Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Inter-annual variability in the breeding performance of six tropical seabird species: influence of life-history traits and relationship with oceanographic parameters

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Marine Biology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

We investigated inter-annual variability in the breeding performance of six tropical seabirds with different life histories. We further examined the extent to which presumed differences among years in food availability to seabirds were related to large-scale oceanic processes (El Niño Southern Oscillation and Indian Ocean Dipole) or local features around the colony (Sea Surface Temperature—SST, chlorophyll-a concentration, wind patterns, association with underwater predators). Two food shortages were recorded: (1) a short-term event operating at a local-scale, lacking any relationship with any measured oceanographic parameters and affecting only a few seabird species; (2) a generalized and protracted event, strikingly characterized by low SST, possibly induced by a La Niña and/or negative IOD event, and with detrimental impacts in the whole seabird community. Overall, species with inflexible feeding habits and fast chick growth rates were more affected by food shortage events than those with more plastic life-history traits.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Ainley DG, Boekelheide RJ (1983) An ecological comparison of oceanic seabird communities of the South Pacific Ocean. Stud Avian Biol 8:2–23

    Google Scholar 

  • Ainley DG, Hyrenbach KD (2010) Top-down and bottom-up factors affecting seabird population trends in the California current system (1985–2006). Prog Oceanogr 84:242–254

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ainley DG, Sydeman WJ, Norton J (1995) Upper trophic level predators indicate interannual negative and positive anomalies in the California Current food web. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 118:69–79

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ancona S, Sánchez-Cólon S, Rodríguez C, Drummond H (2011) El Niño in the warm tropics: local sea temperature predicts breeding parameters and growth of blue-footed boobies. J Anim Ecol 80:799–808

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ancona S, Calixto-Albarrán I, Drummond H (2012) Effect of El Niño on the diet of a specialist seabird, Sula nebouxii, in the warm eastern tropical Pacific. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 462:261–271

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Anderson DJ (1989) Differential responses of boobies and other seabirds in the Galápagos to the 1986–87 El Niño-Southern Oscillation event. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 52:209–216

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ballance LT, Pitman RL (1999) Foraging ecology of tropical seabirds. In: Adams NJ, Slotow RH (eds) Proceedings of the 22 International Ornithological Congress, Durban, Johannesburg, BirdLife South Africa, pp 2057–2071

  • Barrett RT, Krasnov YV (1996) Recent responses to changes in stocks of prey species by seabirds breeding in the southern Barents Sea. ICES J Mar Sci 53:713–722

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Boersma PD (1998) Population trends of the Galapagos Penguin: impacts of El Niño and La Niña. Condor 100:245–253

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bowler J, Betts M, Bullock I, Ramos JA (2002) Trends on seabird numbers on Aride Island Nature Reserve, Seychelles 1988–2000. Waterbirds 25:26–38

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brichetti P, Foschi UF, Boano G (2000) Does El Niño affect survival rate of Mediterranean populations of Cory’s Shearwater? Waterbirds 23:147–154

    Google Scholar 

  • Brill RW, Lutcavage ME (2001) Understanding environmental influences on movements and depth distributions of tunas and billfishes can significantly improve population assessments. Am Fish Soc Symp 25:179–198

    Google Scholar 

  • Cairns DK (1992) Bridging the gap between ornithology and fisheries science: use of seabird data in stock assessment models. Condor 94:811–824

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cannell BL, Chambers LE, Wooller RD, Bradley S (2012) Poorer breeding by little penguins near Perth, Western Australia is correlated with above average sea surface temperatures and a stronger Leeuwin Current with respect to penguins. Mar Fresh Res 63:914–925

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carscadden JE, Montevecchi WA, Davoren GK, Nakashima BS (2002) Trophic relationship among capelin (Mallotus villosus) and seabirds in a changing ecosystem. ICES J Mar Sci 59:1027–1033

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Catry T, Ramos JA, Jaquemet S, Faulquier L, Berlincourt M, Hauselmann A, Pinet P, Le Corre M (2009a) Comparative foraging ecology of a tropical seabird community of the Seychelles, western Indian Ocean. Mar Ecol Pro Ser 374:259–272

