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Gillies N, Martín López LM, den Ouden OFC, Assink JD, Basille M, Clay TA, Clusella-Trullas S, Joo R, Weimerskirch H, Zampolli M, Zeyl JN, Patrick SC. Albatross movement suggests sensitivity to infrasound cues at sea. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2218679120. [PMID: 37812719 PMCID: PMC10589618 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2218679120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2022] [Accepted: 07/27/2023] [Indexed: 10/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The ways in which seabirds navigate over very large spatial scales remain poorly understood. While olfactory and visual information can provide guidance over short distances, their range is often limited to 100s km, far below the navigational capacity of wide-ranging animals such as albatrosses. Infrasound is a form of low-frequency sound that propagates for 1,000s km in the atmosphere. In marine habitats, its association with storms and ocean surface waves could in effect make it a useful cue for anticipating environmental conditions that favor or hinder flight or be associated with profitable foraging patches. However, behavioral responses of wild birds to infrasound remain untested. Here, we explored whether wandering albatrosses, Diomedea exulans, respond to microbarom infrasound at sea. We used Global Positioning System tracks of 89 free-ranging albatrosses in combination with acoustic modeling to investigate whether albatrosses preferentially orientate toward areas of 'loud' microbarom infrasound on their foraging trips. We found that in addition to responding to winds encountered in situ, albatrosses moved toward source regions associated with higher sound pressure levels. These findings suggest that albatrosses may be responding to long-range infrasonic cues. As albatrosses depend on winds and waves for soaring flight, infrasonic cues may help albatrosses to identify environmental conditions that allow them to energetically optimize flight over long distances. Our results shed light on one of the great unresolved mysteries in nature, navigation in seemingly featureless ocean environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natasha Gillies
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Liverpool, LiverpoolL3 5DA, United Kingdom
| | - Lucía Martina Martín López
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Liverpool, LiverpoolL3 5DA, United Kingdom
- Ipar Perspective Asociación Karabiondo Kalea, Bilbao48600, Spain
| | - Olivier F. C. den Ouden
- Research and Development Seismology and Acoustics, Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute, Utrecht3731GA, Netherlands
- Department of Geoscience and Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Delft2628CD, Netherlands
| | - Jelle D. Assink
- Research and Development Seismology and Acoustics, Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute, Utrecht3731GA, Netherlands
| | - Mathieu Basille
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center, University of Florida, Davie, FL33314
| | - Thomas A. Clay
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Liverpool, LiverpoolL3 5DA, United Kingdom
- Institute of Marine Sciences, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA95064
| | | | - Rocío Joo
- Global Fishing Watch, Washington, DC20036
| | - Henri Weimerskirch
- Ecology of Marine Birds and Mammals, Centre d’Étude Biologique de Chizé, Villiers-en-Bois79360, France
| | - Mario Zampolli
- International Monitoring System Division, Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization, Vienna1400, Austria
| | - Jeffrey N. Zeyl
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town7602, South Africa
| | - Samantha C. Patrick
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Liverpool, LiverpoolL3 5DA, United Kingdom
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2
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King NG, Wilmes SB, Browett SS, Healey A, McDevitt AD, McKeown NJ, Roche R, Skujina I, Smale DA, Thorpe JM, Malham S. Seasonal development of a tidal mixing front drives shifts in community structure and diversity of bacterioplankton. Mol Ecol 2023; 32:5201-5210. [PMID: 37555658 DOI: 10.1111/mec.17097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2023] [Revised: 07/25/2023] [Accepted: 07/28/2023] [Indexed: 08/10/2023]
Abstract
