DOI: 10.5061/dryad.14v89
title: Data from: Physiological, morphological, and ecological tradeoffs influence vertical habitat use of deep-diving toothed-whales in the Bahamas

description: Dive capacity among toothed whales (suborder: Odontoceti) has been shown
 to generally increase with body mass in a relationship closely linked to
 the allometric scaling of metabolic rates. However, two odontocete species
 tagged in this study, the Blainville’s beaked whale Mesoplodon
 densirostris and the Cuvier’s beaked whale Ziphius cavirostris, confounded
 expectations of a simple allometric relationship, with exceptionally long
 (mean: 46.1 min & 65.4 min) and deep dives (mean: 1129 m &
 1179 m), and comparatively small body masses (med.: 842.9 kg &
 1556.7 kg). These two species also exhibited exceptionally long recovery
 periods between successive deep dives, or inter-deep-dive intervals (M.
 densirostris: med. 62 min; Z. cavirostris: med. 68 min). We examined
 competing hypotheses to explain observed patterns of vertical habitat use
 based on body mass, oxygen binding protein concentrations, and
 inter-deep-dive intervals in an assemblage of five sympatric toothed
 whales species in the Bahamas. Hypotheses were evaluated using dive data
 from satellite tags attached to the two beaked whales (M. densirostris, n
 = 12; Z. cavirostris, n = 7), as well as melon-headed whales Peponocephala
 electra (n = 13), short-finned pilot whales Globicephala macrorhynchus (n
 = 15), and sperm whales Physeter macrocephalus (n = 27). Body mass and
 myoglobin concentration together explained only 36% of the variance in
 maximum dive durations. The inclusion of inter-deep-dive intervals,
 substantially improved model fits (R2 = 0.92). This finding supported a
 hypothesis that beaked whales extend foraging dives by exceeding aerobic
 dive limits, with the extension of inter-deep-dive intervals corresponding
 to metabolism of accumulated lactic acid. This inference points to
 intriguing tradeoffs between body size, access to prey in different depth
 strata, and time allocation within dive cycles. These tradeoffs and
 resulting differences in habitat use have important implications for
 spatial distribution patterns, and relative vulnerabilities to
 anthropogenic impacts.
description: TAGSA summary of tagged
 individuals. The variables DURATION_MAX and IDDI_MED were calculated from
 the behavior log returned by Argos satellites from SPLASH (Mk10a)
 transmitter tags produced by Wildlife Computers. The variable MASS_MED was
 calculated from models of body mass as a function of standard length. The
 variable MB derived from a variety of literature
 sources.ARGOSLocation estimates and
 time stamps returned by Argos satellites from SPOT5 and SPLASH (Mk10a)
 tags produced by Wildlife Computers. Location error information derives
 from Argos Kalman filtering algorithm.BEHAVA log of dives and
 surface intervals returned by Argos satellites from SPLASH (Mk10a)
 transmitter tags produced by Wildlife Computers. Depths represent the
 maximum depth recorded on a dive, the duration of which was defined as the
 interval between successive dry measurements on the wet-dry sensor. Dives
 that did not exceed 15m was logged as Surface Time.SERIESA moderate resolution
 time series of time-depth recorder (TDR) measurements returned via Argos
 satellites from SPLASH (Mk10a) transmitter tags produced by Wildlife
 Computers.TATHistograms representing
 the proportion of time a tag spent in 12 temperature bins define in 2C
 increments between 4C and 24C TAT histograms were returned by Argos
 satellites from SPOT5 tags produced by Wildlife Computers. TAT were
 collected in 6-hour sampling periods, and sampling periods were programmed
 to begin at 01:00, 07:00, 13:00, or 21:00 local time, so that the majority
 (&gt;80%) of sampling of each TAT histogram fell within either daytime or
 nighttime. TAT histograms that were translated into units of depth using
 the hydrographic data and interpolation methods detailed in Joyce et al.
 (2016).PHYLO_DATAA table of species used to implement a phylogenetic generalized least squares (PGLS) inter-specific comparative analysis. Aside from the five species tagged in this study maximum dive duration (Tmax) and inter-deep-dive interval (IDDI) as well as body mass (m) and myoglobin concentration ([Mb]) derive from literature-reported values or were extracted from supplemental materials.Cetacean_Analysis_Import & Processing_0.6R script importing and processing data files used in the analyses of presented in this paper.Cetacean_Analysis_Functions_0.4General functions used in processing and analyzing data presented in this studyDive_Analysis_Figures_2.4R script detailing the analyses, figures, tables, and text values presented in the paper.