Assessing ecological correlates of marine bird declines to inform marine conservation.

ABSTRACT: Identifying drivers of ecosystem change in large marine ecosystems is central for their effective management and conservation. This is a sizable challenge, particularly in ecosystems transcending international borders, where monitoring and conservation of long-range migratory species and their habitats are logistically and financially problematic. Here, using tools borrowed from epidemiology, we elucidated common drivers underlying species declines within a marine ecosystem, much in the way epidemiological analyses evaluate risk factors for negative health outcomes to better inform decisions. Thus, we identified ecological traits and dietary specializations associated with species declines in a community of marine predators that could be reflective of ecosystem change. To do so, we integra

SUBMITTER: Vilchis LI 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4322479 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature