How fishing intensity affects the spatial and trophic ecology of two gull species breeding in sympatry
Abstract
Abstract Fisheries produce large quantities of discards, an important resource for scavenging seabirds. However, a policy reform banning discards, which is soon to be implemented within the EU, will impose a food shortage upon scavengers, and it is still largely unknown how scavengers will behave. We studied the diet (hard remains), trophic (stable isotope analysis), and foraging (individual tracking) ecology of two gull species breeding in sympatry: Audouin’s gull Larus audouinii (AG) and yellow-legged gull Larus michahellis (YLG), in South Portugal, under normal fishery activity (NFA; work days) and low fishery activity (LFA; weekends), over two consecutive years. We established a pattern of dietary, spatial, and temporal segregation between the two gull species. Under LFA, yellow-legged gulls reduced their time spent at-sea, thus foraging more in alternative habitats (e.g. refuse dumps) and widening their isotopic niche (i.e. generalist behaviour). Contrastingly, Audouin’s gull had a narrower trophic niche (i.e. specialist behaviour), foraging exclusively at-sea, reducing the amount of demersal fish and increasing the amount of pelagic fish in their diet. Under NFA, both species foraged mostly at-sea, feeding almost exclusively on fish, with increased consumption of demersal species (i.e. fishery discards). In general, yellow-legged gull had a broader trophic niche (i.e.more »
- Authors:
-
- Department of Life Sciences, MARE—Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, University of Coimbra, Rua da Matemática 49, Coimbra, Portugal
- Cardiff School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, The Sir Martin Evans Building, Museum Ave, Cardiff, UK
- Publication Date:
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE Office of Nuclear Energy (NE), Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Supply Chain
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1462135
- Resource Type:
- Published Article
- Journal Name:
- ICES Journal of Marine Science
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Name: ICES Journal of Marine Science Journal Volume: 75 Journal Issue: 6; Journal ID: ISSN 1054-3139
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- Country of Publication:
- United Kingdom
- Language:
- English
Citation Formats
Matos, Diana M., Ramos, Jaime A., Calado, Joana G., Ceia, Filipe R., Hey, Jessica, Paiva, Vitor H., and Votier, ed., Stephen. How fishing intensity affects the spatial and trophic ecology of two gull species breeding in sympatry. United Kingdom: N. p., 2018.
Web. doi:10.1093/icesjms/fsy096.
Matos, Diana M., Ramos, Jaime A., Calado, Joana G., Ceia, Filipe R., Hey, Jessica, Paiva, Vitor H., & Votier, ed., Stephen. How fishing intensity affects the spatial and trophic ecology of two gull species breeding in sympatry. United Kingdom. https://doi.org/10.1093/icesjms/fsy096
Matos, Diana M., Ramos, Jaime A., Calado, Joana G., Ceia, Filipe R., Hey, Jessica, Paiva, Vitor H., and Votier, ed., Stephen. Mon .
"How fishing intensity affects the spatial and trophic ecology of two gull species breeding in sympatry". United Kingdom. https://doi.org/10.1093/icesjms/fsy096.
