three expandable pouches filled with low boiling point fluid, can express four modes of motion by varying buoyancy: sinking, suspending, rising, and fast-rising. The varying buoyancy is achieved through liquid-vapor phase transition of the fluid in the selected pouches when Joule heated above its boiling temperature. Moreover, the swim bladder is integrated with a shape memory alloy-based fishtail to form a soft fish robot. The synergy between the bladder and the tail allows the robot to explore a total of ten disparate modes of maneuvers, and their dynamic performance has been evaluated. The results of this study present the potential for the soft swim bladder to be utilized in any underwater robotic applications to enhance their swimming performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beomchan Kang
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Hanyang University, Seoul 04763, South Korea.
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4
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Favilla AB, Costa DP. Thermoregulatory Strategies of Diving Air-Breathing Marine Vertebrates: A Review. Front Ecol Evol 2020. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2020.555509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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5
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Matcott J, Baylis S, Clarke RH. The influence of petroleum oil films on the feather structure of tropical and temperate seabird species. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2019; 138:135-144. [PMID: 30660254 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2018.11.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2017] [Revised: 11/03/2018] [Accepted: 11/06/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Feather fouling is a primary cause of seabird mortality during marine hydrocarbon oil spills. Understanding how oils interact with feathers is an important step in mitigating this threat. Seabird feathers from 12 taxa, representing most seabird families from the tropics and southern latitudes, were exposed to crude and condensate oil films under laboratory settings. Feathers were measured for changes in mass proportional to feather size, and for barbule clumping. Seabird feathers from six distinct families exposed to very thin oil sheens (<0.3 μm) showed no significant change in proportional mass relative to control treatments, and 10 of the 12 species exposed to these films revealed no significant difference in barbule clumping. By contrast, exposure to both crude and condensate oil films ≥3 μm resulted in significant increases in feather mass and clumping. Our findings highlight the importance of considering the influence of oil on feather structure when compiling threat assessments involving seabirds.
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Affiliation(s)
- James Matcott
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
| | - Shane Baylis
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
| | - Rohan H Clarke
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia.
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6
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Graf PM, Wilson RP, Sanchez LC, Hacklӓnder K, Rosell F. Diving behavior in a free-living, semi-aquatic herbivore, the Eurasian beaver Castor fiber. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:997-1008. [PMID: 29375773 PMCID: PMC5773300 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.3726] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2017] [Revised: 11/10/2017] [Accepted: 11/15/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Semi-aquatic mammals have secondarily returned to the aquatic environment, although they spend a major part of their life operating in air. Moving both on land, as well as in, and under water is challenging because such species are considered to be imperfectly adapted to both environments. We deployed accelerometers combined with a depth sensor to study the diving behavior of 12 free-living Eurasian beavers Castor fiber in southeast Norway between 2009 and 2011 to examine the extent to which beavers conformed with mass-dependent dive capacities, expecting them to be poorer than wholly aquatic species. Dives were generally shallow (<1 m) and of short duration (<30 s), suggesting that the majority of dives were aerobic. Dive parameters such as maximum diving depth, dive duration, and bottom phase duration were related to the effort during different dive phases and the maximum depth reached. During the descent, mean vectorial dynamic body acceleration (VeDBA-a proxy for movement power) was highest near the surface, probably due to increased upthrust linked to fur- and lung-associated air. Inconsistently though, mean VeDBA underwater was highest during the ascent when this air would be expected to help drive the animals back to the surface. Higher movement costs during ascents may arise from transporting materials up, the air bubbling out of the fur, and/or the animals' exhaling during the bottom phase of the dive. In a manner similar to other homeotherms, beavers extended both dive and bottom phase durations with diving depth. Deeper dives tended to have a longer bottom phase, although its duration was shortened with increased VeDBA during the bottom phase. Water temperature did not affect diving behavior. Overall, the beavers' dive profile (depth, duration) was similar to other semi-aquatic freshwater divers. However, beavers dived for only 2.8% of their active time, presumably because they do not rely on diving for food acquisition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia Maria Graf
