Resiliency to climate change in an arctic seabird: a multi-scaled trophic analysis of foraging niche, and links to reproductive parameters

The arctic is warming at an accelerated rate, and this current speed of change is largely driven by industry. These changes to the oceanic conditions in the arctic are causing perturbations throughout the water column, causing disruptions throughout the food-web. These warming patterns are not consistent across the arctic; species persisting in these regions are showing differing responses at a population-level. Common eider (hereafter eider), an abundant species of seabird, whose range spans across the arctic and temporal regions, forage on multiple different prey items throughout the water column. The abundance of an eider’s prey is tightly linked with environmental conditions, and timing of key environmental processes, such as sea-ice break up. As such, an eider’s reproductive decision making are also tied to the timing of the same environmental processes. TO BE CONT’D

Faculty Supervisor:

Oliver Love

Student:

Partner:

Université de La Rochelle

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Education

University:

University of Windsor

Program: