Field metabolic rate (FMR) is a holistic measure of metabolism representing the routine energy utilization of a species living within a specific ecological context, thus providing insight into its ecology, fitness and resilience to environmental stressors. For animals which cannot be easily observed in the wild, FMR can also be used in concert with dietary data to quantitatively assess their role as consumers, improving understanding of the trophic linkages that structure food webs and allowing for informed management decisions. Here we modeled the FMR of Greenland sharks (Somniosus microcephalus) equipped with biologger packages or pop-up archival satellite tags (PSATs) in two coastal inlets of Baffin Island (Nunavut) using metabolic scaling relationships for mass, temperature and activity. We estimated that Greenland sharks had an overall mean FMR of 21.67±2.30 mgO2h−1kg−0.84 (n=30; 1-4 day accelerometer package deployments) while residing inside these cold-water fjord systems in the late summer, and 25.48±0.47 mgO2h−1kg−0.84 (n=6; PSATs) over an entire year. When considering prey consumption rate, an average shark in these systems (224kg) requires a maintenance ration of 61-193g of fish or marine mammal prey daily. As a lethargic polar species, these low FMR estimates, and corresponding prey consumption estimates suggest Greenland sharks require very little energy to sustain themselves under natural conditions. These data provide the first characterization of the energetics and consumer role of this vulnerable and understudied species in the wild, essential given growing pressures from climate change and expanding commercial fisheries in the Arctic.
ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT
RESEARCH ARTICLE|
08 March 2022
Life in the slow lane: Field Metabolic Rate and Prey Consumption Rate of the Greenland Shark (Somniosus microcephalus) modeled using Archival Biologgers
Eric Ste-Marie
,
Eric Ste-Marie
*
1
Department of Integrative Biology, University of Windsor, Windsor, ON, N9B 3P4
, Canada
*Author for correspondence: stemari@uwindsor.ca
Search for other works by this author on:
Yuuki Y. Watanabe,
Yuuki Y. Watanabe
2
National Institute of Polar Research, Tachikawa, Tokyo, 190-8518
, Japan
3
Department of Polar Science, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, SOKENDAI, Tachikawa, Tokyo, 190-8518
, Japan
Search for other works by this author on:
Jayson M. Semmens,
Jayson M. Semmens
4
Fisheries and Aquaculture Centre, Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Taroona, TAS, 7053
, Australia
Search for other works by this author on:
Marianne Marcoux,
Marianne Marcoux
5
Freshwater Institute, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, 501 University Crescent, Winnipeg, MB, R3T 2N6
, Canada
Search for other works by this author on:
Nigel E. Hussey
Nigel E. Hussey
1
Department of Integrative Biology, University of Windsor, Windsor, ON, N9B 3P4
, Canada
Search for other works by this author on:
Eric Ste-Marie
*
1
Department of Integrative Biology, University of Windsor, Windsor, ON, N9B 3P4
, Canada
Yuuki Y. Watanabe
2
National Institute of Polar Research, Tachikawa, Tokyo, 190-8518
, Japan
3
Department of Polar Science, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, SOKENDAI, Tachikawa, Tokyo, 190-8518
, Japan
Jayson M. Semmens
4
Fisheries and Aquaculture Centre, Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Taroona, TAS, 7053
, Australia
Marianne Marcoux
5
Freshwater Institute, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, 501 University Crescent, Winnipeg, MB, R3T 2N6
, Canada
Nigel E. Hussey
1
Department of Integrative Biology, University of Windsor, Windsor, ON, N9B 3P4
, Canada
*Author for correspondence: stemari@uwindsor.ca
Received:
17 Jun 2021
Accepted:
24 Feb 2022
Online ISSN: 1477-9145
Print ISSN: 0022-0949
J Exp Biol jeb.242994.
Article history
Received:
17 Jun 2021
Accepted:
24 Feb 2022
Currently Viewing Accepted Manuscript - Newer Version Available
06 Apr 2022
Citation
Eric Ste-Marie, Yuuki Y. Watanabe, Jayson M. Semmens, Marianne Marcoux, Nigel E. Hussey; Life in the slow lane: Field Metabolic Rate and Prey Consumption Rate of the Greenland Shark (Somniosus microcephalus) modeled using Archival Biologgers. J Exp Biol 2022; jeb.242994. doi: https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.242994
Download citation file: