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Fig. 6 | Movement Ecology

Fig. 6

From: Summing the strokes: energy economy in northern elephant seals during large-scale foraging migrations

Fig. 6

Flipper stroking of northern elephant seals (Mirounga angustirostris) follows a predictable pattern along the course of each dive. The top panel shows one foraging dive during the short migration of seal X851, where depth is shown with corresponding swaying acceleration. Grey boxes outline approximately 2.5-min segments of flipper stroking, each representing one of the three main phases of a dive cycle: (a) descent, (b) foraging at depth, and (c) ascent. Note the consistent, high-frequency flipper stroking occurring during ascent, when elephant seals are working against their negative buoyancy at depth in order to surface

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Movement Ecology

ISSN: 2051-3933