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

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

doi:10.1002/rcm.9489

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

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

^*Corresponding author for this work

Aberdeen Centre For Environmental Sustainability

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

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.

Original language	English
Article number	e9489
Journal	Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry
Volume	37
Issue number	9
Early online date	12 Feb 2023
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1002/rcm.9489
Publication status	Published - 15 May 2023

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© 2023 The Authors. Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
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Atkins, K., Bearhop, S., Bodey, T. W., Grecian, W. J., Hamer, K., Pereira, J. M., Meinertzhagen, H., Mitchell, C., Morgan, G., Morgan, L., Newton, J., Sherley, R. B., & 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), [e9489]. https://doi.org/10.1002/rcm.9489

Atkins, K, Bearhop, S, Bodey, TW, Grecian, WJ, Hamer, K, Pereira, JM, Meinertzhagen, H, Mitchell, C, Morgan, G, Morgan, L, Newton, J, Sherley, RB & Votier, SC 2023, 'Geolocator-tracking seabird migration and moult reveal large-scale, temperature-driven isoscapes in the NE Atlantic', Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry, vol. 37, no. 9, e9489. https://doi.org/10.1002/rcm.9489

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title = "Geolocator-tracking seabird migration and moult reveal large-scale, temperature-driven isoscapes in the NE Atlantic",

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.",

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

note = "Funding Information: The authors thank the following individuals for their generous contributions of photos used in their analysis of gannet moult: Alice Trevail, Murdo Messer, Beneharo Rodriguez, Catherine Jordan, Celia Ackerman, Charlotte Cummings, David Palmar, Enric Badosa, Jan Phillip, Geissel, Jessica Hey, Jo Anne Hood, Joseph Hames, Julien Gerngon, Kate Muir, Linda Scrima, Spea, Bianca P Vieira, Pedro Geraldes, Rita Matos, Nicola Hodgins, Nuno Oliveira, J. Gonin, Pep Arcos, Ron McIntyre, Rosie Brown, Steve Flynn, and Steve Truluck. The authors are grateful for the assistance of Ayoub Baali, Ahmed Yahyaoui, Sage Milestone, and numerous local fishermen during fieldwork conducted in Morocco. In addition, they thank Beth Clark, Liam Langley, Kirsty Laurenson, Aline Cerqueira, the RSPB, and Venture Jet for their hard work and logistical support during fieldwork conducted on Grassholm, Wales. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2023 The Authors. Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.",

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doi = "10.1002/rcm.9489",

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T1 - Geolocator-tracking seabird migration and moult reveal large-scale, temperature-driven isoscapes in the NE Atlantic

AU - Atkins, Kelly

AU - Bearhop, Stuart

AU - Bodey, Thomas W.

AU - Grecian, W. James

AU - Hamer, Keith

AU - Pereira, Jorge M.

AU - Meinertzhagen, Hannah

AU - Mitchell, Chris

AU - Morgan, Greg

AU - Morgan, Lisa

AU - Newton, Jason

AU - Sherley, Richard B.

AU - Votier, Stephen C.

N1 - Funding Information: The authors thank the following individuals for their generous contributions of photos used in their analysis of gannet moult: Alice Trevail, Murdo Messer, Beneharo Rodriguez, Catherine Jordan, Celia Ackerman, Charlotte Cummings, David Palmar, Enric Badosa, Jan Phillip, Geissel, Jessica Hey, Jo Anne Hood, Joseph Hames, Julien Gerngon, Kate Muir, Linda Scrima, Spea, Bianca P Vieira, Pedro Geraldes, Rita Matos, Nicola Hodgins, Nuno Oliveira, J. Gonin, Pep Arcos, Ron McIntyre, Rosie Brown, Steve Flynn, and Steve Truluck. The authors are grateful for the assistance of Ayoub Baali, Ahmed Yahyaoui, Sage Milestone, and numerous local fishermen during fieldwork conducted in Morocco. In addition, they thank Beth Clark, Liam Langley, Kirsty Laurenson, Aline Cerqueira, the RSPB, and Venture Jet for their hard work and logistical support during fieldwork conducted on Grassholm, Wales. Publisher Copyright: © 2023 The Authors. Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

PY - 2023/5/15

Y1 - 2023/5/15

N2 - 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.

AB - 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.

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ER -

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

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