Prey Shifts Research Articles

Spatial and temporal variation in the diet of Steller sea lions in the Kodiak Archipelago, 1999 to 2005

MEPS Marine Ecology Progress Series Contact the journal Facebook Twitter RSS Mailing List Subscribe to our mailing list via Mailchimp HomeLatest VolumeAbout the JournalEditorsTheme Sections MEPS 360:265-283 (2008) - DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/meps07383 Spatial and temporal variation in the diet of Steller sea lions in the Kodiak Archipelago, 1999 to 2005 Jane McKenzie*, Kate M. Wynne University of Alaska Fairbanks, School of Fisheries and Ocean Science, 118 Trident Way, Kodiak, Alaska 99615, USA *Email: janemckenzie@malpage.com ABSTRACT: Spatial and temporal variation in the diet of Steller sea lions Eumetopias jubatus was investigated using scat (fecal) samples collected from 4 regions in the Kodiak Archipelago. Over 2700 scats with identifiable prey were collected from the northern, eastern, southern and western sides of Kodiak Island from 1999 to 2005. Of 76 prey types identified using hard remains, the most important species in terms of frequency of occurrence and numerical abundance were Pacific sand lance Ammodytes hexapterus, walleye pollock Theragra chalcogramma, arrowtooth flounder Atheresthes stomias, Pacific cod Gadus macrocephalus, salmon Oncorhynchus spp., and Pacific herring Clupea pallasi. Significant differences in diet composition were found among regions, seasons, and years, suggesting that the diet of sea lions is strongly influenced by local and temporal distributions and abundances of prey. Herring dominated scat collections from the west coast and accounted for most (14 to 30%) of the differences in regional diet in spring and winter. Annual variation in diet was relatively low in winter, whereas spring and fall diets varied from year to year, with regional-specific shifts in dominant prey. Results from our study generally agree with diet studies conducted in the 1990s, but differ markedly in the relative importance of the major prey species. KEY WORDS: Eumetopias jubatus · Prey · Seasonal · Diet overlap · Forage fish · Gulf of Alaska · Theragra chalcogramma · Ammodytes hexapterus Full text in pdf format Supplementary appendix PreviousNextCite this article as: McKenzie J, Wynne KM (2008) Spatial and temporal variation in the diet of Steller sea lions in the Kodiak Archipelago, 1999 to 2005. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 360:265-283. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps07383Export citation RSS - Facebook - Tweet - linkedIn Cited by Published in MEPS Vol. 360. Online publication date: May 22, 2008 Print ISSN: 0171-8630; Online ISSN: 1616-1599 Copyright © 2008 Inter-Research.

Binary dietary responses of northern gannets Sula bassana indicate changing food web and oceanographic conditions

MEPS Marine Ecology Progress Series Contact the journal Facebook Twitter RSS Mailing List Subscribe to our mailing list via Mailchimp HomeLatest VolumeAbout the JournalEditorsTheme Sections MEPS 352:213-220 (2007) - DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/meps07075 Binary dietary responses of northern gannets Sula bassana indicate changing food web and oceanographic conditions W. A. Montevecchi* Cognitive and Behavioural Ecology Program, Memorial University, St. John’s, Newfoundland A1B 3X9, Canada *Email: mont@mun.ca ABSTRACT: Interactions between seabirds and their prey are shaped largely by the dynamics of the marine ecosystems in which they are embedded. Physical oceanographic processes can drive the distributions of ectothermic and planktonic prey and hence their availability to marine birds. Owing to the complex nature of these processes and interactions, the signal-to-noise ratios of avian indicators of prey conditions are variable, often low and further degraded (buffered) by seabird behaviour and life-history features. Cairns (1987, Biol Oceanogr 5:261–271) detailed seabird responses operating over a range of temporal scales to variation in food supplies, and suggested that interval relationships might be developed between avian responses and environmental variation. While this may be possible in some instances, it appears unrealistic in most instances to expect interval relationships between seabird responses and prey conditions that are often nonlinearly related. The present paper focuses on binary data (e.g. breeding success versus failure) derived from seabirds that can provide robust information about major shifts in prey and oceanographic conditions and that are particularly informative when accumulated over decadal and large ocean scales. Inter-annual and decadal variations in specific and nominally categorized (warm- versus cold-water) prey landings of northern gannets Sula bassana at a large oceanic colony in the NW Atlantic reflect shifts in pelagic food webs induced by changes in regional sea surface temperature. Binary patterns emphasize decadal shifts in food webs and yield predictive indication of systemic change. KEY WORDS: Binary patterns . Bio-indicators . Decadal scales . Seabirds . Ecosystem shift Full text in pdf format PreviousNextCite this article as: Montevecchi WA (2007) Binary dietary responses of northern gannets Sula bassana indicate changing food web and oceanographic conditions. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 352:213-220. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps07075 Export citation RSS - Facebook - Tweet - linkedIn Cited by Published in MEPS Vol. 352. Online publication date: December 20, 2007 Print ISSN: 0171-8630; Online ISSN: 1616-1599 Copyright © 2007 Inter-Research.

