Auto-correlation function (ACF) plots of one-step-ahead residuals for longitude and latitude from the best-supported move persistence mixed-effects model.

Auto-correlation function (ACF) plots of one-step-ahead residuals for longitude and latitude from the best-supported move persistence mixed-effects model.</p

Fig 1 -

Bathymetry of the Scotian Shelf and surrounding regions with the 100 m and 200 m isobaths (black lines), Sable Island (red circle), and topographical features mentioned in text: (1) Gulf of Maine (2) LaHave Basin, (3) Emerald Basin, (4) Emerald Bank, (5) Sable Bank, (6) Middle Bank, (7) Misaine Bank, (8) Banquereau Bank, (9) the Laurentian Channel, (10) Gulf of St. Lawrence, (11) Western Shelf, and (12) Grand Banks. Bathymetric data acquired from the NOAA ETOPO1 database [59].</p

Fig 4 -

Fastloc GPS tracks from 22 naïve grey seal pups instrumented with SPLASH 10-AF satellite-linked transmitters (www.wildlifecomputers.com) on Sable Island during the 2016 breeding season showing locations interpolated at a six-hour time step coloured as a gradient for (a) move persistence (γt) estimated using the best-supported move persistence mixed-effects model and (b) weeks at sea.</p

Move persistence estimates (γ_t) from the best-supported move persistence mixed-effects model fitted to Fastloc GPS location data from 22 naïve grey seal pups interpolated at a six-hour time step.

Plots display individual (coloured lines) random effects and group (blue line) fixed effects responses for continuous predictors and include weaning body mass (kg) and length (cm), the post-weaning duration (d), week number, the distance to nearest shore (km), and ln-transformed water column depth (m); the effect of sex is not shown.</p

Fig 2 -

Fastloc GPS tracks of naïve grey seal pups instrumented with SPLASH 10-AF satellite-linked transmitters (www.wildlifecomputers.com) on Sable Island during the 2016 breeding season separated by sex where (a) female tracks (n = 12) and (b) male (n = 11). Individuals pup tracks are represented by unique colours with the 200 m isobath included (black lines) to highlight the edge of the continental shelf. Bathymetric data were acquired from the NOAA ETOPO1 database (NOAA 2009).</p

Type and characteristics of individual trips performed by naïve grey seal pups (n = 19) instrumented with SPLASH 10-AF satellite-linked transmitters (www.wildlifecomptuers.com) on Sable Island in 2016.

Trips were assigned to one of three types: (A) return trip to Sable Island (natal colony), (B) trip between Sable Island and a non-Sable Island haulout location, or (C) trip between two non-Sable Island haulout locations. Trip characteristics included total trip surface distance (km), trip duration (d), average surface speed (km h-1), and haulout duration (h). Not applicable (NA) values for haulout duration indicate that no subsequent trips were performed following the haulout. (DOCX)</p

Trip characteristics comparing < 5-month-old pups (this study) to all other age classes [26, 37] including trip duration (d), surface speed (km h^-1), distance to shore (km), water depth (m), and haulout duration (h).

For consistency with previous research, mean ± standard errors [26] are presented for all response variables and if needed, standard deviations were converted to standard errors using reported sample sizes [37]. Surface speed presented for < 5-month pups includes all at-sea locations but for other age classes includes only travel segments of trips.</p

Model rankings by the change in the Akaike information criterion (ΔAIC_c) and log likelihood for the linear mixed-effects model for ln-transformed trip duration (d) fit to trip data from 18 naïve grey seal pups.

The number of degrees of freedom (df), log-Likelihood (LL), second-order Akaike Information Criterion (AICc), difference in AICc from that of the best-supported model (ΔAICc), and Akaike weight (wi) are presented. The best-supported model is indicated in bold. Coefficient estimates, standard errors, and t-values of predictor variables are shown for the best-supported model.</p

Model selection for the move persistence mixed effects model fitted to 22 naïve grey seal pup tracks interpolated at a six-hour time step and estimate move persistence (γ_t).

Fixed effects: week = week of tracking, body mass and length at weaning, postwean = time between weaning and first trip to sea, distshore = distance nearest 0 m isobath, and depth = ln-transformed water column depth. Pup identity is included as a random intercept. The number of degrees of freedom (df), log-Likelihood (LL), second-order Akaike Information Criterion (AICc), difference in AICc from that of the best-supported model (ΔAICc), and Akaike weight (wi) are presented. The best-supported model is indicated in bold. Coefficient estimates, standard errors, and p-values of predictor variables are shown for the best-supported move persistence mixed-effects model. Coefficients with significant p-values are indicated in bold. The quantile range (5% and 95%) of parameter estimates from leave-one-out cross validation of the most parsimonious model are presented with the estimated trend (Est Trend) which represents the percentage of cross validation models where the estimated coefficients fall within the 95% confidence intervals of the parameter estimates from the model including all individuals.</p

S3 Fig -

Plots of the one-step-ahead residuals for longitude and latitude from the best-supported move persistence mixed-effects model and the covariates week (top), distance to shore (middle), and ln-transformed depth (bottom). There are no obvious patterns between the residuals and covariates other than some evidence for unequal variance, which suggests that the linear assumption is adequate. (PDF)</p