Estimating energetic intake for marine mammal bioenergetic models

Area of Science:

• Marine bioenergetics
• Animal ecology
• Conservation science

Background:

• Bioenergetic models assess animal energetic balance, influenced by energy expenditure and environmental intake.
• Accurate estimation of energy intake is critical for meaningful bioenergetic predictions, alongside energy costs.
• Energy intake depends on extrinsic factors (prey availability, quality) and intrinsic factors (foraging success, digestion).

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the components and processes affecting energy intake, from gross energy to net energy (NE).
• To assess the current state of knowledge for each parameter and identify research gaps.
• To advance the field of marine mammal bioenergetics by improving energy intake estimations.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of factors influencing energy intake in marine mammals.
• Analysis of data on foraging behavior, prey nutritional content, and post-ingestion energy losses.
• Identification of research gaps and areas needing further empirical data.

Main Results:

• Foraging behavior of marine mammals is well-studied, but prey capture success rates are often assumed.
• Nutritional content data for marine mammal prey is robust but incomplete for many species.
• Empirical data on energy losses post-ingestion is unbalanced across species, with more available for pinnipeds.

Conclusions:

• Accurate estimation of net energy (NE) intake components is vital for bioenergetic models.
• Improved bioenergetic models can assess disturbance impacts on marine mammals.
• Enhanced understanding supports effective marine mammal conservation and management strategies.