Foraging Strategies of Female Elephant Seals from Península Valdés, Patagonia, Inferred from Whisker Stable Isotope Signatures of Their Pups

Gestating female elephant seals from Península Valdés, Patagonia, exhibit significant individual variability in foraging strategies, primarily utilizing oceanic waters while their juveniles forage both in neritic and oceanic habitats. Stable isotope analysis of pups' whiskers revealed that 90% of females specialize in oceanic foraging, with further distinctions between specialists (58%), intermediate specialists-generalists (30%), and generalists (12%). The remaining 10% demonstrated consistent neritic foraging specialization. This diversity in foraging strategies may provide an ecological advantage for the population, enhancing their resilience in a less predictable but rich environment.

Eder, E. B., Muelbert, M. M. C., Hindell, M. A., Davis, R. W., Rodríguez, D. H., & Lewis, M. N. (2019). Foraging Strategies of Female Elephant Seals from Península Valdés, Patagonia, Inferred from Whisker Stable Isotope Signatures of Their Pups. Aquatic Mammals, 45(1), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1578/am.45.1.2019.1