title: North Sea ecosystem change from swimming crabs to seagulls.
abstract: A recent increase in sea temperature has established a new ecosystem dynamic regime in the North Sea. Climate-induced changes in decapods have played an important role. Here, we reveal a coincident increase in the abundance of swimming crabs and lesser black-backed gull colonies in the North Sea, both in time and in space. Swimming crabs are an important food source for lesser black-backed gulls during the breeding season. Inhabiting the land, but feeding mainly at sea, lesser black-backed gulls provide a link between marine and terrestrial ecosystems, since the bottom-up influence of allochthonous nutrient input from seabirds to coastal soils can structure the terrestrial food web. We, therefore, suggest that climate-driven changes in trophic interactions in the marine food web may also have ensuing ramifications for the coastal ecology of the North Sea.
authors: Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, LOG UMR 8187, Université Lille 1,  France.
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Luczak
authors: G
authors: G
authors: Beaugrand
authors: J A
authors: JA
authors: Lindley
authors: J-M
authors: JM
authors: Dewarumez
authors: P J
authors: PJ
authors: Dubois
authors: R R
authors: RR
authors: Kirby
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003386:Brachyura / Q000502:physiology*; D046091:Charadriiformes / Q000502:physiology*; D002980:Climate; D057231:Climate Change; D033364:Decapoda; D004463:Ecology; D017753:Ecosystem; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods; D020387:Food Chain; D009659:North Sea; D010933:Plankton; D011157:Population Dynamics; D012623:Seawater; D013696:Temperature