COMPETITIVE RELEASE IN DIETS OF OCELOT (LEOPARDUS PARDALIS) AND PUMA (PUMA CONCOLOR) AFTER JAGUAR (PANTHERA ONCA) DECLINE

We used fecal analyses to document the diet of ocelots (Leopardus pardalis) and puma (Puma concolor) at 2 sites in central Panama. We detected puma on Barro Colorado Island (BCI) nearly every month during the study but never found evidence of jaguars (Panthera onca) at either site. Both ocelots and puma fed predominantly on mammalian prey, but consumed a diversity of species. Collared peccaries (Pecari tajacu) and Central American red brocket (Mazama temama) were the most important food items for puma, whereas Central American agoutis (Dasyprocta punctata) and sloths (Choloepus hoffmanni and Bradypus variegatus) were the most important for ocelots. Considerable overlap in diet was found between populations and species, but the diet of puma on BCI was significantly different from the 2 ocelot populations in containing more large prey, suggesting that dietary differences between these predator species are chiefly related to their relative body size. Comparing across larger scales, both populations of ocelots in our study ate larger prey than elsewhere in their range, suggesting that their fundamental niche includes more medium-sized prey than their realized niche in other sites. Puma on BCI ate proportionally more peccaries and deer than in most other populations. These unusual diets in the wake of a recent decline or local extinction of jaguars are consistent with a prey shift in response to competitive release.

Change in the diet of sooty owls (Tyto tenebricosa) since European settlement: from terrestrial to arboreal prey and increased overlap with powerful owls

The current diet of the sooty owl (Tyto tenebricosa) was determined by analysing freshly regurgitated pellets collected beneath their roosting sites in East Gippsland, Victoria. Comparisons were then made with: (i) prehistoric and historic diet from bone deposits found in cave roosts, and (ii) diet of a sympatric owl species, the powerful owl (Ninox strenua). Sooty owls consumed a large array of terrestrial mammal species before European settlement, but only three terrestrial species were detected in their current diet, a reduction of at least eight species since European settlement. To compensate, sooty owls have increased their consumption of arboreal prey from 55% to 81% of their diet. Arboreal species are also a major component of the powerful owl diet and this prey shift by sooty owls has increased dietary overlap between these two species. Predation by foxes (Vulpes vulpes) and other feral species is likely to have reduced the amount of terrestrial prey available to sooty owls since European settlement. Investigation of changes in the diet of sooty owls may offer a unique monitoring system for evaluating the ability of fox-control strategies to influence increases in numbers of critical-weight-range mammals.

Feeding ecology and growth of age 0 yearPlatichthys flesus(L.) in a vegetated and a bare sand habitat in a nutrient rich fjord

A study was carried out to investigate the diet and feeding strategies of age 0 year juvenile flounderPlatichthys flesusin two different micro‐tidal habitats in the nutrient enriched Mariager Fjord on the Danish east coast. Juvenile flounder and benthic macrofauna were sampled monthly from June to October 1999 in a bare sand habitat and a habitat covered by filamentous and mat forming macroalgae. The presence of the ‘opportunistic’ macroalgae created a shift in the dominance of surface dwelling prey such as epifaunal amphipods to more infaunal groups such as oligochaetes and polychaetes. The diet of the flounder varied considerably between the two habitats mainly reflecting prey availability relative to their abundance, prey spatial distribution, habitat structure and ontogenetic prey shifts as a function of total length. Flounder in the vegetated site fed on a diverse diet of copepods, polychaetes and oligochaetes, whereas those caught in the bare sand site fed primarily on the amphipodCorophium volutatorwhich was numerically dominant at this site. During the growth season, two diet shifts were observed: from copepods early in the season to macrofauna organisms and, later in the season, the inclusion of more hyperbenthic prey such asMysideaspp;Idoteaspp. and the common gobyPomatoschistus microps.

