Water masses, ocean fronts, and the structure of Antarctic seabird communities: Putting the eastern Bellingshausen Sea in perspective
Waters off the western Antarctic Peninsula (i.e., the eastern Bellingshausen Sea) are unusually complex owing to the convergence of several major fronts. Determining the relative influence of fronts on occurrence patterns of top-trophic species in that area, therefore, has been challenging. In one of...
Published in: | Deep Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography |
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Main Authors: | , , , , , |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
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Pergamon-Elsevier Science Ltd
2011
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Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dsr2.2009.09.017 http://ecite.utas.edu.au/76787 |
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ftunivtasecite:oai:ecite.utas.edu.au:76787 |
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openpolar |
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Open Polar |
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eCite UTAS (University of Tasmania) |
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ftunivtasecite |
language |
English |
topic |
Biological Sciences Ecology Marine and Estuarine Ecology (incl. Marine Ichthyology) |
spellingShingle |
Biological Sciences Ecology Marine and Estuarine Ecology (incl. Marine Ichthyology) Ribic, CA Ainley, DG Ford, RG Fraser, WR Tynan, CT Woehler, E Water masses, ocean fronts, and the structure of Antarctic seabird communities: Putting the eastern Bellingshausen Sea in perspective |
topic_facet |
Biological Sciences Ecology Marine and Estuarine Ecology (incl. Marine Ichthyology) |
description |
Waters off the western Antarctic Peninsula (i.e., the eastern Bellingshausen Sea) are unusually complex owing to the convergence of several major fronts. Determining the relative influence of fronts on occurrence patterns of top-trophic species in that area, therefore, has been challenging. In one of the few ocean-wide seabird data syntheses, in this case for the Southern Ocean, we analyzed ample, previously collected cruise data, Antarctic-wide, to determine seabird species assemblages and quantitative relation- ships to fronts as a way to provide context to the long-term Palmer LTER and the winter Southern Ocean GLOBEC studies in the eastern Bellingshausen Sea. Fronts investigated during both winter (April September) and summer (OctoberMarch) were the southern boundary of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC), which separates the High Antarctic from the Low Antarctic water mass, and within which are embedded the marginal ice zone and Antarctic Shelf Break Front; and the Antarctic Polar Front, which separates the Low Antarctic and the Subantarctic water masses. We used clustering to determine species groupings with water masses, and generalized additive models to relate species densities, biomass and diversity to distance to respective fronts. Antarctic-wide, in both periods, highest seabird densities and lowest species diversity were found in the High Antarctic water mass. In the eastern Bellingshausen, seabird density in the High Antarctic water mass was lower (as low as half that of winter) than found in other Antarctic regions. During winter, Antarctic-wide, two significant species groups were evident: one dominated by Ade lie penguins (Pygoscelis adeliae) (High Antarctic water mass) and the other by petrels and prions (no differentiation among water masses); in eastern Bellingshausen waters during winter, the one significant species group was composed of species from both Antarctic-wide groups. In summer, Antarctic- wide, a High Antarctic group dominated by Ade lie penguins, a Low Antarctic group dominated by petrels, and a Subantarctic group dominated by albatross were evident. In eastern Bellingshausen waters during summer, groups were inconsistent. With regard to frontal features, Antarctic-wide in winter, distance to the ice edge was an important explanatory factor for nine of 14 species, distance to the Antarctic Polar Front for six species and distance to the Shelf Break Front for six species; however, these Antarctic-wide models could not successfully predict spatial relationships of winter seabird density (individual species or total) and biomass in the eastern Bellingshausen. Antarctic-wide in summer, distance to land/Antarctic continent was important for 10 of 18 species, not a surprising result for these summer-time Antarctic breeders, as colonies are associated with ice-free areas of coastal land. Distance to the Shelf Break Front was important for 8 and distance to the southern boundary of the ACC was important for 7 species. These summer models were more successful in predicting eastern Bellingshausen species density and species diversity but failed to predict total seabird density or biomass. Antarctic seabirds appear to respond to fronts in a way similar to that observed along the well-studied upwelling front of the California Current. To understand fully the seabird patterns found in this synthesis, multi-disciplinary at-sea investigations, including a quantified prey field, are needed. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Ribic, CA Ainley, DG Ford, RG Fraser, WR Tynan, CT Woehler, E |
author_facet |
Ribic, CA Ainley, DG Ford, RG Fraser, WR Tynan, CT Woehler, E |
author_sort |
Ribic, CA |
title |
Water masses, ocean fronts, and the structure of Antarctic seabird communities: Putting the eastern Bellingshausen Sea in perspective |
title_short |
Water masses, ocean fronts, and the structure of Antarctic seabird communities: Putting the eastern Bellingshausen Sea in perspective |
title_full |
Water masses, ocean fronts, and the structure of Antarctic seabird communities: Putting the eastern Bellingshausen Sea in perspective |
title_fullStr |
Water masses, ocean fronts, and the structure of Antarctic seabird communities: Putting the eastern Bellingshausen Sea in perspective |
title_full_unstemmed |
Water masses, ocean fronts, and the structure of Antarctic seabird communities: Putting the eastern Bellingshausen Sea in perspective |
title_sort |
water masses, ocean fronts, and the structure of antarctic seabird communities: putting the eastern bellingshausen sea in perspective |
publisher |
Pergamon-Elsevier Science Ltd |
