Global seabird response to forage fish depletion — one-third for the birds
Philippe M. Cury, Ian L. Boyd, Sylvain Bonhommeau, Tycho Anker-Nilssen, Robert J.M. Crawford, Robert W. Furness, James A. Mills, Eugene J. Murphy, Henrik Österblom, Michelle Paleczny, John F. Piatt, Jean-Paul Roux, Lynne Shannon and William J. Sydeman
Science, 23 Dec 2011, Vol. 334, Issue 6063
Determining the form of key predator-prey relationships is critical for understanding marine ecosystem dynamics.Using a comprehensive global database, we quantified the effect of fluctuations in food abundance on seabird breeding success. We identified a threshold in prey (fish and krill, termed “forage fish") abundance below which seabirds experience consistently reduced and more variable productivity. This response was common to all seven ecosystems and 14 bird species examined within the Atlantic, Pacific, and Southern Oceans.
The threshold approximated one-third of the maximum prey biomass observed in long-term studies. This provides an indicator of the minimal forage fish biomass needed to sustain seabird productivity over the long term
Published 23 December 2011
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