A Decade of Live California Sea Lion (<I>Zalophus californianus</I>) Strandings Along the Central California Coast: Causes and Trends, 1991-2000

Stranded marine mammals offer a unique sample of relatively inaccessible wild animals that are more likely to represent the diseased segment of the population and are easy to examine thoroughly. Examination of these animals, therefore, offers a method to detect novel diseases in free-living aquatic mammals. Diseases in marine mammals may reflect environmental changes such as ocean pollution, prey shifts, and global warming. To detect spatial and temporal trends in prevalence of such diseases, we reviewed records for 3,707 California sea lions (Zalophus californianus) that stranded live between 1991 and 2000 along the central California coast. Reasons for stranding were determined from a combination of clinical examinations, hematology and serum biochemistry, radiography, gross necropsy, histopathology, microbiology, and biotoxin assays. Over the ten years, 74% of sea lions stranded in Santa Cruz, Monterey and San Luis Obispo Counties, and 83% of these were admitted between May and October each year. Malnutrition was the most common reason for stranding (32%), followed by leptospirosis (27%), trauma (18%), domoic acid intoxication (9%), and cancer (3%). Strandings caused by malnutrition were greatest during the El Nino events of 1992, 1993, and 1998, while strandings caused by leptospirosis accounted for over 60% of strandings in 1991, 1995, and 1999. Although domoic acid was first reported in California sea lions in 1998, there was a small stranding event in 1992 that, based on clinical examinations and histopathology, was probably also caused by domoic acid. The observed prevalence of cancer among stranded animals remained constant over the past ten years at 3%.

DIETS OF INSECTIVOROUS BIRDS ALONG THE COLORADO RIVER IN GRAND CANYON, ARIZONA

Abstract We examined diets of six insectivorous bird species (n = 202 individuals) from two vegetation zones along the Colorado River in Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona, 1994. All bird species consumed similar quantities of caterpillars and beetles, but use of other prey taxa varied. Non-native leafhoppers (Opsius stactagolus) specific to non-native tamarisk (Tamarix chinensis) substantially augmented Lucy's Warbler (Vermivora luciae) diets (49%), while ants comprised 82% of Yellow-breasted Chat (Icteria virens) diets. Yellow Warbler (Dendroica petechia) diets were composed of 45% aquatic midges. All bird species consumed the non-native leafhopper specific to tamarisk. Comparison of bird diets with availability of arthropod prey from aquatic and terrestrial origins showed terrestrial insects comprised 91% of all avian diets compared to 9% of prey from aquatic origin. Seasonal shifts in arthropod prey occurred in diets of three bird species, although no seasonal shifts were detected in arthropods sampl...

Diet, consumption, and growth of juvenile fringed flounder ( Etropus crossotus); a test of the ‘maximum growth/optimum food hypothesis’ in a subtropical nursery area

Recent somatic growth of juvenile fringed flounder ( Etropus crossotus) collected in North Inlet (South Carolina, USA) was determined based on the width of the 24 most recently deposited daily increments in sagittal otoliths. Growth rates were estimated using previously published data on the experimentally validated relationship between the daily increment width and the somatic growth. A comparison of the realised growth with experimental data indicated that growth rates in the field were near optimum values determined under ad libitum food conditions. Gut contents analysis of field collected fringed flounder indicated that food consisted predominantly of zooplankton and motile epibenthic prey with calanoid copepods, in particular Pseudodiaptomus coronatus, as the most important food items. There was no clear ontogenetic shift in prey with increasing fish size. Copepods and their eggs remained a significant prey item in even the largest fish examined (>9 cm SL), while larger prey items like polychaete worms, cumaceans, bivalves, and mysids were found in the stomachs of smaller fish. The prey organisms were abundantly available during the period of highest settlement (May through September). Growth rates, biomass, consumption estimates, and prey availability in North Inlet indicated that growth of juvenile fringed flounder is not limited by food, but predominantly determined by water temperature. During the summer months temperature and food supply in North Inlet are near optimal for juvenile fringed flounder. This allows this short-lived species to grow rapidly to attain a mature size and migrate to near-shore waters to reproduce within one growing season.

