Trophic signatures of seabirds suggest shifts in oceanic ecosystems
| Autor: | Kyle S. Van Houtan, K. David Hyrenbach, Tyler O. Gagne, Molly E. Hagemann |
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| Rok vydání: | 2018 |
| Předmět: |
0106 biological sciences
Multidisciplinary Ecology biology Ecomorphology musculoskeletal neural and ocular physiology 010604 marine biology & hydrobiology fungi SciAdv r-articles Pelagic zone 010603 evolutionary biology 01 natural sciences Food web Predation Geography nervous system biology.animal parasitic diseases Marine ecosystem Ecosystem Seabird Research Articles Research Article Trophic level |
| Zdroj: | Science Advances |
| ISSN: | 2375-2548 |
| Popis: | A 125-year record of seabird trophic status shows declines reflecting squid boom and improves on prior index deficiencies. Pelagic ecosystems are dynamic ocean regions whose immense natural capital is affected by climate change, pollution, and commercial fisheries. Trophic level–based indicators derived from fishery catch data may reveal the food web status of these systems, but the utility of these metrics has been debated because of targeting bias in fisheries catch. We analyze a unique, fishery-independent data set of North Pacific seabird tissues to inform ecosystem trends over 13 decades (1890s to 2010s). Trophic position declined broadly in five of eight species sampled, indicating a long-term shift from higher–trophic level to lower–trophic level prey. No species increased their trophic position. Given species prey preferences, Bayesian diet reconstructions suggest a shift from fishes to squids, a result consistent with both catch reports and ecosystem models. Machine learning models further reveal that trophic position trends have a complex set of drivers including climate, commercial fisheries, and ecomorphology. Our results show that multiple species of fish-consuming seabirds may track the complex changes occurring in marine ecosystems. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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