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Seabird abundance patterns along a Sydney-Los Angeles transect.
Citation
McQuaid, C. D. 2025. Seabird abundance patterns along a Sydney-Los Angeles transect..
Marine Ornithology 53: 273
- 276
http://doi.org/10.5038/2074-1235.53.2.1647
Received 25 February 2025, accepted 13 March 2025
Date Published: 2025/10/15
Date Online: 2025/08/26
Key words: South Equatorial Current, North Pacific Gyre, South Pacific Gyre, tropical seabirds
Abstract
Our understanding of seabird occurrence patterns is influenced by the fact that some parts of the ocean are less travelled than others, particularly in the centres of oceanic gyres. During the Transglobe Expedition, the M/V Benjamin Bowring undertook a 34-day crossing of the Pacific Ocean from Sydney to Los Angeles. During the crossing, three one-hour watches were conducted daily (morning, noon, and evening), during which all birds visible from the ship were counted and identified (when possible). Bird counts were extremely low in the central regions of the South and North Pacific gyres, in stark contrast to the elevated counts—by orders of magnitude—recorded over seven days in the waters of the South Equatorial Current. The sparseness of seabirds in oligotrophic regions of the world ocean is as noteworthy as their abundance in more productive areas.
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