publishDate |
2011 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dsr2.2009.09.017 http://ecite.utas.edu.au/76787 |
geographic |
Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula Bellingshausen Sea Southern Ocean The Antarctic |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula Bellingshausen Sea Southern Ocean The Antarctic |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula Bellingshausen Sea Pygoscelis adeliae Southern Ocean |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula Bellingshausen Sea Pygoscelis adeliae Southern Ocean |
op_relation |
http://ecite.utas.edu.au/76787/1/Ribic et al 2011 DSR[1].pdf http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.dsr2.2009.09.017 Ribic, CA and Ainley, DG and Ford, RG and Fraser, WR and Tynan, CT and Woehler, E, Water masses, ocean fronts, and the structure of Antarctic seabird communities: Putting the eastern Bellingshausen Sea in perspective, Deep-Sea Research. Part 2: Topical Studies in Oceanography, 58, (13-16) pp. 1695-1709. ISSN 0967-0645 (2011) [Refereed Article] http://ecite.utas.edu.au/76787 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dsr2.2009.09.017 |
container_title |
Deep Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography |
container_volume |
58 |
container_issue |
13-16 |
container_start_page |
1695 |
op_container_end_page |
1709 |
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1766272788417478656 |
spelling |
ftunivtasecite:oai:ecite.utas.edu.au:76787 2023-05-15T14:02:30+02:00 Water masses, ocean fronts, and the structure of Antarctic seabird communities: Putting the eastern Bellingshausen Sea in perspective Ribic, CA Ainley, DG Ford, RG Fraser, WR Tynan, CT Woehler, E 2011 application/pdf https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dsr2.2009.09.017 http://ecite.utas.edu.au/76787 en eng Pergamon-Elsevier Science Ltd http://ecite.utas.edu.au/76787/1/Ribic et al 2011 DSR[1].pdf http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.dsr2.2009.09.017 Ribic, CA and Ainley, DG and Ford, RG and Fraser, WR and Tynan, CT and Woehler, E, Water masses, ocean fronts, and the structure of Antarctic seabird communities: Putting the eastern Bellingshausen Sea in perspective, Deep-Sea Research. Part 2: Topical Studies in Oceanography, 58, (13-16) pp. 1695-1709. ISSN 0967-0645 (2011) [Refereed Article] http://ecite.utas.edu.au/76787 Biological Sciences Ecology Marine and Estuarine Ecology (incl. Marine Ichthyology) Refereed Article PeerReviewed 2011 ftunivtasecite https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dsr2.2009.09.017 2019-12-13T21:43:03Z Waters off the western Antarctic Peninsula (i.e., the eastern Bellingshausen Sea) are unusually complex owing to the convergence of several major fronts. Determining the relative influence of fronts on occurrence patterns of top-trophic species in that area, therefore, has been challenging. In one of the few ocean-wide seabird data syntheses, in this case for the Southern Ocean, we analyzed ample, previously collected cruise data, Antarctic-wide, to determine seabird species assemblages and quantitative relation- ships to fronts as a way to provide context to the long-term Palmer LTER and the winter Southern Ocean GLOBEC studies in the eastern Bellingshausen Sea. Fronts investigated during both winter (April September) and summer (OctoberMarch) were the southern boundary of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC), which separates the High Antarctic from the Low Antarctic water mass, and within which are embedded the marginal ice zone and Antarctic Shelf Break Front; and the Antarctic Polar Front, which separates the Low Antarctic and the Subantarctic water masses. We used clustering to determine species groupings with water masses, and generalized additive models to relate species densities, biomass and diversity to distance to respective fronts. Antarctic-wide, in both periods, highest seabird densities and lowest species diversity were found in the High Antarctic water mass. In the eastern Bellingshausen, seabird density in the High Antarctic water mass was lower (as low as half that of winter) than found in other Antarctic regions. During winter, Antarctic-wide, two significant species groups were evident: one dominated by Ade lie penguins (Pygoscelis adeliae) (High Antarctic water mass) and the other by petrels and prions (no differentiation among water masses); in eastern Bellingshausen waters during winter, the one significant species group was composed of species from both Antarctic-wide groups. In summer, Antarctic- wide, a High Antarctic group dominated by Ade lie penguins, a Low Antarctic group dominated by petrels, and a Subantarctic group dominated by albatross were evident. In eastern Bellingshausen waters during summer, groups were inconsistent. With regard to frontal features, Antarctic-wide in winter, distance to the ice edge was an important explanatory factor for nine of 14 species, distance to the Antarctic Polar Front for six species and distance to the Shelf Break Front for six species; however, these Antarctic-wide models could not successfully predict spatial relationships of winter seabird density (individual species or total) and biomass in the eastern Bellingshausen. Antarctic-wide in summer, distance to land/Antarctic continent was important for 10 of 18 species, not a surprising result for these summer-time Antarctic breeders, as colonies are associated with ice-free areas of coastal land. Distance to the Shelf Break Front was important for 8 and distance to the southern boundary of the ACC was important for 7 species. These summer models were more successful in predicting eastern Bellingshausen species density and species diversity but failed to predict total seabird density or biomass. Antarctic seabirds appear to respond to fronts in a way similar to that observed along the well-studied upwelling front of the California Current. To understand fully the seabird patterns found in this synthesis, multi-disciplinary at-sea investigations, including a quantified prey field, are needed. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula Bellingshausen Sea Pygoscelis adeliae Southern Ocean eCite UTAS (University of Tasmania) Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula Bellingshausen Sea Southern Ocean The Antarctic Deep Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography 58 13-16 1695 1709 |