Signals from seabirds indicate changing biology of capelin stocks
Key forage species lie at the core of complex marine food webs, providing essential linkages among trophic levels. We examined the interactions of an important forage and commercial fish, capelin Mallotus villosus, and its primary avian predator, the common murre Uria aalge, in the NW Atlantic. Murr...
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ftmemorialuniv:oai:research.library.mun.ca:529 2023-10-01T03:55:26+02:00 Signals from seabirds indicate changing biology of capelin stocks Davoren, Gail K. Montevecchi, William A. 2003-04-29 application/pdf https://research.library.mun.ca/529/ https://research.library.mun.ca/529/1/signals_from_seabirds.pdf https://research.library.mun.ca/529/3/signals_from_seabirds.pdf http://www.int-res.com/abstracts/meps/v258/p253-261/ en eng Inter-Research https://research.library.mun.ca/529/1/signals_from_seabirds.pdf https://research.library.mun.ca/529/3/signals_from_seabirds.pdf Davoren, Gail K. <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Davoren=3AGail_K=2E=3A=3A.html> and Montevecchi, William A. <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Montevecchi=3AWilliam_A=2E_=3A=3A.html> (2003) Signals from seabirds indicate changing biology of capelin stocks. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 258. pp. 253-261. ISSN 1616-1599 cc_by_nc QH301 Biology Article PeerReviewed 2003 ftmemorialuniv 2023-09-03T06:43:56Z Key forage species lie at the core of complex marine food webs, providing essential linkages among trophic levels. We examined the interactions of an important forage and commercial fish, capelin Mallotus villosus, and its primary avian predator, the common murre Uria aalge, in the NW Atlantic. Murres are capelin specialists and robust samplers of capelin biology. During the 1990s, the coldest surface-water event in the past 50 to 100 yr occurred in the NW Atlantic (1991), and the eastern Canadian ground-fishery was closed (1992). Concordantly, the biology and behaviour of capelin has undergone very substantial changes. We examined parental food deliveries and production at the world's largest common murre colony on Funk Island off the northeast coast of Newfoundland throughout the 1990s. Murres delayed breeding and delivered smaller and lower quality capelin to their chicks. These changes, corroborated with independent fisheries data, resulted in poor condition of murre chicks, indicating significant effects of changing capelin demographics at higher trophic levels. The diets of the murre chicks indicate that the composition of the capelin population has shifted from high size diversity to mainly smaller capelin. We hypothesize that this change resulted from the elimination of the larger-sized and earlier-spawning genotype and that the NW Atlantic capelin population is exhibiting signs of reduced reproductive potential that likely reflects lower spawning biomass. Article in Journal/Newspaper Common Murre Newfoundland Uria aalge uria Memorial University of Newfoundland: Research Repository Funk Island ENVELOPE(-53.181,-53.181,49.750,49.750) |
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Memorial University of Newfoundland: Research Repository |
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ftmemorialuniv |
language |
English |
topic |
QH301 Biology |
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QH301 Biology Davoren, Gail K. Montevecchi, William A. Signals from seabirds indicate changing biology of capelin stocks |
topic_facet |
QH301 Biology |
description |
Key forage species lie at the core of complex marine food webs, providing essential linkages among trophic levels. We examined the interactions of an important forage and commercial fish, capelin Mallotus villosus, and its primary avian predator, the common murre Uria aalge, in the NW Atlantic. Murres are capelin specialists and robust samplers of capelin biology. During the 1990s, the coldest surface-water event in the past 50 to 100 yr occurred in the NW Atlantic (1991), and the eastern Canadian ground-fishery was closed (1992). Concordantly, the biology and behaviour of capelin has undergone very substantial changes. We examined parental food deliveries and production at the world's largest common murre colony on Funk Island off the northeast coast of Newfoundland throughout the 1990s. Murres delayed breeding and delivered smaller and lower quality capelin to their chicks. These changes, corroborated with independent fisheries data, resulted in poor condition of murre chicks, indicating significant effects of changing capelin demographics at higher trophic levels. The diets of the murre chicks indicate that the composition of the capelin population has shifted from high size diversity to mainly smaller capelin. We hypothesize that this change resulted from the elimination of the larger-sized and earlier-spawning genotype and that the NW Atlantic capelin population is exhibiting signs of reduced reproductive potential that likely reflects lower spawning biomass. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Davoren, Gail K. Montevecchi, William A. |
author_facet |
Davoren, Gail K. Montevecchi, William A. |
author_sort |
Davoren, Gail K. |
title |
Signals from seabirds indicate changing biology of capelin stocks |
title_short |
Signals from seabirds indicate changing biology of capelin stocks |
title_full |
Signals from seabirds indicate changing biology of capelin stocks |
title_fullStr |
Signals from seabirds indicate changing biology of capelin stocks |
title_full_unstemmed |
Signals from seabirds indicate changing biology of capelin stocks |
title_sort |
signals from seabirds indicate changing biology of capelin stocks |
publisher |
Inter-Research |
publishDate |
2003 |
url |
https://research.library.mun.ca/529/ https://research.library.mun.ca/529/1/signals_from_seabirds.pdf https://research.library.mun.ca/529/3/signals_from_seabirds.pdf http://www.int-res.com/abstracts/meps/v258/p253-261/ |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-53.181,-53.181,49.750,49.750) |
geographic |
Funk Island |
geographic_facet |
Funk Island |
genre |
Common Murre Newfoundland Uria aalge uria |
genre_facet |
Common Murre Newfoundland Uria aalge uria |
op_relation |
https://research.library.mun.ca/529/1/signals_from_seabirds.pdf https://research.library.mun.ca/529/3/signals_from_seabirds.pdf Davoren, Gail K. <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Davoren=3AGail_K=2E=3A=3A.html> and Montevecchi, William A. <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Montevecchi=3AWilliam_A=2E_=3A=3A.html> (2003) Signals from seabirds indicate changing biology of capelin stocks. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 258. pp. 253-261. ISSN 1616-1599 |
op_rights |
cc_by_nc |
_version_ |
1778523906959736832 |