Individual foraging location, but not dietary, specialization: implications for rhinoceros auklets as samplers of forage fish

Cunningham, Joshua T.; Elliott, Kyle H.; Cottenie, Karl; Hatch, Scott A.; Jacobs, Shoshanah

doi:10.3354/meps12761

Cited by 22 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 72 publications

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“…In contrast, a distinct bimodal structure for length was evident for PSL (Figure c,d). Typically, PSL < 100 mm in length during summer are assumed to be age‐0 fish, whereas fish ≥100 mm are assumed to be primarily age 1+ (Arimitsu, Piatt, Heflin, Biela, & Schoen, ; Cunningham et al, ; Robards, Piatt, & Rose, ). It is possible, however, that in years of anomalous environmental conditions, PSL growth diminishes sufficiently such that some age‐1 fish are misclassified as age 0 (von Biela et al, ).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Differences in the lengths of capelin and PSL by region and year may be related to the availability of different size fish in the foraging habitat surrounding the islands where sampling took place. Recent work has shown that seabirds and other predators sample species in proportion to their availability (Bertram & Kaiser, ; Piatt et al, ), and tagging studies indicate that seabirds sample PSL where net sampling methods underperform (Cunningham et al, ). Less is known, however, about whether seabirds sample size of prey in proportion to size availability.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The samples used in this study were obtained from rhinoceros auklets ( Cerorhinca monocerata ), a medium‐sized (~500 g) puffin (Friesen, Baker, & Piatt, ) with the capacity to search and forage to 10–60 m depth (Burger, Wilson, Garnier, & Wilson, ; Cunningham, Elliott, Cottenie, Hatch, & Jacobs, ; Kuroki et al, ), typically 30–80 km from a breeding colony (Cunningham et al, ). Here, we focus on two key forage fish of the Alaskan North Pacific: capelin and Pacific sand lance.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Effects of ocean climate on the length and condition of forage fish in the Gulf of Alaska

Thompson

García‐Reyes

Sydeman

et al. 2019

Fisheries Oceanography

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Climatic drivers of the size and body condition of forage fish in the North Pacific are poorly known. We hypothesized that length and condition of forage fish in the Gulf of Alaska (GoA) vary in relation to ocean temperature on multiple scales. To test this hypothesis, we analyzed morphometric data for capelin (Mallotus catervarius) and Pacific sand lance (PSL; Ammodytes personatus) sampled by a seabird (Cerorhinca monocerata) in two regions of the GoA, 1993–2016. Based on previous studies, we predicted that capelin length and body condition (Fulton's K) would be negatively related to the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) and sea surface temperature (SST), whereas PSL length and condition would be positively related. Interannual variation in length and body condition was evaluated relative to seasonal values of ocean climate using regression. Forage fish length and condition varied interannually, between sampling regions, and were dependent on the size/age class of the fish sampled. As predicted, length and body condition of capelin (mostly age 1+) were negatively related to the PDO and SST. Relationships with ocean climate for PSL varied by size/age class: positive for putative age‐0 fish and negative for putative age‐1+ fish. We conclude that our hypothesis was supported for capelin and partially supported for PSL. This study demonstrates that ocean climate determines key morphometric characteristics of forage fish that may relate to interannual variation in the energetic value of prey, and provides an example of how seabirds can be used to obtain specimens for evaluations of potential prey quality.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Effects of ocean climate on the length and condition of forage fish in the Gulf of Alaska

Thompson

García‐Reyes

Sydeman

et al. 2019

Fisheries Oceanography

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“…tion of changes in prey between cold-water and warm-water periods that go undetected by traditional sampling techniques (Cunningham et al 2018). Changes in the distribution and migration phenology of specialist foragers such as blue whales (Balaenoptera musculus) and North Atlantic right whales (Eubalaena glacialis) can indicate relative changes in the distribution and abundance of prey populations (Croll et al 2005;Piatt et al 2007).…”

Section: Reviewsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Marine top predators as climate and ecosystem sentinels

Hazen

Abrahms

Brodie

et al. 2019

Frontiers in Ecol & Environ

272

157

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The rapid pace of environmental change in the Anthropocene necessitates the development of a new suite of tools for measuring ecosystem dynamics. Sentinel species can provide insight into ecosystem function, identify hidden risks to human health, and predict future change. As sentinels, marine apex (top) predators offer a unique perspective into ocean processes, given that they can move across ocean basins and amplify trophic information across multiple spatiotemporal scales. Because use of the terms “ecosystem sentinel” and “climate sentinel” has proliferated in the scientific literature, there is a need to identify the properties that make marine predators effective sentinels. We provide a clear definition of the term “sentinel”, review the attributes of species identified as sentinels, and describe how a suite of such sentinels could strengthen our understanding and management of marine ecosystems. We contend that the use of marine predators as ecosystem sentinels will enable rapid response and adaptation to ecosystem variability and change.

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“…In addition to species and population differences, our results showed high interindividual variability in Hg concentrations during the non-breeding period. Arctic seabirds are central-place foragers, feeding mostly in the vicinity of their colony during the breeding period (Cunningham et al, 2018;Jakubas et al, 2016;Linnebjerg et al, 2015). However, during the non-breeding period, many migrate towards the open seas to spend the winter within or outside the Arctic (McFarlane Tranquilla et al, 2013).…”

Section: Inter-individual Variability In Non-breeding Hg Concentrationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Seasonal variation of mercury contamination in Arctic seabirds: A pan-Arctic assessment

Albert

Helgason

Brault‐Favrou

et al. 2021

Science of The Total Environment

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Mercury (Hg) is a natural trace element found in high concentrations in top predators, including Arctic seabirds. Most current knowledge about Hg concentrations in Arctic seabirds relates to exposure during the summer breeding period when researchers can easily access seabirds at colonies. However, the few studies focused on winter have shown higher Hg concentrations during the non-breeding period than breeding period in several tissues. Hence, improving knowledge about Hg exposure during the non-breeding period is crucial to understanding the threats and risks encountered by these species year-round. We used feathers of nine migratory alcid species occurring at high latitudes to study bird Hg exposure during both the breeding and non-breeding periods. Overall, Hg concentrations during the nonbreeding period were ~3 times higher than during the breeding period. In addition, spatial differences were apparent within and between the Atlantic and Pacific regions. While Hg concentrations during the non-breeding period were ~9 times and ~3 times higher than during the breeding period for the West and East Atlantic respectively, Hg concentrations in the Pacific during the non-breeding period were only ~1.7 times higher than during the breeding period. In addition, individual Hg concentrations during the non-breeding period for most of the seabird colonies were above 5.00 µg g-1 dry weight (dw), which is considered to be the threshold at which deleterious effects are observed, suggesting that some breeding populations might be vulnerable to non-breeding Hg exposure. Since wintering area locations, and migration routes may influence seasonal Hg concentrations, it is crucial to improve our knowledge about spatial ecotoxicology to fully understand the risks associated with Hg contamination in Arctic seabirds.

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Individual foraging location, but not dietary, specialization: implications for rhinoceros auklets as samplers of forage fish

Cited by 22 publications

References 72 publications

Effects of ocean climate on the length and condition of forage fish in the Gulf of Alaska

Effects of ocean climate on the length and condition of forage fish in the Gulf of Alaska

Marine top predators as climate and ecosystem sentinels

Seasonal variation of mercury contamination in Arctic seabirds: A pan-Arctic assessment

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