Ecology Summary - Morus bassanus

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Ecology of Morus bassanus

Main Ref.	SAUP Database, 2006
Remarks	Found on beach and shoreline and open ocean (Ref. 116102). In the North Sea off the east coast of Scotland and northern England, this species is known to be the largest consumer of the sandeel, Ammodytes marinus, but not primarily dependent on this as a food source and is known to switch preys. They forage offshore over a wide area, mainly surface-feeding by scooping prey from the water although with relatively limited ability to exploit the water column (Ref. 95711). Exhibits plunge diving (Ref. 356). They form nesting colonies with breeding pairs sharing incubation and chick-rearing duties. Adults feed their chicks with regurgitated food (Ref. 95711).

Main Ref.

SAUP Database, 2006

Remarks

Found on beach and shoreline and open ocean (Ref. 116102). In the North Sea off the east coast of Scotland and northern England, this species is known to be the largest consumer of the sandeel, Ammodytes marinus, but not primarily dependent on this as a food source and is known to switch preys. They forage offshore over a wide area, mainly surface-feeding by scooping prey from the water although with relatively limited ability to exploit the water column (Ref. 95711). Exhibits plunge diving (Ref. 356). They form nesting colonies with breeding pairs sharing incubation and chick-rearing duties. Adults feed their chicks with regurgitated food (Ref. 95711).

Aquatic zones / Water bodies

	Marine - Neritic	Marine - Oceanic	Brackishwater	Freshwater
Marine zones / Brackish and freshwater bodies	supra-littoral zone littoral zone sublittoral zone	epipelagic mesopelagic epipelagic abyssopelagic hadopelagic	estuaries/lagoons/brackish seas mangroves marshes/swamps	rivers/streams lakes/ponds caves exclusively in caves

Highighted items on the list are where Morus bassanus may be found.

Habitat

Substrate
Substrate Ref.
Special habitats
Special habitats Ref.

Associations

Ref.	Daunt, F., S. Wanless, P.R. Simon, H.J. Greenstreet, K.R. Hamer and M.P. Harris, 2008
Associations	colony-forming/symphorism;
Associated with
Association remarks	Form nesting colonies (Ref. 95711).
Parasitism

feeding

Feeding type	mainly animals (troph. 2.8 and up)
Feeding type Ref.	Barrett, R.T., T. Anker-Nilssen, G.W. Gabrielsen and G. Chapdelaine, 2002
Feeding habit	hunting macrofauna (predator)
Feeding habit Ref.	Barrett, R.T., T. Anker-Nilssen, G.W. Gabrielsen and G. Chapdelaine, 2002

Trophic Level(s)

Estimation method	original sample		unfished population		Remark
Estimation method	Troph	s.e.	Troph	s.e.	Remark
From diet composition
From individual food items	4.32	0.97			Trophic level estimated from a number of food items using a randomized resampling routine.
Ref.

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