Large-scale univariate climate indices (such as NAO) are thought to outperform local weather variables in the explanation of trends in animal numbers but are not always suitable to describe regional scale patterns. We advocate the use of a Multivariate Oceanic and Climatic index (MOCI), derived from 'synthetic' and independent variables from a linear combination of the total initial variables objectively obtained from Principal Component Analysis. We test the efficacy of the index using long-term data from marine animal populations. The study area is the southern half of the Bay of Biscay (431-471N; western Europe). Between 1974 and 2000 we monitored cetaceans and seabirds along 131000 standardized line transects from ships. Fish abundance was derived from commercial fishery landings. We used 44 initial variables describing the oceanic and atmospheric conditions and characterizing the four annual seasons in the Bay of Biscay. The first principal component of our MOCI is called the South Biscay Climate (SBC) index. The winter NAO index was correlated to this SBC index. Inter-annual fluctuations for most seabird, cetacean and fish populations were significant. Boreal species (e.g. gadiformes fish species, European storm petrel and Razorbill . . .) with affinities to cold temperate waters declined significantly over time while two (Puffin and Killer Whale) totally disappeared from the area during the study period. Meridional species with affinities to hotter waters increased in population size. Those medium-term demographic trends may reveal a regime shift for this part of the Atlantic Ocean. Most of the specific observed trends were highly correlated to the SBC index and not to the NAO. Between 40% and 60% of temporal variations in species abundance were explained by the multivariate SBC index suggesting that the whole marine ecosystem is strongly affected by a limited number of physical parameters revealed by the multivariate SBC index. Aside the statistical error of the field measurements, the remaining variation unexplained by the physical characteristics of the environment correspond to the impact of anthropogenic activities such overfishing and oil-spills.

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We investigated the impact of the "Erika" oil spill in the Bay of Biscay (France) on seabird populations. Relative abundance and spatial distribution at sea between 1980−1999 and 2000−2002 periods were compared. This study took place in a standardized monitoring at sea carried out with Coast Guard vessels following the line transect method. This work rests on 107 551 standardized counts of one minute before "Erika" and 23 449 after the oil spill. There was not a simple correlation between the number of individuals found oiled and the numerical variation of the populations at sea during the two years following the accident. The guillemot Uria aalge, the most frequently collected species in the north of the Bay of Biscay, showed no decrease in at sea abundance during the two years following the pollution. Conversely, some species found in small numbers on the coast (e.g. divers Gavia sp., razorbill Alca torda, common scoter Melanitta nigra) decreased significantly at sea (20 to 80%). Overall, marine bird populations declined significantly in the northern sector of the Bay of Biscay (48 • 32 to 46 • 58 north) and increased in the southern sector (45 • 13 to 43 • 15 north), whereas decreases and increases occurred in the central sector (46 • 57 to 45 • 14 north). Changes in the spatial distribution of the species after the "Erika" oil spill occurred through disappearance or retraction (Bay of Vilaine, Houat-Hoedic archipelago), or through displacement and reinforcement (Gouf of Capbreton). Overall, this suggests a redistribution of the populations within the Bay of Biscay, depending on the level of injuries to the ecosystems caused by the pollution.

The availability of food subsidies of anthropogenic origin has strong consequences on the trophic ecology and population dynamics of several opportunistic species. However, evidence suggests that the use of certain feeding sources is very local, and hence, potentially important food subsidies may have a relatively small area of influence, resulting in only limited impact from the large geographic-scale perspective. In the south-eastern part of the Bay of Biscay, the Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis population is distributed across several colonies, which are located close to each other but have variable dependence on the landfills and fishing harbours in the area. This population is therefore a good model to test the influence of anthropogenic food subsidies on the trophic ecology of an opportunistic species at the local scale. Distance to the nearest fishing harbour showed a stronger effect on the diet of Yellow-legged Gull chicks than distance to the nearest landfill site. Gulls notably reduced their consumption of marine prey (mostly comprised of fishing discards) in relation to decreasing distance of their colony to the nearest fishing harbour. This result has direct implications from a management standpoint, since fish discards were also found to have only a limited effect on diet at regional scales, but a very high impact at the local scale. Moreover, those colonies that consumed a higher proportion of marine prey showed better population trends. In line with European Union policies, a reduction in the availability of fish discards, together with the closure of landfill sites, will occur in the coming years, probably leading to a change in the trophic ecology and dynamics of Yellow-legged Gull populations.

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