Energy Transfer to Upper Trophic Levels on a Small Offshore Bank
Abstract
The primary goal of our research is to understand mechanisms that lead to highly focused feeding patterns of upper trophic level predators near offshore topographic features such as banks and ridges. These mechanisms likely differ from feature to feature and over time, but probably involve a limited number of key prey species, behaviors, and physical processes. Understanding the conditions and processes that generate feeding "hotspots" is essential to understanding their temporal variability, and whether good feeding conditions are limited by bottom-up or top-down controls (bottom-up would be characteristic of zooplankton prey, whereas top-down might prevail if schooling fish played a facilitating role and also were prey). The mechanisms and controls, in turn, influence the residence times and feeding success of mobile predators such as birds and marine mammals. The more ephemeral and less dependable the phenomena, the more frequent the movement of top predators must be in search of prey. This affects energy budgets (thus growth and reproduction) and average distributions of the top predators. Our second goal, tied to results of the first, is to understand factors that influence within and between-year differences in feeding conditions.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 2007
- Accession Number
- ADA506790
Entities
People
- David M. Fields
- Lewis S. Incze
- Scott D. Kraus
Organizations
- University of Southern Maine