Studying sea otter foraging ecology: A review of some methodological approaches
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Abstract
The study of foraging ecology plays a central role in our understanding of animal populations and natural communities, and can also provide information necessary for the effective conservation of rare or endangered species. Sea otter researchers are interested in foraging ecology for many different reasons, but for heuristic purposes we identify three general types of research questions: (1) questions about the implications of foraging decisions to individual fitness, the evolutionary significance of feeding strategies, and the selective forces and constraints that shape an individual’s diet and feeding behavior; (2) questions about the population- level implications of foraging ecology; for example, how is the status of a population (with respect to carrying capacity) reflected by the foraging success or diet composition of individuals within the population (Fig. 1); and (3) questions about the community-level consequences of sea otter foraging. Sea otters provide an excellent study system for all three types of questions because they are a tractable species to study (generally feeding near shore and bringing all prey to the surface to consume), they exhibit a wide range of diets and foraging strategies in different habitats and at different population densities, they tend to have strong trophic interactions with their prey species, and their foraging behavior can have profound effects on community structure in the nearshore marine community.
| Publication type | Conference Paper |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | Conference Paper |
| Title | Studying sea otter foraging ecology: A review of some methodological approaches |
| ISBN | 1-56612-088-8 |
| DOI | 10.4027/asorw.2004 |
| Year Published | 2004 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Alaska Sea Grant College Program, University of Alaska Fairbanks |
| Publisher location | Fairbanks, AK |
| Contributing office(s) | Alaska Science Center |
| Description | 6 p. |
| Larger Work Type | Book |
| Larger Work Subtype | Conference publication |
| Larger Work Title | Alaska Sea Otter Research Workshop: Addressing the Decline of the Southwestern Alaska Sea Otter Population |
| First page | 54 |
| Last page | 59 |
| Conference Title | Alaska Sea Otter Research Workshop |
| Conference Location | Seward, AK |
| Conference Date | 5-7 April 2004 |
| Google Analytic Metrics | Metrics page |