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Lewin PJ, Wynn J, Arcos JM, Austin RE, Blagrove J, Bond S, Carrasco G, Delord K, Fisher-Reeves L, García D, Gillies N, Guilford T, Hawkins I, Jaggers P, Kirk C, Louzao M, Maurice L, McMinn M, Micol T, Morford J, Morgan G, Moss J, Riera EM, Rodriguez A, Siddiqi-Davies K, Weimerskirch H, Wynn RB, Padget O. Climate change drives migratory range shift via individual plasticity in shearwaters. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2312438121. [PMID: 38285933 PMCID: PMC10861922 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2312438121] [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: 07/21/2023] [Accepted: 12/08/2023] [Indexed: 01/31/2024] Open
Abstract
How individual animals respond to climate change is key to whether populations will persist or go extinct. Yet, few studies investigate how changes in individual behavior underpin these population-level phenomena. Shifts in the distributions of migratory animals can occur through adaptation in migratory behaviors, but there is little understanding of how selection and plasticity contribute to population range shift. Here, we use long-term geolocator tracking of Balearic shearwaters (Puffinus mauretanicus) to investigate how year-to-year changes in individual birds' migrations underpin a range shift in the post-breeding migration. We demonstrate a northward shift in the post-breeding range and show that this is brought about by individual plasticity in migratory destination, with individuals migrating further north in response to changes in sea-surface temperature. Furthermore, we find that when individuals migrate further, they return faster, perhaps minimizing delays in return to the breeding area. Birds apparently judge the increased distance that they will need to migrate via memory of the migration route, suggesting that spatial cognitive mechanisms may contribute to this plasticity and the resulting range shift. Our study exemplifies the role that individual behavior plays in populations' responses to environmental change and highlights some of the behavioral mechanisms that might be key to understanding and predicting species persistence in response to climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick J. Lewin
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, OxfordOX1 3SZ, United Kingdom
| | - Joe Wynn
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, OxfordOX1 3SZ, United Kingdom
- Institut für Vogelforschung “Vogelwarte Helgoland”, Wilhelmshaven26386, Germany
| | - José Manuel Arcos
- Programa Marino, Sociedad Española de Ornitología/BirdLife, Delegació de Catalunya, Barcelona08026, Spain
| | - Rhiannon E. Austin
- National Oceanography Centre–Southampton, SouthamptonSO14 3ZH, United Kingdom
- Earth Ocean and Ecological Sciences, School of Environmental Sciences, University of Liverpool, LiverpoolL69 3GP, United Kingdom
| | - Josephine Blagrove
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, OxfordOX1 3SZ, United Kingdom
| | - Sarah Bond
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, OxfordOX1 3SZ, United Kingdom
- School of Ocean Sciences, College of Science and Engineering, Bangor University, Menai BridgeLL59 5AB, United Kingdom
| | - Gemma Carrasco
- Iniciativa de Recerca de la Biodiversitat de les Illes, Alaior, Balearic Islands07730, Spain
| | - Karine Delord
- Centre d’Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, Laboratoire des Sciences de l'Environnement Marin, UMR 7372, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Villiers en Bois79360, France
| | | | - David García
- Iniciativa de Recerca de la Biodiversitat de les Illes, Alaior, Balearic Islands07730, Spain
| | - Natasha Gillies
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, OxfordOX1 3SZ, United Kingdom
- Earth Ocean and Ecological Sciences, School of Environmental Sciences, University of Liverpool, LiverpoolL69 3GP, United Kingdom
| | - Tim Guilford
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, OxfordOX1 3SZ, United Kingdom
| | - Isobel Hawkins
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, OxfordOX1 3SZ, United Kingdom
| | - Paris Jaggers
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, OxfordOX1 3SZ, United Kingdom
| | - Christian Kirk
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, OxfordOX1 3SZ, United Kingdom
| | - Maite Louzao
- AZTI, Marine Research, Basque Research and Technology Alliance, Pasaia20110, Spain
| | - Lou Maurice
- British Geological Survey, WallingfordOX10 8ED, United Kingdom
| | - Miguel McMinn
- Grupo Biogeografía, geodinámica y sedimentación del Mediterráneo occidental, Ciències i Tecnologies Mediambientals, Universitat de les Illes Balears,Palma, Balearic IslandsE07122, Spain
| | - Thierry Micol
- Ligue pour la Protection des Oiseaux, BirdLife International Partner in France, Rochefort Cedex17305, France
| | - Joe Morford
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, OxfordOX1 3SZ, United Kingdom
| | - Greg Morgan
- Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, Ramsey Island, St. Davids, PembrokeshireSA62 6PY, United Kingdom
| | - Jason Moss
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, OxfordOX1 3SZ, United Kingdom
| | - Elisa Miquel Riera
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, OxfordOX1 3SZ, United Kingdom
| | - Ana Rodriguez
- Grupo Biogeografía, geodinámica y sedimentación del Mediterráneo occidental, Ciències i Tecnologies Mediambientals, Universitat de les Illes Balears,Palma, Balearic IslandsE07122, Spain
| | | | - Henri Weimerskirch
- Centre d’Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, Laboratoire des Sciences de l'Environnement Marin, UMR 7372, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Villiers en Bois79360, France
| | - Russell B. Wynn
- National Oceanography Centre–Southampton, SouthamptonSO14 3ZH, United Kingdom
| | - Oliver Padget
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, OxfordOX1 3SZ, United Kingdom
- Earth Ocean and Ecological Sciences, School of Environmental Sciences, University of Liverpool, LiverpoolL69 3GP, United Kingdom
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