Citation: Sandvik, H., R. T. Barrett, K. E. Erikstad, M. S. Myksvoll, F. Vikebø, N. G. Yoccoz, T. Anker‑Nilssen, S.‑H. Lorentsen, T. K. Reiertsen, J. Skarðhamar, M. Skern‑Mauritzen, and G. H. Systad (2016) Drift patterns of fish larvae link coastal morphology to seabird colony distribution. – Talk given at the 13th International Seabird Group Conference in Edinburgh.
Abstract:
Colonial breeding is an evolutionary puzzle, as the benefits of breeding in high densities are still not fully explained. Although the dynamics of existing
colonies are increasingly understood, few studies have addressed the initial
formation of colonies, and empirical tests are rare. Based on a high-resolution
coupled ocean-circulation model and an individual-based larval-drift model, the distribution of seabird colonies along the Norwegian coast can be explained by
variations in the availability and predictability of fish larvae. The modelled
variability in concentration of fish larvae is, in turn, predicted by the topography
of the continental shelf and coastline. The advection of fish larvae along the coast
thus translates small-scale topographic characteristics into the spatial
distribution of top-predator breeding sites. Our findings provide empirical
corroboration of the hypothesis that seabird colonies are founded in locations
that minimise travel distances between breeding and foraging locations, thereby
enabling optimal foraging by central-place foragers.
Related publications: This study has now been published in Nature Communications.