Pacific walrus foraging and haulout behavior collected in the central northern Bering Sea, Patch Dynamics Study (B67)

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Identification_Information
Data_Quality_Information
Spatial_Data_Organization_Information
Spatial_Reference_Information
Entity_and_Attribute_Information
Distribution_Information
Metadata_Reference_Information

Identification_Information:

Citation:

Citation_Information:

Originator: Dr. Chadwick Jay
Originator: USGS Alaska Science Center
Publication_Date: Unpublished material
Title:: Pacific walrus foraging and haulout behavior collected in the central northern Bering Sea, Patch Dynamics Study (B67)
Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: tabular digital data

Description:

Abstract:: Pacific walrus (n = 10) were instrumented with satellite-linked data logging behavior monitors to collect foraging, haulout and movement data in the Saint Lawrence Island polynia. With funding from the North Pacific Research Board, USGS sought to instrument 12 walruses with the intent of mapping foraging effort within the St. Lawrence Island polynia. Towards this end, USGS developed custom satellite-linked data loggers capable of (1) characterizing hourly walrus foraging and haulout status and (2) tracking movements for 6 to 8 weeks. To locate walrus herds suitably situated for instrumentation, the USGS walrus team placed observers on reconnaissance flights (Table 1, figure 1). The USGS team instrumented 10 (4 females, 5 males and 1 unknown sex) walruses within the polynia.
Purpose:: Patches are formally defined as significant spatial variations in oceanic biomass, but are more broadly recognized to reflect significant spatial variation in any feature of prey that is important for exploitation of the resource by the predator. Prey patches may occur at scales of less than 1 m to several kilometers with persistence times of minutes to months. They are also known to vary in species composition, biomass, energy content of prey, and distribution (size of patch, density within a patch, density of patches, and distance from colony/rookery). However, it is not yet known how apex predators respond to variability in prey patches (patch dynamics) and the consequence it has on population dynamics of top-predators in the Bering Sea. Such fundamental information is needed to predict how the Bering Sea ecosystem will respond to global warming. The goal of our study is to undertake a coordinated fine-scale study of birds and mammals, and their forage base to determine the consequences of spatial patterns (patches) on predator-prey dynamics. We will thereby establish mechanisms that control the abundance and distributions of top predators in the Bering Sea, and provide models with data to predict how and why these species respond to changes in the physical and biological environment. Concurrent fine-scale field studies will be undertaken during 2008 and 2009 in two geographic areas of the Eastern Bering Sea (St. Lawrence Island from March – May, and at the Pribilof Islands during July and August). The Pribilof Islands region includes a comparison between seabirds and fur seals at St. Paul and St. George islands as part of the large-scale BSIERP research component. Seabirds (thick-billed murres and black-legged kittiwakes) and marine mammals (northern fur seals and Pacific walrus) will be tracked at sea to determine where, when, and how they capture prey. Forage species will be sampled from vessels using nets, bottom grabs, and hydro-acoustics to describe the patches (quality and quantity) and their relationship with physical oceanography. Relative densities of prey patches and foraging success of birds and mammals will be related to regional and interannual differences in population processes. Specifically, we will examine (i) how changes in patch dynamics influence diets (species composition and energy content), and (ii) how diets affect the nutritional status of individuals, which in turn determines population dynamics (reproductive success and population trends). This integrated, fine-scale approach that we propose for studying patch dynamics has not been previously undertaken. It will provide needed data to determine how groups of species are controlled by fishing, predators, food availability, the physical environment, or a combination of all four. It will further assist in parameterizing and validating single-species and ecosystem-based models (to be constructed by BSIERP) to predict the effects of global warming on the Bering Sea.
Supplemental_Information:: [Provide additional information not covered elsewhere and/or important information such as related studies, data set limitations, and notifications]

Time_Period_of_Content:

Time_Period_Information:

Range_of_Dates/Times:

Beginning_Date: 20080319
Beginning_Time: 0300
Ending_Date: 20080516
Ending_Time: 2100

Currentness_Reference: ground condition

Status:

Progress: Complete
Maintenance_and_Update_Frequency: Irregular

Spatial_Domain:

Description_of_Geographic_Extent:

Central Northern Bering Sea. Walrus were instrumented in the St. Lawrence Island polynia.