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Catry T, Ramos JA, Sampson E, Le Corre M (2009b) Does interference competition explain why White Terns of Aride Island, Seychelles, breed predominantly when marine productivity is lower? Ibis 151:265273

    Google Scholar 

  • Crawford RJM, Goya E, Roux JP, Zavalaga CB (2006) Comparison of assemblages and some life history traits of seabirds in the Humboldt and Benguela systems. Afr J Mar Sci 28:553–560

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Devney CA, Short M, Congdon BC (2009) Sensitivity of tropical seabirds to El Niño precursors. Ecology 90:1175–1183

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Devney CA, Caley MJ, Congdon BC (2010) Plasticity of noddy parents and offspring to sea-surface temperature anomalies. PLoS ONE 5(7):e11891. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0011891

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Durant JM, Anker-nilssen T, Stenseth NC (2003) Trophic interactions under climate fluctuations: the Atlantic puffin as an example. Proc R Soc Lond B 270:1461–1466

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Erwin CA, Congdon BC (2007) Day-to-day variation in sea-surface temperature reduces sooty tern Sterna fuscata foraging success on the Great Barrier Reef, Australia. Mar Ecol Pro Ser 331:255–266

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Feare CJ (1981) Breeding schedules and feeding strategies of Seychelles seabirds. Ostrich 32:179–185

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fishpool LDC, Evans MI (2001) Important bird areas in Africa and associated islands. Birdlife International Series 11. Birdlife International, Cambridge

  • Frederiksen M, Harris MP, Daunt F, Rothery P, Wanless S (2004a) Scale-dependent climate signals drive breeding phenology of three seabird species. Glob Change Biol 10:1214–1221

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Frederiksen M, Wanless S, Harris MP, Rothery P, Wilson L (2004b) The role of industrial fisheries and oceanographic change in the decline of North Sea black-legged kittiwakes. J App Ecol 41:1129–1139

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Furness RW (1987) Seabirds as monitors of the marine environment. Int Council Bird Preserv Tech Publ 6:217–230

    Google Scholar 

  • Furness RW, Tasker ML (2000) Seabird-fishery interactions: quantifying the sensitivity of seabirds to reductions in sandeel abundance and identification of key areas for sensitive seabirds in the North Sea. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 202:253–264

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gallant AJE, Karoly DJ (2009) Atypical influence of the 2007 La Niña on rainfall and temperature in southeastern Australia. Geophys Res Lett 36:L14707. doi:10.1029/2009GL039026

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • García-Godos I, Goya E (2006) Diet of the Peruvian diving petrel Pelecanoides garnotii at La Vieja Island, Peru, 1997–2000: potential fishery interactions and conservation implications. Mar Ornithol 34:33–41

    Google Scholar 

  • Harrison CS, Hida TS, Seki MP (1983) Hawaiian seabird feeding ecology. Wildl Monogr 85:1–71

    Google Scholar 

  • Hsieh CH, Kim HJ, Watson W, Di Lorenzo E, Sugihara G (2009) Climate-driven changes in abundance and distribution of larvae of oceanic fishes in the southern California region. Glob Change Biol 15(2137–486):2152

    Google Scholar 

  • Inchausti P, Guinet C, Koudil M, Durbec JP, Barbraud C, Weimerskirch H, Cherel Y, Jouventin P (2003) Inter-annual variability in the breeding performance of seabirds in relation to oceanographic anomalies that affect the Crozet and the Kerguelen sectors of the Southern Ocean. J Avian Biol 34:170–176

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jaquemet S, Le Corre M, Weimerskirch H (2004) Seabird community structure in a coastal tropical environment: importance of associations with sub-surface predators and of Fish Aggregating Devices (FADs). Mar Ecol Prog Ser 268:281–292

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jaquemet S, Le Corre M, Quartly GD (2007) Ocean control of the breeding regime of the sooty tern in the southwest Indian Ocean. Deep-Sea Res PT I 54:130–142

