Co-occurrence and aggregation of marine birds and mammals in Monterey Bay, California, USA

Henkel, Laird A.

doi:10.3354/meps08082

Cited by 12 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 65 publications

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“…Inter-specific competition has been suggested to reduce foraging efficiency in some pursuit-diving species (Henkel, 2009). That study was based on surveys at sea over 2 years, and suggested more intense competition (i.e.…”

Section: Avoidance Of Competitionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Year‐round distribution suggests spatial segregation of two small petrel species in the South Atlantic

Quillfeldt

Masello

Navarro

et al. 2012

Journal of Biogeography

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Aim Pelagic seabirds exploit large areas of ocean when acting as central‐place foragers during the breeding season, and ranges are even more extensive outside the breeding period. Spatial niche partitioning is known to occur among species that breed sympatrically, but is less apparent during the non‐breeding period when there is increased potential for overlap among closely related species from neighbouring island groups. This applies to several species of prion, Pachyptila spp., in the Southern Ocean; although extremely abundant, their at‐sea distribution was virtually unknown because they are difficult to distinguish while at sea. To understand spatial niche partitioning at large scales, we investigated the year‐round distribution of thin‐billed prions (Pachyptila belcheri) from the Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) and Antarctic prions (Pachyptila desolata) from South Georgia. Location South Atlantic Ocean. Methods Recently, geolocation devices have become small enough to be deployed on small seabirds. During 2009–10, we tracked 20 thin‐billed prions and 9 Antarctic prions with miniaturized geolocators. We applied ecological niche models to compare environmental conditions in the habitat utilized year‐round. Results We show that two prion species from the south‐west Atlantic Ocean have divergent patterns of migration, and that this has resulted in nearly complete spatial segregation (0–5% overlap by month in the 95% kernel density polygons). Nineteen of 20 thin‐billed prions migrated to an area > 3000 km east of their breeding site, whereas all Antarctic prions migrated a much shorter distance, and to the north‐west. The non‐breeding distribution of thin‐billed prions included the waters around South Georgia, but only when the Antarctic prions were absent. The models highlighted large differences in the realized niche between the two species, and between the habitat characteristics of breeding and non‐breeding areas of thin‐billed and Antarctic prions. Main conclusions Our results are consistent with the prediction that spatial niche partitioning occurs at large scales, allowing the co‐existence of related species. The methods applied here will enable predictive maps of the distributions of other prion populations to be created, once data become available from other breeding sites in the Southern Ocean.

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Section: Avoidance Of Competitionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Year‐round distribution suggests spatial segregation of two small petrel species in the South Atlantic

Quillfeldt

Masello

Navarro

et al. 2012

Journal of Biogeography

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“…Due to space limitations or advantages in predator defense, mixed-species colonies with several simultaneously breeding species as well as adjacent colonies of two different species are widespread among seabirds (e.g., Prince 1980, Frere et al 2008). Yet, inter-specific competition has been found to reduce foraging efficiency in some pursuit-diving species (Henkel 2009). In those seabird communities, inter-specific competition is at least partially avoided by ecological segregation, such as species-specific differences in foraging areas (e.g., Croxall and Prince 1980, Trivelpiece et al 1987, Weimerskirch et al 1993, Frere et al 2008, Wilson 2010, diving depths (e.g., Boyd 2004, Wilson 2010), diet choice (e.g., Baltz et al 1979, Ridoux 1994, Kato et al 1996, Weiss et al 2009), or diurnal foraging patterns (Wilson 2010).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Diving seabirds share foraging space and time within and among species

et al. 2010

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Ecological theory predicts that animals with similar foraging strategies should not be able to co‐exist without segregating either in space, time or diet. In communities, intra‐specific competition is thought to be more intense than the competition among species, because of the lack of niche partitioning between conspecifics. Hence, while different seabird species can overlap in their foraging distribution, intra‐specific competition can drive the neighboring populations of the same species to spatial segregation of foraging areas. To investigate ecological segregation within and among species of diving seabirds, we used a multi‐species GPS‐tracking approach of seabirds of four species on a small island in the Southwest Atlantic. The present study goes beyond previous work by analyzing simultaneous effects of species and colonies. We observed strikingly strong spatial foraging segregation among birds of the same species, breeding in colonies as close as 2 km from each other. Conspecifics from neighboring colonies used foraging places adjacent to their own colony, and there was little or no overlap with birds from the other colony. A zone with increased predator concentration was completely avoided during foraging trips, likely contributing to the spatial segregation. In addition to spatial segregation, we also observed intra‐specific differences in other components of foraging behavior, such as time of day, dive depth and diet. These were most likely caused by optimal foraging of individuals in relation to habitat differences on a local scale, leading to a complex pattern of interactions with environmental covariates, in particular foraging daytime, foraging water layer temperature and depth, distance to coast and bathymetric depth of foraging areas. As mechanisms leading to the spatial segregation we propose a combination of optimal foraging and avoidance of predation.

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“…In the oceans, the more productive areas are often in cold-water or upwelling regions where higher nutrient availability sustains productive food webs. Seabird species often breed in large communities and target productive areas within their foraging range, leading to intense competition for resources [1] and reduced foraging efficiency [2]. Seabirds can avoid interspecific competition at least partially by ecological segregation in foraging areas [3,4], diving depths [4,5] or diet choice [6,7].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cool, cold or colder? Spatial segregation of prions and blue petrels is explained by differences in preferred sea surface temperatures

et al. 2015

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The Southern Ocean provides one of the largest environmental gradients on Earth that lacks geographical barriers, and small but highly mobile petrels living there may offer fine models of evolution of diversity along environmental gradients. Using geolocation devices, we investigated the winter distribution of closely related petrel species breeding sympatrically in the southern Indian Ocean, and applied ecological niche models to compare environmental conditions in the habitat used. We show that thin-billed prions (Pachyptila belcheri), Antarctic prions (Pachyptila desolata) and blue petrels (Halobaena caerulea) from the Kerguelen archipelago in the southern Indian Ocean segregate latitudinally, sea surface temperature being the most important variable separating the distribution of the species. Antarctic prions spent the winter north of the Polar Front in temperate waters, whereas blue petrels were found south of the Polar Front in Antarctic waters. Thin-billed prions preferred intermediate latitudes and temperatures. Stable isotope values of feathers reflected this near complete niche separation across an ecological gradient that spans large scales, and suggest evolutionary isolation by environment. In pelagic seabirds that exploit large areas of ocean, spatial niche partitioning may not only facilitate coexistence among ecologically similar species, but may also have driven their evolution in the absence of geographical barriers.

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Co-occurrence and aggregation of marine birds and mammals in Monterey Bay, California, USA

Cited by 12 publications

References 65 publications

Year‐round distribution suggests spatial segregation of two small petrel species in the South Atlantic

Year‐round distribution suggests spatial segregation of two small petrel species in the South Atlantic

Diving seabirds share foraging space and time within and among species

Cool, cold or colder? Spatial segregation of prions and blue petrels is explained by differences in preferred sea surface temperatures

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