Abnormal environmental conditions may affect the survival of top predators in Antarctica, reveals a study led by José Xavier, a researcher at the Instituto do Mar at the University of Coimbra.
The very rapid environmental changes that have been registered in the Antarctica region may affect the survival of top predators, concludes an international research, led by José Xavier, researcher at the Institute of the Sea of the University of Coimbra (UC).
Funded by the British Antarctic Survey and the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), the study, in which eight scientists from the UK, France and Germany also participated, shows that top predators such as albatrosses cannot find enough food. in a year when the Southern Ocean is unusually warm, causing their young to starve, putting at risk the survival of these top predators if these years become more frequent.
“What is surprising about this study is the inability of albatrosses to find food in time to save their young. As top predators, we would think that they could deal with the lack of their favorite food, being able to switch to another food easily”, says José Xavier, lead author of the study.
However, continues the researcher, “when we analyze their diet in great detail, we notice that when the Southern Ocean starts to warm up in that region, they try to go further afield in search of alternative food, but without success”.
This study highlights the lack of flexibility for Southern Ocean predators to adapt to environmental changes, which could lead to them being at risk of survival if the frequency of these anomalous years increases.
Author: Cristina Pinto (Press Office – University of Coimbra)
Science in the Regional Press – Ciência Viva
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