On statistical estimation of monthly extreme sea-surface temperatures along the west coast of the United States

Foraging behaviour can have a major influence on the survival and reproduction of individuals which can ultimately impact the viability of a population. Foraging is particularly challenging for procellariiformes (tube nosed seabirds) who feed on patchily distributed prey in the highly dynamic marine environment. During the breeding season procellariiformes must also increase their foraging effort to raise their chick whilst having a reduced foraging range. As a result, procellariiformes have adopted various foraging strategies, such as dual foraging and sexual foraging dimorphism, to cope with this energy demanding lifestyle. Westland petrels (Procellaria westlandica) are an endangered winter breeding procellariform endemic to the West Coast of New Zealand’s South Island. Unlike other procellariiformes, previous studies have found little evidence of Westland petrels using sexually dimorphic or dual foraging strategies. Furthermore, Westland petrels also display a high level of individual variation in foraging behaviour. To understand why there is so much variation and what factors are driving it, I first examined variation at the population, individual and within individual level to describe and categorise different foraging strategies. I then investigated how factors such as year, sex and foraging site influenced variation. Finally, I examined how oceanic variables influenced habitat selection and foraging characteristics to understand how the environment drives variation in foraging behaviour. Considerable variation was found at all levels. Most of the variation was explained by year with individuals taking shorter foraging trips in 2011 and longer trips in 2015. Females foraged further than males suggesting that there is some degree of sexual foraging segregation occurring in Westland petrels. I also found that the highest variation in foraging behaviour was exhibited by individuals within their core foraging site on the West Coast. Sea surface temperatures were highest at the West Coast foraging site and individuals within this site showed differences in habitat selection among years. Habitat selection at the West Coast site also differed between sexes suggesting that males are outcompeting females for prime foraging spots. Overall, my results indicate that foraging conditions on the West Coast are highly variable likely due to rising sea surface temperatures, marine heatwaves, and the effects of the El Nino-Southern Oscillation. As a result, it is likely that prey availability on the West Coast is unpredictable causing high variation in foraging behaviour and sexual foraging segregation. With climate change, foraging conditions on the West Coast are predicted to get more unpredictable as sea surface temperatures continue to rise and extreme weather events become more frequent. These factors will make foraging increasingly difficult for Westland petrels and could see them rely more on fishery discards as a source of food, increasing their risk of incidental mortality. Conservation management should focus on protecting the petrels core foraging area around the Hokitika canyon to help limit the effects of climate change. Fishery management should also focus on limiting or prohibiting offal discards to prevent the incidental mortality of Westland petrels.

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Westland petrel (Procellaria westlandica) foraging behaviour: Patterns and drivers of individual variation

10.26686/wgtn.17204045 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

◽

Douglas Rands

Keyword(s):

Habitat Selection ◽

West Coast ◽

Foraging Behaviour ◽

Sea Surface ◽

Foraging Strategies ◽

Sea Surface Temperatures ◽

The West ◽

Surface Temperatures ◽

Foraging Site ◽

Incidental Mortality

Foraging behaviour can have a major influence on the survival and reproduction of individuals which can ultimately impact the viability of a population. Foraging is particularly challenging for procellariiformes (tube nosed seabirds) who feed on patchily distributed prey in the highly dynamic marine environment. During the breeding season procellariiformes must also increase their foraging effort to raise their chick whilst having a reduced foraging range. As a result, procellariiformes have adopted various foraging strategies, such as dual foraging and sexual foraging dimorphism, to cope with this energy demanding lifestyle. Westland petrels (Procellaria westlandica) are an endangered winter breeding procellariform endemic to the West Coast of New Zealand’s South Island. Unlike other procellariiformes, previous studies have found little evidence of Westland petrels using sexually dimorphic or dual foraging strategies. Furthermore, Westland petrels also display a high level of individual variation in foraging behaviour. To understand why there is so much variation and what factors are driving it, I first examined variation at the population, individual and within individual level to describe and categorise different foraging strategies. I then investigated how factors such as year, sex and foraging site influenced variation. Finally, I examined how oceanic variables influenced habitat selection and foraging characteristics to understand how the environment drives variation in foraging behaviour. Considerable variation was found at all levels. Most of the variation was explained by year with individuals taking shorter foraging trips in 2011 and longer trips in 2015. Females foraged further than males suggesting that there is some degree of sexual foraging segregation occurring in Westland petrels. I also found that the highest variation in foraging behaviour was exhibited by individuals within their core foraging site on the West Coast. Sea surface temperatures were highest at the West Coast foraging site and individuals within this site showed differences in habitat selection among years. Habitat selection at the West Coast site also differed between sexes suggesting that males are outcompeting females for prime foraging spots. Overall, my results indicate that foraging conditions on the West Coast are highly variable likely due to rising sea surface temperatures, marine heatwaves, and the effects of the El Nino-Southern Oscillation. As a result, it is likely that prey availability on the West Coast is unpredictable causing high variation in foraging behaviour and sexual foraging segregation. With climate change, foraging conditions on the West Coast are predicted to get more unpredictable as sea surface temperatures continue to rise and extreme weather events become more frequent. These factors will make foraging increasingly difficult for Westland petrels and could see them rely more on fishery discards as a source of food, increasing their risk of incidental mortality. Conservation management should focus on protecting the petrels core foraging area around the Hokitika canyon to help limit the effects of climate change. Fishery management should also focus on limiting or prohibiting offal discards to prevent the incidental mortality of Westland petrels.