Multi‐predator effects across life‐history stages: non‐additivity of egg‐ and larval‐stage predation in an African treefrog

AbstractThe effects of multiple predators on their prey are frequently non‐additive because of interactions among predators. When prey shift habitats through ontogeny, many of their predators cannot interact directly. However, predators that occur in different habitats or feed on different prey stages may still interact through indirect effects mediated by prey traits and density. We conducted an experiment to evaluate the combined effects of arboreal egg‐stage and aquatic larval‐stage predators of the African treefrog, Hyperolius spinigularis. Egg and larval predator effects were non‐additive – more Hyperolius survived both predators than predicted from their independent effects. Egg‐stage predator effects on aquatic larval density and size and age at hatching reduced the effectiveness of larval‐stage predators by 70%. Our results indicate that density‐ and trait‐mediated indirect interactions can act across life‐stages and habitats, resulting in non‐additive multi‐predator effects.

Predation on exotic zebra mussels by native fishes: effects on predator and prey

SUMMARY 1. Exotic zebra mussels, Dreissena polymorpha, occur in southern U.S. waterways in high densities, but little is known about the interaction between native fish predators and zebra mussels. Previous studies have suggested that exotic zebra mussels are low profitability prey items and native vertebrate predators are unlikely to reduce zebra mussel densities. We tested these hypotheses by observing prey use of fishes, determining energy content of primary prey species of fishes, and conducting predator exclusion experiments in Lake Dardanelle, Arkansas.2. Zebra mussels were the primary prey eaten by 52.9% of blue catfish, Ictalurus furcatus; 48.2% of freshwater drum, Aplodinotus grunniens; and 100% of adult redear sunfish, Lepomis microlophus. Blue catfish showed distinct seasonal prey shifts, feeding on zebra mussels in summer and shad, Dorosoma spp., during winter. Energy content (joules g−1) of blue catfish prey (threadfin shad, Dorosoma petenense; gizzard shad, D. cepedianum; zebra mussels; and asiatic clams, Corbicula fluminea) showed a significant species by season interaction, but shad were always significantly greater in energy content than bivalves examined as either ash‐free dry mass or whole organism dry mass. Fish predators significantly reduced densities of large zebra mussels (>5 mm length) colonising clay tiles in the summers of 1997 and 1998, but predation effects on small zebra mussels (≤5 mm length) were less clear.3. Freshwater drum and redear sunfish process bivalve prey by crushing shells and obtain low amounts of higher‐energy food (only the flesh), whereas blue catfish lack a shell‐crushing apparatus and ingest large amounts of low‐energy food per unit time (bivalves with their shells). Blue catfish appeared to select the abundant zebra mussel over the more energetically rich shad during summer, then shifted to shad during winter when shad experienced temperature‐dependent stress and mortality. Native fish predators can suppress adult zebra mussel colonisation, but are ultimately unlikely to limit population density because of zebra mussel reproductive potential.

A Mechanistic Model for Partial Preferences

Classic prey optimal foraging model assumes that individual predators are globally omniscient; that is, they have exact knowledge of prey population densities in the environment. This study examines a spatially explicit individual-based model of a one-predator two-prey system where individual predators are assumed to be omniscient only locally, i.e., to know prey population densities only in the range of their perception. Due to local variations in prey numbers, the probability of acceptance of less profitable prey shifts from the zero–one rule to a gradually decreasing function, for which an explicit formula is derived, giving way to partial preferences. A corresponding predator functional response to more profitable prey is shown to have a sigmoid-like form.

