On- and off-shelf diving effort of juvenile elephant seals from Península Valdés determined by light loggers

Juvenile elephant seals from Península Valdés exhibit significantly different diving behaviors on and off the shallow Patagonian Shelf. On-shelf, where water depths are limited to less than 100 meters, juveniles show lower diving effort compared to off-shelf waters, which reach depths of approximately 1,000 meters. This suggests that the productive Patagonian Shelf, often occupied by older seals, may displace juveniles to deeper waters, forcing them to increase their diving effort. The study used light-temperature loggers on 10 juvenile seals to measure dive durations and compare aerobic dive limits between shelf environments.

Eder, E. B., Lewis, M. N., Marín, M. R., & Campagna, C. (2011). On- and off-shelf diving effort of juvenile elephant seals from Península Valdés determined by light loggers. Journal of Mammalogy, 92(4), 811–818. https://doi.org/10.1644/10-mamm-a-292.1