| Summary: | This study showsthat there are fitness costsfor the little auk associated with the Atlantification of West Spitsbergen fjords. These costs seem especially pronounced during the late phase of the chick rearing period, when theenergetic needs of the chicks are the highest. Consequently, even if little auks can partlyadapt their foraging behaviour to changing environmental conditions, they are negativelyaffected by the ongoing changes in the Arctic marine ecosystems. These results stress theimportance of long-term monitoring data in the Arctic to improve our understanding of theongoing Atlantification and highlight the relevance of using seabirds as indicators ofenvironmental change.
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