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| a white shark Carcharodon carcharias encountering Cape fur seals Arctocephalus pusillus pusillus in kelp canopy.
in Jewell, Gleiss, Jorgensen, et al., 2019.
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Abstract
Traditional forms of marine wildlife research are often restricted to coarse telemetry or surface-based observations, limiting information on fine-scale behaviours such as predator–prey events and interactions with habitat features. We use contemporary animal-attached cameras with motion sensing dataloggers, to reveal novel behaviours by white sharks, Carcharodon carcharias, within areas of kelp forest in South Africa. All white sharks tagged in this study spent time adjacent to kelp forests, with several moving throughout densely kelp-covered areas, navigating through channels and pushing directly through stipes and fronds. We found that activity and turning rates significantly increased within kelp forest. Over 28 h of video data revealed that white shark encounters with Cape fur seals, Arctocephalus pusillus pusillus, occurred exclusively within kelp forests, with seals displaying predator evasion behaviour during those encounters. Uniquely, we reveal the use of kelp forest habitat by white sharks, previously assumed inaccessible to these large predators.
Keywords: biologging, animal-borne video and environmental data collection systems (AVEDs), foraging, camera tags
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| Figure 2. Still-picture frames of a white shark encountering Cape fur seals in kelp canopy. (a) AVED footage of a white shark (Shark 5) encountering Cape fur seals. (b) The seals respond to the shark's presence by hunkering to the sea floor and blowing bubble streams as the shark passes overhead or swimming further into the kelp. (c) The shark swims through the bubbles, (d) then through kelp. (e) The shark pursues the seals, making contact with dense kelp fronds at several points and pushing through them. (f) At least three Cape fur seals (indicated by red arrows) are seen taking refuge in the canopy area of the kelp forest fronds and successfully avoiding the white shark. |
Oliver J. D. Jewell , Adrian C. Gleiss , Salvador J. Jorgensen , Samantha Andrzejaczek , Jerry H. Moxley , Stephen J. Beatty , Martin Wikelski , Barbara A. Block and Taylor K. Chapple. 2019. Cryptic Habitat Use of White Sharks in Kelp Forest revealed by Animal-borne Video. Biology Letters. DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2019.0085
Shark's-Eye-View Video Captures Epic Seal Chase Through Kelp Forest shar.es/amT4vE via @LiveScience
