Wiggle and glide: fine-scale telemetry reveals unique diving strategies in benthic-foraging sea snakes
These high-resolution data provide the first insights into the fine-scale diving patterns of benthic-foraging sea snakes. Like surface-foraging species, they appear to regulate air intake based on environmental depth and may be neutrally buoyant in the gradual ascent phase of S-shaped dives. We hypothesise that this phase facilitates efficient horizontal travel, despite potential increases in predation risk. The 'wiggles' observed in H. stokesii may have a functional role in buoyancy control, energy conservation, or foraging. Our study contributes to a deeper understanding of sea snake diving strategies, with implications for their ecology, physiology, and conservation.
Authors
- Olivier Château (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1153-6284)
- Richard Shine (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7529-5657)
- Jenna M. Crowe‐Riddell (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2794-2914)
- Claire Goiran (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1649-4418)
- Vinay Udyawer (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5812-0740)
- Kate L. Sanders (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9581-268X)
- Shannon Coppersmith (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7178-7731)
Institutions
- University of New Caledonia (NC)
- Labex Corail (FR)
- Sharks Pacific (CK)
- The University of Adelaide (AU)
- Macquarie University (AU)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Movement Ecology
- Published
- 2025-08-28
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1186/s40462-025-00592-z
- Citations
- 1
- Primary Topic
- Turtle Biology and Conservation
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 2.31
Funders
- PADI Foundation
- Holsworth Wildlife Research Endowment
- Ecological Society of America
- Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories
- Australian Government
- Ecological Society of Australia
- Minderoo Foundation
- Australian Research Council