Seabird observations (MR16-06)

The marine ecosystems of the Bering Sea and adjacent Chukchi Sea are experiencing rapid changes due to reductions in sea-ice. In the Bering Sea and Chukchi Sea shelf regions, seabirds, as homoeothermic top predators, play a significant role in the trophic energy flow. As mobile predators that can respond quickly to shifts in the distribution of prey (i.e., by switching foraging areas or prey species), changes in their distribution can potentially serve as indicators of fluctuations of trophic relationships. Thus, knowledge of recent changes in the distributions of top predators and their prey should provide useful information about large-scale ecosystem changes in these regions with seasonal sea-ice. Short-tailed shearwaters Puffinus tenuirostris visit this region between the summer and fall during non-breeding season, and show highest biomass among seabirds distributed in the region during the periods. The main objective of this study is to understand the links between seasonal distribution of short-tailed shearwaters, their prey (i.e., krill) and marine environments.

白令海（Bering Sea）与邻近楚科奇海（Chukchi Sea）的海洋生态系统正因海冰缩减而经历快速变化。在白令海与楚科奇海陆架区域，海鸟作为恒温顶级捕食者，在营养级能量流动中扮演着关键角色。作为可快速响应猎物分布变化（即通过切换觅食区域或猎物种类）的移动捕食者，其分布变化有望成为营养级关系波动的指示因子。因此，明晰顶级捕食者及其猎物的近期分布变化，可为这类季节性海冰覆盖区域的大规模生态系统变化提供极具价值的参考信息。短尾鹱（Puffinus tenuirostris）会在非繁殖期的夏季至秋季造访该海域，且在此期间是该区域分布海鸟中生物量最高的类群。本研究的核心目标在于厘清短尾鹱的季节分布、其猎物（即磷虾）与海洋环境三者之间的关联。