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Harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) foraging strategy at a high energy, near-shore site in south-west Wales, UK

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 March 2008

C. Pierpoint
C. Pierpoint*
Affiliation:
Eurydice, 1 Castle Green, Jerico, Dinas Cross, Pembrokeshire, Wales, SA42 0UT, UK
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: C. Pierpoint, Eurydice, 1 Castle Green, Jerico, Dinas Cross, Pembrokeshire, SA42 0UT, UK. email: [email protected]
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Abstract

Harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) visit Ramsey Sound at specific states of tide to feed. The preferred foraging location is high-energy habitat in South Ramsey Sound where a tide race, overfalls and upwelling zones form during the ebb phase. Seabed topography and tidal currents combine to create a foraging resource exploited by harbour porpoises at regular and predictable intervals. Porpoises are observed surfacing repeatedly directly into the tidal stream above and adjacent to, a steep-sided trench on the seabed. Tidal currents and the steep walls of the trench are believed to concentrate prey which is funnelled towards the waiting porpoises. Schools with calves prefer areas on the periphery of the fastest flowing water, where current speeds are lower. The presence of harbour porpoises is restricted almost entirely to the ebb tidal phase, but porpoises regularly occupy this site for the entire ebb phase. Harbour porpoise foraging in a tide race habitat is widely reported from the geographical range of the harbour porpoise and raises issues regarding foraging strategy and the net energetic value of hunting prey in high-energy environments.

Keywords

harbour porpoisePhocoena phocoenaforagingstrategybehaviourtidalcalves
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom , Volume 88 , Special Issue 6: Marine Mammals , September 2008 , pp. 1167 - 1173
Copyright
Copyright © Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 2008

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