Gray wolves on Prince of Wales Island in Alaska are hunting sea otters, forcing scientists to examine how terrestrial predators adapt to marine environments and how these cross-habitat interactions shape coastal ecosystems, according to research led by the University of Rhode Island.
Coastal Wolves Target Marine Prey on Prince of Wales Island
Gray wolves typically hunt land mammals such as deer and moose. On Prince of Wales Island, however, researchers have documented wolves incorporating sea otters into their diets. According to Patrick Bailey, a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Rhode Island who leads the research, this dietary shift highlights a little-known connection between terrestrial and aquatic food webs. While reports of wolves consuming marine prey have existed for more than two decades, the exact mechanics of how these land-based predators capture agile marine animals remain poorly understood, notes Sarah Kienle, who leads the CEAL Lab at the University of Rhode Island.
Stable Isotope Analysis Reveals Dietary History
To determine when wolves began targeting marine prey and how frequently the behavior occurs across generations, Bailey is using stable isotope analysis on wolf teeth. According to the research, teeth grow in layers similar to tree rings, preserving chemical signatures of an animal’s diet over time. By sampling individual growth rings from museum collections and recently deceased animals, scientists can reconstruct individual feeding patterns and measure how common the behavior is across the regional wolf population.
New Technology Aims to Capture Hunting Behavior
Early video footage of coastal wolf activity lacked the resolution necessary to analyze actual hunting methods. To solve this, Bailey installed new trail cameras on Prince of Wales Island during the summer months to capture high-detail observations of wolves interacting with sea otters. Bailey and a trained team of seven students have analyzed more than 250,000 images collected from trail cameras deployed across the rugged, densely forested island since December, working in collaboration with Alaska Department of Fish and Game biologist Gretchen Roffler and local research technician Michael Kampnich.
