Collaborative Research: Foraging Ecology and Physiology of the Leopard Seal

合作研究：豹海豹的觅食生态学和生理学

• 批准号: 1644004
• 负责人: Stephen Trumble
• 金额: $ 16.8万
• 依托单位: Baylor University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2017
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2017-10-01 至 2022-09-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1644004&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; Foraging; Ecology; Physiology

This research project is a multidisciplinary effort that brings together a diverse team of scientists from multiple institutions together to understand the foraging behavior and physiology of leopard seals and their role in the Southern Ocean food web. The project will examine the physiology and behavior of leopard seals to in an effort to determine their ability to respond to potential changes in their habitat and foraging areas. Using satellite tracking devices the team will examine the movement and diving behavior of leopard seals and couple this information with measurements of their physiological capacity. The project will determine whether leopard seals- who feed on diverse range of prey- are built differently than their deep diving relatives the Weddell and elephant seal who feed on fish and squid. The team will also determine whether leopard seals are operating at or near their physiological capability to determine how much, if any, ?reserve capacity? they might have to forage and live in changing environments. A better understanding of their home ranges, movement patterns, and general behavior will also be informative to help in managing human-leopard seal interactions. The highly visual nature of the data and analysis for this project lends itself to public and educational display and outreach, particularly as they relate to the changing Antarctic habitats. The project will use the research results to educate the public on the unique physiological and ecological adaptations to extreme environments seen in diving marine mammals, including adaptations to exercise under low oxygen conditions and energy utilization, which affect and dictate the lifestyle of these exceptional organisms. The results of the project will also contribute to the broader understanding that may enhance the aims of managing marine living resources.The leopard seal is an apex predator in the Antarctic ecosystem. This project seeks to better understand the ability of the leopard seal to cope with a changing environment. The project will first examine the foraging behavior and habitat utilization of leopard seals using satellite telemetry. Specifically, satellite telemetry tags will be used to obtain dive profiles and movement data for individuals across multiple years. Diet and trophic level positions across multiple temporal scales will then be determined from physiological samples (e.g., blood, vibrissae, blubber fatty acids, stable isotopes, fecal matter). Oceanographic data will be integrated with these measures to develop habitat models that will be used to assess habitat type, habitat utilization, habitat preference, and home range areas for individual animals. Diet composition for individual seals will be evaluated to determine whether specific animals are generalists or specialists. Second, the team will investigate the physiological adaptations that allow leopard seals to be apex predators and determine to what extent leopard seals are working at or near their physiological limit. Diving behavior and physiology of leopard seals will be evaluated (for instance the aerobic dive limit for individual animals and skeletal muscle adaptations will be determined for diving under hypoxic conditions). Data from time-depth recorders will be used to determine foraging strategies for individual seals, and these diving characteristics will be related to physiological variables (e.g., blood volume, muscle oxygen stores) to better understand the link between foraging behavior and physiology. The team will compare myoglobin storage in swimming muscles associated with both forelimb and hind limb propulsion and the use of anaerobic versus aerobic metabolic systems while foraging.

该研究项目是一项多学科工作，汇集了来自多个机构的多元化科学家团队，以了解豹海豹的觅食行为和生理学及其在南大洋食物网中的作用。 该项目将检查豹海豹的生理和行为，以确定它们应对栖息地和觅食区域潜在变化的能力。研究小组将使用卫星跟踪设备检查豹海豹的运动和潜水行为，并将这些信息与其生理能力的测量结果结合起来。 该项目将确定以多种猎物为食的豹海豹的体格是否不同于以鱼类和鱿鱼为食的深海亲戚威德尔海豹和象海豹。 该团队还将确定豹海豹是否处于或接近其生理能力，以确定有多少“储备能力”（如果有的话）。它们可能必须在不断变化的环境中觅食和生活。 更好地了解它们的活动范围、运动模式和一般行为也将有助于管理人与豹海豹的互动。该项目数据和分析的高度可视化性质适合公共和教育展示和推广，特别是因为它们与不断变化的南极栖息地有关。该项目将利用研究结果向公众宣传潜水海洋哺乳动物对极端环境的独特生理和生态适应，包括适应低氧条件下的运动和能源利用，这些影响和决定了这些特殊生物的生活方式。该项目的结果还将有助于更广泛的理解，从而增强管理海洋生物资源的目标。豹海豹是南极生态系统中的顶级掠食者。该项目旨在更好地了解豹海豹应对不断变化的环境的能力。 该项目将首先利用卫星遥测技术研究豹海豹的觅食行为和栖息地利用情况。具体来说，卫星遥测标签将用于获取个人多年来的潜水资料和运动数据。然后，将根据生理样本（例如血液、触须、鲸脂脂肪酸、稳定同位素、粪便物质）确定跨多个时间尺度的饮食和营养水平位置。海洋学数据将与这些措施相结合，以开发栖息地模型，用于评估栖息地类型、栖息地利用、栖息地偏好和个体动物的活动范围。 将评估海豹个体的饮食成分，以确定特定动物是通才还是专家。其次，研究小组将研究使豹海豹成为顶级捕食者的生理适应，并确定豹海豹在多大程度上达到或接近其生理极限。将评估豹海豹的潜水行为和生理学（例如，将确定个体动物的有氧潜水极限和骨骼肌适应情况以在缺氧条件下潜水）。来自时间深度记录仪的数据将用于确定个体海豹的觅食策略，这些潜水特征将与生理变量（例如血容量、肌肉氧储存）相关，以更好地理解觅食行为和生理学之间的联系。研究小组将比较与前肢和后肢推进相关的游泳肌肉中的肌红蛋白储存，以及觅食时无氧代谢系统与有氧代谢系统的使用。

项目成果

Plasticity in the morphometrics and movements of an Antarctic apex predator, the leopard seal

南极顶级捕食者豹海豹的形态测量和运动的可塑性

• DOI: 10.3389/fmars.2022.976019
• 发表时间: 2022
• 期刊: Frontiers in Marine Science
• 影响因子: 3.7
• 作者: Kienle, Sarah S.;Goebel, Michael E.;LaBrecque, Erin;Borras-Chavez, Renato;Trumble, Stephen J.;Kanatous, Shane B.;Crocker, Daniel E.;Costa, Daniel P.
• 通讯作者: Costa, Daniel P.

Whiskers provide time-series of toxic and essential trace elements, Se:Hg molar ratios, and stable isotope values of an apex Antarctic predator, the leopard seal

• DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.158651
• 发表时间: 2022-09-19
• 期刊: SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
• 影响因子: 9.8
• 作者: Charapata，Patrick;Clark，Casey T.;Trumble，Stephen J.
• 通讯作者: Trumble，Stephen J.