Monitoring temporal and spatial variability in sandeel (Ammodytes hexapterus) abundance with pigeon guillemot (Cepphus columba) diets

Litzow, Michael A.; Piatt, John F.; Abookire, Alisa A.; Prichard, Alexander K.; Robards, Martin D.

doi:10.1006/jmsc.2000.0583

Cited by 30 publications

(31 citation statements)

References 23 publications

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“…Detailed methods for our measurements of fish abundance are reported elsewhere (Robards et al 1999a;Abookire et al 2000;Litzow et al 2000). We measured sand lance abundance with catch per unit effort (CPUE; fish set -1 ) in 226 beach seines set every 2 weeks at ten sites around guillemot colonies during chick rearing.…”

Section: Prey Abundancementioning

confidence: 99%

“…We classified Lumpenus pricklebacks 80-200 mm total length and other demersal fish 80-150 mm total length as forage size (Litzow et al 2000). We excluded hexagrammids and gadids from trawl data because these fishes account for <1% of chick diets in Kachemak Bay (Litzow et al 2000). Bottom trawls were conducted once each year during mid-August (n=11 sets in 1996, 13 in 1997, 14 in 1998, and 11 in 1999).…”

Section: Prey Abundancementioning

confidence: 99%

“…We made a single set at each site during a given tide stage and sampled from 16 June to 25 July in 1995 and from 1 June to 8 August in 1996-1999 (n=18 sets in 1995, 46 in 1996, 60 in 1997, 57 in 1998, and 45 in 1999). We classified sand lance ≥80 mm total length as "forage size", as these are the size classes fed to guillemot chicks (Litzow et al 2000).…”

Section: Prey Abundancementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Our study area (Kachemak Bay, Alaska) is bisected into two oceanographically distinct sections by the Homer Spit, and the two sections support distinct fish communities . As a result, guillemots in the Inner Bay feed their chicks mostly sand lance (59% of meals), while guillemots in the Outer Bay feed their chicks mostly low-lipid demersal fishes (94% of meals; Litzow et al 2000). By working in the two parts of the bay we could study the reproductive response of pigeon guillemots to differences in food availability while controlling for confounding temporal effects and effects operating over large spatial scales (hundreds of kilometers).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

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Response of pigeon guillemots to variable abundance of high-lipid and low-lipid prey

et al. 2002

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Populations of the pigeon guillemot (Cepphus columba) and other piscivores have been in decline for several decades in the Gulf of Alaska and Bering Sea, and a decline in abundance of lipid-rich schooling fishes is hypothesized as the major cause. We tested this hypothesis by studying the breeding biology of pigeon guillemots during 1995-1999 while simultaneously measuring prey abundance with beach seines and bottom trawls. Our study area (Kachemak Bay, Alaska) comprises two oceanographically distinct areas. Populations of a lipid-rich schooling fish, Pacific sand lance (Ammodytes hexapterus), were higher in the warmer Inner Bay than in the colder Outer Bay, and sand lance abundance was higher during warm years. Populations of low-lipid content demersal fishes were similar between areas. Chick survival to age 15 days was 47% higher in the Inner Bay (high-lipid diet) than in the Outer Bay (low-lipid diet), and estimated reproductive success (chicks fledged nest) was 62% higher in the Inner Bay than in the Outer Bay. Chick provisioning rate (kJ chick h) increased with the proportion of sand lance in the diet (r =0.21), as did growth rate (g day) of younger (beta) chicks in two-chick broods (r =0.14). Pigeon guillemots in the Inner Bay switched to demersal prey during years of below-average sand lance abundance, and these birds reacted to 38-fold interannual changes in sand lance abundance with reductions in beta chick growth rates, with no decline in beta chick survival. In contrast, the proportion of nests experiencing brood reduction in the Outer Bay (demersal diet) increased>300% during years of below-average demersal abundance, although demersal fish abundance varied only 4-fold among years. Our results support the hypothesis that recovery of pigeon guillemot populations from the effects of the Exxon Valdez oil spill is limited by availability of lipid-rich prey.

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Section: Prey Abundancementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Prey Abundancementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Prey Abundancementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

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Response of pigeon guillemots to variable abundance of high-lipid and low-lipid prey

et al. 2002

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“…data), with the birds nesting in rock crevices. Though guillemots typically take a diverse array of prey (Follett & Ainley 1976, Ewins 1993, Litzow et al 2000, prey specialization has been observed at both the individual and colony level (Golet et al 2000, Litzow et al 2000. Specialization is an ideal trait for an indicator species if the predator does not switch to a single alternate prey in the absence of the dominant prey (Anderson & Gress 1984, Monaghan 1996.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spatial patterns of recruitment in a demersal fish as revealed by seabird diet

Robinette¹,

Sydeman²,

Nur³

2007

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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Understanding recruitment in demersal fish requires determination of larval survival and delivery to appropriate settling habitats. Sanddabs Citharichthys sp. are an abundant neritic fish of Central California, an area of persistent upwelling. 'Upwelling shadows' develop in the lee of coastal promontories, retain surface waters, and may promote spatial variation in fish settlement. To test this hypothesis, we studied the diet and foraging dimensions of a seabird (Cepphus columba) specializing in sanddab consumption at windward and leeward sites over a 6 yr period. We integrated the bird's take of sanddab with information on upwelling intensity and variability and sanddab larval abundance based on net sampling. Seabird diet at both sub-colonies was variable, but dominated by Age 1 sanddabs. Sanddabs were more prevalent in the diet of guillemots at the leeward site, and diet was more variable at the windward site. Persistent upwelling led to regional increases in sanddab larval abundance which, in turn, resulted in enhanced recruitment to leeward waters, as reflected in seabird diet. Pulsed upwelling was related to apparent increased recruitment in windward waters. This study is one of the first to suggest that seabird diet can be used as an indicator of spatial variability in recruitment and settlement of demersal forage fish.

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Foraging behavior of a generalist marine top predator, Japanese cormorants (Phalacrocorax filamentosus), in years of demersal versus epipelagic prey

et al. 2004

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Monitoring temporal and spatial variability in sandeel (Ammodytes hexapterus) abundance with pigeon guillemot (Cepphus columba) diets

Cited by 30 publications

References 23 publications

Response of pigeon guillemots to variable abundance of high-lipid and low-lipid prey

Response of pigeon guillemots to variable abundance of high-lipid and low-lipid prey

Spatial patterns of recruitment in a demersal fish as revealed by seabird diet

Foraging behavior of a generalist marine top predator, Japanese cormorants (Phalacrocorax filamentosus), in years of demersal versus epipelagic prey

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