TY  - JOUR
AU  - Cherel Y, Kernaléguen L.
PY  - 2009//
TI  - Whisker isotopic signature depicts migration patterns and multi-year intra- and inter-individual foraging strategies in fur seals Whisker isotopic signature depicts migration patterns and multi-year intra- and inter-individual foraging strategies in fur s
JO  - Society
SP  - 830
EP  - 832
VL  - 111
IS  - September
PB  - The Royal Society
KW  - 2004
KW  - 2009
KW  - bearhop et al
KW  - d 13 c
KW  - d 15 n
KW  - individual levels
KW  - individual specialization
KW  - newsome et al
KW  - nitrogen
KW  - otariid
KW  - southern ocean
KW  - stable carbon
KW  - stable isotopes
KW  -
N2  - The movement and dietary history of individuals can be studied using stable isotope records in archival keratinous tissues. Here, we present a chronology of temporally fine-scale data on the trophic niche of otariid seals by measuring the isotopic signature of serially sampled whiskers. Whiskers of male Antarctic fur seals breeding at the Crozet Islands showed synchronous and regular oscillations in both their delta(13)C and delta(15)N values that are likely to represent their annual migrations over the long term (mean 4.8 years). At the population level, male Antarctic fur seals showed substantial variation in both delta(13)C and delta(15)N values, occupying nearly all the 'isotopic space' created by the diversity of potential oceanic habitats (from high Antarctica to the subtropics) and prey (from Antarctic krill to subantarctic and subtropical mesopelagic fishes). At the individual level, whisker isotopic signatures depict a large diversity of foraging strategies. Some seals remained in either subantarctic or Antarctic waters, while the migratory cycle of most animals encompassed a wide latitudinal gradient where they fed on different prey. The isotopic signature of whiskers, therefore, revealed new multi-year foraging strategies of male Antarctic fur seals and is a powerful tool for investigating the ecological niche during cryptic stages of mammals' life.
SN  - 1644-7700
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2009.0552
N1  - exported from refbase (http://publi.ipev.fr/polar_references/show.php?record=1936), last updated on Mon, 01 Jul 2024 19:31:43 +0200
ID  - CherelY2009
ER  -