Foraging habitats of the seabird community of Europa Island (Mozambique Channel)

Sebastien Jaquemet

doi:10.15468/2p7f76

Foraging habitats of the seabird community of Europa Island (Mozambique Channel)

Citation

Jaquemet, S. 2011. Foraging habitats of the seabird community of Europa Island (Mozambique Channel). Data downloaded from OBIS-SEAMAP (http://seamap.env.duke.edu/dataset/691) on yyyy-mm-dd. https://doi.org/10.15468/2p7f76 accessed via GBIF.org on 2023-03-28.

Description

Original provider: Sebastien Jaquemet Dataset credits: Sebastien Jaquemet Abstract: We investigated the foraging habitats of the winter breeding community of tropical seabirds from Europa Island (Mozambique Channel) in September 2003. We focused our study on the dominant species of this austral community, the sooty tern (Sterna fuscata), the red-footed booby (Sula sula), and the frigatebirds, including the great (Fregata minor) and the lesser frigatebirds (F. ariel). We considered the at-sea distribution and abundance of these species in relation to chlorophyll concentration, sea surface temperatures, sea surface height anomalies, depth of the thermocline, distance to the colony, and presence of surface marine predators, flying fishes and other seabirds. Although the marine environment where seabirds foraged was oligotrophic, it presents the best feeding opportunities for seabirds for the area in winter.

Our study demonstrates that the winter-breeding seabird species of Europa Island tend to forage in productive waters in association with other marine predators when possible. Sooty terns and frigatebirds were widely distributed in the whole study area, whereas red-footed boobies were not found farther than 160 km from their colonies and were associated with relatively productive waters. Sooty terns and red-footed boobies were aggregated where flying fishes were abundant. The presence of other marine predators was associated with larger multispecies feeding flocks than when no association occurred. Sooty terns, which are numerically dominant at Europa and adopted network foraging, seem to be catalysts of feeding events, and represented a good target for the other foraging species, especially frigatebirds. However, when possible, frigatebirds favor association with flocks of red-footed boobies. Purpose: We studied the at-sea distribution and abundance of the seabird species that breed during the austral winter on Europa Island in relation to physical and biological factors. We tested how the different species distributed themselves within their foraging range and whether specific locations aggregate foraging seabirds. We also examine the foraging strategies adopted by each species, particularly the importance of local enhancement on the feeding activity of the seabirds. Supplemental information: [2020-09-30] The following invalid species names were corrected according to the Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS). Sooty Tern: Sterna fuscata (176894) => Onychoprion fuscatus (824105)

Purpose

We studied the at-sea distribution and abundance of the seabird species that breed during the austral winter on Europa Island in relation to physical and biological factors. We tested how the different species distributed themselves within their foraging range and whether specific locations aggregate foraging seabirds. We also examine the foraging strategies adopted by each species, particularly the importance of local enhancement on the feeding activity of the seabirds.

Sampling Description

Study Extent

NA

Sampling

NA

Method steps

NA

Additional info

marine, harvested by iOBIS

Taxonomic Coverages

Scientific names are based on the Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS).

Daption capense
common name: Cape Petrel rank: species
Fregata minor
common name: Great Frigatebird rank: species
Fregata
rank: genus
Fregetta grallaria
common name: White-bellied Storm Petrel rank: species
Oceanodroma monorhis
common name: Swinhoe's Storm Petrel rank: species
Phaethon lepturus
common name: White-tailed Tropicbird rank: species
Pterodroma mollis
common name: Soft-plumaged Petrel rank: species
Puffinus carneipes
common name: Flesh-footed Shearwater rank: species
Puffinus lherminieri
common name: Audubon's Shearwater rank: species
Onychoprion fuscatus
common name: Sooty Tern rank: species
Sula sula
common name: Red-footed Booby rank: species

Geographic Coverages

Europa Island,Mozambique Channel

Bibliographic Citations

Contacts

Sebastien Jaquemet
originator
position: Primary contact
Laboratoire ECOMAR, Universite de la Reunion
email: sebastien.jaquemet@univ-reunion.fr

OBIS-SEAMAP
metadata author
Marine Geospatial Ecology Lab, Duke University
A328 LSRC building
Durham
27708
NC
US
email: seamap-contact@duke.edu
homepage: http://seamap.env.duke.edu

OBIS-SEAMAP
distributor
Marine Geospatial Ecology Lab, Duke University
A328 LSRC building
Durham
27708
NC
US
email: seamap-contact@duke.edu
homepage: http://seamap.env.duke.edu

Sebastien Jaquemet
owner
position: Primary contact
Laboratoire ECOMAR, Universite de la Reunion
email: sebastien.jaquemet@univ-reunion.fr

Sebastien Jaquemet
administrative point of contact
position: Primary contact
Laboratoire ECOMAR, Universite de la Reunion
email: sebastien.jaquemet@univ-reunion.fr