@article{osti_1462135,
title = {How fishing intensity affects the spatial and trophic ecology of two gull species breeding in sympatry},
author = {Matos, Diana M. and Ramos, Jaime A. and Calado, Joana G. and Ceia, Filipe R. and Hey, Jessica and Paiva, Vitor H. and Votier, ed., Stephen},
abstractNote = {Abstract Fisheries produce large quantities of discards, an important resource for scavenging seabirds. However, a policy reform banning discards, which is soon to be implemented within the EU, will impose a food shortage upon scavengers, and it is still largely unknown how scavengers will behave. We studied the diet (hard remains), trophic (stable isotope analysis), and foraging (individual tracking) ecology of two gull species breeding in sympatry: Audouin’s gull Larus audouinii (AG) and yellow-legged gull Larus michahellis (YLG), in South Portugal, under normal fishery activity (NFA; work days) and low fishery activity (LFA; weekends), over two consecutive years. We established a pattern of dietary, spatial, and temporal segregation between the two gull species. Under LFA, yellow-legged gulls reduced their time spent at-sea, thus foraging more in alternative habitats (e.g. refuse dumps) and widening their isotopic niche (i.e. generalist behaviour). Contrastingly, Audouin’s gull had a narrower trophic niche (i.e. specialist behaviour), foraging exclusively at-sea, reducing the amount of demersal fish and increasing the amount of pelagic fish in their diet. Under NFA, both species foraged mostly at-sea, feeding almost exclusively on fish, with increased consumption of demersal species (i.e. fishery discards). In general, yellow-legged gull had a broader trophic niche (i.e. generalist behaviour) when compared with the narrower isotopic niche of Audouin’s gull (i.e. specialist behaviour). Overall, both gull species relied heavily on fishery discards. However, there was visible dietary, spatial, and temporal segregation between the two species, associated with their dietary and habitat preferences that could be attributed to the availability of anthropogenic resources, such as fishery discards.},
doi = {10.1093/icesjms/fsy096},
journal = {ICES Journal of Marine Science},
number = 6,
volume = 75,
place = {United Kingdom},
year = {2018},
month = {7}
}
https://doi.org/10.1093/icesjms/fsy096
Web of Science
Works referenced in this record:
Reducing discards in a demersal purse-seine fishery
journal, April 2008
- Gonçalves, Jorge M. S.; Bentes, Luis; Monteiro, Pedro
- Aquatic Living Resources, Vol. 21, Issue 2
Influence of management practices and of scavenging seabirds on availability of fisheries discards to benthic scavengers
journal, November 2007
- Furness, Rw; Edwards, Ae; Oro, D.
- Marine Ecology Progress Series, Vol. 350
Effects of Satellite Transmitters on Albatrosses and Petrels
journal, January 2003
- Phillips, Richard A.; Xavier, Jose C.; Croxall, John P.
- The Auk, Vol. 120, Issue 4
Using Stable Isotopes to Determine Seabird Trophic Relationships
journal, October 1994
- Hobson, Keith A.; Piatt, John F.; Pitocchelli, Jay
- The Journal of Animal Ecology, Vol. 63, Issue 4
Effects of anthropogenic food resources on yellow-legged gull colony size on Mediterranean islands
journal, August 2007
- Duhem, Céline; Roche, Philip; Vidal, Eric
- Population Ecology, Vol. 50, Issue 1
[Taxonomic index]
journal, July 2008
- Tuset, Victor M.; Lombarte, Antoni; Assis, Carlos A.
- Scientia Marina, Vol. 72, Issue S1
A protocol for data exploration to avoid common statistical problems: Data exploration
journal, November 2009
- Zuur, Alain F.; Ieno, Elena N.; Elphick, Chris S.
- Methods in Ecology and Evolution, Vol. 1, Issue 1
Inclusion of discard assessment indicators in fisheries life cycle assessment studies. Expanding the use of fishery-specific impact categories
journal, March 2012
- Vázquez-Rowe, Ian; Moreira, Ma Teresa; Feijoo, Gumersindo
- The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment, Vol. 17, Issue 5
How Is the Diet of Yellow-legged Gull Chicks Influenced by Parents’ Accessibility to Landfills?
journal, March 2005
- Duhem, Celine; Vidal, Eric; Roche, Philip
- Waterbirds, Vol. 28, Issue 1
Managing seabird metapopulations in the Mediterranean: constraints and challenges [Managing seabird metapopulations in the Mediterranean: constraints and challenges]
journal, July 2003
- Oro, Daniel
- Scientia Marina, Vol. 67, Issue S2
Significance of nocturnal purse seine fisheries for seabirds: a case study off the Ebro Delta (NW Mediterranean)
journal, August 2002
- J., Arcos; D., Oro
- Marine Biology, Vol. 141, Issue 2
Environmental assessment of sardine (Sardina pilchardus) purse seine fishery in Portugal with LCA methodology including biological impact categories
journal, September 2013
- Almeida, Cheila; Vaz, Sofia; Cabral, Henrique
- The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment, Vol. 19, Issue 2
Use the backbone of your samples: fish vertebrae reduces biases associated with otoliths in seabird diet studies
journal, May 2013
- Alonso, Hany; Granadeiro, José P.; Ramos, Jaime A.
