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A keystone avian predator faces elevated energy expenditure in a warming Arctic
Melissa L Grunst1, Andrea S Grunst1, David Grémillet2,3
1Littoral, Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, 2 Rue Olympe de Gouges, FR-17000, La Rochelle, France.
Ecology
|March 20, 2023
Summary
Arctic seabirds show energy expenditure plasticity to cope with climate change. While current energy use is sustainable, future warming may lead to unsustainable energy demands, impacting populations.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Climate Change Biology
- Animal Physiology
Background:
- Climate change alters Arctic ecosystems, affecting food webs and organismal energy balance.
- Arctic organisms are key models for understanding climate change impacts due to rapid environmental shifts.
- Behavioral and physiological plasticity are crucial for animals to adapt to changing resource availability.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the daily energy expenditure (DEE) plasticity in little auks (Alle alle) in response to climate change drivers (SST, SIC).
- To test if energetic limits and mercury exposure constrain this plasticity.
- To predict future energetic impacts of rising sea surface temperatures (SST).
Main Methods:
- Utilized accelerometer data from little auks across two colonies (East Greenland and Svalbard) over multiple years.
- Modeled future SST scenarios to assess potential energetic consequences.
- Assessed mercury levels in relation to DEE and fitness.
Main Results:
- Daily energy expenditure (DEE) varied with sea ice coverage (SIC) and sea surface temperature (SST), exceeding 4x basal metabolic rate (BMR) in some conditions.
- DEE did not reach proposed energetic ceilings (7x BMR), indicating scope for plasticity.
- Mercury exposure was not correlated with DEE, and bird fitness remained stable.
- Future SST warming may lead to unsustainable increases in DEE.
Conclusions:
- Little auk DEE plasticity currently buffers fitness against climate change, demonstrating resilience.
- While current adaptations are effective, projected increases in SST may push energy expenditure beyond sustainable limits.
- Continued monitoring is essential to understand long-term impacts of climate change on Arctic seabird energetics and fitness.
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