Geolocator‐tracking seabird migration and moult reveal large‐scale, temperature‐driven isoscapes in the NE Atlantic

Atkins, Kelly; Bearhop, Stuart; Bodey, Thomas W.; Grecian, W. James; Hamer, Keith; Pereira, Jorge M.; Meinertzhagen, Hannah; Mitchell, Chris; Morgan, Greg; Morgan, Lisa; Newton, Jason; Sherley, Richard B.; Votier, Stephen C.

Abstract

Rationale By combining precision satellite-tracking with blood sampling, seabirds can be used to validate marine carbon and nitrogen isoscapes, but it is unclear whether a comparable approach using low-precision light-level geolocators (GLS) and feather sampling can be similarly effective. Methods Here we used GLS to identify wintering areas of northern gannets (Morus bassanus) and sampled winter grown feathers (confirmed from image analysis of non-breeding birds) to test for spatial gradients in δ13C and δ15N in the NE Atlantic. Results By matching winter-grown feathers with the non-breeding location of tracked birds we found latitudinal gradients in δ13C and δ15N in neritic waters. Moreover, isotopic patterns were best explained by sea surface temperature. Similar isotope gradients were found in fish muscle sampled at local ports. Conclusions Our study reveals the potential of using seabird GLS and feathers to reconstruct large-scale isotopic patterns.

Citation

Atkins, K., Bearhop, S., Bodey, T. W., Grecian, W. J., Hamer, K., Pereira, J. M., …Votier, S. C. (2023). Geolocator‐tracking seabird migration and moult reveal large‐scale, temperature‐driven isoscapes in the NE Atlantic. Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry, 37(9), https://doi.org/10.1002/rcm.9489

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Feb 2, 2023
• Online Publication Date: Feb 12, 2023
• Publication Date: 2023
• Deposit Date: Jun 12, 2023
• Publicly Available Date: Jun 12, 2023
• Journal: Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry
• Print ISSN: 0951-4198
• Electronic ISSN: 1097-0231
• Publisher: Wiley
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 37
• Issue: 9
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/rcm.9489