Niche partitioning and individual specialisation in resources and space use of sympatric fur seals at their range margin

Niche partitioning and individual specialisation in resources and space use of sympatric fur seals at their range margin | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Niche partitioning and individual specialisation in resources and space use of sympatric fur seals at their range margin Marcus Salton, Vincent Raoult, Ian D Jonsen, Robert Harcourt This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-1475466/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Published Journal Publication published 03 Apr, 2024 Read the published version in Oecologia → Version 1 posted 4 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Ecological theory predicts niche partitioning between high level predators living in sympatry as a strategy to minimise the selective pressure of competition. Accordingly, male Australian fur seals Arctocephalus pusillus doriferus and New Zealand fur seals A. forsteri that live in sympatry should partition their broad niches (in habitat and trophic dimensions) in order to coexist. However, at the northern end of their distributions in Australia both are recolonising their historic range after a long absence due to over-exploitation, and their small population sizes suggest competition should be weak and allow overlap in niche space. We found some niche overlap, yet clear partitioning in diet trophic level (δ 15 N values from vibrissae), movement space (horizontal and vertical telemetry data) and circadian activity patterns (timing of dives) between males of each species, suggesting competition remained an active driver of niche partitioning among individuals in these small, peripheral populations. Consistent with individual specialisation theory, broad niches of populations were associated with high levels of individual specialisation for both species, despite putative low competition. Specialists in isotopic space were not necessarily specialists in movement space, further emphasising their diverse individual strategies for niche partitioning. Males of each species displayed distinct foraging modes, with Australian fur seals primarily benthic and New Zealand fur seals primarily epipelagic, though unexpectedly high individual specialisation for New Zealand fur seals might suggest marginal populations provide exceptions to the pattern generally observed among other fur seals. competition stable isotopes foraging ecology marine predator recovery Full Text Supplementary Files Saltonetal.NicheandIdSpatfursealrangemarginESM.pdf Cite Share Download PDF Status: Published Journal Publication published 03 Apr, 2024 Read the published version in Oecologia → Version 1 posted Reviewers agreed at journal 10 Jul, 2022 Reviewers invited by journal 07 Jul, 2022 Editor assigned by journal 24 Mar, 2022 First submitted to journal 21 Mar, 2022 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-1475466","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":119433967,"identity":"ac6d472d-9c94-44fa-935b-754db35f9508","order_by":0,"name":"Marcus 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