Multicolony tracking reveals potential threats to little auks wintering in the <scp>N</scp>orth <scp>A</scp>tlantic from marine pollution and shrinking sea ice cover

Fort, Jérôme; Moe, Børge; Strøm, Hallvard; Grémillet, David; Welcker, Jörg; Schultner, Jannik; Jerstad, Kurt; Johansen, Kasper Lambert; Phillips, Richard A.; Mosbech, Anders

doi:10.1111/ddi.12105

Cited by 68 publications

(71 citation statements)

References 33 publications

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“…Some winter recoveries of little auks ringed in the breeding colonies in western Spitsbergen and northwestern Greenland indicate that waters off southwestern Greenland are an important wintering area for both of these populations (Isaksen and Bakken 1996). Also, a recent study on birds equipped with geolocator tags showed substantial overlap of the wintering areas among birds from breeding grounds on east and west Greenland and the Svalbard archipelago including Bear Island (Fort et al 2013).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Weak population genetic differentiation in the most numerous Arctic seabird, the little auk

et al. 2014

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Quantifying patterns of genetic diversity and differentiation among populations of Arctic birds is fundamental for understanding past and ongoing population processes in the Arctic. However, the genetic differentiation of many important Arctic species remains uninvestigated. Here, phylogeography and population genetics were examined in the worldwide population of a small seabird, the little auk (dovekie, Alle alle)-the most numerous avian species of the Arctic ecosystem. Blood samples or feathers were collected from 328 little auks (325 from the nominate subspecies and 3 from the A. a. polaris) in nine main breeding aggregations in the northern Atlantic and one location from the Pacific Ocean. The mtDNA haplotypes of the two subspecies were not segregated into separate groups. Also, no genetic structure was found within the nominate race based on microsatellite markers. The level of genetic differentiation among populations was low yet significant (mean F ST = 0.005). Some pairwise F ST comparisons revealed significant differences, including those involving the most distant Pacific colony as well as among some Atlantic populations. Weak population differentiation following the model of isolation by distance in the little auk is similar to the patterns reported in other highArctic bird species, indicating that a lack of distinct genetic structure is a common phenomenon in the Arctic avifauna.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Weak population genetic differentiation in the most numerous Arctic seabird, the little auk

et al. 2014

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“…The Labrador Sea is important to marine birds yearround supporting breeding seabird colonies during summer and providing important staging, migration, and wintering habitat for seabirds from colonies in both the northern and southern hemisphere (Brown, 1986;Huettmann and Diamond, 2000;Bakken and Mehlum, 2005). Recent tracking information shows movements of North Atlantic breeding seabirds to staging and wintering areas in eastern Canadian and Greenlandic waters that include the Labrador Sea, highlighting the international importance of these waters (Frederiksen et al, 2012(Frederiksen et al, , 2016Mosbech et al, 2012;Fort et al, 2013;Jessopp et al, 2013;Linnebjerg et al, 2013;McFarlane Tranquilla et al, 2013). However, explicit local-scale spatial information on seabird distribution in the Labrador Sea has been limited by patchy marine survey coverage (Fifield et al, 2009), mostly due to logistical difficulties.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Employing Predictive Spatial Models to Inform Conservation Planning for Seabirds in the Labrador Sea

