Linking winter habitat use, diet and reproduction in snowy owls using satellite tracking and stable isotope analyses.

Coupling isotope values of feathers and satellite tracking of individuals have the potential to reveal multi-season linkages between wintering habitat, diet and carry-over effects on reproductive parameters in migrating birds. Snowy owls have multiple wintering tactics as they can use both terrestrial and marine resources during the non-breeding season, but their nomadic behaviour complicates their study. We assessed if inter-individual variability in the diet inferred by feather isotopes could be explained by habitat use in winter as determined by satellite telemetry and examined possible carry-over effects on reproduction.

Functional connectivity from a reef fish perspective: behavioral tactics for moving in a fragmented landscape.

Functional connectivity, the degree to which the landscape facilitates or impedes movement, depends on how animals perceive costs and benefits associated with habitat features and integrate them into a movement path. There have been few studies on functional connectivity in marine organisms, despite its importance for the effectiveness of Marine Protected Areas. In this study, we asked how open sand and conspecific distribution affected functional connectivity of longfin damselfish (Stegastes diencaeus) on fringing reefs in Barbados.