Interrogating low Arctic seabirds: Indicators of changing prey ocean and climate conditions

• Main Authors: W.A. Montevecchi, A. Hedd, A.J. Gaston, C. Burke, G.K. Davoren, H.G. Gilchrist, J.F. Rail, K. Hobson, M. Mallory
• Format: Dataset
• Language: English
• Published: Canadian Cryospheric Information Network 2012
• Subjects: Bird colonies; Birds; CTD profiles; Fishes; Labrador; Newfoundland Shelf; Sea birds; Stable isotope analyses; Telemetry; Zooplankton; International Polar Year-Interrogating low Arctic seabirds Indicators of changing prey, ocean and climate conditions; Arctic; Newfoundland; Nunavut; Hudson Bay; Hudson; Digges; Arctic cod; Climate change; International Polar Year; inuit; Labrador Sea; Sea ice
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.5443/11421; https://www.polardata.ca/pdcsearch/?doi_id=11421

Our research is centered on seabird predators and key forage species (Arctic cod, capelin, lantern fish, crustaceans). Simultaneous research in the High and Low Arctic is integrated through the Labrador Current that provides a ¿downstream¿ link to evaluate influences of High Arctic climate on marine life in Low Arctic ecosystems. In collaboration with Inuit and Newfoundland hunters and fishers, we use seabirds to sample the marine environment over multiple regional and ocean-basin scales. Analysis of seabird diets, reproductive performance and foraging behavior reveal climate associated changes in forage species assemblages. Seabird diets collected during 2007-09 extend existing time series data (1970s -1990s) to assess recent changes in forage fish and zooplankton diversity and distribution associated with changes in sea ice coverage in the High Arctic and with fluctuating water temperatures in the Low Arctic driven by the southward flowing Arctic Labrador Current. Information on the wintering movements and ocean residency areas of seabirds has previously been extremely difficult to assess using traditional methods (e.g. vessel observations, banding studies). To address this knowledge gap we deployed geo-location devices to record bird movements, placing them on Common and Thick-billed Murres from 7 breeding colonies in the eastern Canadian Arctic (Prince Leopold, Coats, Digges, Minarets) and Newfoundland and Labrador ( Gannet, Funk and Gull Islands), ranging in latitude from 47° to 74°N). The results from the geo-location studies are revealing new and unexpected insights into the non-breeding distributions of both murre species. Thick-billed Murres from Hudson Bay remained in the Bay until mid-November, coinciding with the usual period of sea ice formation in northern Hudson Bay and spent the early part of the winter farther north (Labrador Sea) than expected. Wintering areas were different for each colony, with individuals from the same colony showing similar wintering movements and patterns of habitat use. As well, movement patterns of individuals were consistent across years. Overall, Thick-billed Murres more ranged more widely than Common Murres. The offshore waters along the continental shelf edge of the Grand Bank were very important for Common Murres throughout the non-breeding period and most birds did not utilize coastal waters that previously were deemed so important for these birds. : Purpose: Arctic marine animals and natural resources are of vital importance to Canadians. They are particularly essential for the quality of life, sustainability and survival of northern, indigenous and coastal communities. The physical and cultural health and well-being of these communities are rooted in their dependence on living renewable marine resources. Climate change has been ongoing in the Arctic for several decades and is causing and will continue to cause decreases in sea ice and shifts in marine resources that will affect traditional harvesting practices. These environmental transitions are presenting extreme challenges, though opportunities can also arise through proper planning for future adaptation using information on ocean-climate variability and change in marine ecosystems. The primary objective of our International Polar Year project is to use seabirds to detect climate-induced biological changes throughout the eastern Canadian Arctic extending from the High Arctic (Nunavut) via the Labrador Current through the Low Arctic to Labrador and Newfoundland. : Summary: Due to their far-reaching foraging and migratory routes, seabirds are a strong marker of ecosystem health and change. For this project, researchers are studying seabirds and their food sources (Arctic cod, capelin, lantern fish, crustaceans) to determine influences of High Arctic climate on marine life in Low Arctic ecosystems. Analysis includes seabird diets, reproductive performance and foraging behaviour, as well as measures of the surrounding physical environment. This work is establishing a baseline for assessing the ongoing changes in this region. Through comparisons with previous seabird surveys in the 1970s and 1980s, how seabirds and their related ecosystem have changed over time is also being evaluated.