Bounding_Coordinates:

West_Bounding_Coordinate: -178.23
East_Bounding_Coordinate: -158.7460022
North_Bounding_Coordinate: 65.537
South_Bounding_Coordinate: 57.361

Keywords:

Theme:

Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: IOOS Core Variables
Theme_Keyword: Version 1
Theme_Keyword: Biology
Theme_Keyword: Mammal Telemetry
Theme_Keyword: Mammal

Theme:

Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: Core Variable Map
Theme_Keyword: Mammal Activity:Wet,Forage,ArgoTime

Theme:

Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: Variable Map
Theme_Keyword: ArgoTime:ArgoTime:Minutes since ARGO location recieved:Minutes
Theme_Keyword: Forage:Forage:1 foraging; 0 not foraging:integer
Theme_Keyword: Wet:Haulout:0 Hauled out; 1 in water:integer
Theme_Keyword: Latitude:Latitude:Latitude:degrees_north
Theme_Keyword: Longitude:Longitude:Longitude:degrees_east
Theme_Keyword: time:GMTtime:reference time:Seconds since 1970-01-01

Theme:

Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: AOOS Data Services
Theme_Keyword: dsid=BSIERPMAML
Theme_Keyword: id=tracking
Theme_Keyword: db=bsierpmaml
Theme_Keyword: dataid=Walrus08
Theme_Keyword: file_type=by_animal
Theme_Keyword: instrument=telemetry
Theme_Keyword: metadata=NPRB/BSIERP/B67_Jay_WalrusBehavior.xml
Theme_Keyword: short_name=B67 Walrus 2008
Theme_Keyword: long_name=BSIERP B67 Walrus Tracking 2008

Theme:

Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: None
Theme_Keyword: project_number:B67
Theme_Keyword: data_url:<http://data.eol.ucar.edu/codiac/dss/id=245.B67-003>
Theme_Keyword: archive_url:<http://www.eol.ucar.edu/projects/bsierp>

Theme:

Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: None
Theme_Keyword: Pacific walrus
Theme_Keyword: foraging
Theme_Keyword: haulout
Theme_Keyword: satellite telemetry
Theme_Keyword: benthic
Theme_Keyword: sea ice
Theme_Keyword: predator-prey
Theme_Keyword: pinneped

Place:

Place_Keyword_Thesaurus: Saint Lawrence Island Polynia
Place_Keyword: Bering Sea
Place_Keyword: Saint Lawrence Island Polynia

Stratum:

Stratum_Keyword_Thesaurus: None
Stratum_Keyword: marine
Stratum_Keyword: benthic
Stratum_Keyword: sea ice

Temporal:

Temporal_Keyword_Thesaurus: None
Temporal_Keyword: Spring

Access_Constraints:

Access is restricted. Data policy: <http://www.eol.ucar.edu/projects/best/program_management_plan.pdf>

Use_Constraints:

Use is restricted. Data policy: <http://www.eol.ucar.edu/projects/best/program_management_plan.pdf>

Taxonomy:

Keywords/Taxon:

Taxonomic_Keyword_Thesaurus: walrus
Taxonomic_Keywords: animals
Taxonomic_Keywords: mammals
Taxonomic_Keywords: vertebrates

Taxonomic_System:

Classification_System/Authority:

Classification_System_Citation:

Citation_Information:

Originator: Illiger, J. C.

Publication_Date: 1815

Title:

Üeberblick der Säugethiere nach ihrer Vertheilung über die Welttheile. [A review of mammal distribution on a world basis.]

Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: journal article

Series_Information:

Series_Name: Abh. Phys. Klasse der Königlich-Pruess. Acad. Wiss. Berlin
Issue_Identification: 1804-1811

Other_Citation_Details: pp 39-159

Taxonomic_Procedures: Unspecified