Fatty acid-based diet estimates suggest ringed seal remain the main prey of southern Beaufort Sea polar bears despite recent use of onshore food resources

Ecology and Evolution
Jennifer BourqueMelissa A McKinney

Abstract

Polar bears (Ursus maritimus) from the southern Beaufort Sea (SB) subpopulation have traditionally fed predominantly upon ice-seals; however, as the proportion of the subpopulation using onshore habitat has recently increased, foraging on land-based resources, including remains of subsistence-harvested bowhead whales (Balaena mysticetus) and colonial nesting seabirds has been observed. Adipose tissue samples were collected from this subpopulation during the springs of 2013-2016 and analyzed for fatty acid signatures. Diet estimates were generated for the proportional consumption of ringed seal (Pusa hispida), bearded seal (Erignathus barbatus), and beluga whale (Delphinapterus leucas), relative to onshore foods, including bowhead whale remains and seabird, as represented by black guillemot (Cepphus grylle mandtii) nestlings and eggs. Quantitative fatty acid signature analysis (QFASA) estimated that the ice-obligate prey, ringed seal, remained the predominant prey species of SB polar bears (46.4 ± 1.8%), with much lower consumption of bearded seal (19.6 ± 2.0%), seabird (17.0 ± 1.2%), bowhead whale (15.0 ± 1.4%), and hardly any beluga whale (2.0 ± 0.5%). Adult and subadult females appeared to depend more on the traditional ringe...Continue Reading

References

Sep 17, 2009·The Journal of Animal Ecology·Eric V RegehrIan Stirling
May 5, 2010·Ecological Applications : a Publication of the Ecological Society of America·Karyn D RodeEric V Regehr
Mar 21, 2013·The Journal of Animal Ecology·Seth G CherryNicholas J Lunn
Nov 14, 2013·Ecology and Evolution·Linda J Gormezano, Robert F Rockwell
Mar 19, 2014·Ecology and Evolution·Melissa A McKinneyElizabeth Peacock
Jul 29, 2015·Ecological Applications : a Publication of the Ecological Society of America·Jeffrey F BromaghinSteven C Amstrup
Sep 13, 2016·Physiological and Biochemical Zoology : PBZ·Nicholas W PilfoldEvan Richardson
Oct 11, 2017·Global Change Biology·Karyn D RodeKristin Simac

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Citations

Aug 2, 2020·The Science of the Total Environment·Jennifer BourqueMelissa A McKinney

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Methods Mentioned

BETA
biopsies

Software Mentioned

QFASA
vegan
R

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