Diets of Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus) in Southeast Alaska, 1993−1999

The diet of Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus) was determined from 1494 scats (feces) collected at breeding (rookeries) and nonbreeding (haulout) sites in Southeast Alaska from 1993 to 1999. The most common prey of 61 species identified were walleye pollock (Theragra chalcogramma), Pacific herring (Clupea pallasii), Pacific sand lance (Ammodytes hexapterus), Pacific salmon (Salmonidae), arrowtooth flounder (Atheresthes stomias), rockfish (Sebastes spp.), skates (Rajidae), and cephalopods (squid and octopus). Steller sea lion diets at the three Southeast Alaska rookeries differed significantly from one another. The sea lions consumed the most diverse range of prey categories during summer, and the least diverse during fall. Diet was more diverse in Southeast Alaska during the 1990s than in any other region of Alaska (Gulf of Alaska and Aleutian Islands). Dietary differences between increasing and declining populations of Steller sea lions in Alaska correlate with rates of population change, and add credence to the view that diet may have played a role in the decline of sea lions in the Gulf of Alaska and Aleutian Islands

Prey consumption of Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus) off Alaska: How much prey do they require?

The effects of seasonal and regional differences in diet composition on the food requirements of Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus) were estimated by using a bioenergetic model. The model considered differences in the energy density of the prey, and differences in digestive efficiency and the heat increment of feeding of different diets. The model predicted that Steller sea lions in southeast Alaska required 45–60% more food per day in early spring (March) than after the breeding season in late summer (August) because of seasonal changes in the energy density of the diets (along with seasonal changes in energy requirements). The southeast Alaska population, at 23,000 (±1660 SD) animals (all ages), consumed an estimated 140,000 (±27,800) t of prey in 1998. In contrast, we estimated that the 51,000 (±3680) animals making up the western Alaska population in the Gulf of Alaska and Aleutian Islands consumed just over twice this amount (303,000 [±57,500] t). In terms of biomass removed in 1998 from Alaskan waters, we estimated that Steller sea lions accounted for about 5% of the natural mortality of gadids (pollock and cod) and up to 75% of the natural mortality of hexagrammids (adult Atka mackerel). These two groups of species were consumed in higher amounts than any other. The predicted average daily food requirement per individual ranged from 16 (±2.8) to 20 (±3.6) kg (all ages combined). Per capita food requirements differed by as much as 24% between regions of Alaska depending on the relative amounts of low–energy-density prey (e.g. gadids) versus high–energy-density prey (e.g. forage fish and salmon) consumed. Estimated requirements were highest in regions where Steller sea lions consumed higher proportions of low–energy-density prey and experienced the highest rates of population declin

Southern resident killer whales encounter higher prey densities than northern resident killer whales during summer

© The Author(s), 2021. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in Sato, M., Trites, A. W., & Gauthier, S. Southern resident killer whales encounter higher prey densities than northern resident killer whales during summer. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, 78(11), (2021): 1732–1743, https://doi.org/10.1139/cjfas-2020-0445.The decline of southern resident killer whales (Orcinus orca) may be due to a shortage of prey, but there is little data to test this hypothesis. We compared the availability of prey (Chinook salmon, Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) sought by southern residents in Juan de Fuca Strait during summer with the abundance and distribution of Chinook available to the much larger and growing population of northern resident killer whales feeding in Johnstone Strait. We used ship-based multifrequency echosounders to identify differences in prey fields that may explain the dynamics of these two killer whale populations. Contrary to expectations, we found that both killer whale habitats had patchy distributions of prey that did not differ in their frequencies of occurrence, nor in the size compositions of individual fish. However, the density of fish within each patch was 4–6 times higher in the southern resident killer whale habitat. These findings do not support the hypothesis that southern resident killer whales are experiencing a prey shortage in the Salish Sea during summer and suggest a combination of other factors is affecting overall foraging success.This study was funded by Fisheries and Oceans Canada

Competition between fisheries and marine mammals for prey and primary production in the Pacific Ocean

