Relationship of marine birds to oceanic fronts off the northeastern United States. Technical progress report, April-November 1981

• Main Authors: Powers, K. D., Backus, E. H.
• Language: unknown
• Published: 2013
• Subjects: 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ATLANTIC OCEAN; FOOD CHAINS; BIRDS; SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION; COASTAL WATERS; CONTINENTAL SHELF; CONTINENTAL SLOPE; NORTH ATLANTIC REGION; NUTRIENTS; PRODUCTIVITY; WATER CURRENTS; ANIMALS; CONTINENTAL MARGIN; CURRENTS; DISTRIBUTION; SEAS; SURFACE WATERS; VERTEBRATES; North Atlantic
• Online Access: http://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/5217161; https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5217161; https://doi.org/10.2172/5217161

The role of fronts as determinants of pelagic distributions of zooplankton-feeding marine birds off the northeastern United States was investigated. Our analyses suggest that the shelf/slope and Cape Cod fronts are not convergent features, which accumulate biological or probably inorganic materials at the surface. Instead, our data support previous oceanographic studies, which implicate enhanced vertical mixing in the shelf-break region and along northern Georges Bank. This conclusion supports our original hypothesis that frontal regions are major determinants of the pelagic distributions of some species of marine birds (zooplankton-feeders), because these areas are apparently enriched with greater amounts of nutrients that cause enhanced phytoplankton and zooplankton production. Hence, birds select these areas with greater densities of preferred prey because foraging is more efficient.