Bacterioplankton underpin biogeochemical cycles and an improved understanding of the patterns and drivers of variability in their distribution is needed to determine their wider functioning and importance. Sharp environmental gradients and dispersal barriers associated with ocean fronts are emerging as key determinants of bacterioplankton biodiversity patterns. We examined how the development of the Celtic Sea Front (CF), a tidal mixing front on the Northwest European Shelf affects bacterioplankton communities. We performed 16S-rRNA metabarcoding on 60 seawater samples collected from three depths (surface, 20 m and seafloor), across two research cruises (May and September 2018), encompassing the intra-annual range of the CF intensity. Communities above the thermocline of stratified frontal waters were clearly differentiated and less diverse than those below the thermocline and communities in the well-mixed waters of the Irish Sea. This effect was much more pronounced in September, when the CF was at its peak intensity. The stratified zone likely represents a stressful environment for bacterioplankton due to a combination of high temperatures and low nutrients, which fewer taxa can tolerate. Much of the observed variation was driven by Synechococcus spp. (cyanobacteria), which were more abundant within the stratified zone and are known to thrive in warm oligotrophic waters. Synechococcus spp. are key contributors to global primary productivity and carbon cycling and, as such, variability driven by the CF is likely to influence regional biogeochemical processes. However, further studies are required to explicitly link shifts in community structure to function and quantify their wider importance to pelagic ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan G King
- Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, The Laboratory, Plymouth, UK
- Centre of Applied Marine Sciences, School of Ocean Sciences, Bangor University, Menai Bridge, UK
| | - Sophie-B Wilmes
- Centre of Applied Marine Sciences, School of Ocean Sciences, Bangor University, Menai Bridge, UK
| | - Samuel S Browett
- Environment and Ecosystem Research Centre, School of Science, Engineering and Environment, University of Salford, Salford, UK
- Molecular Ecology Research Group, Eco-Innovation Research Centre, School of Science and Computing, South East Technological University, Waterford, Ireland
| | - Amy Healey
- Department of Life Sciences, Aberystwyth University, Aberystwyth, UK
| | - Allan D McDevitt
- Department of Natural Resources and Environment, Atlantic Technological University, Galway, Ireland
| | - Niall J McKeown
- Department of Life Sciences, Aberystwyth University, Aberystwyth, UK
| | - Ronan Roche
- Centre of Applied Marine Sciences, School of Ocean Sciences, Bangor University, Menai Bridge, UK
| | - Ilze Skujina
- Department of Life Sciences, Aberystwyth University, Aberystwyth, UK
- School of Biology and Environmental Science, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Dan A Smale
- Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, The Laboratory, Plymouth, UK
| | - Jamie M Thorpe
- Centre of Applied Marine Sciences, School of Ocean Sciences, Bangor University, Menai Bridge, UK
| | - Shelagh Malham
- Centre of Applied Marine Sciences, School of Ocean Sciences, Bangor University, Menai Bridge, UK
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3
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Searle KR, Butler A, Waggitt JJ, Evans PGH, Bogdanova MI, Hobbs NT, Daunt F, Wanless S. Opposing effects of spatiotemporal variation in resources and temporal variation in climate on density dependent population growth in seabirds. J Anim Ecol 2022; 91:2384-2399. [PMID: 36177549 PMCID: PMC10092667 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2021] [Accepted: 09/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Understanding how ecological processes combine to shape population dynamics is crucial in a rapidly changing world. Evidence has been emerging for how fundamental drivers of density dependence in mobile species are related to two differing types of environmental variation-temporal variation in climate, and spatiotemporal variation in food resources. However, to date, tests of these hypotheses have been largely restricted to mid-trophic species in terrestrial environments and thus their general applicability remains unknown. We tested if these same processes can be identified in marine upper trophic level species. We assembled a multi-decadal data set on population abundance of 10 species of colonial seabirds comprising a large component of the UK breeding seabird biomass, and covering diverse phylogenies, life histories and foraging behaviours. We tested for evidence of density dependence in population growth rates using discrete time state-space population models fit to long time-series of observations of abundance at seabird breeding colonies. We then assessed if the strength of density dependence in population growth rates was exacerbated by temporal variation in climate (sea temperature and swell height), and attenuated by spatiotemporal variation in prey resources (productivity and tidal fronts). The majority of species showed patterns consistent with temporal variation in climate acting to strengthen density dependent feedbacks to population growth. However, fewer species showed evidence for a weakening of density dependence with increasing spatiotemporal variation in prey resources. Our findings extend this emerging theory for how different sources of environmental variation may shape the dynamics and regulation of animal populations, demonstrating its role in upper trophic marine species. We show that environmental variation leaves a signal in long-term population dynamics of seabirds with potentially important consequences for their demography and trophic interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Adam Butler
