Long-term decline in egg size of Atlantic puffins Fratercula arctica is related to changes in forage fish stocks and climate conditions
Due to major shifts in the marine ecosystem, many seabirds in the NE Atlantic have experienced short- and long-term breeding failures and population changes. One such seabird is the Atlantic puffin Fratercula arctica, the populations of which have declined in Norway at an annual rate of 2% over a ~3...
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2012
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Online Access: | https://hdl.handle.net/10037/5034 https://doi.org/10.3354/meps09813 |
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ftunivtroemsoe:oai:munin.uit.no:10037/5034 2023-05-15T15:27:56+02:00 Long-term decline in egg size of Atlantic puffins Fratercula arctica is related to changes in forage fish stocks and climate conditions Barrett, Robert T. Nilsen, Erlend Birkeland Anker-Nilssen, Tycho 2012 https://hdl.handle.net/10037/5034 https://doi.org/10.3354/meps09813 eng eng Inter Research Marine Ecology Progress Series 457(2012) s. 1-10 FRIDAID 930959 http://dx.doi.org/10.3354/meps09813 0171-8630 https://hdl.handle.net/10037/5034 URN:NBN:no-uit_munin_4746 openAccess VDP::Agriculture and fishery disciplines: 900::Fisheries science: 920::Resource biology: 921 VDP::Landbruks- og Fiskerifag: 900::Fiskerifag: 920::Ressursbiologi: 921 Journal article Tidsskriftartikkel Peer reviewed 2012 ftunivtroemsoe https://doi.org/10.3354/meps09813 2021-06-25T17:53:32Z Due to major shifts in the marine ecosystem, many seabirds in the NE Atlantic have experienced short- and long-term breeding failures and population changes. One such seabird is the Atlantic puffin Fratercula arctica, the populations of which have declined in Norway at an annual rate of 2% over a ~30 yr period. Parallel to this decline, we found a significant decline in egg volume at 2 widely separated Norwegian colonies situated in different marine ecoregions, a decline that is unprecedented among auks. In birds, egg production is costly for the female and varies in response to the amount of energy available for reproduction. Whereas proximate factors determining egg size are largely unknown, food availability prior to egg-laying is considered important. Using generalised least-square models, we demonstrate that the declines in egg size were driven by interannual changes in abundances of capelin Mallotus villosus and early life stages of herring Clupea harengus and haddock Melanogrammus aeglefinus, all of which are important prey of Atlantic puffins in these colonies. Furthermore, changes in climatic variables, such as sea temperature and the North Atlantic Oscillation, suggest that other prey may also have played a role in determining puffin egg size. The decline in egg size may reduce the quality of future breeders and hence have negative effects on puffin populations. Article in Journal/Newspaper Atlantic puffin fratercula Fratercula arctica North Atlantic North Atlantic oscillation University of Tromsø: Munin Open Research Archive Norway Marine Ecology Progress Series 457 1 10 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
University of Tromsø: Munin Open Research Archive |
op_collection_id |
ftunivtroemsoe |
language |
English |
topic |
VDP::Agriculture and fishery disciplines: 900::Fisheries science: 920::Resource biology: 921 VDP::Landbruks- og Fiskerifag: 900::Fiskerifag: 920::Ressursbiologi: 921 |
spellingShingle |
VDP::Agriculture and fishery disciplines: 900::Fisheries science: 920::Resource biology: 921 VDP::Landbruks- og Fiskerifag: 900::Fiskerifag: 920::Ressursbiologi: 921 Barrett, Robert T. Nilsen, Erlend Birkeland Anker-Nilssen, Tycho Long-term decline in egg size of Atlantic puffins Fratercula arctica is related to changes in forage fish stocks and climate conditions |
topic_facet |
VDP::Agriculture and fishery disciplines: 900::Fisheries science: 920::Resource biology: 921 VDP::Landbruks- og Fiskerifag: 900::Fiskerifag: 920::Ressursbiologi: 921 |
description |
Due to major shifts in the marine ecosystem, many seabirds in the NE Atlantic have experienced short- and long-term breeding failures and population changes. One such seabird is the Atlantic puffin Fratercula arctica, the populations of which have declined in Norway at an annual rate of 2% over a ~30 yr period. Parallel to this decline, we found a significant decline in egg volume at 2 widely separated Norwegian colonies situated in different marine ecoregions, a decline that is unprecedented among auks. In birds, egg production is costly for the female and varies in response to the amount of energy available for reproduction. Whereas proximate factors determining egg size are largely unknown, food availability prior to egg-laying is considered important. Using generalised least-square models, we demonstrate that the declines in egg size were driven by interannual changes in abundances of capelin Mallotus villosus and early life stages of herring Clupea harengus and haddock Melanogrammus aeglefinus, all of which are important prey of Atlantic puffins in these colonies. Furthermore, changes in climatic variables, such as sea temperature and the North Atlantic Oscillation, suggest that other prey may also have played a role in determining puffin egg size. The decline in egg size may reduce the quality of future breeders and hence have negative effects on puffin populations. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Barrett, Robert T. Nilsen, Erlend Birkeland Anker-Nilssen, Tycho |
author_facet |
Barrett, Robert T. Nilsen, Erlend Birkeland Anker-Nilssen, Tycho |
author_sort |
Barrett, Robert T. |
title |
Long-term decline in egg size of Atlantic puffins Fratercula arctica is related to changes in forage fish stocks and climate conditions |
title_short |
Long-term decline in egg size of Atlantic puffins Fratercula arctica is related to changes in forage fish stocks and climate conditions |
title_full |
Long-term decline in egg size of Atlantic puffins Fratercula arctica is related to changes in forage fish stocks and climate conditions |
title_fullStr |
Long-term decline in egg size of Atlantic puffins Fratercula arctica is related to changes in forage fish stocks and climate conditions |
title_full_unstemmed |
Long-term decline in egg size of Atlantic puffins Fratercula arctica is related to changes in forage fish stocks and climate conditions |
title_sort |
long-term decline in egg size of atlantic puffins fratercula arctica is related to changes in forage fish stocks and climate conditions |
publisher |
Inter Research |
publishDate |
2012 |
url |
https://hdl.handle.net/10037/5034 https://doi.org/10.3354/meps09813 |
geographic |
Norway |
geographic_facet |
Norway |
genre |
Atlantic puffin fratercula Fratercula arctica North Atlantic North Atlantic oscillation |
genre_facet |
Atlantic puffin fratercula Fratercula arctica North Atlantic North Atlantic oscillation |
op_relation |
Marine Ecology Progress Series 457(2012) s. 1-10 FRIDAID 930959 http://dx.doi.org/10.3354/meps09813 0171-8630 https://hdl.handle.net/10037/5034 URN:NBN:no-uit_munin_4746 |
op_rights |
openAccess |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.3354/meps09813 |
container_title |
Marine Ecology Progress Series |
container_volume |
457 |
container_start_page |
1 |
op_container_end_page |
10 |
_version_ |
1766358337121681408 |