Abstract
Upwelling regions are highly productive habitats targeted by wide-ranging marine predators and industrial fisheries. In this study, we track the migratory movements of eight seabird species from across the Atlantic; quantify overlap with the Canary Current Large Marine Ecosystem (CCLME) and determine the habitat characteristics that drive this association. Our results indicate the CCLME is a biodiversity hotspot for migratory seabirds; all tracked species and more than 70% of individuals used this upwelling region. Relative species richness peaked in areas where sea surface temperature averaged between 15 and 20°C, and correlated positively with chlorophyll a, revealing the optimum conditions driving bottom-up trophic effects for seabirds. Marine vertebrates are not confined by international boundaries, making conservation challenging. However, by linking diversity to ocean productivity, our research reveals the significance of the CCLME for seabird populations from across the Atlantic, making it a priority for conservation action.
Highlights
Upwelling regions are globally important marine biodiversity hotspots
Our results indicate the Canary Current Large Marine Ecosystem (CCLME) is a biodiversity hotspot for migratory seabirds; all tracked species and more than 70% of individuals used this upwelling region
We demonstrate that the CCLME is an area of high relative species richness for non-breeding seabirds, and detail the environmental conditions that drive this association
Summary
Upwelling regions are globally important marine biodiversity hotspots. The mixing of nutrient-rich cool water with warm surface layers fuels primary& 2016 The Authors. Upwelling regions are globally important marine biodiversity hotspots. Production, driving bottom-up cascades that support large communities of upper trophic-level consumers [1]. As a result, they are attractive foraging grounds targeted by a wide-range of marine animals throughout the annual cycle [2]. They are attractive foraging grounds targeted by a wide-range of marine animals throughout the annual cycle [2] These characteristics make upwelling regions strong candidates for protection, but this is challenging as they often cross national boundaries, occur in international waters and protection may conflict with fisheries interests [3]. The Canary Current Large Marine Ecosystem (CCLME) incorporates one of the most intensively fished areas on the Earth [8,10], yet supports large populations of migratory marine vertebrates from breeding populations across the Atlantic [11,12,13]
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