HOME >> BIOLOGY >> NEWS
Tracking sperm whales and jumbo squid

The sperm whale and its large prey, the jumbo squid, are among the deepest divers in the ocean, routinely reaching depths of 3,000 feet or more. Now, in a new study, a team of marine scientists reports the successful tagging of sperm whales and jumbo squid swimming together off Mexicos Pacific coastthe first time that electronic tracking devices have been applied simultaneously to deep-diving predators and prey in the same waters.

The research team included principal investigator William Gilly, professor of biological sciences at Stanford University, and lead author Randall Davis, professor of marine biology at Texas A&M University-Galveston. Their results, published in the March 12 edition of the journal Marine Ecology Progress Series (MEPS), raise new questions about the diving behavior of both species.

"Sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) and jumbo squid (Dosidicus gigas) are both major predators that spend much of their lives in one of the worlds largest ecosystems, the mesopelagic zone [650 to 3,300 feet below sea level]," the authors wrote. "How sperm whales search for, detect and capture their prey remains uncertain."

To find out, the researchers traveled to the Gulf of California, also called the Sea of Corteza narrow stretch of ocean that separates the Mexican mainland from the Baja Peninsula.

"The central Gulf of California is a uniquely advantageous location to study the behavioral ecology of sperm whales and their squid prey," the authors wrote. "Sperm whales are abundant year-round and appear to feed heavily on jumbo squid, a species that is easily captured and amenable to tagging. To our knowledge, this is the first attempt to simultaneously study a mesopelagic predator and its prey using electronic tagging techniques."

Size matters

The jumbo (or Humboldt) squid is a large cephalopod species found only in the Pacific. A mature jumbo squid can weigh more than 100 pounds and grow mor
'"/>

Contact: Mark Shwartz
mshwartz@stanford.edu
650-723-9296
Stanford University
8-Mar-2007


Page: 1 2 3 4 5 6

Related biology news :

1. Gut check: Tracking the ecosystem within us
2. Tracking genes for self-pollination in arabidopsis
3. Tracking diseases by bait, plane, insects and fowl
4. Tracking membranes of rupturing blood cells sheds light on malaria infection
5. Tracking a killer: Observing liver invasion by malarial parasites
6. Tracking orangutans from the sky
7. Cigarette smoke alters DNA in sperm, genetic damage could pass to offspring
8. First research to show that diabetes damages DNA in mens sperm and may affect fertility
9. Early-stage sperm cells created from human bone marrow
10. Maternal beef diet could impact sperm counts, UR study suggests
11. Link between beef consumption during pregnancy and reduced sperm quality in sons

Post Your Comments:
*Name:
*Comment:
*Email:
TAG: Tracking sperm whales and jumbo squid

(Date:5/24/2013)... Cancer cells spread and grow by avoiding detection and ... system can help to eliminate cancer cells; however, there ... ignore cancer cells. Regulatory T cells are immune cells ... this issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation ... found that regulatory T cells that infiltrate tumors express ...
(Date:5/24/2013)... water scientists from around the world today issued a ... span of one or two generations, the majority of ... under the handicap of severe pressure on fresh water, ... no substitute. This handicap will be self-inflicted and is, ... to chronic underlying problems led by mismanagement and sent ...
(Date:5/23/2013)... ships per year, carrying more than 284 million tons of ... billion dollars in toll fees for the Panama Canal Authority. ... gallons of water are used from Gatun Lake, which is ... living in the isthmus. , However, the advent of ... of the ships at sea, has demanded change. The Panama ...
Breaking Biology News(10 mins):A majority on Earth face severe self-inflicted water woes within 2 generations: Scientists 2A majority on Earth face severe self-inflicted water woes within 2 generations: Scientists 3A majority on Earth face severe self-inflicted water woes within 2 generations: Scientists 4Reforestation study shows trade-offs between water, carbon and timber 2Reforestation study shows trade-offs between water, carbon and timber 3
(Date:5/24/2013)... Vestiage, Inc. (stock symbol "VEST") a publicly ... and development, sales and marketing of premium branded ... that it is awarding exclusive Vestiage territories in ... Skin Illuminating Facial Care. Qualified applicants can request ... email to info(at)vestiageinc(dot)com and putting RELUMA in the ...
(Date:5/23/2013)... Every day, their baby stopped breathing, his collapsed ... lungs. April and Bryan Gionfriddo watched helplessly, just praying ... a few doctors said he had a good chance ... about her now 20-month-old son, Kaiba. "At that point, ... take it and run with it." , They found ...
(Date:5/23/2013)... Can economic incentives such as gift ... of the public to increase their donations of blood? ... Carey Business School Assistant Professor Mario Macis says ... large body of recent research that supports their argument, ... issue of Science that the World Health Organization and ...
(Date:5/23/2013)... , May 23, 2013 PuraMed ... developer, and marketer of over-the-counter (OTC) medicinal and ... research opinion on the company based on low ... , Non-Prescription, All Natural Product to Treat ... Product Outperforms #1 Prescription Competitor , Currently ...
Breaking Biology Technology:Vestiage Announces Launch of Exclusive Territories for Reluma Brand Sales in USA 2Vestiage Announces Launch of Exclusive Territories for Reluma Brand Sales in USA 3Vestiage Announces Launch of Exclusive Territories for Reluma Brand Sales in USA 4Vestiage Announces Launch of Exclusive Territories for Reluma Brand Sales in USA 5Baby's life saved with groundbreaking 3-D printed device that restored his breathing 2Baby's life saved with groundbreaking 3-D printed device that restored his breathing 3Offering Economic Incentives to Attract Blood Donations Should Be Encouraged, Research Team writes in Science 2Offering Economic Incentives to Attract Blood Donations Should Be Encouraged, Research Team writes in Science 3PuraMed BioScience (PMBS) Issued Alert Based on Market Cap of $721,756 2PuraMed BioScience (PMBS) Issued Alert Based on Market Cap of $721,756 3
Cached News: