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Climate presses and pulses mediate the decline of a migratory predator

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Authors: T. J. Clark-Wolf, P. Dee Boersma, Ginger A. Rebstock, and Briana AbrahmsJournal: Proceedings of the National Academy of SciencesDOI: 10.1073/pnas.2209821120 Long-term climate changes and extreme climate events differentially impact animal populations, yet whether and why these processes may act synergistically or antagonistically remains unknown…

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Should I stay or should I go: factors influencing mate retention and divorce in a colonial seabird

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Authors: Eric L. Wagner, Caroline D. Cappello, P. Dee BoersmaJournal: Animal BehaviourDOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2022.08.002 Divorce among serially monogamous birds can lead to increased reproductive success if an individual obtains a higher-quality mate or nest site, or it can lead to lower reproductive success due to lack of pair experience or reduced breeding opportunities…

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Long-term, climate-driven phenological shift in a tropical large carnivore

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Authors: Briana Abrahms, Kasim Rafiq, Neil R. Jordan, and J. W. McNuttJournal: Proceedings of the National Academy of SciencesDOI:10.1073/pnas.2121667119 Understanding the degree to which animals are shifting their phenology to track optimal conditions as the climate changes is essential to predicting ecological responses to global change…

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Making a perfect penguin_orig

Site fidelity increases reproductive success by increasing foraging efficiency in a marine predator

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Authors: Ginger A Rebstock, Briana Abrams, P. Dee BoersmaJournal: Behavioral EcologyDOI: 10.1093/beheco/arac052 Seabirds must find food efficiently in the dynamic ocean environment to succeed at raising chicks. In theory, site familiarity, gained by prior experience in a place, should increase foraging efficiency when prey is predictable, and translate into increased reproductive success, though this is difficult to test empirically…

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Gray whales number about 27,000 along the West Coast of North America. Photo by

Changes in gray whale phenology and distribution related to prey variability and ocean biophysics in the northern Bering and eastern Chukchi seas

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From the abstract: “We discuss potential impacts of observed and inferred prey shifts on gray whale nutrition in the context of an ongoing unusual gray whale mortality event. To conclude, we use the conceptual Arctic Marine Pulses (AMP) model to frame hypotheses that may guide future research on whales in the Pacific Arctic marine ecosystem.” Authors: Sue E. Moore, Janet

Changes in gray whale phenology and distribution related to prey variability and ocean biophysics in the northern Bering and eastern Chukchi seas Read More »

Acoustic signature reveals blue whales tune life-history transitions to oceanographic conditions

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Authors: William K. Oestreich, Briana Abrahms, Megan F. McKenna, Jeremy A. Goldbogen, Larry B. Crowder, John P. RyanJournal: British Ecological SocietyDOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.14013 Matching the timing of life-history transitions with ecosystem phenology is critical for the survival of many species, especially those undertaking long-distance migrations…

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Unprecedented heat mortality of Magellanic Penguins

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Authors: Katie Holt and Dee BoersmaJournal: Ornithological ApplicationsDOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/ornithapp/duab052 Abstract excerpt: Extreme weather events are becoming more frequent and severe, leading to an increase in direct, adverse thermoregulatory impacts on wildlife. Here, we document an unprecedented, single-day, heat-related mortality event of Magellanic Penguins (Spheniscus magellanicus) at Punta Tombo, Chubut Province, Argentina, one of the largest breeding colonies for this species.

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A spatial capture–recapture model for group-living species

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Authors: Robert L. Emmet, Ben C. Augustine, Briana Abrahms, Lindsey N. Rich, Beth GardnerJournal: EcologyDOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/ecy.3576 From the abstract: “Spatial capture–recapture (SCR) has been used to model both individual and group density in group-living species, but modeling either individual-level or group-level detection results in different biases due to common characteristics of group-living species, such as highly cohesive movement or variation in group size […]

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Photo credit: NOAA Fisheries

Vessels and their sounds reduce prey capture effort by endangered killer whales

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From the abstract: “We identified prey capture dives using whale kinematic signatures and found that the probability of capturing prey increased as salmon abundance increased, but decreased as vessel speed increased. When vessels emitted navigational sonar, whales made longer dives to capture prey and descended more slowly when they initiated these dives. Finally, whales descended more quickly when noise levels

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Consequences of phenological shifts and a compressed breeding period in Magellanic penguins

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Excerpt from the abstract: “Using 34 yr of data from the Magellanic penguin (Spheniscus magellanicus) colony at Punta Tombo, Argentina, we examined the consequences of the delayed onset of breeding (i.e., arrival and egg-laying dates) that has occurred at the colony since 1983. […] We find that delayed breeding has significantly compressed nestling periods at Punta Tombo, influencing chick growth and

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Effects of vessel distance and sex on the behavior of endangered killer whales

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From the abstract: “Our findings, suggesting that female killer whales are at greater risk to close approaches by vessels, highlight the importance of understanding sex-specific responses to disturbance. These findings can inform future management decisions seeking to preserve foraging opportunities and enhance recovery efforts relevant to many cetacean species, including vulnerable and endangered populations.” Authors: Marla M. Holt, Jennifer B.

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Natural selection on morphology varies among years and by sex in Magellanic Penguins (Spheniscus magellanicus)

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Laura E. Koehn , Jeffrey J. Hard , Elaine P. Akst , and P. Dee BoersmaThe Auk 133(4):783-805. 2016.https://doi.org/10.1642/AUK-16-50.1 AbstractThe evolution of morphology in a population reflects several factors, including the influence of environmental variability on natural selection. We estimated natural selection on, and heritability of, 4 individual morphological traits (bill length, bill depth, flipper length, and foot length) and

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Penguins as Marine Sentinels

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P. Dee BoersmaBioScience, Volume 58, Issue 7, July 2008, Pages 597–607https://doi.org/10.1641/B580707 AbstractFrom the tropics to Antarctica, penguins depend on predictable regions of high ocean productivity where their prey aggregate. Increases in precipitation and reductions in sea ice associated with climate warming are affecting penguins. The largest breeding colony of Patagonian (Magellanic) penguins, at Punta Tombo, Argentina, had approximately 200,000 breeding

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