Environmental context explains Lévy and Brownian movement patterns of marine predators

Nicolas E. Humphries, Nuno Queiroz, Jennifer R. M. Dyer, Nicolas G. Pade, Michael K. Musyl, Kurt M. Schaefer, Daniel W. Fuller, Juerg M. Brunnschweiler, Thomas K. Doyle, Jonathan D. R. Houghton, Graeme C. Hays, Catherine S. Jones, Leslie R. Noble, Victoria J. Wearmouth, Emily J. Southall and David W. Sims ()
Additional contact information
Nicolas E. Humphries: Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, The Laboratory, Citadel Hill, Plymouth PL1 2PB, UK
Nuno Queiroz: Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, The Laboratory, Citadel Hill, Plymouth PL1 2PB, UK
Jennifer R. M. Dyer: Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, The Laboratory, Citadel Hill, Plymouth PL1 2PB, UK
Nicolas G. Pade: Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, The Laboratory, Citadel Hill, Plymouth PL1 2PB, UK
Michael K. Musyl: Joint Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Kewalo Research Facility/NOAA Fisheries, 1125-B Ala Mona Boulevard, Honolulu, Hawaii 96814, USA
Kurt M. Schaefer: Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission, 8604 La Jolla Shores Drive, La Jolla, California 92037-1508, USA
Daniel W. Fuller: Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission, 8604 La Jolla Shores Drive, La Jolla, California 92037-1508, USA
Juerg M. Brunnschweiler: ETH Zurich, Raemistrasse 101, CH-8092 Zurich, Switzerland
Thomas K. Doyle: Coastal and Marine Resources Centre, ERI, University College Cork, Glucksman Marine Facility, Naval Base, Haulbowline, Cobh, Cork, Ireland
Jonathan D. R. Houghton: School of Biological Sciences, Queen’s University Belfast, Medical Biology Centre, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK
Graeme C. Hays: Institute of Environmental Sustainability, Swansea University, Singleton Park, Swansea SA2 8PP, UK
Catherine S. Jones: Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Tillydrone Avenue, Aberdeen AB24 2TZ, UK
Leslie R. Noble: Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Tillydrone Avenue, Aberdeen AB24 2TZ, UK
Victoria J. Wearmouth: Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, The Laboratory, Citadel Hill, Plymouth PL1 2PB, UK
Emily J. Southall: Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, The Laboratory, Citadel Hill, Plymouth PL1 2PB, UK
David W. Sims: Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, The Laboratory, Citadel Hill, Plymouth PL1 2PB, UK

Nature, 2010, vol. 465, issue 7301, 1066-1069

Abstract: Patterns of predation What is the best way to find food in a habitat where food sources are patchy and unpredictable? Theory suggests that organisms hunting for food should adopt a Lévy-flight search strategy, a variant of a 'random walk' in which short exploratory hops are interspersed with occasional longer trips. But when predators find themselves amid abundant food, simple erratic or 'Brownian' movement should suffice. Clear evidence for true Lévy-flight-style foraging in wild animals has proved elusive, but an analysis of a large data set of 14 species of marine predators, including sharks, marlin and tuna, now proves the point. Electronic tagging reveals that the fish use Lévy behaviour when swimming in less productive waters where prey is sparse and Brownian movement in productive habitats.

Date: 2010
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DOI: 10.1038/nature09116

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