- Bioinformatics and Statistics ScotlandEdinburghUK
| | | | | | | | - N. Thompson Hobbs
- Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory, Department of Ecosystem Science and Sustainability & Graduate Degree Program in EcologyColorado State UniversityFort CollinsColoradoUSA
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4
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Trophic competition in a guild of insectivorous semi-aquatic vertebrates in a Pyrenean headwater stream: diet specialisation in the endangered Galemys pyrenaicus. Mamm Biol 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s42991-022-00265-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
AbstractConservation of vulnerable species in headwater streams requires good knowledge of their resource use and how they interact with competitors. In this study, we characterised the macroinvertebrate community of a Pyrenean headwater stream and assessed how it was used as a food resource—above all, in terms of prey electivity and diet overlap—by three semi-aquatic insectivorous vertebrates (Galemys pyrenaicus, Neomys fodiens and Cinclus cinclus). With this information, we examined the diet specialisation of the vulnerable Pyrenean desman (G. pyrenaicus) in the stream and analysed its implications for its conservation. There was a clear dietary overlap between these three predators, which resulted in interspecific trophic competition. G. pyrenaicus tended to avoid terrestrial prey and focused on abundant and energetically profitable rheophile species, for which it is well adapted. This diet specialisation makes it vulnerable to any decrease in food availability resulting from anthropogenic stressors such as damming, which can reduce habitat quality and prey availability. More research is needed to fully understand prey electivity in G. pyrenaicus and so be able to suggest effective conservation measures for this species.
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5
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Tidal streams, fish, and seabirds: Understanding the linkages between mobile predators, prey, and hydrodynamics. Ecosphere 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.4080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
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6
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Sato T, Yabuhara Y, Okado J, Watanuki Y, Yamauchi A, Kawaguchi Y. At-Sea Habitat Use of Rhinoceros Auklets Breeding in the Shelf Region of Eastern Hokkaido. Zoolog Sci 2022; 39:261-269. [DOI: 10.2108/zs210014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2021] [Accepted: 12/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Takahiro Sato
- Graduate School of Technology, Industrial, and Social Sciences, Tokushima University, 2-1 Minamijosanjima-cho, Tokushima 770-8506, Japan
| | - Yuki Yabuhara
- Graduate School of Technology, Industrial, and Social Sciences, Tokushima University, 2-1 Minamijosanjima-cho, Tokushima 770-8506, Japan
| | - Jumpei Okado
- Graduate School of Fisheries Sciences, Hokkaido University, 3-1-1 Minato-cho, Hakodate, Hokkaido 041-8611, Japan
| | - Yutaka Watanuki
- Graduate School of Fisheries Sciences, Hokkaido University, 3-1-1 Minato-cho, Hakodate, Hokkaido 041-8611, Japan
| | - Akihiro Yamauchi
- Graduate School of Technology, Industrial, and Social Sciences, Tokushima University, 2-1 Minamijosanjima-cho, Tokushima 770-8506, Japan
| | - Yoichi Kawaguchi
- Graduate School of Technology, Industrial, and Social Sciences, Tokushima University, 2-1 Minamijosanjima-cho, Tokushima 770-8506, Japan
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7
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Trevail AM, Green JA, Bolton M, Daunt F, Harris SM, Miller PI, Newton S, Owen E, Polton JA, Robertson G, Sharples J, Patrick SC. Environmental heterogeneity promotes individual specialisation in habitat selection in a widely distributed seabird. J Anim Ecol 2021; 90:2875-2887. [PMID: 34492121 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2020] [Accepted: 08/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Individual specialisations in behaviour are predicted to arise where divergence benefits fitness. Such specialisations are more likely in heterogeneous environments where there is both greater ecological opportunity and competition-driven frequency dependent selection. Such an effect could explain observed differences in rates of individual specialisation in habitat selection, as it offers individuals an opportunity to select for habitat types that maximise resource gain while minimising competition; however, this mechanism has not been tested before. Here, we use habitat selection functions to quantify individual specialisations while foraging by black-legged kittiwakes Rissa tridactyla, a marine top predator, at 15 colonies around the United Kingdom and Ireland, along a gradient of environmental heterogeneity. We find support for the hypothesis that individual specialisations in habitat selection while foraging are more prevalent in heterogeneous environments. This trend was significant across multiple dynamic habitat variables that change over short time-scales and did not arise through site fidelity, which highlights the importance of environmental processes in facilitating behavioural adaptation by predators. Individual differences may drive evolutionary processes, and therefore these results suggest that there is broad scope for the degree of environmental heterogeneity to determine current and future population, species and community dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice M Trevail