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Influence of Atlantic and Pacific Sea Surface Temperatures on Heat‐Related Mortality in the United States

GeoHealth ◽

10.1029/2019gh000220 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4 (2) ◽

Author(s):

Haris Majeed ◽

John G. Coles ◽

G. W. K. Moore

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

The United States ◽

Sea Surface ◽

Sea Surface Temperatures ◽

Surface Temperatures ◽

Related Mortality

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Relationship between the In-situ-measured Sea Surface Temperatures and the Landsat-derived Brightness Temperatures: A Case Study in the West Coast of South Korea

Journal of Coastal Research ◽

10.2112/si91-068.1 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 91 (sp1) ◽

pp. 336

Author(s):

Yun-Jae Choung ◽

Jin-Man Kim

Keyword(s):

South Korea ◽

West Coast ◽

Sea Surface ◽

Sea Surface Temperatures ◽

The West ◽

Brightness Temperatures ◽

Surface Temperatures

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The Relation of El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) to Winter Tornado Outbreaks

Monthly Weather Review ◽

10.1175/2007mwr2171.1 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 136 (8) ◽

pp. 3121-3137 ◽

Cited By ~ 48

Author(s):

A. R. Cook ◽

J. T. Schaefer

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

El Niño ◽

El Nino ◽

Southern Oscillation ◽

The United States ◽

Tropical Pacific ◽

Sea Surface ◽

Sea Surface Temperatures ◽

Surface Temperatures ◽

Tornado Outbreaks

Abstract Winter tornado activity (January–March) between 1950 and 2003 was analyzed to determine the possible effect of seasonally averaged sea surface temperatures in the equatorial Pacific Ocean, the ENSO phase, on the location and strength of tornado outbreaks in the United States. Tornado activity was gauged through analyses of tornadoes occurring on tornado days (a calendar day featuring six or more tornadoes within the contiguous United States) and strong and violent tornado days (a calendar day featuring five or more tornadoes rated F2 and greater within the contiguous United States). The tornado days were then stratified according to warm (37 tornado days, 14 violent days), cold (51 tornado days, 28 violent days), and neutral (74 tornado days, 44 violent days) winter ENSO phase. It is seen that during winter periods of neutral tropical Pacific sea surface temperatures, there is a tendency for U.S. tornado outbreaks to be stronger and more frequent than they are during winter periods of anomalously warm tropical Pacific sea surface temperatures (El Niño). During winter periods with anomalously cool Pacific sea surface temperatures (La Niña), the frequency and strength of U.S. tornado activity lies between that of the neutral and El Niño phase. ENSO-related shifts in the preferred location of tornado activity are also observed. Historically, during the neutral phase, tornado outbreaks typically occurred from central Oklahoma and Kansas eastward through the Carolinas. During cold phases, tornado outbreaks have typically occurred in a zone stretching from southeastern Texas northeastward into Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan. During anomalously warm phases activity was mainly limited to the Gulf Coast states, including central Florida. The data are statistically and synoptically analyzed to show that they are not only statistically significant, but also meteorologically reasonable.

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