- Institute of Wildlife Biology and Game Management University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna Austria.,Department of Natural Sciences and Environmental Health Faculty of Technology, Natural Sciences and Maritime Sciences University College of Southeast Norway Telemark Norway
| | | | - Lea Cohen Sanchez
- Institute of Geography School of Geoscience University of Edinburgh Edinburgh UK
| | - Klaus Hacklӓnder
- Institute of Wildlife Biology and Game Management University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna Austria
| | - Frank Rosell
- Department of Natural Sciences and Environmental Health Faculty of Technology, Natural Sciences and Maritime Sciences University College of Southeast Norway Telemark Norway
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7
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Chimienti M, Cornulier T, Owen E, Bolton M, Davies IM, Travis JMJ, Scott BE. Taking movement data to new depths: Inferring prey availability and patch profitability from seabird foraging behavior. Ecol Evol 2017; 7:10252-10265. [PMID: 29238552 PMCID: PMC5723613 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.3551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2017] [Revised: 09/21/2017] [Accepted: 09/22/2017] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Detailed information acquired using tracking technology has the potential to provide accurate pictures of the types of movements and behaviors performed by animals. To date, such data have not been widely exploited to provide inferred information about the foraging habitat. We collected data using multiple sensors (GPS, time depth recorders, and accelerometers) from two species of diving seabirds, razorbills (Alca torda, N = 5, from Fair Isle, UK) and common guillemots (Uria aalge, N = 2 from Fair Isle and N = 2 from Colonsay, UK). We used a clustering algorithm to identify pursuit and catching events and the time spent pursuing and catching underwater, which we then used as indicators for inferring prey encounters throughout the water column and responses to changes in prey availability of the areas visited at two levels: individual dives and groups of dives. For each individual dive (N = 661 for guillemots, 6214 for razorbills), we modeled the number of pursuit and catching events, in relation to dive depth, duration, and type of dive performed (benthic vs. pelagic). For groups of dives (N = 58 for guillemots, 156 for razorbills), we modeled the total time spent pursuing and catching in relation to time spent underwater. Razorbills performed only pelagic dives, most likely exploiting prey available at shallow depths as indicated by the vertical distribution of pursuit and catching events. In contrast, guillemots were more flexible in their behavior, switching between benthic and pelagic dives. Capture attempt rates indicated that they were exploiting deep prey aggregations. The study highlights how novel analysis of movement data can give new insights into how animals exploit food patches, offering a unique opportunity to comprehend the behavioral ecology behind different movement patterns and understand how animals might respond to changes in prey distributions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marianna Chimienti
- School of Biological Sciences University of Aberdeen Aberdeen UK.,Marine Scotland Science Marine Laboratory Scottish Government Aberdeen UK
| | - Thomas Cornulier
- School of Biological Sciences University of Aberdeen Aberdeen UK
| | - Ellie Owen
- RSPB Centre for Conservation Science North Scotland Office Inverness UK
| | - Mark Bolton
- RSPB Centre for Conservation Science The Lodge Sandy Bedfordshire UK
| | - Ian M Davies
- Marine Scotland Science Marine Laboratory Scottish Government Aberdeen UK
| | | | - Beth E Scott
- School of Biological Sciences University of Aberdeen Aberdeen UK
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8
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Cook TR, Gubiani R, Ryan PG, Muzaffar SB. Group foraging in Socotra cormorants: A biologging approach to the study of a complex behavior. Ecol Evol 2017; 7:2025-2038. [PMID: 28405270 PMCID: PMC5383476 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.2750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2016] [Revised: 12/06/2016] [Accepted: 12/22/2016] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Group foraging contradicts classic ecological theory because intraspecific competition normally increases with aggregation. Hence, there should be evolutionary benefits to group foraging. The study of group foraging in the field remains challenging however, because of the large number of individuals involved and the remoteness of the interactions to the observer. Biologging represents a cost-effective solution to these methodological issues. By deploying GPS and temperature-depth loggers on individuals over a period