Scale-dependent foraging behaviour and habitat associations of two sympatric marine top predators.

ABSTRACT:

Context

Theoretical research has considered how animals should optimise foraging strategies to maximise fitness, adapting search scale to exploit different habitats and minimise competition. Empirical studies have described multi-scale area-restricted search (ARS) strategies for some species, but the physical and biological mechanisms underpinning such behaviour are rarely studied.

Objectives

Our objectives were to quantify the presence, prevalence, and habitat associations of scale-dependent foraging for two sympatric seal species, accounting for regional variation across the seascape.

Methods

We analyse a GPS telemetry dataset of 116 grey (Halichoerus grypus) and 325 harbour seals (Phoca vitulina) tracked throughout the North Sea. We test the existence

SUBMITTER: Carter MID 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12811352 | biostudies-literature | 2026

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature