Seabirds foraging at floating seaweeds in the Northeast Atlantic

The influence of floating seaweed patches on the distribution and behaviour of seabirds was investigated using the European Seabirds At Sea database (ESAS). The percentage of observations that seabirds were observed with floating seaweed differed among species, depending on the mode of foraging. The...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Vandendriessche, Sofie, Stienen, Eric W.M., Vincx, Magda, Degraer, Steven
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: 2007
Subjects:
PLASTIC DEBRIS
feeding strategy
ECOLOGY
ENVIRONMENT
PATCHINESS
PHALAROPES
SARGASSUM
DISPERSAL
ICELAND
seabirds
floating seaweed
Northeast Atlantic
BREEDING-SEASON
SHAGS PHALACROCORAX-ARISTOTELIS
Alca torda
fratercula
Fratercula arctica
Iceland
Melanitta nigra
Uria aalge
uria
Online Access:https://biblio.ugent.be/publication/744287
http://hdl.handle.net/1854/LU-744287
https://biblio.ugent.be/publication/744287/file/768520
Description
Summary:The influence of floating seaweed patches on the distribution and behaviour of seabirds was investigated using the European Seabirds At Sea database (ESAS). The percentage of observations that seabirds were observed with floating seaweed differed among species, depending on the mode of foraging. The results indicate that surface feeding species that make shallow dives (terns and Red-breasted Mergansers Mergus serrator) benefit most from the presence of floating seaweeds and their associated macro- and ichthyofauna. Species hunting for pelagic and bottom-dwelling prey (divers, Guillemots Uria aalge, Razorbills Alca torda, Puffins Fratercula arctica, Gannets Sula bassana and Cormorants Phulacrocorax carbo), and especially benthos feeders (Common Scoters Melanitta nigra and Eiders Somuteria mollissima) were frequently seen in association with floating seaweeds, while opportunists and scavengers like gulls and skuas were recorded on few occasions. Petrels and shear-waters (surface-seizing, pursuit-plunging, pursuit-diving) were seldomly seen in association with floating seaweeds. The most common behavioural activities of the birds associated with floating seaweed were found to be surface pecking, actively searching, and pursuit plunging.

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