Seabird life history and climate variation on the Great Barrier Reef, 2001 - 2010 (MTSRF 2.5i.2, JCU)

To date the seabird research program has:

1. Quantified how increases in El-Nino intensity and sea-surface temperatures (SST) result in decreased breeding participation, increased foraging effort, reduced food availability, poor chick growth and/or reproductive failure across multiple seabird species in both the northern and southern GBR.
2. Identified important seabird foraging areas/regions that the lie both within and outside the GBR region
3. Identified physiochemical and oceanographic correlates associated with both the important foraging areas and El-Nino/SST impacts
4. Examined the relative impacts of other anthropogenic and non-anthropogenic stressors such as cyclone frequency and tourist visitation rates at a key breeding site
5. Examined the ability of multiple pelagic foraging seabird species to copy with climate related changes in food availability via behavioural and/or developmental plasticity.

References:
- Devney et al. 2009 Sensitivity of tropical seabirds to El Niño precursors Ecology 90:1175-1183
- Congdon et al. 2007 Vulnerability of seabirds on the Great Barrier Reef to climate change In: Johnson J. & Marshall P. (eds) Climate change and the Great Barrier Reef. GBRMPA, Canberra
- Erwin & Congdon 2007 Day-to-day variation in sea-surface temperature reduces sooty tern foraging success on the GBR. MEPS 331:255-266
- Congdon et al. 2005 Dual-foraging and co-ordinated provisioning in a tropical Procellariiform MEPS 301:293-301
- Peck et al. 2004 Sea-surface temperature constrains wedge-tailed shearwater foraging success within breeding seasons MEPS 281:259-266
- Smithers et al. 2003 Elevated sea-surface temperature reduced provisioning and reproductive failure of wedge-tailed shearwaters in the Southern GBR. Marine & Freshwater Research 55:973-977

截至目前，本海鸟研究项目已完成以下工作：
1. 量化了厄尔尼诺（El Niño）强度增强与海表温度（sea-surface temperatures, SST）升高如何导致南北大堡礁（Great Barrier Reef, GBR）的多个海鸟物种出现繁殖参与度下降、觅食投入增加、食物可获得性降低、雏鸟生长不良及/或繁殖失败等问题。
2. 确定了分布于大堡礁（Great Barrier Reef, GBR）区域内外的重要海鸟觅食区域。
3. 明确了与重要觅食区域及厄尔尼诺/海表温度影响相关的物理化学与海洋学关联因子。
4. 在关键繁殖位点，探究了其他人为与非人为胁迫因子（如气旋发生频率、游客到访率）的相对影响。
5. 通过行为与/或发育可塑性，探究了多种远洋觅食海鸟物种应对食物可获得性相关气候变化的能力。

参考文献：
- Devney等，2009. 热带海鸟对厄尔尼诺前兆信号的敏感性. 《生态学》（Ecology）90:1175-1183
- Congdon等，2007. 大堡礁海鸟对气候变化的脆弱性. 收录于：Johnson J.与Marshall P.（编）《气候变化与大堡礁》. 堪培拉：大堡礁海洋公园管理局（Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, GBRMPA）
- Erwin与Congdon，2007. 海表温度日变化降低大堡礁乌燕鸥的觅食成功率. 《海洋生态学进展系列》（Marine Ecology Progress Series, MEPS）331:255-266
- Congdon等，2005. 热带管鼻类海鸟的双重觅食与协同育雏策略. 《海洋生态学进展系列》（Marine Ecology Progress Series, MEPS）301:293-301
- Peck等，2004. 繁殖季内海表温度限制楔尾鹱觅食成功率. 《海洋生态学进展系列》（Marine Ecology Progress Series, MEPS）281:259-266
- Smithers等，2003. 海表温度升高降低南大堡礁楔尾鹱的育雏投入并引发繁殖失败. 《海洋与淡水研究》（Marine & Freshwater Research）55:973-977