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A Fish-feeding Laboratory Bioassay to Assess the Antipredatory Activity of Secondary Metabolites from the Tissues of Marine Organisms
Published on: January 11, 2015
Prey patch patterns predict habitat use by top marine predators with diverse foraging strategies
Kelly J Benoit-Bird1, Brian C Battaile, Scott A Heppell
1College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, United States of America. kbenoit@coas.oregonstate.edu
Plos One
|January 10, 2013
Summary
Predators in pelagic ecosystems focus on prey patchiness, not just abundance. Understanding small-scale prey characteristics is key to predator-prey dynamics in marine environments.
Area of Science:
- Marine Ecology
- Behavioral Ecology
- Predator-Prey Dynamics
Background:
- Spatial coherence between predators and prey is rare in pelagic marine ecosystems.
- Understanding predator foraging strategies is crucial for marine ecosystem management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the factors influencing the distribution of three key predator species in the southeastern Bering Sea.
- To determine if prey patch characteristics or overall prey abundance better explain predator spatial patterns.
Main Methods:
- Utilized satellite tracking data to analyze movement patterns of black-legged kittiwakes, thick-billed murres, and northern fur seals.
- Employed statistical models incorporating environmental data, prey abundance, quality, and distribution.
- Assessed habitat use based on prey patch characteristics like depth and local density within aggregations.
Main Results:
- Standard measures of prey distribution (areal biomass, density, abundance) did not correlate with predator spatial relationships.
- Predator habitat use was most strongly predicted by prey patch characteristics (depth, local density).
- All three predator species, despite different foraging strategies, were linked by prey patchiness rather than overall biomass distribution.
Conclusions:
- Small-scale prey patch characteristics critically influence predator perception and exploitation of food resources.
- Prey patchiness, rather than overall biomass, is a key factor in pelagic predator-prey relationships.
- Findings support the broader hypothesis that patchiness is vital for understanding predator-prey dynamics in pelagic marine systems.
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