Foraging trip strategies and habitat use during late pup rearing by lactating Australian fur seals
Roger Kirkwood A C and John P. Y. Arnould B
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A Research Department, Phillip Island Nature Parks, PO Box 97, Cowes, Vic. 3922, Australia.
B School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, 221 Burwood Highway, Burwood, Vic. 3125, Australia.
C Corresponding author. Email: rkirkwood@penguins.org.au
Australian Journal of Zoology 59(4) 216-226 https://doi.org/10.1071/ZO11080
Submitted: 1 November 2011 Accepted: 16 December 2011 Published: 6 March 2012
Abstract
Australian fur seals (Arctocephalus pusillus doriferus) are the most conspicuous and abundant marine mammal in shelf waters of south-eastern Australia. To successfully rear offspring, the females must encounter sufficient prey on each foraging trip out of a central place for periods up to11 months each year. We investigated foraging trip strategies and habitat use by the females in three winter–spring periods, 2001–03, from four colonies that span the species’ latitudinal range and contribute 80% of pup production. Trip durations of 37 females averaged 6.1 ± 0.5 (s.e.) days, although >90% of the seal’s time at sea was spent <150 km travel (<2 days) away. Most females exhibited strong fidelities to individually preferred hot-spots. Females from colonies adjacent to productive shelf-edge waters generally had shorter trips, had smaller ranges, foraged closer to colonies and exhibited less diversity in trip strategies than did those from colonies more distant from a shelf-edge. From a management perspective, there was minimal overlap (<1%) between where females foraged and a system of marine reserves established in 2007, suggesting that habitats visited by lactating Australian fur seals currently receive minimal legislative protection.
Additional keywords: Arctocephalus, foraging behaviour, marine mammals, marine protected areas.
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