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Le Corre M (2001) Breeding seasons of seabirds of Europa Island (southern Mozambique Channel) in relation to seasonal changes in the marine environment. J Zool Lond 254:239–249

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McPhaden MJ (2008) Evolution of the 2006–2007 El Niño: the role of intraseasonal to interannual time scale dynamics. Adv Geosci 14:219–230

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Monticelli D, Ramos JA, Quartly GD (2007) Effects of annual changes in primary productivity and ocean indices on breeding performance of tropical roseate terns in the western Indian Ocean. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 351:273–286

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Peck DR, Smithers BV, Krockenberger AK, Congdon BC (2004) Sea surface temperature constrains wedge-tailed shearwater foraging success within breeding seasons. Mar Ecol Pro Ser 281:259–266

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Piatt JF, Sydeman WJ, Wiese F (2007) Introduction: a modern role for seabirds as indicators. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 352:199–204

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • R Development Core Team (2010) R: a language and environment for statistical computing. R Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna

    Google Scholar 

  • Ramos JA (2000) Characteristics of foraging habitats and chick food provisioning by tropical Roseate Terns. Condor 102:795–803

    Google Scholar 

  • Ramos JA, Monticelli D (2007) Long-term studies on productivity of roseate terns and lesser noddies on Aride Island, Seychelles. Ostrich 78:443–447

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ramos JA, Maul AM, Ayrton V, Bullock I, Hunter J, Bowler J, Castle G, Mileto R, Pacheco C (2002) Influence of local and large-scale weather events and timing of breeding on tropical roseate tern reproductive parameters. Mar Ecol Pro Ser 243:271–279

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ramos JA, Maul AM, Bowler J, Monticelli D, Pacheco C (2004) Laying date, chick provisioning, and breeding success of Lesser Noddies on Aride Island, Seychelles. Condor 106:887–895

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ramos JA, Bowler J, Betts M, Pacheco C, Agombar J, Bullock I, Monticelli D (2005) Productivity of white-tailed tropicbird on Aride Island, seychelles. Waterbirds 28:405–410

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ramos JA, Maul AM, Bowler J, Wood L, Threadgold R, Johnson S, Birch D, Walker S (2006) Annual variation in laying date and breeding success of brown noddies on Aride Island, Seychelles. Emu 106:81–86

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Saji NH, Goswami BN, Vinayachandran PN, Yamagata T (1999) A dipole mode in the tropical Indian Ocean. Nature 401:360–363

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sampson B, Sampson E (2007) Aride Island nature reserve seychelles: annual report 2007. Island Conservation Society, Mahé, pp 72

  • Sandvik H, Erikstad KE (2008) Seabird life histories and climatic fluctuations: a phylogenetic-comparative time series analysis of North Atlantic seabirds. Ecography 31:73–83

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sandvik H, Coulson T, Saether BE (2008) A latitudinal gradient in climate effects on seabird demography: results from interspecific analyses. Glob Change Biol 14:703–713

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sandvik H, Erikstad KE, Sæther BE (2012) Climate affects seabird population dynamics both via reproduction and adult survival. Mar Ecol Pro Ser 454:273–284

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sarmiento JL, Gruber N, Brzezinski MA, Dunne JP (2004) High latitude controls of thermocline nutrients and low latitude biological productivity. Nature 427:56–60

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Schaefer KM, Fuller DW, Block BA (2007) Movements, behavior, and habitat utilization of yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares) in the northeastern Pacific Ocean, ascertained through archival tag data. Mar Biol 152:503–525

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schreiber RW, Schreiber EA (1984) Central Pacific seabirds and the El Niño Southern Oscillation: 1982 to 1983 perspectives. Science 225(4663):713–716

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Shea RE, Ricklefs RE (1996) Temporal variation in growth performance in six species of tropical, pelagic seabirds. J Anim Ecol 65:29–42