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.,Environment and Sustainability Institute, University of Exeter, Penryn, UK
| | - Jonathan A Green
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Mark Bolton
- RSPB Centre for Conservation Science, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, Sandy, UK
| | - Francis Daunt
- Centre for Ecology & Hydrology Edinburgh, Penicuik, UK
| | | | - Peter I Miller
- Remote Sensing Group, Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Plymouth, UK
| | | | - Ellie Owen
- RSPB Centre for Conservation Science, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, Sandy, UK
| | | | - Gail Robertson
- School of Mathematics, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Jonathan Sharples
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Samantha C Patrick
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
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8
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Evans R, Lea MA, Hindell MA. Predicting the distribution of foraging seabirds during a period of heightened environmental variability. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2021; 31:e02343. [PMID: 33817895 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2020] [Revised: 11/26/2020] [Accepted: 12/06/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Quantifying the links between the marine environment, prey occurrence, and predator distribution is the first step towards identifying areas of biological importance for marine spatial planning. Events such as marine heatwaves result in an anomalous change in the physical environment, which can lead to shifts in the structure, biomass, and distribution of lower trophic levels. As central-place foragers, seabirds are vulnerable to changes in their foraging grounds during the breeding season. We first quantified spatiotemporal variability in the occurrence and biomass of prey in response to an abrupt change in oceanography as a result of a marine heatwave event. Secondly, using multivariate techniques and machine learning, we investigated if differences in the foraging technique and prey of seabirds resulted in varying responses to changes in prey occurrence and the environment over a 2.5-yr period. We found that the main variables correlated with seabird distribution were also important in structuring the occurrence and biomass of prey; sea-surface temperature (SST), current speed, mixed-layer depth, and bathymetry. Both zooplankton biomass and the occurrence of fish schools exhibited negative relationships with temperature, and temperature was subsequently an important variable in determining seabird distribution. We were able to establish correlations between the distribution of prey and the spatiotemporal distribution of albatross, little penguins and common-diving petrels. We were unable to find a correlation between the distribution of prey and that of short-tailed shearwaters and fairy prions. For high-use coastal areas, the delineation of important foraging regions is essential to balance human use of an area with the needs of marine predators, particularly seabirds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rhian Evans
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 129, Hobart, Tasmania, 7001, Australia
| | - Mary-Anne Lea
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 129, Hobart, Tasmania, 7001, Australia
- Antarctic Climate and Ecosystems CRC, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 80, Hobart Tasmania, 7001, Australia
| | - Mark A Hindell
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 129, Hobart, Tasmania, 7001, Australia
- Antarctic Climate and Ecosystems CRC, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 80, Hobart Tasmania, 7001, Australia
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9
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Astarloa A, Glennie R, Chust G, García‐Baron I, Boyra G, Martínez U, Rubio A, Louzao M. Niche segregation mechanisms in marine apex predators inhabiting dynamic environments. DIVERS DISTRIB 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.13229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Amaia Astarloa
- AZTI Marine Research Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA) Pasaia Spain
| | - Richard Glennie
- University of St Andrews Centre for Research into Ecological and Environmental Modelling St Andrews Fife UK
| | - Guillem Chust
- AZTI Marine Research Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA) Pasaia Spain
| | - Isabel García‐Baron
