The Cost of A New Fur Coat: Interactions between Molt and Reproduction in Weddell Seals

栖息在高纬度环境中的海洋哺乳动物已经进化出独特的机制，在条件最有利的情况下，在相对较短的时间内执行一套能量昂贵的生活史事件（CLHE）。了解调节CLHE的内在和外在因素在威德尔海豹等物种中尤为重要，因为繁殖和蜕皮都与觅食努力的大幅减少有关，并且每个的时间和结果似乎与其他相关。对埃里伯斯湾威德尔海豹的长期标记重捕计划提供了一个独特的机会，以检查CLHE在已知的历史人口。拟议的工作将监测生理状况，怀孕状态和行为在不同的时间在整个一年中，以确定蜕皮时间是否受到先前的生殖结果，如果它反过来影响未来的生殖成功。然后，这些数据将被用来解决人口的后果之间的权衡CLHE在威德尔海豹。还将模拟环境条件和CLHE时间对种群健康的影响，以便将结果扩展到其他气候和物种。更好地了解CLHE和环境之间的相互作用是很重要的，在预测生物体的反应，从更高的营养水平，气候变化。将通过出版物以及在国家和国际会议上的发言广泛传播成果。此外，将通过开放式数据库提供原始数据。该项目将支持研究生和博士后研究员的研究和培训，并将进一步促进广泛的公共外联合作。

Marine mammals that inhabit high latitude environments have evolved unique mechanisms to execute a suite of energetically-costly life history events (CLHEs) within a relatively short timeframe when conditions are most favorable. Understanding the intrinsic and extrinsic factors that regulate CLHEs is particularly important in species such as Weddell seals, as both reproduction and molt are associated with large reductions in foraging effort, and the timing and outcome of each appears linked with the other. The long-term mark recapture program on Erebus Bay's Weddell seals provides a unique opportunity to examine CLHEs in a known-history population. The proposed work will monitor physiological condition, pregnancy status, and behavior at various times throughout the year to determine if molt timing is influenced by prior reproductive outcome, and if it, in turn, influences future reproductive success. These data will then be used to address the demographic consequences of trade-offs between CLHEs in Weddell seals. The impact of environmental conditions and CLHE timing on population health will also be modeled so that results can be extended to other climates and species. An improved understanding of the interactions between CLHEs and the environment is important in predicting the response of organisms from higher trophic levels to climate change. Results will be widely disseminated through publications as well as through presentations at national and international meetings. In addition, raw data will be made available through open-access databases. This project will support the research and training of graduate students and a post-doctoral researcher and will further foster an extensive public outreach collaboration.