Climatological effects on the breeding of terns
Abstract
The physical circulation in the Western Indian Ocean controls the supply of nutrients, and this, combined with the stability of the surface layer and the availability of sunlight controls the primary production. In this note, we review two papers' findings on how the physical conditions ultimately impact upon the breeding of terns, a marinetop predator in the region. Rather than trace causal links through the food chain, we show empirical connections between avian breeding and the environmental conditions, all of which appear statistically significant
Keywords
climatology
ecology
oceanographic regions
oceanographic techniques
seawater
Western Indian Ocean
avian breeding
food chain
marinetop predator
nutrients supply
ocean circulation
primary production
surface layer
tern breeding
Birds
Forestry
Humans
Ocean temperature
Production
Productivity
Sea measurements
Sea surface
Stability
Temperature sensors
Breeding
Chlorophyll
Climate variability
Sterna