of several consecutive days, we investigated intraspecific foraging interactions in the Socotra cormorant Phalacrocorax nigrogularis, a threatened colonial seabird endemic to the Arabian Peninsula. In particular, we examined how closely birds from the same colony associated with each other spatially when they were at sea at the same time and the distance between foraging dives at different periods of the day. Results show that the position of different birds overlapped substantially, all birds targeting the same general foraging grounds throughout the day, likely following the same school of fish. There were as many as 44,500 birds within the foraging flock at sea at any time (50% of the colony), and flocking density was high, with distance between birds ranging from 8 to 1,380 m. Birds adopted a diving strategy maximizing time spent underwater relative to surface time, resulting in up to 72% of birds underwater in potential contact with prey at all times while foraging. Our data suggest that the benefits of group foraging outweigh the costs of intense aggregation in this seabird. Prey detection and information transmission are facilitated in large groups. Once discovered, shoaling prey are concentrated under the effect of the multitude. Fish school cohesiveness is then disorganized by continuous attacks of diving birds to facilitate prey capture. Decreasing population size could pose a risk to the persistence of threatened seabirds where group size is important for foraging success.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothée R Cook
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology Evolutionary Ecophysiology Team Institute of Ecology and Environmental Sciences University Pierre et Marie Curie Paris France; FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology DST-NRF Centre of Excellence University of Cape Town Rondebosch South Africa
| | - Rob Gubiani
- Department of Biology United Arab Emirates University Al Ain United Arab Emirates
| | - Peter G Ryan
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology DST-NRF Centre of Excellence University of Cape Town Rondebosch South Africa
| | - Sabir B Muzaffar
- Department of Biology United Arab Emirates University Al Ain United Arab Emirates
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9
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Thiers L, Delord K, Bost CA, Guinet C, Weimerskirch H. Important marine sectors for the top predator community around Kerguelen Archipelago. Polar Biol 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s00300-016-1964-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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10
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Stothart MR, Elliott KH, Wood T, Hatch SA, Speakman JR. Counting calories in cormorants: dynamic body acceleration predicts daily energy expenditure measured in pelagic cormorants. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2016; 219:2192-200. [PMID: 27207639 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.130526] [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: 08/15/2015] [Accepted: 05/11/2016] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The integral of the dynamic component of acceleration over time has been proposed as a measure of energy expenditure in wild animals. We tested that idea by attaching accelerometers to the tails of free-ranging pelagic cormorants (Phalacrocorax pelagicus) and simultaneously estimating energy expenditure using doubly labelled water. Two different formulations of dynamic body acceleration, [vectorial and overall DBA (VeDBA and ODBA)], correlated with mass-specific energy expenditure (both R(2)=0.91). VeDBA models combining and separately parameterizing flying, diving, activity on land and surface swimming were consistently considered more parsimonious than time budget models and showed less variability in model fit. Additionally, we observed evidence for the presence of hypometabolic processes (i.e. reduced heart rate and body temperature; shunting of blood away from non-essential organs) that suppressed metabolism in cormorants while diving, which was the most metabolically important activity. We concluded that a combination of VeDBA and physiological processes accurately measured energy expenditure for cormorants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mason R Stothart
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Canada N1G 2K8
| | - Kyle H Elliott
- Department of Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University, St. Anne de Bellevue, Quebec, Canada H9X 3V9
| | - Thomas Wood
- Department of Biology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada R3T 2N2
| | - Scott A Hatch
- Institute for Seabird Research and Conservation, Anchorage, AK 99516-9951, USA
| | - John R Speakman
- Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, Scotland AB24 2TZ, UK State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, People's Republic of China
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11
