Supplementary material, data, and code for "Warming sea surface temperatures are linked to lower shorebird migratory fuel loads"
Abstract. Warming sea surface temperatures (SSTs) are altering the biological structure of intertidal wetlands at a global scale, with potentially serious physiological and demographic consequences for migratory shorebird populations that depend on intertidal sites. The effects of mediating factors, such as age-related foraging skill, in shaping the consequences of warming SSTs on shorebird populations, however, remain largely unknown. Using morphological measurements of Dunlin fueling for a > 3,000 km transoceanic migration, we assessed the influence of climatic conditions and age on individuals’ migratory fuel loads and performance. We found that juveniles were often at risk of exhausting their fuel loads en route to primary wintering grounds, especially following high June SSTs in the previous year; the lagged nature of which suggests SSTs acted on juvenile loads by altering the availability of critical prey. Up to 45% fewer juveniles may have reached wintering grounds via a non-stop flight under recent high SSTs compared to the long-term trend. Adults, by contrast, were highly capable of reaching wintering grounds in non-stop flight across years. Our findings suggest that juveniles were disproportionately impacted by apparent SST-related declines in critical prey, and illustrate a general mechanism by which climate change may shape migratory shorebird populations worldwide.
Lagassé BJ, Breed GA. 2024. Warming sea surface temperatures are linked to lower shorebird migratory fuel loads. R. Soc. Open Sci. 11:240324 (https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.240324).
The “Data_files” folder includes 7 files: 1) Morphological measurements of Dunlin captured in Angyoyaravak Bay, Alaska; 2) Average daily sea surface temperature, air temperature, and precipitation in the central Yukon–Kuskokwim Delta, Alaska (1 May–31 Aug, 1978–80, 2004–06, 2008–10); 3) Average daily sea surface temperature in the central Yukon–Kuskokwim Delta, Alaska (11–24 June, 1977–2022); 4 & 5) Early October fuel loads presented in the manuscript; 6) Average daily wind conditions along the shortest migratory route (29 Sep–11 Oct 1978–80, 2004–06, 2008–10) ; and 7) The subset of staging Dunlin presented in Fig. 1b and 1c.
The “.r” file includes code for loading .csv files and constructing data frames; running structural lean body mass, fuel load, climate, and flight range analyses; and generating figures.
The “.pdf” file includes supplementary tables and figures.