Habitat preferences and diet in the predatory Coccinellidae (Coleoptera): an evolutionary perspective

Coccinellids (ladybird beetles) exhibit considerable diversity in habitat and dietary preference and specificity. This is evident even when comparing species within some coccinellid genera. Resource limitation and competition are suggested as of greatest importance in the evolution of coccinellid habitat preferences. Dietary and habitat specialization has probably occurred in some lineages within broader preferences possessed by generalist ancestors, to avoid the costs associated with migration between habitats and prey switching. Feeding in atypical habitats, on alternative food, when optimal prey are scarce, is likely to have been of great importance in facilitating evolutionary shifts to novel diets and habitats. The broad host ranges of many coccinellid parasitoids and observed interspecific differences in parasitoid prevalence resulting from physiological differences between coccinellid species argue that enemy free space has been of limited importance in habitat and prey shifts in this group. Rapid change may occur in coccinellid foraging patterns, perhaps due to conditioning, and coccinellids may swiftly adapt to new habitats through selection acting on the expression pre-existing traits. Diet, as a determinant of coccinellid migration and gene flow, is likely to affect probable modes of speciation in different coccinellid groups. Parapatric speciation and possibly sympatric speciation are suggested as of possible importance in the genesis of new coccinellid species through prey and habitat shifts.

Habitat preferences and diet in the predatory Coccinellidae (Coleoptera): an evolutionary perspective

Coccinellids (ladybird beetles) exhibit considerable diversity in habitat and dietary preference and specificity. This is evident even when comparing species within some coccinellid genera. Resource limitation and competition are suggested as of greatest importance in the evolution of coccinellid habitat preferences. Dietary and habitat specialization has probably occurred in some lineages within broader preferences possessed by generalist ancestors, to avoid the costs associated with migration between habitats and prey switching. Feeding in atypical habitats, on alternative food, when optimal prey are scarce, is likely to have been of great importance in facilitating evolutionary shifts to novel diets and habitats. The broad host ranges of many coccinellid parasitoids and observed interspecific differences in parasitoid prevalence resulting from physiological differences between coccinellid species argue that enemy free space has been of limited importance in habitat and prey shifts in this group. Rapid change may occur in coccinellid foraging patterns, perhaps due to conditioning, and coccinellids may swiftly adapt to new habitats through selection acting on the expression pre-existing traits. Diet, as a determinant of coccinellid migration and gene flow, is likely to affect probable modes of speciation in different coccinellid groups. Parapatric speciation and possibly sympatric speciation are suggested as of possible importance in the genesis of new coccinellid species through prey and habitat shifts.

Behaviorally Mediated Trophic Cascades: Effects of Predation Risk on Food Web Interactions

Trophic cascades are regarded as important signals for top-down control of food web dynamics. Although there is clear evidence supporting the existence of trophic cascades, the mechanisms driving this important dynamic are less clear. Trophic cascades could arise through direct population-level effects, in which predators prey on herbivores, thereby decreasing the abundance of herbivores that impact plant trophic levels. Trophic cascades could also arise through indirect behavioral-level effects, in which herbivore prey shift their foraging behavior in response to predation risk. Such behavioral shifts can result in reduced feeding time and increased starvation risk, again lowering the impact of herbivores on plants. We evaluated the relative importance of these two mechanisms, using field experiments in an old-field system composed of herbaceous plants, grasshopper herbivores, and spider predators. We created two treatments, Risk spiders that had their chelicerae glued, and Predation spiders that remained unmanipulated. We then systematically evaluated the impacts of these predator manipulations at behavioral, population, and food web scales in experimental mesocosms. At the behavioral level, grasshoppers did not distinguish between Risk spiders and Predation spiders. Grasshoppers exhibited significant shifts in feeding-time budget in the presence of spiders vs. when alone. At the grasshopper population level, Risk spider and Predation spider treatments caused the same level of grasshopper mortality, which was significantly higher than mortality in a control without spiders, indicating that the predation effects were compensatory to risk effects. At the food web level, Risk spider and Predation spider treatments decreased the impact grasshoppers had on grass biomass, supporting the existence of a trophic cascade. Moreover, Risk spider and Predation spider treatments produced statistically similar effects, again indicating that predation effects on trophic dynamics were compensatory to risk effects. We conclude that indirect effects resulting from antipredator behavior can produce trophic-level effects that are similar in form and strength to those generated by direct predation events.

