Dive Behavior and Spatial Variability of Bearded, Ribbon and Spotted Seals in the Bering and Chukchi Seas

Satellite-linked archival tags (n=68) were deployed on bearded (Erignathus barbatus, n=7), ribbon (Histriophoca fasciata, n=39), and spotted seals (Phoca largha, n=22) in the Bering and Chukchi seas between 2007 and 2012. In addition to location estimates, the tags also record and transmit summarized behavior data on the number of dives, time at depth and dive duration. Previous analyses of the seals’ movements documented the different seasonal patterns of geographic spatial use by the three species. We used the dive behavior data to illustrate further differences between the species in their use of 3-dimensional space. Ribbon seals are the deepest diving of the three species with dives often deeper than 200 m and some exceeding 600 m. The deeper dives more commonly occur in the winter season when ribbon seals are off the shelf and associated with the shelf break or more pelagic habitats.