Dear MARMAM members, We are pleased to announce that the following paper has been published in Behavioral Ecology:
Doniol-Valcroze T., Lesage V., Giard J. & Michaud R. (2011) Optimal foraging theory predicts diving and feeding strategies of the largest marine predator. Behavioral Ecology 22(4): 880-888. Abstract: Accurate predictions of predator behavior remain elusive in natural settings. Optimal foraging theory predicts that breath-hold divers should adjust time allocation within their dives to the distance separating prey from the surface. Quantitative tests of these models have been hampered by the difficulty of documenting underwater feeding behavior and the lack of systems, experimental or natural, in which prey depth varies over a large range. We tested these predictions on blue whales (Balaenoptera musculus), which track the diel vertical migration of their prey. A model using simple allometric arguments successfully predicted diving behavior measured with data loggers. Foraging times within each dive increased to compensate longer transit times and optimize resource acquisition. Shallow dives were short and yielded the highest feeding rates, explaining why feeding activity was more intense at night. An optimal framework thus provides powerful tools to predict the behavior of free-ranging marine predators and inform conservation studies. Key words: aerobic dive limit; blue whale; central-place forager; dive-time budget; feeding behavior; optimal foraging. Links to the full text versions are available here: http://beheco.oxfordjournals.org/content/22/4/880.abstract Questions and requests for PDF copies can be addressed to: thomas.doniol-valcr...@dfo-mpo.gc.ca Best regards, Thomas Doniol-Valcroze Biologist, Marine mammal section Fisheries and Oceans Canada Maurice-Lamontagne Institute 850, route de la mer Mont-Joli, QC, Canada G5H 3Z4 Telephone 418-775-0666 Facsimile 418-775-0740
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