BEHAVIORALLY MEDIATED TROPHIC CASCADES: EFFECTS OF PREDATION RISK ON FOOD WEB INTERACTIONS

Trophic cascades are regarded as important signals for top-down control of food web dynamics. Although there is clear evidence supporting the existence of trophic cascades, the mechanisms driving this important dynamic are less clear. Trophic cascades could arise through direct population-level effects, in which predators prey on herbivores, thereby decreasing the abundance of herbivores that impact plant trophic levels. Trophic cascades could also arise through indirect behavioral-level effects, in which herbivore prey shift their foraging behavior in response to predation risk. Such behavioral shifts can result in reduced feeding time and increased starvation risk, again lowering the impact of herbivores on plants. We evaluated the relative importance of these two mechanisms, using field experiments in an old-field system composed of herbaceous plants, grasshopper herbivores, and spider predators. We created two treatments, Risk spiders that had their chelicerae glued, and Predation spiders that remained unmanipulated. We then systematically evaluated the impacts of these predator manipulations at behavioral, population, and food web scales in experimental mesocosms. At the behavioral level, grasshoppers did not distinguish between Risk spiders and Predation spiders. Grasshoppers exhibited significant shifts in feeding-time budget in the presence of spiders vs. when alone. At the grasshopper population level, Risk spider and Predation spider treatments caused the same level of grasshopper mortality, which was significantly higher than mortality in a control without spiders, indicating that the predation effects were compensatory to risk effects. At the food web level, Risk spider and Predation spider treatments decreased the impact grasshoppers had on grass biomass, supporting the existence of a trophic cascade. Moreover, Risk spider and Predation spider treatments produced statistically similar effects, again indicating that predation effects on trophic dynamics were compensatory to risk effects. We conclude that indirect effects resulting from antipredator behavior can produce trophic-level effects that are similar in form and strength to those generated by direct predation events.

Spring and summer prey of the Juan Fernández fur seal,Arctocephalus philippii

The composition of Juan Fernández fur seal (Arctocephalus philippii) prey was assessed through analysis of 437 scats collected during five reproductive seasons (1987–1991). In total, 14 collections were analyzed and, based on 4172 fish otoliths and cephalopod beaks, 13 prey species were identified. The occurrences of fish families were as follows: Myctophidae (80.3%), Scomberesocidae (10%), Carangidae (9.5%), Engraulidae (1.0%), and Bathylagidae (0.7%). Cephalopod families included Onychoteuthidae (27.1%), Ommastrephidae (3.7%), and Tremoctopodidae (0.7%). In one year when data were available, Symbolophorus sp. B was found more frequently in subadult male and juvenile scats than in female scats (P < 0.004). Female scats contained larger numbers of the squid Onychoteuthis banksi than did subadult male and juvenile scats (P < 0.0001). When collections made in early December were compared, the occurrence of O. banksi in subadult male and juvenile scats differed significantly between years (P < 0.0001). Within-year variations in occurrence were significant only for O. banksi in 1989. The data suggest that the narrow range of species preyed upon by Juan Fernández fur seals is unlikely to represent specialization, but is probably related to overall prey availability in the pelagic environment. Although information on marine communities in this area is limited, it is possible to relate observed prey shifts to variations in sea-surface temperature.

The role of dissolved organic carbon in the chemistry and bioavailability of mercury in remote Adirondack lakes

A number of recent studies have documented elevated concentrations of mercury (Hg) in fish caught in remote lakes and a pattern of increased concentrations of Hg in fish tissue with decreasing water column pH. Because of the potential linkage between fish Hg and surface water acidification, factors regulating water column concentrations and bioavailability of Hg were investigated in Adirondack lakes through a field study and application of the Mercury Cycling Model (MCM). Concentrations of total Hg and total MeHg were highly variable, with concentrations of total MeHg about 10% of total Hg in lakes which did not show anoxic conditions. In lakes exhibiting anoxic conditions in the hypolimnion during summer stratification, concentrations of total MeHg were elevated. Concentrations of total Hg and total MeHg increased with decreasing pH in remote Adirondack lakes. However, more importantly, concentrations of total Hg and total MeHg increased with increasing concentrations of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and percent near-shore wetlands in the drainage basin. Mercury concentrations in muscle tissue of yellow perch from Adirondack lakes were elevated above the U.S. FDA action level (1 μg/g Hg) in 7% of the fish sampled or in one or more individual fish from 9 of the 16 lakes sampled. Fish Hg concentrations generally increased with increasing fish length, weight and age. Patterns of increasing Hg concentration with age likely reflect shifts in prey of yellow perch and the bioconcentration of Hg along the food chain. For age 3 to 5 perch, concentrations of Hg increased with increasing concentrations of DOC and percent near-shore wetlands in the drainage basin. However, for a lake with very high DOC concentrations, fish concentrations of Hg declined. Calculations with the MCM also show that concentrations of Hg species increase with increasing DOC due to complexation reactions. Increases in DOC result in increasing concentrations of Hg in biota but decreases in the bioconcentration factor of Hg in fish tissue. This research suggests that DOC is important in the transport of Hg to lake systems. High concentrations of DOC may complex MeHg, diminishing its bioavailability. At high concentrations of monomeric Al, the complexation of MeHg with DOC apparently decreases, enhancing the bioavailability of MeHg.

