Waterbird Predation on Fish in Western Lake Erie: A Bioenergetics Model Application

Madenjian, Charles P.; Gabrey, Steven W.

doi:10.2307/1368992

Cited by 57 publications

(59 citation statements)

References 30 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Empirical data on this component of the population are scarce but values can be estimated from life table and colony attendance data. Generally we followed Cairns et al (1991) and Madenjian and Gabrey (1995) and assumed that this component of the population comprised 30% of the total number of adults. Exceptions to this were: guillemot, razorbill, puffin, and kittiwake in April (when virtually no non-breeders are present) and puffin and kittiwake in August (20% present).…”

Section: Seabird Numbersmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…To address the first aim an approach adopted in previous studies is followed (e.g. Furness 1978;Croxall et al, 1984;Furness and Barrett, 1985;Cairns et al, 1991;Diamond et al, 1993;Madenjian and Gabrey, 1995;Guinet et al, 1996) and a simple bioenergetics model constructed which requires the following information: monthly totals of the number of seabirds attending colonies in the area, their breeding success, their daily energy requirements, the proportion of these requirements derived from sandeels, the size classes of sandeels taken and hence their energy content, and finally the birds' assimilation efficiency.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Summer sandeel consumption by seabirds breeding in the Firth of Forth, south-east Scotland

Wanless¹,

Harris²,

Greenstreet

1998

ICES Journal of Marine Science

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The industrial fishery for lesser sandeels (Ammodytes marinus) is currently the largest single-species fishery in the North Sea and this species is also the main food of many seabirds breeding in colonies in this area. It has been suggested that inshore sandeel fisheries could have adverse consequences for local seabird populations. One potential area of concern is the fishing grounds on the banks (Wee Bankie and Marr Bank) which lie approximately 40 km off the coast of south-east Scotland, well within the feeding range of many seabirds breeding at colonies in and around the Firth of Forth. A bioenergetics model is used to estimate that seabirds associated with these colonies consumed 6000-17 000 t of sandeels during each of the summers of 1996 and 1997, with the majority of the fish being in the 1-group or older age categories. Distributions of birds at sea recorded during a systematic survey during the breeding season demonstrated that the Wee Bankie was an important feeding area for guillemot (Uria aalge), razorbill (Alca torda), and kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla) and to a lesser extent puffin (Fratercula arctica) indicating that the exploitation of sandeels by these species shows strong spatial overlap with the industrial fishery. In contrast, shags (Phalacrocorax aristotelis) and common/arctic terns (Sterna hirundo/paradisaea) showed predominantly inshore distributions while the North Atlantic gannet (Morus bassanus) probably fed mainly outside the area surveyed. Species-specific comparisons of the estimated size of the observed at-sea populations with those predicted from the number of individuals associated with colonies in the area suggests that during the chick-rearing period a high proportion of the Firth of Forth guillemot population was feeding in the surveyed area. However, for the other species the number observed at sea was consistently lower than predicted. The size of the sandeel stock associated with the Wee Bankie is currently unknown. Comparison of the size of the annual catch of the fishery and the amount taken by seabirds indicates that in most years the former has been consistently higher than the latter. Thus the potential for the fishery to affect seabirds is likely to be greater than the converse.1998 International Council for the Exploration of the Sea

show abstract

Section: Seabird Numbersmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Summer sandeel consumption by seabirds breeding in the Firth of Forth, south-east Scotland

Wanless¹,

Harris²,

Greenstreet

1998

ICES Journal of Marine Science

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…For example, bioenergetics modeling revealed that annual consumption of rainbow smelt Osmerus mordax by piscivorous fish populations exceeded annual commercial harvest of rainbow smelt in eastern Lake Erie (Einhouse et al 1999). Madenjian and Gabrey (1995) used bioenergetics modeling to show that the annual consumption of prey fish by waterbirds was only about 11% of the annual consumption of prey fish by walleye Sander vitreus, the dominant piscivorous fish in western Lake Erie.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evidence for predatory control of the invasive round goby

