The relationship between sea surface temperature and population change of Great Cormorants Phalacrocorax carbo breeding near Disko Bay, Greenland

Craig White, D Boertmann, D Gremillet, Patrick Butler, JA Green, Graham Martin

Research output: Contribution to journalArticle

12 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Arctic seas have warmed and sea ice has retreated. This has resulted in range contraction and population declines in some species, but it could potentially be a boon for others. Great Cormorants Phalacrocorax carbo have a partially wettable plumage and seem poorly suited to foraging in Arctic waters. We show that rates of population change of Cormorant colonies around Disko Bay, Greenland, are positively correlated with sea surface temperature, suggesting that they may benefit from a warming Arctic. However, although Cormorant populations may increase in response to Arctic warming, the extent of expansion of their winter range may ultimately be limited by other factors, such as sensory constraints on foraging behaviour during long Arctic nights.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)170-174
Number of pages5
JournalIbis
Volume153
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Jan 2011

Keywords

  • Arctic warming
  • vision
  • thermoregulation
  • diving
  • climate change
  • Phalacrocorax

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