The degree of competition between fisheries and marine mammals in the Pacific Ocean was estimated for 7 statistical areas defined by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Catch statistics compiled from FAO sources show that the amount of fish caught in the Pacific Ocean rose from 2 million tons in the late-1940s to over 50 million tons in the early-1990s. Recent stagnation and declines occurring in some areas of the Pacific suggest that Pacific fisheries cannot continue to expand as they had previously. Based on estimates of population size, total biomass and daily consumption rates, it was estimated that the 84 species of marine mammals inhabiting the Pacific Ocean consume about three times as much food as humans harvest. A large fraction (>60%) of the food caught by marine mammals consisted of deep sea squids and very small deep sea fishes not harvestable by humans, thus limiting the extent of direct competition between fisheries and marine mammals. Moreover, the most important consumers of commercially exploited fish are other predatory fish, not marine mammals. Although direct competition between fisheries and marine mammals for prey appears rather limited, there may be considerable indirect competition for primary production. The primary production required to sustain marine mammals in each of the 7 FAO areas varies within a narrow range, suggesting that the diversity and abundance of marine mammals may have slowly evolved to fully exploit their niche and maximize their use of available primary production. This contrasts with the rapid expansion of fisheries and their relatively recent dependence on primary production, which may have led to what we call 'food web competition'

Sizes of walleye pollock (Theragra chalcogramma) consumed by the eastern stock of Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus) in Southeast Alaska from 1994 to 1999

Lengths of walleye pollock (Theragra chalcogramma) consumed by Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus) were estimated by using allometric regressions applied to seven diagnostic cranial structures recovered from 531 scats collected in Southeast Alaska between 1994 and 1999. Only elements in good and fair condition were selected. Selected structural measurements were corrected for loss of size due to erosion by using experimentally derived condition-specific digestion correction factors. Correcting for digestion increased the estimated length of fish consumed by 23%, and the average mass of fish consumed by 88%. Mean corrected fork length (FL) of pollock consumed was 42.4 ±11.6 cm (range=10.0−78.1 cm, n=909). Adult pollock (FL>45.0 cm) occurred more frequently in scats collected from rookeries along the open ocean coastline of Southeast Alaska during June and July (74% adults, mean FL=48.4 cm) than they did in scats from haul-outs located in inside waters between October and May (51% adults, mean FL=38.4 cm). Overall, the contribution of juvenile pollock (≤20 cm) to the sea lion diet was insignificant; whereas adults contributed 44% to the diet by number and 74% by mass. On average, larger pollock were eaten in summer at rookeries throughout Southeast Alaska than at rookeries in the Gulf of Alaska and the Bering Sea. Overall it appears that Steller sea lions are capable of consuming a wide size range of pollock, and the bulk of fish fall between 20 and 60 cm. The use of cranial hard parts other than otoliths and the application of digestion correction factors are fundamental to correctly estimating the sizes of prey consumed by sea lions and determining the extent that these sizes overlap with the sizes of pollock caught by commercial fisheries

Perbedaan Persepsi Risiko Audit, Materialitas dan Kualitas Audit Sebelum dan Sesudah Implementasi Ketentuan Pidana UU No. 5 Tahun 2011 Tentang Akuntan Publik (Studi Persepsi pada Kantor Akuntan Publik Surabaya)

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk memperoleh data informasi dalam hal bukti empiris tentang perbedaan persepsiauditor dalam menentukan risiko audit, tingkat materialitas dan kualitas audit sebelum dan sesudahpelaksanaan ketentuan pidana UU No 5 tahun 2011 tentang akuntan publik.Populasi dalam penelitian ini adalah auditor yang bekerja pada Kantor Akuntan Publik (PAF) di Surabayasebagai 46 PAF. Auditor dipilih sebagai sampel dalam penelitian ini adalah auditor yang menjabat sebagaipartner, manajer, pengawas dan senior. Data yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah data primer dengankuesioner yang dibagikan sebanyak 236 kuesioner. Metode analisis yang digunakan dalam penelitian iniadalah uji beda dengan menggunakan paired sample t-test.Hasil penelitian ini menunjukkan ada perbedaan persepsi auditor dalam menentukan risiko audit, tingkatmaterialitas dan kualitas audit sebelum dan sesudah pelaksanaan ketentuan pidana UU No 5 tahun 2011tentang akuntan publik.Keyword : Risiko audit, Materialitas, kualitas Audit, ketentuan pidana dan UU Nomor 5 tahun 2011 tentangakuntan publik

Flipper strokes can predict energy expenditure and locomotion costs in free-ranging northern and Antarctic fur seals

Acknowledgements We thank Alistair Baylis, Rachel Orben, Michelle Barbieri, Nory El Ksabi, Malcolm O’Toole and Jade Vacquie-Garcia for their help in collecting the data. We are also thankful to the Institut Paul-Emile Victor for their logistic and financial support to the Kerguelen field season, and to NPRB and NSERC for their contribution in funding this project.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Modelling multi-scale state-switching functional data with hidden Markov models

