Seabird ecology in the North Atlantic

动物迁徙(即扩散和迁徙)是行为生态学中的关键过程，对个体的适合性和种群动态有直接影响。扩散，即为了繁殖而从一个地点移动到另一个地点，可能是种群变化的重要驱动因素，因为个体为了避免近亲繁殖或不利的栖息地而分散。如果没有分散的能力，物种将被锁定在一个地点，该地点的任何变化都可能对它们造成灾难性的影响。迁徙，即季节性家园之间的返回流动，对维持种群也很重要。迁徙行为提供了利用不同栖息地的机会，在某些情况下，还提供了必要的资源，这些资源对繁殖很重要，否则可能无法获得。*我研究的长期目标是了解人口变化的驱动因素，了解分散和迁徙是实现这一目标的关键。因此，我研究的短期目标是了解群居顶级海洋捕食者的运动生态，以及这些运动如何影响过去的种群动态和未来的种群趋势。我将通过回答三个相关的问题来实现这些目标：1)什么因素影响个体的分散倾向？2)个体在装饰上的差异如何与个体的素质/条件和健康状况有关，以及它们如何与个体被招募到繁殖种群中联系起来？3)扩散和连接的模式如何影响长期的种群预测，以及气候变化可能如何影响这些关系？*我将以海鸟，特别是海鸟科的海鸟作为研究物种，因为它们在北大西洋无处不在，在芬迪湾的马基亚斯海豹岛持续的长期监测以及国家和国际合作提供了独特的能力，可以提出关于动物运动、栖息地选择和生活史的广泛问题，这些问题在后勤上很困难，在许多其他海洋系统中几乎不可能提出。总的来说，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。具体地说，研究结果将提供有关海鸟生态的关键信息，这些信息将有助于填补我们对海鸟生物学知识的空白，对于我们有效管理这些物种并预测它们的数量可能随着气候变化而变化的能力至关重要。阿尔希德，特别是大西洋海雀，是一种顶级的海洋捕食者，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旅游业都有重要影响。因此，我的项目成果将提供必要的信息，以确保知情的、基于证据的管理，并最终确保该物种和其他相关物种的持久性。

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.