Journal
MARINE ECOLOGY PROGRESS SERIES
Volume 676, Issue -, Pages 173-188Publisher
INTER-RESEARCH
DOI: 10.3354/meps13580
Keywords
Environmental niche; Inter-population mixing; Large-scale spatiotemporal dynamics; Light-level geolocation; Murres; Population spread; Seasonality
Categories
Funding
- Norwegian Ministry for Climate and the Environment
- Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- Norwegian Oil and Gas Association
- Research Council of Norway [216547]
- TOTAL EP Norway
- TOTAL Foundation
- UK Natural Environment Research Council
- NERC [NE/L003082/1] Funding Source: UKRI
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This study revealed strong migratory connectivity within and between two sympatric seabird species based on large-scale tracking data. Individuals from different breeding populations in both species were clustered in their space and environmental use, utilizing only a fraction of the potential species-wide range. Space use varied among seasons, emphasizing the variable constraints faced by both species during different stages of their annual cycle.
Identifying drivers of population trends in migratory species is difficult, as they can face many stressors while moving through different areas and environments during the annual cycle. To understand the potential of migrants to adjust to perturbations, it is critical to study the connection of different areas used by different populations during the annual cycle (i.e. migratory connectivity). Using a large-scale tracking data set of 662 individual seabirds from 2 sympatric auk meta-populations (common guillemots Uria aalge and Briinnich's guillemots U. lomvia) breeding in 12 colonies throughout the Northeast Atlantic, we estimated migratory connectivity in seasonal space use as well as occupied environmental niches. We found strong migratory connectivity, within and between species. This was apparent through a combination of seasonal space use and occupied environmental niches. Briinnich's guillemot populations grouped into 2 and common guillemot populations into 5 previously undescribed spatiotemporal clusters. Common guillemot populations clustered in accordance with the variable population trends exhibited by the species, while Briinnich's guillemot populations are declining everywhere where known within the study area. Individuals from different breeding populations in both species were clustered in their space and environmental use, utilising only a fraction of the potential species-wide range. Further, space use varied among seasons, emphasising the variable constraints faced by both species during the different stages of their annual cycle. Our study highlights that considering spatiotemporal dynamics, not only in space but also in occupied environmental niches, improves our understanding of migratory connectivity and thus population vulnerability in the context of global change.
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