- AZTI Marine Research Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA) Pasaia Spain
| | - Guillermo Boyra
- AZTI Marine Research Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA) Pasaia Spain
| | - Udane Martínez
- AZTI Marine Research Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA) Pasaia Spain
| | - Anna Rubio
- AZTI Marine Research Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA) Pasaia Spain
| | - Maite Louzao
- AZTI Marine Research Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA) Pasaia Spain
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10
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Lieber L, Langrock R, Nimmo-Smith WAM. A bird's-eye view on turbulence: seabird foraging associations with evolving surface flow features. Proc Biol Sci 2021; 288:20210592. [PMID: 33906396 PMCID: PMC8079999 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.0592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2021] [Accepted: 04/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding physical mechanisms underlying seabird foraging is fundamental to predict responses to coastal change. For instance, turbulence in the water arising from natural or anthropogenic structures can affect foraging opportunities in tidal seas. Yet, identifying ecologically important localized turbulence features (e.g. upwellings approximately 10-100 m) is limited by observational scale, and this knowledge gap is magnified in volatile predators. Here, using a drone-based approach, we present the tracking of surface-foraging terns (143 trajectories belonging to three tern species) and dynamic turbulent surface flow features in synchrony. We thereby provide the earliest evidence that localized turbulence features can present physical foraging cues. Incorporating evolving vorticity and upwelling features within a hidden Markov model, we show that terns were more likely to actively forage as the strength of the underlying vorticity feature increased, while conspicuous upwellings ahead of the flight path presented a strong physical cue to stay in transit behaviour. This clearly encapsulates the importance of prevalent turbulence features as localized foraging cues. Our quantitative approach therefore offers the opportunity to unlock knowledge gaps in seabird sensory and foraging ecology on hitherto unobtainable scales. Finally, it lays the foundation to predict responses to coastal change to inform sustainable ocean development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lilian Lieber
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Queen's University Belfast, Marine Laboratory, 12–13 The Strand, Portaferry BT22 1PF, Northern Ireland, UK
| | - Roland Langrock
- Department of Business Administration and Economics, Bielefeld University, Postfach 10 01 31, 33501 Bielefeld, Germany
| | - W. Alex M. Nimmo-Smith
- School of Biological and Marine Sciences, University of Plymouth, Drake Circus, Plymouth PL4 8AA, UK
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11
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Phillips JA, Banks AN, Bolton M, Brereton T, Cazenave P, Gillies N, Padget O, van der Kooij J, Waggitt J, Guilford T. Consistent concentrations of critically endangered Balearic shearwaters in UK waters revealed by at-sea surveys. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:1544-1557. [PMID: 33613988 PMCID: PMC7882943 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2020] [Revised: 09/16/2020] [Accepted: 10/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
AIM Europe's only globally critically endangered seabird, the Balearic shearwater (Puffinus mauretanicus), is thought to have expanded its postbreeding range northwards into UK waters, though its at sea distribution there is not yet well understood. This study aims to identify environmental factors associated with the species' presence, map the probability of presence of the species across the western English Channel and southern Celtic Sea, and estimate the number of individuals in this area. LOCATION The western English Channel and southern Celtic Sea. METHODS This study analyses strip transect data collected between 2013 and 2017 from vessel-based surveys in the western English Channel and southern Celtic Sea during the Balearic shearwater's postbreeding period. Using environmental data collected directly and from remote sensors both Generalized Additive Models and the Random Forest machine learning model were used to determine shearwater presence at different locations. Abundance was estimated separately using a density multiplication approach. RESULTS Both models indicated that oceanographic features were better predictors of shearwater presence than fish abundance. Seafloor aspect, sea surface temperature, depth, salinity, and maximum current speed were the most important predictors. The estimated number of Balearic shearwaters in the prediction area ranged from 652 birds in 2017 to 6,904 birds in 2014. MAIN CONCLUSIONS Areas with consistently high probabilities of shearwater presence were identified at the Celtic Sea front. Our estimates suggest that the study area in southwest Britain supports between 2% and 23% of the global population of Balearic shearwaters. Based on the timing of the surveys (mainly in October), it is probable that most of the sighted shearwaters were immatures. This study provides the most complete understanding of Balearic shearwater distribution in UK waters available to date, information that will help inform any future conservation actions concerning this endangered species.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Mark Bolton