- Journal of Ornithology, Vol. 154, Issue 3
Competition between the yellow-legged gull Larus cachinnans and Audouin's gull Larus audouinii associated with commercial fishing vessels: the influence of season and fishing fleet
journal, November 2001
- J., Arcos; D., Oro; D., Sol
- Marine Biology, Vol. 139, Issue 5
Towards sustainability in world fisheries
journal, August 2002
- Pauly, Daniel; Christensen, Villy; Guénette, Sylvie
- Nature, Vol. 418, Issue 6898
By-catch and discarding practices in five Algarve (southern Portugal) metiers
journal, June 2001
- Borges,
- Journal of Applied Ichthyology, Vol. 17, Issue 3
Comparing isotopic niche widths among and within communities: SIBER - Stable Isotope Bayesian Ellipses in R: Bayesian isotopic niche metrics
journal, March 2011
- Jackson, Andrew L.; Inger, Richard; Parnell, Andrew C.
- Journal of Animal Ecology, Vol. 80, Issue 3
Feeding Ecology of Audouin's Gulls (Larus audouinii) in the Ebro Delta
journal, January 1996
- Ruiz, Xavier; Oro, Daniel; Martinez-Vilalta, Albert
- Colonial Waterbirds, Vol. 19
Sardine slipping during purse-seining off northern Portugal
journal, December 2002
- Stratoudakis, Y.
- ICES Journal of Marine Science, Vol. 59, Issue 6
Lessons from a failed translocation program with a seabird species: Determinants of success and conservation value
journal, February 2011
- Oro, Daniel; Martínez-Abraín, Alejandro; Villuendas, Elena
- Biological Conservation, Vol. 144, Issue 2
Fishery discards and bycatch: solutions for an ecosystem approach to fisheries management?
journal, June 2011
- Bellido, Jose M.; Santos, M. Begoña; Pennino, M. Grazia
- Hydrobiologia, Vol. 670, Issue 1
Differences in diet between the two largest breeding colonies of Audouin's gulls: the effects of fishery activities [Differences in diet between the two largest breeding colonies of Audouin's gulls: the effects of fishery activities]
journal, September 2002
- Pedrocchi, Vittorio; Oro, Daniel; González-Solís, Jacob
- Scientia Marina, Vol. 66, Issue 3
Diet Studies of Seabirds: A Review of Methods
journal, January 1986
- Duffy, David Cameron; Jackson, Susan
- Colonial Waterbirds, Vol. 9, Issue 1
Modelling Terrestrial and Marine Foraging Habitats in Breeding Audouin's Gulls Larus audouinii: Timing Matters
journal, April 2015
- Bécares, Juan; García-Tarrasón, Manuel; Villero, Dani
- PLOS ONE, Vol. 10, Issue 4
Potential for gulls to transport bacteria from human waste sites to beaches
journal, February 2018
- Alm, Elizabeth W.; Daniels-Witt, Quri R.; Learman, Deric R.
- Science of The Total Environment, Vol. 615
Foraging movements of Audouin’s gull (Larus audouinii) in the Ebro Delta, NW Mediterranean: A preliminary satellite-tracking study
journal, January 2012
- Christel, Isadora; Navarro, Joan; del Castillo, Marcos
- Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, Vol. 96
Pellets as indicators of diet in Great Skuas Catharacta skua
journal, November 2001
- Votier, S. C.; Bearhop, S.; Ratcliffe, N.
- Bird Study, Vol. 48, Issue 3
Fishery management has a strong effect on the distribution of Audouin’s gull
journal, June 2013
- Cama, A.; Bort, J.; Christel, I.