Data sets comprised of sequences of curves sampled at high frequencies in time are increasingly common in practice, but they can exhibit complicated dependence structures that cannot be modelled using common methods of Functional Data Analysis (FDA). We detail a hierarchical approach which treats the curves as observations from a hidden Markov model (HMM). The distribution of each curve is then defined by another fine-scale model which may involve auto-regression and require data transformations using moving-window summary statistics or Fourier analysis. This approach is broadly applicable to sequences of curves exhibiting intricate dependence structures. As a case study, we use this framework to model the fine-scale kinematic movement of a northern resident killer whale (Orcinus orca) off the coast of British Columbia, Canada. Through simulations, we show that our model produces more interpretable state estimation and more accurate parameter estimates compared to existing methods.Comment: 23 pages, 8 figures, 2 tables. Supplementary material appended to submissio

Bowhead whales use two foraging strategies in response to fine-scale differences in zooplankton vertical distribution

© The Author(s), 2020. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in Fortune, S. M. E., Ferguson, S. H., Trites, A. W., Hudson, J. M., & Baumgartner, M. F. Bowhead whales use two foraging strategies in response to fine-scale differences in zooplankton vertical distribution. Scientific Reports, 10(1), (2020): 20249, doi:10.1038/s41598-020-76071-9.As zooplanktivorous predators, bowhead whales (Balaena mysticetus) must routinely locate patches of prey that are energy-rich enough to meet their metabolic needs. However, little is known about how the quality and quantity of prey might influence their feeding behaviours. We addressed this question using a new approach that included: (1) multi-scale biologging and unmanned aerial system observations of bowhead whales in Cumberland Sound, Nunavut (Canada), and (2) an optical plankton counter (OPC) and net collections to identify and enumerate copepod prey species through the water column. The OPC data revealed two prey layers comprised almost exclusively of lipid-rich calanoid copepods. The deep layer contained fewer, but larger, particles (10% greater overall biomass) than the shallow prey layer. Dive data indicated that the whales conducted long deep Square-shaped dives (80% of dives; averaging depth of 260.4 m) and short shallow Square-shaped dives (16%; averaging depth of 22.5 m) to feed. The whales tended to dive proportionally more to the greater biomass of zooplankton that occurred at depth. Combining behavioural recordings with prey sampling showed a more complex feeding ecology than previously understood, and provides a means to evaluate the energetic balance of individuals under current environmental conditions.Funding was awarded to S.H.F and provided by: Fisheries and Oceans Canada (Emerging Fisheries), World Wildlife Fund Canada (Arctic Species Conservation Fund), Nunavut Wildlife Research Trust Fund, Nunavut General Monitoring Program, Ocean Tracking Network and ArcticNet Centre of Excellence. Personal support was awarded to S.M.E.F and provided by Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council Canadian Graduate Scholarship, Northern Scientific Training Program (Canadian Polar Commission), The Molson Foundation and the W.Garfield Weston Foundation

A method to improve size estimates of walleye pollock (Theragra chalcogramma) Atka mackerel (Pleurogrammus monopterygius) consumed by pinnipeds: digestion correction factors applied to bones and otoliths recovered in scats

The lengths of otoliths and other skeletal structures recovered from the scats of pinnipeds, such as Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus), correlate with body size and can be used to estimate the length of prey consumed. Unfortunately, otoliths are often found in too few scats or are too digested to usefully estimate prey size. Alternative diagnostic bones are frequently recovered, but few bone-size to prey-size correlations exist and bones are also reduced in size by various degrees owing to digestion. To prevent underestimates in prey sizes consumed techniques are required to account for the degree of digestion of alternative bones prior to estimating prey size. We developed a method (using defined criteria and photo-reference material) to assign the degree of digestion for key cranial structures of two prey species: walleye pollock (Theragra chalcogramma) and Atka mackerel (Pleurogrammus monopterygius). The method grades each structure into one of three condition categories; good, fair or poor. We also conducted feeding trials with captive Steller sea lions, feeding both fish species to determine the extent of erosion of each structure and to derive condition-specific digestion correction factors to reconstruct the original sizes of the structures consumed. In general, larger structures were relatively more digested than smaller ones. Mean size reduction varied between different types of structures (3.3−26.3%), but was not influenced by the size of the prey consumed. Results from the observations and experiments were combined to be able to reconstruct the size of prey consumed by sea lions and other pinnipeds. The proposed method has four steps: 1) measure the recovered structures and grade the extent of digestion by using defined criteria and photo-reference collection; 2) exclude structures graded in poor condition; 3) multiply measurements of structures in good and fair condition by their appropriate digestion correction factors to derive their original size; and 4) calculate the size of prey from allometric regressions relating corrected structure measurements to body lengths. This technique can be readily applied to piscivore dietary studies that use hard remains of fish