- RSPB Centre for Conservation ScienceRoyal Society for the Protection of BirdsSandy, BedsUK
| | | | | | | | | | | | - James Waggitt
- School of Ocean SciencesBangor UniversityMenai BridgeUK
| | - Tim Guilford
- Department of ZoologyOxford UniversityOxfordUK
- Natural EnglandExeterUK
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12
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Meyer X, MacIntosh AJJ, Chiaradia A, Kato A, Ramírez F, Sueur C, Ropert‐Coudert Y. Oceanic thermal structure mediates dive sequences in a foraging seabird. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:6610-6622. [PMID: 32724536 PMCID: PMC7381582 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2019] [Revised: 04/07/2020] [Accepted: 04/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Changes in marine ecosystems are easier to detect in upper-level predators, like seabirds, which integrate trophic interactions throughout the food web.Here, we examined whether diving parameters and complexity in the temporal organization of diving behavior of little penguins (Eudyptula minor) are influenced by sea surface temperature (SST), water stratification, and wind speed-three oceanographic features influencing prey abundance and distribution in the water column.Using fractal time series analysis, we found that foraging complexity, expressed as the degree of long-range correlations or memory in the dive series, was associated with SST and water stratification throughout the breeding season, but not with wind speed. Little penguins foraging in warmer/more-stratified waters exhibited greater determinism (memory) in foraging sequences, likely as a response to prey aggregations near the thermocline. They also showed higher foraging efficiency, performed more dives and dove to shallower depths than those foraging in colder/less-stratified waters.Reductions in the long-term memory of dive sequences, or in other words increases in behavioral stochasticity, may suggest different strategies concerning the exploration-exploitation trade-off under contrasting environmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xavier Meyer
- CNRSIPHC UMR7178Université de StrasbourgStrasbourgFrance
- Kyoto University Primate Research InstituteInuyamaJapan
| | | | - Andre Chiaradia
- Conservation DepartmentPhillip Island Nature ParksCowesVicAustralia
| | - Akiko Kato
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de ChizéCNRS UMR 7372Université de La RochelleVilliers‐en‐BoisFrance
| | - Francisco Ramírez
- Departament de Biologia EvolutivaEcologia i Ciènces AmbientalsUniversitat de BarcelonaBarcelonaSpain
| | - Cédric Sueur
- CNRSIPHC UMR7178Université de StrasbourgStrasbourgFrance
| | - Yan Ropert‐Coudert
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de ChizéCNRS UMR 7372Université de La RochelleVilliers‐en‐BoisFrance
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13
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Drivers of concentrated predation in an Antarctic marginal-ice-zone food web. Sci Rep 2020; 10:7282. [PMID: 32350362 PMCID: PMC7190673 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-63875-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2019] [Accepted: 04/03/2020] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Predators impact preyscapes (3-D distribution of forage species) by consuming prey according to their abilities or by altering prey behavior as they avoid being consumed. We elucidate prey (Antarctic silverfish[Pleuragramma antarctica] and crystal krill[Euphausia chrystallorophias]) responses to predation associated with the marginal ice zone (MIZ) of the McMurdo Sound, Antarctica, polynya. Prey abundance and habitat was sampled across a 30 × 15 km area by remotely-operated vehicle, and included locations that were accessible (ice edge) or inaccessible (solid fast ice) to air-breathing predators. Prey and habitat sampling coincided with bio-logging of Adélie penguins and observations of other air-breathing predators (penguins, seals, and whales), all of which were competing for the same prey. Adélie penguins dived deeper, and more frequently, near the ice edge. Lowered abundance of krill at the ice edge indicated they were depleted or were responding to increased predation and/or higher light levels along the ice edge. Penguin diet shifted increasingly to silverfish from krill during sampling, and was correlated with the arrival of krill-eating whales. Behaviorally-mediated, high trophic transfer characterizes the McMurdo Sound MIZ, and likely other MIZs, warranting more specific consideration in food web models and conservation efforts.
