Effects of age and body mass on development of diving capabilities of gray seal pups: costs and benefits of the postweaning fast

Kimberley A. Bennett, B. J. McConnell, Simon E. W. Moss, John R. Speakman, P. P. Pomeroy, Mike A. Fedak

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article

22 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Development of adequate diving capabilities is crucial for survival of seal pups and may depend on age and body size. We tracked the diving behavior of 20 gray seal pups during their first 3 mo at sea using satellite relay data loggers. We employed quantile analysis to track upper limits of dive duration and percentage time spent diving, and lower limits of surface intervals. When pups first left the breeding colony, extreme (ninety-fifth percentile) dive duration and percentage time spent diving were positively correlated with age, but not mass, at departure. Extreme dive durations and percentage time spent diving peaked at [Formula: see text] d of age at values comparable with those of adults, but were not sustained. Greater peaks in extreme percentage time spent diving occurred in pups that had higher initial values, were older at their peak, and were heavier at departure. Pups that were smaller and less capable divers when they left the colony improved extreme dive durations and percentage time spent diving more rapidly, once they were at sea. Minimum survival time correlated positively with departure mass. Pups that were heavier at weaning thus benefitted from being both larger and older at departure, but smaller pups faced a trade-off. While age at departure had a positive effect on early dive performance, departure mass impacted on peak percentage time spent diving and longer-term survival. We speculate that once small pups have attained a minimum degree of physiological development to support diving, they would benefit by leaving the colony when younger but larger to maximize limited fuel reserves, rather than undergoing further maturation on land away from potential food resources, because poor divers may be able to "catch up" once at sea.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)911-923
Number of pages13
JournalPhysiological and Biochemical Zoology
Volume83
Issue number6
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 22 Oct 2010

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Bennett, Kimberley A. ; McConnell, B. J. ; Moss, Simon E. W. ; Speakman, John R. ; Pomeroy, P. P. ; Fedak, Mike A. / Effects of age and body mass on development of diving capabilities of gray seal pups : costs and benefits of the postweaning fast. In: Physiological and Biochemical Zoology. 2010 ; Vol. 83, No. 6. pp. 911-923.
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abstract = "Development of adequate diving capabilities is crucial for survival of seal pups and may depend on age and body size. We tracked the diving behavior of 20 gray seal pups during their first 3 mo at sea using satellite relay data loggers. We employed quantile analysis to track upper limits of dive duration and percentage time spent diving, and lower limits of surface intervals. When pups first left the breeding colony, extreme (ninety-fifth percentile) dive duration and percentage time spent diving were positively correlated with age, but not mass, at departure. Extreme dive durations and percentage time spent diving peaked at [Formula: see text] d of age at values comparable with those of adults, but were not sustained. Greater peaks in extreme percentage time spent diving occurred in pups that had higher initial values, were older at their peak, and were heavier at departure. Pups that were smaller and less capable divers when they left the colony improved extreme dive durations and percentage time spent diving more rapidly, once they were at sea. Minimum survival time correlated positively with departure mass. Pups that were heavier at weaning thus benefitted from being both larger and older at departure, but smaller pups faced a trade-off. While age at departure had a positive effect on early dive performance, departure mass impacted on peak percentage time spent diving and longer-term survival. We speculate that once small pups have attained a minimum degree of physiological development to support diving, they would benefit by leaving the colony when younger but larger to maximize limited fuel reserves, rather than undergoing further maturation on land away from potential food resources, because poor divers may be able to {"}catch up{"} once at sea.",
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Bennett, KA, McConnell, BJ, Moss, SEW, Speakman, JR, Pomeroy, PP & Fedak, MA 2010, 'Effects of age and body mass on development of diving capabilities of gray seal pups: costs and benefits of the postweaning fast', Physiological and Biochemical Zoology, vol. 83, no. 6, pp. 911-923. https://doi.org/10.1086/656925

Effects of age and body mass on development of diving capabilities of gray seal pups : costs and benefits of the postweaning fast. / Bennett, Kimberley A.; McConnell, B. J.; Moss, Simon E. W.; Speakman, John R.; Pomeroy, P. P.; Fedak, Mike A.