et al. 2010

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

We coupled bioenergetics modeling with bottom trawl survey results to evaluate the capacity of piscivorous fish in eastern Lake Erie to exert predatory control of the invading population of round goby Neogobius melanostomus. In the offshore ([20 m deep) waters of eastern Lake Erie, burbot Lota lota is a native top predator, feeding on a suite of prey fishes. The round goby invaded eastern Lake Erie during the late 1990s, and round goby population size increased dramatically during 1999-2004. According to annual bottom trawl survey results, round goby abundance in offshore waters peaked in 2004, but then declined during 2004-2008. Coincidentally, round goby became an important component of burbot diet beginning in 2003. Using bottom trawling and gill netting, we estimated adult burbot abundance and age structure in eastern Lake Erie during 2007. Diet composition and energy density of eastern Lake Erie burbot were also determined during 2007. This information, along with estimates of burbot growth, burbot mortality, burbot water temperature regime, and energy densities of prey fish from the literature, were incorporated into a bioenergetics model application to estimate annual consumption of round goby by the adult burbot population. Results indicated that the adult burbot population in eastern Lake Erie annually consumed 1,361 metric tons of round goby. Based on the results of bottom trawling, we estimated the biomass of yearling and older round goby in offshore waters eastern Lake Erie during 2007-2008 to be 2,232 metric tons. Thus, the adult burbot population was feeding on round goby at an annual rate equal to 61% of the estimated round goby standing stock. We concluded that the burbot population had high potential to exert predatory control on round goby in offshore waters of eastern Lake Erie.

show abstract

“…In the Beaver Archipelago, data of this sort are being collected in order to facilitate the reconstruction of fish communities and to determine the extent of the role the doublecrested cormorant [Phalacrocorax auritus (Lesson)], or DCCO, resurgence may have had in recent fishery declines in the region. Similar approaches have been successfully used in Lake Erie to assess the impact DCCOs have on fish populations (Madenjian & Gabrey, 1995;Hebert & Morrison, 2003). Central to gaining an understanding of the role of piscivorous birds in aquatic systems is the acquisition of accurate dietary data.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Therefore, cormorants may have a secondary effect on sport fisheries by competing with desired species for forage fish. Although the effects on forage fish numbers may be limited and only occur in localized areas (Madenjian & Gabrey, 1995), combined with direct sport fish depredation, cormorants may impact sport fish distributions and/or numbers.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A comparison of three methods to investigate the diet of breeding double-crested cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus) in the Beaver Archipelago, northern Lake Michigan

Seefelt

Gillingham

2006

Hydrobiologia

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

In order to understand the role of waterbirds in aquatic food webs it is important to first get an accurate depiction of their diet. Three methods of dietary assessment (pellets, regurgitate and stomach contents) are compared here for breeding double-crested cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus) of the Beaver Archipelago, northern Lake Michigan. By numerical frequency (percent number), each method yielded different depictions of the diet. However, in terms of presence and absence (percent frequency) of possible prey types, stomach content data did agree with both pellets and regurgitate data. However, differences were noted between regurgitate and pellets. In terms of biomass measured (percent biomass) in regurgitate and stomachs, data gathered agreed. In essence, pellets underestimate the importance of alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus) and overestimate the importance of crayfish (Orconectes sp.) in the diet when compared to both regurgitate and stomach analysis. The non-lethal method of regurgitate collection and analysis appears most practical in assessing cormorant diet in this system. In combination with information on avian foraging ecology and prey populations, these data may be used to investigate the relationships among cormorants and their prey, and lead to a better understanding of Great Lake food web dynamics.

show abstract

Waterbird Predation on Fish in Western Lake Erie: A Bioenergetics Model Application

Cited by 57 publications

References 30 publications

Summer sandeel consumption by seabirds breeding in the Firth of Forth, south-east Scotland

Summer sandeel consumption by seabirds breeding in the Firth of Forth, south-east Scotland

Evidence for predatory control of the invasive round goby

A comparison of three methods to investigate the diet of breeding double-crested cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus) in the Beaver Archipelago, northern Lake Michigan

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About