- Marine Ecology Progress Series, Vol. 484
Impact of fisheries on activity, diet and predatory interactions between yellow-legged and Audouin's gulls breeding at the Chafarinas Islands [Impact of fisheries on activity, diet and predatory interactions between yellow-legged and Audouin's gulls breeding at the Chafarinas Islands]
journal, July 2003
- González-Solís, Jacob
- Scientia Marina, Vol. 67, Issue S2
Use of tips by Nesting kelp Gulls at a Growing Colony in Patagonia
journal, July 2001
- Bertellotti, Marcelo; Yorio, Pablo; Blanco, Guillermo
- Journal of Field Ornithology, Vol. 72, Issue 3
A niche for isotopic ecology
journal, January 2007
- Newsome, Seth D.; Martinez del Rio, Carlos; Bearhop, Stuart
- Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, Vol. 5, Issue 8
Kleptoparasitism, disturbance and predation of yellow-legged gulls on Audouin's gulls in three colonies of the western Mediterranean [Kleptoparasitism, disturbance and predation of yellow-legged gulls on Audouin's gulls in three colonies of the western Mediterranean]
journal, July 2003
- Martínez-Abraín, Alejandro; González-Solis, Jacob; Pedrocchi, Vittorio
- Scientia Marina, Vol. 67, Issue S2
Feeding ecology of yellow-legged gulls Larus michahellis in the western Mediterranean: a comparative assessment using conventional and isotopic methods
journal, February 2009
- Ramos, R.; Ramírez, F.; Sanpera, C.
- Marine Ecology Progress Series, Vol. 377
Discards composition from Iberian trawl fleets
journal, March 2015
- Cláudia Fernandes, Ana; Pérez, Nélida; Prista, Nuno
- Marine Policy, Vol. 53
Individual responses of seabirds to commercial fisheries revealed using GPS tracking, stable isotopes and vessel monitoring systems
journal, April 2010
- Votier, Stephen C.; Bearhop, Stuart; Witt, Matthew J.
- Journal of Applied Ecology, Vol. 47, Issue 2
Are salinas a suitable alternative breeding habitat for Little Terns Sterna albifrons?: Salinas as breeding habitat for Little Terns
journal, February 2004
- Catry, Teresa; Ramos, Jaime A.; Catry, Inês
- Ibis, Vol. 146, Issue 2
Seasonal and annual differences in the foraging ecology of two gull species breeding in sympatry and their use of fishery discards
journal, January 2018
- Calado, J. G.; Matos, D. M.; Ramos, J. A.
- Journal of Avian Biology, Vol. 49, Issue 1
Nutrition, Physiology, and Stable Isotopes: new Information from Fasting and Molting Penguins
journal, November 2005
- Cherel, Yves; Hobson, Keith A.; Bailleul, Frédéric
- Ecology, Vol. 86, Issue 11
The impacts of fishing on marine birds
journal, June 2000
- Tasker, M.
- ICES Journal of Marine Science, Vol. 57, Issue 3
Utilization of discards and offal from commercial fisheries by seabirds in the Baltic Sea
journal, January 2003
- Garthe, Stefan; Scherp, Birgit
- ICES Journal of Marine Science, Vol. 60, Issue 5
Meta-population feeding grounds of Cory's shearwater in the subtropical Atlantic Ocean: implications for the definition of Marine Protected Areas based on tracking studies
journal, April 2013
- Ramos, Raül; Granadeiro, José P.; Rodríguez, Beneharo
- Diversity and Distributions, Vol. 19, Issue 10
Annual and seasonal consistency in the feeding ecology of an opportunistic species, the yellow-legged gull Larus michahellis
journal, February 2014
- Ceia, Fr; Paiva, Vh; Fidalgo, V.
- Marine Ecology Progress Series, Vol. 497
Living on predictability: modelling the density distribution of efficient foraging seabirds
journal, February 2012
- Cama, Albert; Abellana, Rosa; Christel, Isadora
- Ecography, Vol. 35, Issue 10
A comparative study of the species composition of discards from five fisheries from the Algarve (southern Portugal)
journal, February 2002
- Erzini, K.; Costa, M. E.; Bentes, L.
