Study reveals high functional diversity of seabirds in remote Pacific ridge ecosystem
A new trait-based study of seabirds across the Salas y Gomez and Nazca Ridges in the Southeast Pacific found 36 species with low functional redundancy, meaning each species fills a largely unique ecological role. The region, spanning over 110 seamounts and recognized as an Ecologically or Biologically Significant Area, was surveyed across 3,500 km of transects during 11 oceanographic expeditions between 2014 and 2017. The findings suggest that losing even a single seabird species in this area could eliminate irreplaceable ecosystem functions, raising conservation urgency as 73% of the ridges lie beyond national jurisdiction.
Researchers conducted the first comprehensive functional diversity assessment of seabirds in the Salas y Gomez and Nazca Ridges (SGNRs), a remote Southeast Pacific region recognized for extraordinary marine biodiversity and among the highest endemism rates on Earth. Using at-sea abundance data from 11 oceanographic surveys conducted between 2014 and 2017, the team recorded 8,179 individuals across 36 species along 3,500 km of transects. Functional diversity was analyzed through ten foraging-related traits including diet, foraging strata, and morphology, revealing a community with low functional richness, moderate-to-low evenness, and high divergence — indicating that species occupy very distinct ecological niches with little overlap in functional roles. Nesting and non-nesting seabird groups showed distinct functional structures, though with 61% overlap in trait space. Critically, low functional redundancy means that species loss would likely translate directly into the loss of unique ecological processes, such as cross-ecosystem nutrient cycling. The SGNRs face mounting threats from unregulated fishing, plastic pollution, and potential seabed mining, with the majority of the area falling outside any national jurisdiction. The authors argue these results highlight the need for targeted conservation measures under the emerging High Seas Treaty (BBNJ treaty) that protect not just species counts but the functional roles those species perform.
What's missing
The study is a preprint posted to bioRxiv and has not yet undergone formal peer review, so findings should be interpreted with that caveat. Long-term temporal trends in seabird populations or functional diversity within the SGNRs are not assessed, leaving open questions about whether the observed functional structure is stable or declining. The specific mechanisms linking seabird functional loss to measurable ecosystem degradation remain to be empirically tested.
What different sources said
- bioRxivCenter
The Salas y Gomez and Nazca Ridges EBSA support a highly functional diversity of seabirds
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