Modelled drift patterns of fish larvae link coastal morphology to seabird colony distribution
| Autor: | Tycho Anker-Nilssen, Nigel G. Yoccoz, Geir Helge Systad, Frode Bendiksen Vikebø, Mette Skern-Mauritzen, Hanno Sandvik, Jofrid Skardhamar, Svein-Håkon Lorentsen, Robert T. Barrett, Kjell Einar Erikstad, Tone Kristin Reiertsen, Mari Skuggedal Myksvoll |
|---|---|
| Jazyk: | angličtina |
| Rok vydání: | 2016 |
| Předmět: |
0106 biological sciences
Charadriiformes Science General Physics and Astronomy Distribution (economics) Fjord Fish larvae Models Biological 010603 evolutionary biology 01 natural sciences Article General Biochemistry Genetics and Molecular Biology VDP::Matematikk og Naturvitenskap: 400::Zoologiske og botaniske fag: 480::Økologi: 488 biology.animal parasitic diseases Animals Computer Simulation Ecosystem Multidisciplinary geography.geographical_feature_category Geography biology Norway Ecology business.industry 010604 marine biology & hydrobiology fungi Fishes General Chemistry biology.organism_classification Fishery Research council Larva Animal Migration Seabird business |
| Zdroj: | Nature Communications Nature Communications, Vol 7, Iss 1, Pp 1-8 (2016) |
| Popis: | Colonial breeding is an evolutionary puzzle, as the benefits of breeding in high densities are still not fully explained. Although the dynamics of existing colonies are increasingly understood, few studies have addressed the initial formation of colonies, and empirical tests are rare. Using a high-resolution larval drift model, we here document that the distribution of seabird colonies along the Norwegian coast can be explained by variations in the availability and predictability of fish larvae. The modelled variability in concentration of fish larvae is, in turn, predicted by the topography of the continental shelf and coastline. The advection of fish larvae along the coast translates small-scale topographic characteristics into a macroecological pattern, viz. the spatial distribution of top-predator breeding sites. Our findings provide empirical corroboration of the hypothesis that seabird colonies are founded in locations that minimize travel distances between breeding and foraging locations, thereby enabling optimal foraging by central-place foragers. Seabirds breed in high density colonies, but the factors determining colony position aren't clear. Here, Sandvik et al. show that small-scale coastal topography is related to likely variation in fish larval abundance, which predicts the distribution of seabird colonies along the Norwegian coast. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
| Externí odkaz: |
|