Safety in Social Aggregations: Behavioral Orientation of Pinnipeds at Moriches Bay in Eastern Long Island, New York

Authors: Kristy Houskeeper, Kevin Woo, Kristy Biolsi, Arthur Kopelman

SUNY Campus: Empire State University

Presentation Type: Oral

Location: UUW 324

Presentation #: 5

Timeslot: Session A 9:00-10:00 AM

Abstract: Safety in social aggregations is important for many animals, especially at rest when they are most vulnerable. In these arenas, individuals often trade off the ability to recover with the duty to remain vigilant of their surroundings. Directional orientation to stimuli in the immediate environment may be a critical role for acquiring relevant information, such as predators and other threats. In the wintering months, we observed directional orientation in harbor (Phoca vitulina) and gray seals (Halichoerus grypus) at Cupsogue Beach along Moriches Bay in Eastern Long Island, New York. During this time, we captured photos of hauled-out seals at rest and measured the head and body directional orientation of seals, the orientation of nearest neighbors, and compared this behavior between species (harbor vs. gray) and age (adult vs. juvenile). Our results demonstrated that seals followed a pattern of directional orientation that was predominantly forward, with relatively equal distribution in all other directions, thereby providing a comprehensive scan of their entire immediate environment. Similarly, this pattern is consistent in comparisons between species and age. These findings are also consistent with studies of urban pinniped populations that demonstrated similar directional orientation behavioral distributions. The ability to observe surroundings in all directions implies the importance of vigilance and social communication in aggregations. In doing so, individuals may impart important or relevant environmental information that may impact the safety and survivorship of the group.