Hello all, We are excited to share our paper "Trade-offs between foraging reward and mortality risk drive sex-specific foraging strategies in sexually dimorphic northern elephant seals" that just came out in the Royal Society of Open Science. Authors: Sarah Kienle, Ari Friedlaender, Daniel Crocker, Rita Mehta, and Daniel Costa Abstract: Sex-specific phenotypic differences are widespread throughout the animal kingdom. Reproductive advantages provided by trait differences come at a cost. Here, we link sex-specific foraging strategies to trade-offs between foraging reward and mortality risk in sexually dimorphic northern elephant seals (*Mirounga angustirostris*). We analyse a decadal dataset on movement patterns, dive behaviour, foraging success and mortality rates. Females are deep-diving predators in open ocean habitats. Males are shallow-diving benthic predators in continental shelf habitats. Males gain six times more mass and acquire energy 4.1 times faster than females. High foraging success comes with a high mortality rate. Males are six times more likely to die than females. These foraging strategies and trade-offs are related to different energy demands and life-history strategies. Males use a foraging strategy with a high mortality risk to attain large body sizes necessary to compete for females, as only a fraction of the largest males ever mate. Females use a foraging strategy with a lower mortality risk, maximizing reproductive success by pupping annually over a long lifespan. Our results highlight how sex-specific traits can drive disparity in mortality rates and expand species' niche space. Further, trade-offs between foraging rewards and mortality risk can differentially affect each sex's ability to maximize fitness. The paper is Open Access, and available here: https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.210522. Please reach out to me if you would like a copy of the pdf and are unable to access it. Cheers, Sarah Kienle -- *Sarah S. Kienle, PhD* | she/her/hers Assistant Professor Department of Biology Baylor University Kienle Lab <https://www.sarahskienle.com/>