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14
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Sadykova D, Scott BE, De Dominicis M, Wakelin SL, Wolf J, Sadykov A. Ecological costs of climate change on marine predator-prey population distributions by 2050. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:1069-1086. [PMID: 32015865 PMCID: PMC6988555 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5973] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2018] [Revised: 12/08/2019] [Accepted: 12/18/2019] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Identifying and quantifying the effects of climate change that alter the habitat overlap of marine predators and their prey population distributions is of great importance for the sustainable management of populations. This study uses Bayesian joint models with integrated nested Laplace approximation (INLA) to predict future spatial density distributions in the form of common spatial trends of predator-prey overlap in 2050 under the "business-as-usual, worst-case" climate change scenario. This was done for combinations of six mobile marine predator species (gray seal, harbor seal, harbor porpoise, common guillemot, black-legged kittiwake, and northern gannet) and two of their common prey species (herring and sandeels). A range of five explanatory variables that cover both physical and biological aspects of critical marine habitat were used as follows: bottom temperature, stratification, depth-averaged speed, net primary production, and maximum subsurface chlorophyll. Four different methods were explored to quantify relative ecological cost/benefits of climate change to the common spatial trends of predator-prey density distributions. All but one future joint model showed significant decreases in overall spatial percentage change. The most dramatic loss in predator-prey population overlap was shown by harbor seals with large declines in the common spatial trend for both prey species. On the positive side, both gannets and guillemots are projected to have localized regions with increased overlap with sandeels. Most joint predator-prey models showed large changes in centroid location, however the direction of change in centroids was not simply northwards, but mostly ranged from northwest to northeast. This approach can be very useful in informing the design of spatial management policies under climate change by using the potential differences in ecological costs to weigh up the trade-offs in decisions involving issues of large-scale spatial use of our oceans, such as marine protected areas, commercial fishing, and large-scale marine renewable developments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dinara Sadykova
- Institute of Biological and Environmental SciencesUniversity of AberdeenAberdeenUK
- School of Biological SciencesQueen's University BelfastBelfastUK
| | - Beth E. Scott
- Institute of Biological and Environmental SciencesUniversity of AberdeenAberdeenUK
| | | | | | | | - Alexander Sadykov
- Institute of Biological and Environmental SciencesUniversity of AberdeenAberdeenUK
- School of Biological SciencesQueen's University BelfastBelfastUK
- Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary SynthesisUniversity of OsloOsloNorway
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15
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Trevail AM, Green JA, Sharples J, Polton JA, Miller PI, Daunt F, Owen E, Bolton M, Colhoun K, Newton S, Robertson G, Patrick SC. Environmental heterogeneity decreases reproductive success via effects on foraging behaviour. Proc Biol Sci 2019; 286:20190795. [PMID: 31161906 PMCID: PMC6571457 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2019.0795] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Environmental heterogeneity shapes the uneven distribution of resources available to foragers, and is ubiquitous in nature. Optimal foraging theory predicts that an animal's ability to exploit resource patches is key to foraging success. However, the potential fitness costs and benefits of foraging in a heterogeneous environment are difficult to measure empirically. Heterogeneity may provide higher-quality foraging opportunities, or alternatively could increase the cost of resource acquisition because of reduced patch density or increased competition. Here, we study the influence of physical environmental heterogeneity on behaviour and reproductive success of black-legged kittiwakes, Rissa tridactyla. From GPS tracking data at 15 colonies throughout their British and Irish range, we found that environments that were physically more heterogeneous were associated with longer trip duration, more time spent foraging while away from the colony, increased overlap of foraging areas between individuals and lower breeding success. These results suggest that there is greater competition between individuals for finite resources in more heterogeneous environments, which comes at a cost to reproduction. Resource hotspots are often considered beneficial, as individuals can learn to exploit them if sufficiently predictable. However, we demonstrate here that such fitness gains can be countered by greater competition in more heterogeneous environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice M Trevail
- 1 School of Environmental Sciences, University of Liverpool , Liverpool , UK
| | - Jonathan A Green
- 1 School of Environmental Sciences, University of Liverpool , Liverpool , UK
| | - Jonathan Sharples
