Present and future prolonged drought impacts on a large temperate embayment: Port Phillip Bay, Australia

Lee, Randall S.; Black, Kerry P.; Bosserel, Cyprien; Greer, Dougal

doi:10.1007/s10236-012-0538-4

Cited by 28 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 23 publications

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“…Thus, water visibility would be a major factor on habitat selection but few studies have examined the effect of turbidity in foraging preferences of meso-top predators. Here we showed that the core-ranges of penguins occurred in waters that were less turbid compared to the home-range, which is an area subject to much river runoff (Lee et al, 2012). By foraging in relatively productive waters but with low turbidity and therefore higher light levels, penguins may be optimizing their ability to detect and capture prey.…”

Section: Environmental Differences Between the Home-range And Core-ramentioning

confidence: 88%

“…These regions are enriched in nutrients and are subsequently highly productive in terms of primary productivity (Lee et al, 2012). Given the high primary productivity in this region we would expect penguins to intensively forage in these productive areas.…”

Section: Environmental Differences Between the Home-range And Core-ramentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The bay is joined to Bass Strait through a 3 km-wide channel and semi-diurnal tides comprising one large and one small tide each day enter the bay (Harris, 1996). Hydrodynamics within the bay are constrained by the small entrance and neighboring flood tidal sand banks that reduce tidal volumes by more than 90% and equate with long residence times (up to 2 years) in the bay (Lee et al, 2012). The Yarra River in the north and the Western Treatment Plant in the west provide the majority of freshwater inflow, which typically maintains a hyposaline environment, but during drought bay salinities can exceed ocean values (Lee et al, 2012).…”

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The Yarra River in the north and the Western Treatment Plant in the west provide the majority of freshwater inflow, which typically maintains a hyposaline environment, but during drought bay salinities can exceed ocean values (Lee et al, 2012). Catchment loadings primarily occur at the northern end of the bay and productivity (Chl-a and phytoplankton), turbidity and salinity gradients typically become less productive, less turbid and more saline toward the southern entrance (Longmore et al, 1999;Lee et al, 2012). The bay experiences a temperate oceanic climate with cool, wet winters (SST minimum of 7 • C) and warm, dry summers (SST up to 25 • C) (Sampson et al, 2014).…”

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Hydrodynamics within the bay are constrained by the small entrance and neighboring flood tidal sand banks that reduce tidal volumes by more than 90% and equate with long residence times (up to 2 years) in the bay (Lee et al, 2012). The Yarra River in the north and the Western Treatment Plant in the west provide the majority of freshwater inflow, which typically maintains a hyposaline environment, but during drought bay salinities can exceed ocean values (Lee et al, 2012). Catchment loadings primarily occur at the northern end of the bay and productivity (Chl-a and phytoplankton), turbidity and salinity gradients typically become less productive, less turbid and more saline toward the southern entrance (Longmore et al, 1999;Lee et al, 2012).…”

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

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Selective foraging within estuarine plume fronts by an inshore resident seabird

et al. 2015

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The distribution of predators relative to specific abiotic and biotic factors within estuarine plume fronts is largely unexplored due to the lack of fine-scale temporal and spatial oceanographic data. Defining preferred foraging conditions of seabirds in these areas is critical to identifying important foraging habitats. Here, we use data obtained from Ships of Opportunity to improve the way we quantify oceanographic conditions at scales that match marine animal foraging activities within these areas. Using biologgers and data from a Ship of Opportunity, we assessed the fine-scale habitat utilization of the Little Penguin (Eudyptula minor) within an estuarine plume in Victoria, Australia. We assessed how environmental conditions within the home-range (transit and foraging) and core-range (subset area of intensive foraging within the home-range) of this inshore seabird differed to environmental conditions in the accessible, but non-utilized range (i.e., non-foraging range). Penguin foraging ranges occurred in waters with higher Chl-a, turbidity, temperature and lower salinity than non-foraging ranges. High Chl-a biomass was the most important explanatory variable of penguin distribution. Environmental conditions between the core-range and less used home-range also differed. Waters in the core-range were less productive, less turbid and less dynamic. We suggest penguins are foraging in these core-ranges due to the productive yet stable environmental conditions that likely offer a higher degree of prey predictability than the fluctuating conditions in the wider home-range. Furthermore, penguins may spend a greater proportion of their time in core-ranges as these waters have relatively low turbidity and may improve the ability of penguins to detect and capture their prey. Our results highlight the ability of a small-ranging, visual predator to selectively forage in waters with favorable conditions at fine-scales as a potential means to improve foraging efficiency.

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Section: Environmental Differences Between the Home-range And Core-ramentioning

confidence: 88%

Section: Environmental Differences Between the Home-range And Core-ramentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

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Selective foraging within estuarine plume fronts by an inshore resident seabird

et al. 2015

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Wind and tidal mixing controls on stratification and dense water outflows in a large hypersaline bay

et al. 2015

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In Shark Bay, a large inverse estuary in Western Australia, longitudinal density gradients establish a gravitational circulation that is important for Bay-ocean exchange and transport of biological material such as larvae. The relative contributions of energy from wind and tidal mixing on the control of vertical stratification and gravitational circulation were investigated using the three-dimensional baroclinic ocean circulation model (General Estuarine Transport Model, GETM). In this large inverse estuary, the effects of the winds and tides on vertical mixing were found to be of similar magnitude. A critical depth of 15 m was identified that determined whether winds or tides or a combination of the two was required to create vertically mixed conditions. Where it was shallower than the critical depth, either the wind or tide could fully mix the water column. In contrast, a combination of both winds and tides was required to mix the deeper channels. Density-driven circulation peaked 0-3 days after periods of maximum stratification, resulting in a fortnightly modulation of dense water outflows along the seabed following the tidal stage. Salt flux calculations provided new evidence for the predominance of outflow through the deeper northern entrance channel where outflows persisted through all stages of the tide. In contrast, outflows through the western channel were more intermittent with a stronger tidal component. Wind driven lateral circulation between the entrances was also important and could temporarily reverse the circulation during northerly wind events.

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