Predation Dynamics and Dietary Ecology of Marine Mammals

Marine mammals occupy apex positions in marine food webs, spanning pinnipeds, cetaceans and sirenians. Their predation dynamics and dietary ecology are shaped by physiological requirements, prey availability and environmental variability. Research has revealed that feeding strategies range from deep-diving cetaceans targeting mesopelagic fish to coastal pinnipeds exploiting benthic and pelagic prey. Seasonal migrations, reproductive constraints and human impacts such as overfishing and habitat modification further influence prey selection and consumption rates. Advances in tracking technology, bioenergetic modelling and molecular diet analysis have provided insights into the energetic demands of marine mammals, the demographic consequences of dietary shifts and the role of predation in ecosystem structure. Understanding these interactions is crucial for designing ecosystem-based management, conserving vulnerable populations and reconciling predator recovery with sustainable fisheries on a global scale.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Recent studies have employed high-resolution biotelemetry to map harbour seal movements within dynamic estuarine and coastal environments, revealing how spatial patterns of haul-out and foraging trips correspond with prey distribution and anthropogenic pressures. Seminal bioenergetic modelling over several decades has quantified substantial increases in Chinook salmon consumption by recovering pinniped and killer whale populations, demonstrating that total removals of key fish stocks have risen despite reductions in commercial harvest. These findings highlight the need for integrated, ecosystem-based strategies that balance marine mammal recovery with sustainable fishery yields.

Predation Dynamics and Dietary Ecology of Marine Mammals publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in predation dynamics and dietary ecology of marine mammals across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Biotelemetry: Remote tracking of animal movements and behaviour using electronic tags.

Bioenergetics model: Computational framework estimating energy intake and expenditure to quantify predation rates.

Stable isotope analysis: Method using tissue isotope ratios to infer long-term dietary sources.

Prey biomass consumption: Total mass of prey consumed by a predator, reflecting its ecological impact.

Ecosystem-based management: Holistic approach that considers interactions among species and environmental drivers in resource use.

References

1. Movements and spatial usage of harbour seals in the Elbe estuary in Germany. Scientific Reports (2023).
2. 120‐years of ecological monitoring data shows that the risk of overhunting is increased by environmental degradation for an isolated marine mammal population: The Baltic grey seal. Journal of Animal Ecology (2024).
3. Competing tradeoffs between increasing marine mammal predation and fisheries harvest of Chinook salmon. Scientific Reports (2017).
4. Exposing the grey seal as a major predator of harbour porpoises. Proceedings of the Royal Society B (2015).
5. Large‐scale molecular diet analysis in a generalist marine mammal reveals male preference for prey of conservation concern. Ecology and Evolution (2018).