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Chimienti M, Cornulier T, Owen E, Bolton M, Davies IM, Travis JMJ, Scott BE. The use of an unsupervised learning approach for characterizing latent behaviors in accelerometer data. Ecol Evol 2016; 6:727-41. [PMID: 26865961 PMCID: PMC4739568 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.1914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2015] [Revised: 11/30/2015] [Accepted: 12/01/2015] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The recent increase in data accuracy from high resolution accelerometers offers substantial potential for improved understanding and prediction of animal movements. However, current approaches used for analysing these multivariable datasets typically require existing knowledge of the behaviors of the animals to inform the behavioral classification process. These methods are thus not well‐suited for the many cases where limited knowledge of the different behaviors performed exist. Here, we introduce the use of an unsupervised learning algorithm. To illustrate the method's capability we analyse data collected using a combination of GPS and Accelerometers on two seabird species: razorbills (Alca torda) and common guillemots (Uria aalge). We applied the unsupervised learning algorithm Expectation Maximization to characterize latent behavioral states both above and below water at both individual and group level. The application of this flexible approach yielded significant new insights into the foraging strategies of the two study species, both above and below the surface of the water. In addition to general behavioral modes such as flying, floating, as well as descending and ascending phases within the water column, this approach allowed an exploration of previously unstudied and important behaviors such as searching and prey chasing/capture events. We propose that this unsupervised learning approach provides an ideal tool for the systematic analysis of such complex multivariable movement data that are increasingly being obtained with accelerometer tags across species. In particular, we recommend its application in cases where we have limited current knowledge of the behaviors performed and existing supervised learning approaches may have limited utility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marianna Chimienti
- School of Biological Sciences University of Aberdeen Tillydrone Avenue Aberdeen AB24 2TZ UK; Marine Scotland Science Scottish Government Marine Laboratory PO Box 101375 Victoria Road Aberdeen AB11 9DB UK
| | - Thomas Cornulier
- School of Biological Sciences University of Aberdeen Tillydrone Avenue Aberdeen AB24 2TZ UK
| | - Ellie Owen
- RSPB Centre for Conservation Science North Scotland Office Etive House, Beechwood Park Inverness IV2 6AL UK
| | - Mark Bolton
- RSPB Centre for Conservation Science The Lodge Sandy Bedfordshire SG19 2DL UK
| | - Ian M Davies
- Marine Scotland Science Scottish Government Marine Laboratory PO Box 101 375 Victoria Road Aberdeen AB11 9DB UK
| | - Justin M J Travis
- School of Biological Sciences University of Aberdeen Tillydrone Avenue Aberdeen AB24 2TZ UK
| | - Beth E Scott
- School of Biological Sciences University of Aberdeen Tillydrone Avenue Aberdeen AB24 2TZ UK
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12
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Cook TR, Bonnet X, Fauvel T, Shine R, Brischoux F. Foraging behaviour and energy budgets of sea snakes: insights from implanted data loggers. J Zool (1987) 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.12286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- T. R. Cook
- Institute of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Evolutionary Ecophysiology Team; University Pierre et Marie Curie; Paris France
- Percy FitzPatrick Institute, DST-NRF Centre of Excellence; University of Cape Town; Rondebosch South Africa
| | - X. Bonnet
- Centre d'Études Biologiques de Chizé; UMR 7372 CNRS-ULR; Villiers-en-Bois France
| | - T. Fauvel
- Centre d'Études Biologiques de Chizé; UMR 7372 CNRS-ULR; Villiers-en-Bois France
| | - R. Shine
- School of Biological Sciences; University of Sydney; Sydney NSW Australia
| | - F. Brischoux
- Centre d'Études Biologiques de Chizé; UMR 7372 CNRS-ULR; Villiers-en-Bois France
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13
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Martín López LM, Miller PJO, Aguilar de Soto N, Johnson M. Gait switches in deep-diving beaked whales: biomechanical strategies for long-duration dives. J Exp Biol 2015; 218:1325-38. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.106013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
ABSTRACT
Diving animals modulate their swimming gaits to promote locomotor efficiency and so enable longer, more productive dives. Beaked whales perform extremely long and deep foraging dives that probably exceed aerobic capacities for some species. Here, we use biomechanical data from suction-cup tags attached to three species of beaked whales (Mesoplodon densirostris, N=10; Ziphius cavirostris, N=9; and Hyperoodon ampullatus, N=2) to characterize their swimming gaits. In addition to continuous stroking and stroke-and-glide gaits described for other diving mammals, all whales produced occasional fluke-strokes with distinctly larger dorso-ventral acceleration, which we termed ‘type-B’ strokes. These high-power strokes occurred almost exclusively during deep dive ascents as part of a novel mixed gait. To quantify body rotations and specific