Spatio-temporal distributions of piscivorous birds in a subarctic sound during the nonbreeding season

Stocking, Jessica J.; Bishop, Mary Anne; Arab, Ali

doi:10.1016/j.dsr2.2017.07.017

Cited by 8 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 66 publications

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“…Prior research in PWS supports the influence of seasonality on marine bird distribution and abundance during the non‐breeding season. Dawson et al (2015) and Stocking et al (2018) identified consistent, large‐scale seasonal shifts in the marine bird community across all habitat types, including in bays, passages, and exposed open waters. Our results from PWS bays corroborate these previous studies: marbled murrelets and large gulls (primarily glaucous‐winged gulls, Larus glaucescens ) were the most abundant species groups in our November surveys, while common murres overwhelmingly dominated the marine bird community in March (Figure 4).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 94%

“…PWS is separated from the Gulf of Alaska by large, mountainous barrier islands and provides access to extensive and protected ice‐free habitat for wintering populations of at least 18 species of piscivorous marine birds (Bishop, Watson, Kuletz, & Morgan, 2015; McKnight, Sullivan, Irons, Stephensen, & Howlin, 2008). During winter, marine birds occur primarily in semi‐protected and protected nearshore habitats, preferring shallower, warmer waters (Stocking et al, 2018). Our surveys occurred in two fjords (hereafter referred to bays: Eaglek and Whale Bays) and two bays (Simpson and Zaikof Bays) (Gay & Vaughan, 2001; Figure 1).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…To account for spatial autocorrelation of observations, we included spatially correlated error terms based on the Matérn covariance function in all models. For a more complete definition of the hurdle model framework and development, see Arab (2015) and Stocking et al (2018).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Explanatory variables included in the model set were selected based on previous research identifying spatial and temporal patterns of marine bird (Dawson et al, 2015; Stocking et al, 2018) and juvenile Pacific herring distributions (Lewandoski & Bishop, 2018) in PWS during winter. We related marine bird presence and abundance at fish schools to 2 temporal, 4 habitat, and 5 school variables.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In this study, we collected marine bird observations synoptic with hydroacoustic forage fish surveys to characterize the distribution and abundance of birds in relation to forage fish abundance and habitat characteristics in bays of Prince William Sound (PWS), Alaska, during early and late winter. Prior research identified spatial and temporal patterns of marine birds in PWS throughout the non‐breeding season (Dawson, Bishop, Kuletz, & Zuur, 2015; Stocking, Bishop, & Arab, 2018), but recognized the lack of direct prey information as a gap. To address this, we first used a two‐step approach to understand how fish school and habitat characteristics influence bird presence and abundance at individual fish schools.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Marine bird response to forage fish during winter in subarctic bays

Schaefer

Bishop

Thorne

2020

Fisheries Oceanography

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Despite the importance of understanding marine bird response to prey fish, few studies have examined this relationship during winter. Over a 5‐year period, we conducted synoptic marine bird and hydroacoustic forage fish surveys during early (November) and late (March) winter to characterize the factors influencing marine bird and forage fish dynamics at two spatial scales (fish school and bay) within subarctic bays of coastal Alaska, USA. Over 40% of observed marine birds were associated with a fish school (within 150 m of a fish school), although only 20% of fish schools were associated with birds. Seasonally, we recorded significantly more schools during early winter. The marine bird community also shifted from being comprised primarily of marbled murrelets (Brachyramphus marmoratus) and large gulls (Larus spp.) in early winter to common murres (Uria aalge) in late winter. At the school level, marine birds were more likely to be associated with shallow fish schools within 500 m of shore and in smaller prey patches. At the bay level, gull abundance was positively associated with the total number of fish schools recorded, while diving birds were more abundant when fish schools were higher in the water column, in shallower bottom depths, and in areas with more eel grass habitat. Our results indicate the importance of temporal, habitat, and fish school variables as drivers of marine bird presence and abundance, underscoring the complexity of predator–prey dynamics in the marine environment during winter.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 94%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Marine bird response to forage fish during winter in subarctic bays

Schaefer

Bishop

Thorne

2020

Fisheries Oceanography

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Experimental evidence for adaptive divergence in response to a warmed habitat reveals roles for morphology, allometry and parasite resistance

Smith,

Costa,

Kristjánsson

et al. 2024

Ecology and Evolution

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Ectotherms are expected to be particularly vulnerable to climate change–driven increases in temperature. Understanding how populations adapt to novel thermal environments will be key for informing mitigation plans. We took advantage of threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) populations inhabiting adjacent geothermal (warm) and ambient (cold) habitats to test for adaptive evolutionary divergence using a field reciprocal transplant experiment. We found evidence for adaptive morphological divergence, as growth (length change) in non‐native habitats related to head, posterior and total body shape. Higher growth in fish transplanted to a non‐native habitat was associated with morphological shape closer to native fish. The consequences of transplantation were asymmetric with cold sourced fish transplanted to the warm habitat suffering from lower survival rates and greater parasite prevalence than warm sourced fish transplanted to the cold habitat. We also found divergent shape allometries that related to growth. Our findings suggest that wild populations can adapt quickly to thermal conditions, but immediate transitions to warmer conditions may be particularly difficult.

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