- Fisheries Management and Ecology, Vol. 9, Issue 1
Trophic niche width and overlap of two sympatric gulls in the southwestern mediterranean
journal, September 1997
- González-Solís, Jacob; Oro, Daniel; Jover, Lluis
- Oecologia, Vol. 112, Issue 1
Fishing simulation experiments for predicting the effects of purse-seine capture on sardine (Sardina pilchardus)
journal, November 2009
- Marçalo, Ana; Marques, Tiago A.; Araújo, João
- ICES Journal of Marine Science, Vol. 67, Issue 2
Resources partitioning by seabirds and their relationship with other consumers at and around a small tropical archipelago
journal, June 2014
- Mancini, Patrícia L.; Bugoni, Leandro
- ICES Journal of Marine Science, Vol. 71, Issue 9
Bias Associated with Diet Samples in Audouin's Gulls
journal, August 1997
- Oro, Daniel; Pedrocchi, Vittorio; Jover, Lluis
- The Condor, Vol. 99, Issue 3
Activity patterns and foraging behaviour of Audouin' s gulls in the Ebro Delta, NW Mediterranean [Activity patterns and foraging behaviour of Audouin' s gulls in the Ebro Delta, NW Mediterranean]
journal, December 2004
- Mañosa, Santi; Oro, Daniel; Ruiz, Xavier
- Scientia Marina, Vol. 68, Issue 4
Foraging segregation between two closely related shearwaters breeding in sympatry
journal, April 2009
- Navarro, Joan; Forero, Manuela G.; González-Solís, Jacob
- Biology Letters, Vol. 5, Issue 4
Evidence-based culling of a facultative predator: Efficacy and efficiency components
journal, February 2009
- Sanz-Aguilar, Ana; Martínez-Abraín, Alejandro; Tavecchia, Giacomo
- Biological Conservation, Vol. 142, Issue 2
The use of separator panels and square mesh windows for by-catch reduction in the crustacean trawl fishery off the Algarve (South Portugal)
journal, September 2004
- Campos, Aida; Fonseca, Paulo
- Fisheries Research, Vol. 69, Issue 2
Impacts of fisheries on seabird communities [Impacts of fisheries on seabird communities]
journal, July 2003
- Furness, Robert W.
- Scientia Marina, Vol. 67, Issue S2
Temporal and age-related dietary variations in a large population of yellow-legged gulls Larus michahellis: implications for management and conservation
journal, September 2015
- Alonso, Hany; Almeida, Ana; Granadeiro, José Pedro
- European Journal of Wildlife Research, Vol. 61, Issue 6
Annual Variation in Great Skua Diets: The Importance of Commercial Fisheries and Predation on Seabirds Revealed by Combining Dietary Analyses
journal, November 2001
- Bearhop, Stuart; Thompson, David R.; Phillips, Richard A.
- The Condor, Vol. 103, Issue 4
Assessing the diet of great skuas, Catharacta skua, using five different techniques
journal, January 2003
- Votier, Stephen C.; Bearhop, Stuart; MacCormick, Aidan
- Polar Biology, Vol. 26, Issue 1
Impact of gull colonies on the flora of the Riou archipelago (Mediterranean islands of south-east France)
journal, June 1998
- Vidal, Eric; Médail, Frédéric; Tatoni, Thierry
- Biological Conservation, Vol. 84, Issue 3
Ecological and evolutionary implications of food subsidies from humans
journal, October 2013
- Oro, Daniel; Genovart, Meritxell; Tavecchia, Giacomo
- Ecology Letters, Vol. 16, Issue 12
Ecological Segregation in Space, Time and Trophic Niche of Sympatric Planktivorous Petrels
journal, April 2013
- Navarro, Joan; Votier, Stephen C.; Aguzzi, Jacopo
- PLoS ONE, Vol. 8, Issue 4
Year-round distribution suggests spatial segregation of two small petrel species in the South Atlantic
journal, November 2012
- Quillfeldt, Petra; Masello, Juan F.; Navarro, Joan
- Journal of Biogeography, Vol. 40, Issue 3
Gulls in urban environments: landscape-level management to reduce conflict
journal, November 1997
- Belant, Jerrold L.
- Landscape and Urban Planning, Vol. 38, Issue 3-4
Amounts of discards by commercial fisheries and their significance as food for seabirds in the North Sea
journal, January 1996
- Garthe, S.; Camphuysen, K.; Furness, Rw
- Marine Ecology Progress Series, Vol. 136
Offshore diplomacy or how seabirds mitigate intra-specific competition: a case study based on GPS tracking of Cape gannets from neighbouring colonies
journal, January 2004
- Grémillet, D.; Dell'Omo, G.; Ryan, Pg
- Marine Ecology Progress Series, Vol. 268
Source Partitioning Using Stable Isotopes: Coping with Too Much Variation
journal, March 2010
- Parnell, Andrew C.; Inger, Richard; Bearhop, Stuart
- PLoS ONE, Vol. 5, Issue 3
Potential consequences of discard reform for seabird communities
journal, March 2013
- Bicknell, Anthony W. J.; Oro, Daniel; Camphuysen, Kees C. J.