acceleration generated during strokes we adapted a kinematic method combining data from two sensors in the tag. Body rotations estimated with high-rate magnetometer data were subtracted from accelerometer data to estimate the resulting surge and heave accelerations. Using this method, we show that stroke duration, rotation angle and acceleration were bi-modal for these species, with B-strokes having 76% of the duration, 52% larger body rotation and four times more surge than normal strokes. The additional acceleration of B-strokes did not lead to faster ascents, but rather enabled brief glides, which may improve the overall efficiency of this gait. Their occurrence towards the end of long dives leads us to propose that B-strokes may recruit fast-twitch fibres that comprise ∼80% of swimming muscles in Blainville's beaked whales, thus prolonging foraging time at depth.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Patrick J. O. Miller
- SMRU (Sea Mammal Research Unit), University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife KY16 8LB, UK
| | - Natacha Aguilar de Soto
- SMRU (Sea Mammal Research Unit), University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife KY16 8LB, UK
- BIOECOMAC (Biodiversidad, Ecología Marina y Conservación), University of La Laguna, La Laguna, 38206, Spain
| | - Mark Johnson
- SMRU (Sea Mammal Research Unit), University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife KY16 8LB, UK
- Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
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14
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Why does the only ‘planktonic tetrapod’ dive? Determinants of diving behaviour in a marine ectotherm. Anim Behav 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2014.09.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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15
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Hanuise N, Bost CA, Handrich Y. Optimization of transit strategies while diving in foraging king penguins. J Zool (1987) 2013. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.12026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- N. Hanuise
- IPHC-DEPE; Université de Strasbourg; Strasbourg France
- UMR7178; CNRS; Strasbourg France
- CEBC - CNRS UPR 1934; Centre d'Études Biologiques de Chizé; Villiers en Bois France
| | - C.-A. Bost
- CEBC - CNRS UPR 1934; Centre d'Études Biologiques de Chizé; Villiers en Bois France
| | - Y. Handrich
- IPHC-DEPE; Université de Strasbourg; Strasbourg France
- UMR7178; CNRS; Strasbourg France
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16
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Cook TR, Lescroël A, Cherel Y, Kato A, Bost CA. Can foraging ecology drive the evolution of body size in a diving endotherm? PLoS One 2013; 8:e56297. [PMID: 23409169 PMCID: PMC3567052 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0056297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2012] [Accepted: 01/08/2013] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Within a single animal species, different morphs can allow for differential exploitation of foraging niches between populations, while sexual size dimorphism can provide each sex with access to different resources. Despite being potentially important agents of evolution, resource polymorphisms, and the way they operate in wild populations, remain poorly understood. In this study, we examine how trophic factors can select for different body sizes between populations and sexes in a diving endotherm. Dive depth and duration are positively related to body size in diving birds and mammals, a relationship explained by a lower mass-specific metabolic rate and greater oxygen stores in larger individuals. Based on this allometry, we predict that selection for exploiting resources situated at different depths can drive the evolution of body size in species of diving endotherms at the population and sexual level. To test this prediction, we studied the foraging ecology of Blue-eyed Shags, a group of cormorants with male-biased sexual size dimorphism from across the Southern Ocean. We found that mean body mass and relative difference in body mass between sexes varied by up to 77% and 107% between neighbouring colonies, respectively. Birds from colonies with larger individuals dived deeper than birds from colonies with smaller individuals, when accounting for sex. In parallel, males dived further offshore and deeper than females and the sexual difference in dive depth reflected the level of sexual size dimorphism at each colony. We argue that body size in this group of birds is under intense selection for diving to depths of profitable benthic prey patches and that, locally, sexual niche divergence selection can exaggerate the sexual size dimorphism of Blue-eyed Shags initially set up by sexual selection. Our findings suggest that trophic resources can select for important geographic micro-variability in body size between populations and sexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothée R Cook
- Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, Centre of Excellence (Department of Science and Technology-National Research Foundation), University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, South Africa.
