Foraging dynamics of seabirds in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean
"During a 9-yr period, 1983-1991, we studied the feeding ecology of the marine avifauna of the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean (ETP), defined here as pelagic waters from the coast of the Americas to 170° W and within 20° of the Equator. This is one of few studies of the diet of an entire marine avifauna, including resident breeders and non-breeders as well as passage migrants, and is the first such study for the tropical ocean, which comprises 40% of the Earth's surface. During spring and autumn, while participating in cruises to define the dynamics of equatorial marine climate and its effects on the seabird community, we collected 2,076 specimens representing, on the basis of at-sea surveys, the 30 most-abundant ETP avian species (hereafter; ETP avifauna). These samples contained 10,374 prey, which, using fish otoliths and cephalopod beaks, and whole non-cephalopod invertebrates, were identified to the most specific possible taxon ..."--Abstract
Print Book, English, 2007
Cooper Ornithological Society, Camarillo, CA, 2007