et al. 2017

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Seabirds are vulnerable to incidental harm from human activities in the ocean, and knowledge of their seasonal distribution is required to assess risk and effectively inform marine conservation planning. Significant hydrocarbon discoveries and exploration licenses in the Labrador Sea underscore the need for quantitative information on seabird seasonal distribution and abundance, as this region is known to provide important habitat for seabirds year-round. We explore the utility of density surface modeling (DSM) to improve seabird information available for regional conservation and management decision making. We, (1) develop seasonal density surface models for seabirds in the Labrador Sea using data from vessel-based surveys (2006-2014; 13,783 linear km of surveys), (2) present measures of uncertainty in model predictions, (3) discuss how density surface models can inform conservation and management decision making, and 4) explore challenges and potential pitfalls associated with using these modeling procedures. Models predicted large areas of high seabird density in fall over continental shelf waters (max. ∼80 birds·km −2 ) driven largely by the southward migration of murres (Uria spp.) and dovekies (Alle alle) from Arctic breeding colonies. The continental shelf break was also highlighted as an important habitat feature, with predictions of high seabird densities particularly during summer (max. ∼70 birds·km −2 ). Notable concentrations of seabirds overlapped with several significant hydrocarbon discoveries on the continental shelf and large areas in the vicinity of the southern shelf break, which are in the early stages of exploration. Some, but not all, areas of high seabird density were within current Ecologically and Biologically Significant Area (EBSA) boundaries. Building predictive spatial models required knowledge of Distance Sampling and GAMs, and significant investments of time and computational power-resource needs that are becoming more common in ecological modeling. Visualization of predictions and their uncertainty needed to be considered for appropriate interpretation by end users. Model uncertainty tended to be greater where survey effort was limited or where predictor covariates exceeded the range of those observed. Predictive spatial models proved useful in generating defensible estimates of seabird densities in many areas of interest to the oil and gas industry in the Labrador Sea, and will have continued use in marine risk assessments and spatial planning activities in the region and beyond.

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“…Ocean warming has been linked to a poleward redistribution of cold-water zooplankton species (Hays et al 2005, Beaugrand et al 2009), and could lead to major shifts in the location and strength of the principal Southern Ocean fronts (Bargagli 2005). These perturbations alter food-web structure at high latitudes with consequences for zooplanktivorous seabirds (Guinet et al 1998, Fort et al 2013, including alterations to both the phenology and direction of their migration (Quillfeldt et al 2010, Thompson et al 2012.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Contrasting migratory responses of two closely related seabirds to long-term climate change

Grecian¹,

Taylor²,

Loh³

et al. 2016

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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Many marine predators migrate between breeding and non-breeding areas to target resources that are seasonal but spatio-temporally predictable, and so are vulnerable to climateinduced changes in prey phenology and abundance. In the Southern Ocean, small petrels are major consumers, but perturbations in the ecosystem through ocean warming are altering foodweb structure and have been linked to poleward shifts in the distribution of their cold-water zooplankton prey. In this study, we focused on 2 small congeneric petrels: the broad-billed prion Pachyptila vittata and the Antarctic prion P. desolata. Both are planktivorous, but the broad-billed prion specialises in feeding on large copepods. We investigated historical trends in non-breeding distribution by analysing feather stable isotope ratios from a time-series dating back to 1926, and examined contemporary non-breeding distributions of broad-billed prions tracked using miniaturised geolocation-immersion loggers. After controlling temporally for the Suess effect, we found that the δ 13 C signatures of Antarctic prions, but not broad-billed prions, declined during the study period. This suggests a southward shift in Antarctic prion non-breeding distribution over the last century. Both species exhibited significant declines in δ 15 N during the same period, indicative of long-term decreases in marine productivity in their moulting areas, or changes in the trophic structure of prey communities. Tracked broad-billed prions migrated ca. 1000 km to an area east of the breeding colony where the Louisville seamount chain bisects the subtropical front. Topographically driven upwellings are stable and predictable features and may be crucial in aggregating plankton. Targeting seamounts could therefore mitigate the impact of climate-induced prey shifts by providing refugia for the broad-billed prion.

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Multicolony tracking reveals potential threats to little auks wintering in the North Atlantic from marine pollution and shrinking sea ice cover

Cited by 68 publications

References 33 publications

Weak population genetic differentiation in the most numerous Arctic seabird, the little auk

Weak population genetic differentiation in the most numerous Arctic seabird, the little auk

Employing Predictive Spatial Models to Inform Conservation Planning for Seabirds in the Labrador Sea

Contrasting migratory responses of two closely related seabirds to long-term climate change

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