Climate-driven range expansion of a critically endangered top predator in northeast Atlantic waters.
Global climate change is driving rapid distribution shifts in marine ecosystems; these are well established for lower trophic levels, but are harder to quantify for migratory top predators. By analysing a 25-year sightings-based dataset, we found evidence for rapid northwards range expansion of the critically endangered Balearic shearwater Puffinus mauretanicus in northeast Atlantic waters. A 0.6 degrees C sea surface temperature increase in the mid-1990s is interpreted as an underlying controlling factor, while simultaneous northward shifts of plankton and prey fish species suggests a strong bottom-up control. Our results have important conservation implications and provide new evidence for climate-driven regime shift in Atlantic ecosystems.
Wynn
Russell B
RB
National Oceanography Centre, European Way, Southampton SO14 3ZH, UK. rbw1@noc.soton.ac.uk
Josey
Simon A
SA
Martin
Adrian P
AP
Johns
David G
DG
Yésou
Pierre
P
D000818:Animals; D001267:Atlantic Ocean; D001717:Birds / Q000502:physiology*; D002980:Climate; D011157:Population Dynamics; D011235:Predatory Behavior; D013997:Time Factors