In: Physiological and Biochemical Zoology, Vol. 83, No. 6, 22.10.2010, p. 911-923.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article

TY - JOUR

T1 - Effects of age and body mass on development of diving capabilities of gray seal pups

T2 - costs and benefits of the postweaning fast

AU - Bennett, Kimberley A.

AU - McConnell, B. J.

AU - Moss, Simon E. W.

AU - Speakman, John R.

AU - Pomeroy, P. P.

AU - Fedak, Mike A.

PY - 2010/10/22

Y1 - 2010/10/22

N2 - Development of adequate diving capabilities is crucial for survival of seal pups and may depend on age and body size. We tracked the diving behavior of 20 gray seal pups during their first 3 mo at sea using satellite relay data loggers. We employed quantile analysis to track upper limits of dive duration and percentage time spent diving, and lower limits of surface intervals. When pups first left the breeding colony, extreme (ninety-fifth percentile) dive duration and percentage time spent diving were positively correlated with age, but not mass, at departure. Extreme dive durations and percentage time spent diving peaked at [Formula: see text] d of age at values comparable with those of adults, but were not sustained. Greater peaks in extreme percentage time spent diving occurred in pups that had higher initial values, were older at their peak, and were heavier at departure. Pups that were smaller and less capable divers when they left the colony improved extreme dive durations and percentage time spent diving more rapidly, once they were at sea. Minimum survival time correlated positively with departure mass. Pups that were heavier at weaning thus benefitted from being both larger and older at departure, but smaller pups faced a trade-off. While age at departure had a positive effect on early dive performance, departure mass impacted on peak percentage time spent diving and longer-term survival. We speculate that once small pups have attained a minimum degree of physiological development to support diving, they would benefit by leaving the colony when younger but larger to maximize limited fuel reserves, rather than undergoing further maturation on land away from potential food resources, because poor divers may be able to "catch up" once at sea.

AB - Development of adequate diving capabilities is crucial for survival of seal pups and may depend on age and body size. We tracked the diving behavior of 20 gray seal pups during their first 3 mo at sea using satellite relay data loggers. We employed quantile analysis to track upper limits of dive duration and percentage time spent diving, and lower limits of surface intervals. When pups first left the breeding colony, extreme (ninety-fifth percentile) dive duration and percentage time spent diving were positively correlated with age, but not mass, at departure. Extreme dive durations and percentage time spent diving peaked at [Formula: see text] d of age at values comparable with those of adults, but were not sustained. Greater peaks in extreme percentage time spent diving occurred in pups that had higher initial values, were older at their peak, and were heavier at departure. Pups that were smaller and less capable divers when they left the colony improved extreme dive durations and percentage time spent diving more rapidly, once they were at sea. Minimum survival time correlated positively with departure mass. Pups that were heavier at weaning thus benefitted from being both larger and older at departure, but smaller pups faced a trade-off. While age at departure had a positive effect on early dive performance, departure mass impacted on peak percentage time spent diving and longer-term survival. We speculate that once small pups have attained a minimum degree of physiological development to support diving, they would benefit by leaving the colony when younger but larger to maximize limited fuel reserves, rather than undergoing further maturation on land away from potential food resources, because poor divers may be able to "catch up" once at sea.

U2 - 10.1086/656925

DO - 10.1086/656925

M3 - Article

VL - 83

SP - 911

EP - 923

JO - Physiological and Biochemical Zoology

JF - Physiological and Biochemical Zoology

SN - 1522-2152

IS - 6

ER -

Bennett KA, McConnell BJ, Moss SEW, Speakman JR, Pomeroy PP, Fedak MA. Effects of age and body mass on development of diving capabilities of gray seal pups: costs and benefits of the postweaning fast. Physiological and Biochemical Zoology. 2010 Oct 22;83(6):911-923. https://doi.org/10.1086/656925

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