Niche conformance as a mediator of niche choice in Galápagos sea lions (B07*)

• Subject Area: Ecology and Biodiversity of Animals and Ecosystems, Organismic Interactions ; Sensory and Behavioural Biology ; Evolution, Anthropology
• Term: since 2022
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 316099922

Project B07 uses a long-term, individual-based data set of Galapagos sea lions to link niche conformance and choice in the early environment to later foraging tactics and individual life histories. Pups will be behaviourally phenotyped with personality tests. Time-depth recorders unravelled a foraging polymorphism in adults where some are choosing to forage on the sea floor (benthic foragers), some are pelagic foragers, and some forage at night. These foraging niches are related to hormonal differences and to fitness: when the ocean is warm, benthic foragers have high fitness, when the ocean is cold, pelagic and night-time foragers have high fitness.

• DFG Programme: CRC/Transregios
• Subproject of: TRR 212: A Novel Synthesis of Individualisation across Behaviour, Ecology and Evolution: Niche Choice, Niche Conformance, Niche Construction (NC3)
• Applicant Institution: Universität Bielefeld
• Project Head: Professor Dr. Oliver Krüger