- Journal of Applied Ecology, Vol. 50, Issue 3
Effects of trawler discard availability on egg laying and breeding success in the lesser black-backed gull Larus fuscus in the western Mediterranean
journal, January 1996
- Oro, D.
- Marine Ecology Progress Series, Vol. 132
Coastal vulnerability in barrier islands: The high risk areas of the Ria Formosa (Portugal) system
journal, August 2010
- Ceia, Filipe Rafael; Patrício, Joana; Marques, João Carlos
- Ocean & Coastal Management, Vol. 53, Issue 8
Age and sexual differences in the exploitation of two anthropogenic food resources for an opportunistic seabird
journal, July 2010
- Navarro, Joan; Oro, Daniel; Bertolero, Albert
- Marine Biology, Vol. 157, Issue 11
Individual specialization on fishery discards by lesser black-backed gulls ( Larus fuscus )
journal, February 2015
- Tyson, Chris; Shamoun-Baranes, Judy; Van Loon, E. Emiel
- ICES Journal of Marine Science: Journal du Conseil, Vol. 72, Issue 6
The package “adehabitat” for the R software: A tool for the analysis of space and habitat use by animals
journal, August 2006
- Calenge, Clément
- Ecological Modelling, Vol. 197, Issue 3-4
Dietary breadth as a predictor of potential native avian–human conflict in urban landscapes
journal, January 2013
- Charles, Kerry E.; Linklater, Wayne L.
- Wildlife Research, Vol. 40, Issue 6
Resource partitioning and niche hyper-volume overlap in free-living Pygoscelid penguins
journal, October 2009
- Wilson, Rory P.
- Functional Ecology, Vol. 24, Issue 3
Can changes in fishery landings explain long-term population trends in gulls?
journal, January 2017
- Foster, Simon; Swann, Robert L.; Furness, Robert W.
- Bird Study, Vol. 64, Issue 1
Past and present trophic position and decadal changes in diet of Yellow-legged Gull in the Azores Archipelago, NE Atlantic
journal, May 2013
- Pedro, Patrícia I.; Ramos, Jaime A.; Neves, Verónica C.
- European Journal of Wildlife Research, Vol. 59, Issue 6
Foraging movements and habitat niche of two closely related seabirds breeding in sympatry
journal, December 2013
- Afán, Isabel; Navarro, Joan; Cardador, Laura
- Marine Biology, Vol. 161, Issue 3
Using stable isotopes of nitrogen and carbon to study seabird ecology: applications in the Mediterranean seabird community [Using stable isotopes of nitrogen and carbon to study seabird ecology: applications in the Mediterranean seabird community]
journal, July 2003
- Forero, Manuela G.; Hobson, Keith A.
- Scientia Marina, Vol. 67, Issue S2
Understanding impacts of fisheries bycatch on marine megafauna
journal, November 2004
- Lewison, R.; Crowder, L.; Read, A.
- Trends in Ecology & Evolution, Vol. 19, Issue 11
Short- and long-term consistency in the foraging niche of wandering albatrosses
journal, May 2012
- Ceia, Filipe R.; Phillips, Richard A.; Ramos, Jaime A.
- Marine Biology, Vol. 159, Issue 7
Spatial match-mismatch in the Benguela upwelling zone: should we expect chlorophyll and sea-surface temperature to predict marine predator distributions?
journal, April 2008
- Grémillet, David; Lewis, Sue; Drapeau, Laurent
- Journal of Applied Ecology, Vol. 45, Issue 2
Feathered Detectives: Real-Time GPS Tracking of Scavenging Gulls Pinpoints Illegal Waste Dumping
journal, July 2016
- Navarro, Joan; Grémillet, David; Afán, Isabel
- PLOS ONE, Vol. 11, Issue 7