Data for Land-sea linkages depend on macroalgal species, predator invasion history in a New Zealand archipelago

Seabirds on islands create a circular seabird economy - whereby they feed in the ocean, transport marine-derived nutrients onshore to their breeding colonies, and then seabird-derived nutrients run off into the ocean, enriching nearshore ecosystems. Invasive predators reduce seabird colonies and nutrient subsidies; thus, predator eradication is critical for restoring seabird islands. Few studies have linked nearshore marine recovery to terrestrial ecosystem attributes and none have in temperate zones. Here, we tested the influence of seabird driven soil nutrients, terrestrial abiotic variables, and marine variables on nearshore algal communities using in-depth repeated sampling of four islands in a New Zealand island archipelago. We show seabird land-sea linkages are disrupted when predators invade, and are not restored three decades after invasive predator removal in the studied archipelago. Our study is the first account of how seabird influences on land impact nearshore marine enviro...