Distribution of Marbled Murrelets along the Oregon Coast in 1992

Strip transects from boat and light aircraft were used to quantify the distribution and abundance of marbled murrelets (Brachyramphus marmoratus) along the length of the Oregon coast. Murrelets were abundant in central Oregon between Newport and Coos Bay, with observed densities averaging 78 birds/10-km by 100-m strip (N = 90, SE = 5.9). Murrelets were relatively scarce north of Lincoln City (x = 6.8 birds/10-km by 100-m strip, N = 32, SE = 1.2), with small concentrations near coastal State Parks that contained old-growth forest stands. Murrelet abundance was variable from Coos Bay to the California border (x = 28.4, N = 22, SE = 5.9). Highest densities occurred in a narrow band and decreased sharply at > 1 km from shore. There was evidence of a northward and offshore shift of the population late in July, which may have been related to a prey shift from surf smelt (Hypomesus sp.) to Pacific sandlance (Ammodytes hexapterus) or to post-breeding dispersal. The abundance of marbled murrelets seen during this study suggests that the population in Oregon is higher than previously estimated. Marbled murrelets (Brachyramphus marmoratus) are small diving seabirds that have the unique adaptation of flying inland to nest in large trees along the west coast of North America (Marshall 1988, Hamer and Nelson 1995a). At sea, marbled murrelets occupy inland passages, bays, and near-shore waters of the open coast; they rarely are seen over 3 km from shore (Sealy 1975b, Carter 1984, Carter and Sealy 1990, Rodway et al. 1992, Ralph and Miller 1995). Because detection and quantification of marbled murrelets is very difficult in their forest nesting habitat, surveys of the birds at sea is presently the most effective and accurate means of assessing population size and distribution. The need for information on abundance and distribution of marbled murrelets was accentuated by the species' listing as federally threatened in October 1992 (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1992). All of the 3 prior at-sea studies of marbled murrelets in Oregon (summarized in Nelson et al. 1992) were made along short sections of the coastline, and each study used different methods and observation vessels, making comparison difficult. Besides those at-sea counts, numerous observations from shore of marbled murrelets in Oregon have been made over the years (Nelson et al. 1992, Nelson and Hardin 1993). To this point, information on population size and distribution in Oregon has been derived from inland and shore-based observations and the work of Varoujean and Williams (1995). Based on vessel and aerial transects, preliminary results of the first state-wide surveys of marbled murrelets along the Oregon coast are presented here. This ongoing research is directed towards establishing a population estimate and monitoring protocol for the species in Oregon.

Plasticity of Daphnia Life Histories in Response to Chemical Cues from Predators

The possible induction of life-history shifts in prey by chemicals released into the environment by potential predators was examined. Laboratory life-table experiments were conducted to examine the influence of chemical substances released from vertebrate (fish) and invertebrate (Notonectidae) predators on life-history features of two clones (B―coexists with fish, W―from a fishless pond) of the freshwater cladoceran crustacean, Daphnia magna. Significant differences between treatments in key life-history features (i.e. size and age at first reproduction) were detected for each clone. Both clones showed a significantly smaller size at first reproduction when raised under fish-treated water, when compared with animals raised under invertebrate-treated water

Feeding Ecology of the Rattlesnake, Crotalus viridis oreganus, in Northern Idaho

Feeding Ecology of the Rattlesnake, Crotalus viridis oreganus, in Northern Idaho