Seabird ecology in the North Atlantic

北大西洋的海鸟生态

• 批准号: RGPIN-2019-04196
• 负责人: Major, Heather
• 金额: $ 2.04万
• 依托单位: University of New Brunswick
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2021
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2021-01-01 至 2022-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=737290
• 关键词: Seabird; ecology; North; Atlantic

Animal movements (i.e., dispersal and migration) are key processes in behavioural ecology that have direct implications on the fitness of individuals and population dynamics. Dispersal, the movement from one location to another for the purpose of breeding, can be an important driver of population change, as individuals disperse to avoid inbreeding or unfavorable habitats. Without the ability to disperse, species would become locked at one site, and any change at the site could be disastrous for them. Migration, the return movement between seasonal home ranges, is also important for maintaining populations. Migratory behaviour provides the opportunity to exploit different habitats and, in some cases, provides necessary resources that are important for reproduction that might not be otherwise available. The long-term goal of my research is to understand the drivers of population change, and understanding dispersal and migration are key to achieving this. Thus, the short-term goals of my research are to understand the movement ecology of a colonial top marine predator and how these movements influence past population dynamics and future population trends. I will achieve these goals by addressing three related questions: 1) What factors influence an individuals' propensity to disperse? 2) How do individual differences in ornamentation relate to individual quality/condition and fitness, and how do they link to an individual's recruitment into breeding populations? 3) How do patterns of dispersal and connectivity affect long-term population projections and how might climate change impact those relationships? I will use seabirds, specifically from the family Alcidae, as study species because they are ubiquitous in the North Atlantic, and continued long-term monitoring at Machias Seal Island in the Bay of Fundy and national and international collaborations offer the unique ability to ask broad questions concerning animal movement, habitat selection, and life-history that are logistically difficult and virtually impossible to ask in many other marine systems. Broadly, results of this research will broaden our understanding of animal movement and population dynamics. Specifically, results will provide critical information on seabird ecology that will help fill gaps in our knowledge of their biology and that are critical to our ability to effectively manage these species and predict how their populations might change with a changing climate. Alcids, specifically Atlantic Puffins, are a top marine predator and also an icon of the Canadian marine environment. Further understanding their biology and managing their populations has important implications for both the marine ecosystem as a whole and tourism in Atlantic Canada. Thus, results of my project will provide information required to ensure informed, evidence-based management and ultimately the persistence of this and other related species.

动物运动（即，扩散和迁移）是行为生态学中的关键过程，对个体的适应性和种群动态有直接影响。扩散，从一个地方到另一个地方繁殖的目的，可以是一个重要的驱动力的人口变化，因为个人分散，以避免近亲繁殖或不利的栖息地。如果没有分散的能力，物种将被锁定在一个地点，地点的任何变化都可能对它们造成灾难性的影响。迁徙，即季节性活动范围之间的返回，对于维持种群也很重要。迁徙行为提供了利用不同生境的机会，在某些情况下，还提供了繁殖所必需的资源，这些资源在其他情况下可能无法获得。我的研究的长期目标是了解人口变化的驱动因素，而了解分散和迁移是实现这一目标的关键。因此，我的研究的短期目标是了解殖民顶级海洋捕食者的运动生态学，以及这些运动如何影响过去的人口动态和未来的人口趋势。我将通过解决三个相关的问题来实现这些目标：1）什么因素影响个人的分散倾向？2)个体的遗传差异如何与个体的质量/条件和适应性相关，它们如何与个体进入繁殖种群的招募联系起来？3)扩散和连通模式如何影响长期人口预测，气候变化又如何影响这些关系？我将使用海鸟，特别是从家庭Alkalae，作为研究物种，因为他们是无处不在的北大西洋，并继续长期监测在Machias海豹岛在芬迪湾和国家和国际合作提供了独特的能力，问广泛的问题，动物运动，栖息地选择，和生活史，是后勤困难，几乎不可能问在许多其他海洋系统。从广义上讲，这项研究的结果将拓宽我们对动物运动和种群动态的理解。具体而言，研究结果将提供有关海鸟生态的关键信息，这将有助于填补我们对其生物学知识的空白，并对我们有效管理这些物种的能力至关重要，并预测它们的种群如何随着气候变化而变化。Alcids，特别是大西洋海雀，是顶级海洋捕食者，也是加拿大海洋环境的标志。进一步了解它们的生物学和管理它们的种群对整个海洋生态系统和加拿大大西洋地区的旅游业都有重要影响。因此，我的项目的结果将提供所需的信息，以确保知情的，以证据为基础的管理，并最终持久的这种和其他相关物种。