- 1 School of Environmental Sciences, University of Liverpool , Liverpool , UK
| | | | - Peter I Miller
- 3 Remote Sensing Group, Plymouth Marine Laboratory , Plymouth , UK
| | - Francis Daunt
- 4 Centre for Ecology and Hydrology Edinburgh , Bush Estate, Penicuik, Midlothian , UK
| | - Ellie Owen
- 5 RSPB Centre for Conservation Science, RSPB Scotland, Etive House, Beechwood Park, Inverness , UK
| | - Mark Bolton
- 6 RSPB Centre for Conservation Science , The Lodge, Sandy, Bedfordshire , UK
| | - Kendrew Colhoun
- 7 RSPB Centre for Conservation Science , Belfast , UK.,8 School of Agriculture and Food Science, University College Dublin , Bellfield, Dublin 4 , Ireland
| | | | - Gail Robertson
- 10 School of Mathematics, University of Edinburgh , Edinburgh , UK
| | - Samantha C Patrick
- 1 School of Environmental Sciences, University of Liverpool , Liverpool , UK
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16
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Waggitt JJ, Cazenave PW, Howarth LM, Evans PGH, van der Kooij J, Hiddink JG. Combined measurements of prey availability explain habitat selection in foraging seabirds. Biol Lett 2019; 14:rsbl.2018.0348. [PMID: 30068542 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2018.0348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2018] [Accepted: 07/10/2018] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding links between habitat characteristics and foraging efficiency helps predict how environmental changes influence populations of top predators. This study examines whether measurements of prey (clupeids) availability varied over stratification gradients, and determined if any of those measurements coincided with aggregations of foraging seabirds (common guillemot Uria aalge and Manx shearwater Puffinus puffinus) in the Celtic Sea, UK. The probability of encountering foraging seabirds was highest around fronts between mixed and stratified water. Prey were denser and shallower in mixed water, whilst encounters with prey were most frequent in stratified water. Therefore, no single measurement of increased prey availability coincided with the location of fronts. However, when considered in combination, overall prey availability was highest in these areas. These results show that top predators may select foraging habitats by trading-off several measurements of prey availability. By showing that top predators select areas where prey switch between behaviours, these results also identify a mechanism that could explain the wider importance of edge habitats for these taxa. As offshore developments (e.g. marine renewable energy installations) change patterns of stratification, their construction may have consequences on the foraging efficiency of seabirds.
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Affiliation(s)
- James J Waggitt
- School of Ocean Sciences, Bangor University, Menai Bridge LL59 5AB, UK
| | | | - Leigh M Howarth
- School of Ocean Sciences, Bangor University, Menai Bridge LL59 5AB, UK
| | - Peter G H Evans
- School of Ocean Sciences, Bangor University, Menai Bridge LL59 5AB, UK.,Sea Watch Foundation, Ewyn Y Don, Bull Bay, Amlwch LL68 9SD, UK
| | - Jeroen van der Kooij
- Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, Lowestoft NR33 0HT, UK
| | - Jan G Hiddink
- School of Ocean Sciences, Bangor University, Menai Bridge LL59 5AB, UK
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17
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Lieber L, Nimmo-Smith WAM, Waggitt JJ, Kregting L. Localised anthropogenic wake generates a predictable foraging hotspot for top predators. Commun Biol 2019; 2:123. [PMID: 30963112 PMCID: PMC6449372 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-019-0364-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2018] [Accepted: 02/26/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
With rapid expansion of offshore renewables, a broader perspective on their ecological implications is timely to predict marine predator responses to environmental change. Strong currents interacting with man-made structures can generate complex three-dimensional wakes that can make prey more accessible. Whether localised wakes from man-made structures can generate predictable foraging hotspots for top predators is unknown. Here we address this question by quantifying the relative use of an anthropogenically-generated wake by surface foraging seabirds, verified using drone transects and hydroacoustics. We show that the wake of a tidal energy structure promotes a localised and persistent foraging hotspot, with seabird numbers greatly exceeding those at adjacent natural wake features. The wake mixes material throughout the water column, potentially acting like a prey conveyer belt. Our findings highlight the importance of identifying the physical scales and mechanisms underlying predator hotspot formation when assessing the ecological consequences of installing or removing anthropogenic structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lilian Lieber
- School of Natural and Built Environment, Queen’s University Marine Laboratory, 12-13 The Strand, Portaferry, BT22 1PF Northern Ireland UK
| | | | - James J. Waggitt
- School of Ocean Sciences, Bangor University, Menai Bridge, Anglesey, LL59 5AB Wales UK
| | - Louise Kregting
- School of Natural and Built Environment, Queen’s University Marine Laboratory, 12-13 The Strand, Portaferry, BT22 1PF Northern Ireland UK
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