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17
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Le Vaillant M, Wilson RP, Kato A, Saraux C, Hanuise N, Prud'Homme O, Le Maho Y, Le Bohec C, Ropert-Coudert Y. King penguins adjust their diving behaviour with age. J Exp Biol 2012; 215:3685-92. [PMID: 23053365 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.071175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
SUMMARY
Increasing experience in long-lived species is fundamental to improving breeding success and ultimately individual fitness. Diving efficiency of marine animals is primarily determined by their physiological and mechanical characteristics. This efficiency may be apparent via examination of biomechanical performance (e.g. stroke frequency and amplitude, change in buoyancy or body angle, etc.), which itself may be modulated according to resource availability, particularly as a function of depth. We investigated how foraging and diving abilities vary with age in a long-lived seabird. During two breeding seasons, small accelerometers were deployed on young (5 year old) and older (8/9 year old) brooding king penguins (Aptenodytes patagonicus) at the Crozet Archipelago, Indian Ocean. We used partial dynamic body acceleration (PDBA) to quantify body movement during dive and estimate diving cost. During the initial part of the descent, older birds exerted more effort for a given speed but younger penguins worked harder in relation to performance at greater depths. Younger birds also worked harder per unit speed for virtually the whole of the ascent. We interpret these differences using a model that takes into account the upthrust and drag to which the birds are subjected during the dive. From this, we suggest that older birds inhale more at the surface but that an increase in the drag coefficient is the factor leading to the increased effort to swim at a given speed by the younger birds at greater depths. We propose that this higher drag may be the result of young birds adopting less hydrodynamic postures or less direct trajectories when swimming or even having a plumage in poorer condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maryline Le Vaillant
- Université de Strasbourg, Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien, 23 rue Becquerel, 67087 Strasbourg, France
- CNRS, UMR-7178, 67037 Strasbourg Cedex, France
| | - Rory P. Wilson
- Biosciences, College of Science, Swansea University, Singleton Park, Swansea SA2 8PP, UK
| | - Akiko Kato
- Université de Strasbourg, Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien, 23 rue Becquerel, 67087 Strasbourg, France
- CNRS, UMR-7178, 67037 Strasbourg Cedex, France
| | - Claire Saraux
- Université de Strasbourg, Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien, 23 rue Becquerel, 67087 Strasbourg, France
- CNRS, UMR-7178, 67037 Strasbourg Cedex, France
| | - Nicolas Hanuise
- Université de Strasbourg, Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien, 23 rue Becquerel, 67087 Strasbourg, France
- CNRS, UMR-7178, 67037 Strasbourg Cedex, France
- CNRS, UPR-1934, 79360 Villiers en Bois, France
| | - Onésime Prud'Homme
- Université de Strasbourg, Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien, 23 rue Becquerel, 67087 Strasbourg, France
- CNRS, UMR-7178, 67037 Strasbourg Cedex, France
| | - Yvon Le Maho
- Université de Strasbourg, Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien, 23 rue Becquerel, 67087 Strasbourg, France
- CNRS, UMR-7178, 67037 Strasbourg Cedex, France
| | - Céline Le Bohec
- Université de Strasbourg, Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien, 23 rue Becquerel, 67087 Strasbourg, France
- CNRS, UMR-7178, 67037 Strasbourg Cedex, France
- Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES), Department of Biology, University of Oslo, PO Box 1066 Blindern, N-0316, Norway
- LEA 647 ‘BioSensib’ CSM/CNRS, 8 quai Antoine 1er, MC 98000, Principality of Monaco
| | - Yan Ropert-Coudert
- Université de Strasbourg, Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien, 23 rue Becquerel, 67087 Strasbourg, France
- CNRS, UMR-7178, 67037 Strasbourg Cedex, France
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18
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Miller PJO, Biuw M, Watanabe YY, Thompson D, Fedak MA. Sink fast and swim harder! Round-trip cost-of-transport for buoyant divers. J Exp Biol 2012; 215:3622-30. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.070128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
SUMMARY
Efficient locomotion between prey resources at depth and oxygen at the surface is crucial for breath-hold divers to maximize time spent in the foraging layer, and thereby net energy intake rates. The body density of divers, which changes with body condition, determines the apparent weight (buoyancy) of divers, which may affect round-trip cost-of-transport (COT) between the surface and depth. We evaluated alternative predictions from external-work and actuator-disc theory of how non-neutral buoyancy affects round-trip COT to depth, and the minimum COT speed for steady-state vertical transit. Not surprisingly, the models predict that one-way COT decreases (increases) when buoyancy aids (hinders) one-way transit. At extreme deviations from neutral buoyancy, gliding at terminal velocity is the minimum COT strategy in the direction aided by buoyancy. In the transit direction