Ramírez, F., Afan, I., Tavecchia, G., Catalán, I. A., Oro, D. and Sanz-Aguilar, A. 2016
Oceanographic drivers and mistiming processes shape breeding success in a seabird. Proceedings of the Royal Society B. Doi: 10.1098/rspb.2015.2287
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Photo: M. Gomilla |
Abstract: Understanding the processes driving seabirds' reproductive performance
through trophic interactions requires the identification of seasonal
pulses in marine productivity. We investigated the sequence of
environmental and biological processes driving the reproductive
phenology and performance of the storm petrel (
Hydrobates pelagicus)
in the Western Mediterranean. The enhanced light and nutrient
availability at the onset of water stratification (late winter/early
spring) resulted in annual consecutive peaks in relative abundance of
phytoplankton, zooplankton and ichthyoplankton. The high
energy-demanding period of egg production and chick rearing coincided
with these successive pulses in food availability, pointing to a
phenological adjustment to such seasonal patterns with important fitness
consequences. Indeed,
delayed reproduction with respect to the onset of
water stratification resulted in both hatching and breeding failure.
This pattern was observed at the population level, but also when
confounding factors such as individuals' age or experience were also
accounted for. We provide the first evidence of oceanographic drivers
leading to the optimal time-window for reproduction in an inshore
seabird at southern European latitudes, along with a suitable framework
for assessing the impact of environmentally driven changes in marine
productivity patterns in seabird performance.
Official press release (Spanish)
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