In review at Journal of experimental marine biology and ecology
Lauren Bisson, MSES, 2011
We attached sonic transmitters to, and tracked, 40 giant Pacific octopuses (Enteroctopus dofleini) ranging in size from less than 2 pounds 42 pounds in Southcentral Alaska using near-continuous tracking by fixed-array receivers and intermittent tracking with a mobile receiver.
We documented area use, daily activity patterns, spatial scale of movements and whether these differ by octopus size, and whether octopuses actively select habitats. Although more than 90% of their time was spent stationary and hiding, Enteroctopus dofleini were found to: utilize information about its environment (contour following); selects habitats (preference for more kelp cover); and occupy large use areas (minimum convex polygons) by making substantial direct movements from previous use areas.