hindered by buoyancy, the external-work model predicted that minimum COT speeds would not change at greater deviations from neutral buoyancy, but minimum COT speeds were predicted to increase under the actuator disc model. As previously documented for grey seals, we found that vertical transit rates of 36 elephant seals increased in both directions as body density deviated from neutral buoyancy, indicating that actuator disc theory may more closely predict the power requirements of divers affected by gravity than an external work model. For both models, minor deviations from neutral buoyancy did not affect minimum COT speed or round-trip COT itself. However, at body-density extremes, both models predict that savings in the aided direction do not fully offset the increased COT imposed by the greater thrusting required in the hindered direction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick J. O. Miller
- Sea Mammal Research Unit, School of Biology, University of St Andrews, Fife KY16 9QQ, UK
| | - Martin Biuw
- Sea Mammal Research Unit, School of Biology, University of St Andrews, Fife KY16 9QQ, UK
| | - Yuuki Y. Watanabe
- National Institute of Polar Research, 10-3, Midori-cho, Tachikawa, Tokyo 190-8518, Japan
| | - Dave Thompson
- Sea Mammal Research Unit, School of Biology, University of St Andrews, Fife KY16 9QQ, UK
| | - Mike A. Fedak
- Sea Mammal Research Unit, School of Biology, University of St Andrews, Fife KY16 9QQ, UK
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19
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White CR, Grémillet D, Green JA, Martin GR, Butler PJ. Metabolic rate throughout the annual cycle reveals the demands of an Arctic existence in Great Cormorants. Ecology 2011; 92:475-86. [DOI: 10.1890/09-1951.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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20
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Fossette S, Gleiss AC, Myers AE, Garner S, Liebsch N, Whitney NM, Hays GC, Wilson RP, Lutcavage ME. Behaviour and buoyancy regulation in the deepest-diving reptile: the leatherback turtle. J Exp Biol 2010; 213:4074-83. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.048207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
SUMMARY
In the face of the physical and physiological challenges of performing breath-hold deep dives, marine vertebrates have evolved different strategies. Although behavioural strategies in marine mammals and seabirds have been investigated in detail, little is known about the deepest-diving reptile – the leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea). Here, we deployed tri-axial accelerometers on female leatherbacks nesting on St Croix, US Virgin Islands, to explore their diving strategy. Our results show a consistent behavioural pattern within dives among individuals, with an initial period of active swimming at relatively steep descent angles (∼–40 deg), with a stroke frequency of 0.32 Hz, followed by a gliding phase. The depth at which the gliding phase began increased with the maximum depth of the dives. In addition, descent body angles and vertical velocities were higher during deeper dives. Leatherbacks might thus regulate their inspired air-volume according to the intended dive depth, similar to hard-shelled turtles and penguins. During the ascent, turtles actively swam with a stroke frequency of 0.30 Hz but with a low vertical velocity (∼0.40 ms–1) and a low pitch angle (∼+26 deg). Turtles might avoid succumbing to decompression sickness (‘the bends’) by ascending slowly to the surface. In addition, we suggest that the low body temperature of this marine ectotherm compared with that of endotherms might help reduce the risk of bubble formation by increasing the solubility of nitrogen in the blood. This physiological advantage, coupled with several behavioural and physical adaptations, might explain the particular ecological niche the leatherback turtle occupies among marine reptiles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabrina Fossette
- Department of Pure and Applied Ecology, Institute of Environmental Sustainability, Swansea University, Singleton Park, Swansea SA2 8PP, UK
| | - Adrian C. Gleiss
- Department of Pure and Applied Ecology, Institute of Environmental Sustainability, Swansea University, Singleton Park, Swansea SA2 8PP, UK
| | - Andy E. Myers
- Large Pelagics Research Center, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03290, USA
| | - Steve Garner
- West Indies Marine Animal Research and Conservation Service (WIMARCS), 202 Prosperity, Frederiksted, St Croix, USVI 00840, USA
| | - Nikolai Liebsch
- Department of Pure and Applied Ecology, Institute of Environmental Sustainability, Swansea University, Singleton Park, Swansea SA2 8PP, UK
| | - Nicholas M. Whitney
- Center for Shark Research, Mote Marine Laboratory, 1600 Ken Thompson Parkway, Sarasota, FL 34236, USA
| | - Graeme C. Hays
- Department of Pure and Applied Ecology, Institute of Environmental Sustainability, Swansea University, Singleton Park, Swansea SA2 8PP, UK
| | - Rory P. Wilson
- Department of Pure and Applied Ecology, Institute of Environmental Sustainability, Swansea University, Singleton Park, Swansea SA2 8PP, UK
| | - Molly E. Lutcavage
- Large Pelagics Research Center, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03290, USA
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