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Smithers BV, Peck DR, Krockenberger AK, Congdon BC (2003) Elevated sea-surface temperature, reduced provisioning and reproductive failure of wedge-tailed shearwaters (Puffinus pacificus) in the southern Great Barrier Reef, Australia. Mar Freshwater Res 54:973–977

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Spear LB, Ballance LT, Ainley DG (2001) Response of seabirds to thermal boundaries in the tropical Pacific: the thermocline versus the equatorial front. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 219:275–289

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Surman CA, Nicholson LW (2009) The good, the bad and the ugly: ENSO-driven oceanographic variability and its influence on seabird diet and reproductive performance at the Houtman Abrolhos, eastern Indian Ocean. Mar Ornithol 37:129–138

    Google Scholar 

  • Surman CA, Wooller RD (2003) Comparative foraging ecology of five sympatric terns at a sub-tropical island in the eastern Indian Ocean. J Zool Lond 259:219–230

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Surman CA, Nicholson LW, Santora JA (2012) Effects of climate variability on breeding phenology and performance of tropical seabirds in the eastern Indian Ocean. Mar Ecol Pro Ser 454:147–157

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • TARA (2011) Newsletter of Auckland Region OSNZ. pp 5

  • Tomczak M, Godfrey JS (2003) Regional oceanography: an introduction, 2nd edn. Daya Publishing House, Delhi

    Google Scholar 

  • Visser GH (2002) Chick growth and development in seabirds. In: Schreiber EA, Burger J (eds) Biology of marine birds. CRC Press, Boca Raton, pp 137–177

    Google Scholar 

  • Watanuki Y, Ito M (2012) Climatic effects on breeding seabirds of the northern Japan Sea. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 454:183–196

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Weimerskirch H (2002) Seabird demography and its relationship with the marine environment. In: Schreiber EA, Burger J (eds) Biology of marine birds. CRC Press, Boca Raton, pp 115–135

    Google Scholar 

  • Weimerskirch H (2007) Are seabirds foraging for unpredictable resources? Deep-Sea Res PT II 54:211–223

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Weimerskirch H, Louzao M, Grissac S, Delord K (2012) Changes in wind pattern alter albatross distribution and life history traits. Science 335:211–214

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Whittow GC (2002) Seabird reproductive physiology and energetics. In: Schreiber EA, Burger J (eds) Biology of marine birds. CRC Press, Boca Raton, pp 409–437

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

We acknowledge the Island Conservation Society (ICS) for permission to work on Aride island. B. Sampson, E. Sampson and R. Tiatousse provided valuable help during the fieldwork. M. Le Corre helped with work planning. The comments of two anonymous referees improved an earlier version of the manuscript. TC, IC and DM beneficiated of post-doctoral grants from Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (SFRH/BPD/46967/2008, SFRH/BPD/76514/2011 and SFRH/BPD/66672/2009, respectively). This research was conducted with permission of the Seychelles Bureau of Standards, Republic of Seychelles.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centro de Estudos do Ambiente e do Mar/Museu Nacional de História Natural e da Ciência, Universidade de Lisboa, Rua da Escola Politécnica 58, 1250-102, Lisbon, Portugal

    Teresa Catry & José P. Granadeiro

  2. Department of Life Sciences, Institute of Marine Research (IMAR/CMA), University of Coimbra, Apartado 3046, 3001-401, Coimbra, Portugal

    Jaime A. Ramos & David Monticelli

  3. Centro de Ecologia Aplicada Prof. Baeta Neves, Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Universidade Técnica de Lisboa, Tapada da Ajuda, 1349-017, Lisbon, Portugal

    Inês Catry

Authors
  1. Teresa Catry
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Jaime A. Ramos
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Inês Catry
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. David Monticelli
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. José P. Granadeiro
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Teresa Catry.

Additional information

Communicated by S. Garthe.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Catry, T., Ramos, J.A., Catry, I. et al. Inter-annual variability in the breeding performance of six tropical seabird species: influence of life-history traits and relationship with oceanographic parameters. Mar Biol 160, 1189–1201 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-013-2171-2

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-013-2171-2

Keywords

Search

Navigation