Abstract
Shifts in zooplankton communities due to changing ocean climate can affect foraging patterns among planktivorous seabirds. To better understand seabird response to environmental change in Bass Strait, southeast Australia, we investigated the prey species and 16 elements in prey and feathers of the planktivorous White-faced Storm Petrel Pelagodroma marina. The krill Nyctiphanes australis was the most abundant prey species, followed by several species of post-larval fish; otherwise, the species appeared to be a generalist feeder. Element concentrations of feathers were not significantly influenced by dietary composition. Likewise, element concentrations did not significantly differ between major prey species, confirming that the nutritional profile of these species is likely linked to their seawater environment. Given that White faced Storm Petrels in Bass Strait substantially rely on a narrow range of prey species, this may increase their vulnerability to events that change their availability. As coastal krill is highly sensitive to sea surface temperatures (SST), the increases in SST predicted under climate change scenarios may alter the timing and abundance of krill swarms, which in turn may affect planktivores, including White-faced Storm Petrels.
DOI
http://doi.org/10.5038/2074-1235.51.2.1545
Creative Commons License
Recommended Citation
Karmalkar, Madhuli; Roman, Lauren; Kastury, Farzana; Arce, Fernando; and Swadling, Kerrie M.
(2023)
"Diet Assessment and Vulnerability of White-faced Storm Petrel Pelagodroma marina within a Warming Hotspot,"
Marine Ornithology: Vol. 51
:
Iss.
2
, Article 22.
http://doi.org/10.5038/2074-1235.51.2.1545
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/marine_ornithology/vol51/iss2/22