Oceans are extremely dynamic environments, which poses challenges for top-predators such as seabirds to find food resources. Yet, seabirds evolved sensorial abilities (olfactory senses) along with complex behaviours (social information transfer through local enhancement) to improve foraging efficiency. Using the Cory’s shearwater (Calonectris borealis) as a model species, we developed an individual-based model to explore the complementary role of different searching mechanisms (olfactory foraging and local enhancement) for the optimal foraging behaviour of pelagic seabirds during 1-day foraging trips around breeding colonies. Model outputs were compared with observed patterns of Cory’s shearwaters distribution during local foraging trips. Also, the foraging efficiency of virtual individuals was analysed considering hypothetical scenarios of foraging conditions and densities of foraging individuals around breeding colonies. The results support the use of a combination of searching strategies by Cory's shearwaters, which produced representative patterns of space use from tracked individuals, including spatial foraging segregation of neighbouring sub-colonies. Furthermore, while the mechanisms underpinning local enhancement played a key role in mitigating sub-optimal foraging conditions, the use of olfactory senses conferred great adaptive foraging advantages over a wide range of environmental conditions. Our results also indicate a synergistic effect between the two strategies, which suggests that a multimodal foraging strategy is useful to forage in extremely dynamic environments. The developed model provides a basis for further investigation regarding the role of foraging mechanisms in the population dynamics of colonial animals, including the adaptive foraging behaviour of marine top predators to dynamic environmental conditions.

中文翻译：

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刺激海洋：一种基于个体的模型，用于评估嗅觉提示和局部增强在海鸟觅食行为中的作用。

海洋是极其动态的环境，这给诸如海鸟这样的顶级掠食者寻找食物资源带来了挑战。然而，海鸟进化了感官能力（嗅觉）以及复杂的行为（通过局部增强来传递社会信息）来提高觅食效率。使用Cory的剪切水（Calonectris borealis）作为模型物种，我们开发了一个基于个体的模型，以探索不同搜索机制（嗅觉觅食和局部增强）的互补作用，以期在繁殖群体周围进行为期1天的觅食之旅中上层海鸟的最佳觅食行为。将模型输出与在局部觅食旅行期间观察到的Cory剪切水分布模式进行了比较。此外，还考虑了虚拟条件下的觅食效率，并考虑了觅食条件和繁殖群体周围觅食个体密度的假想场景。结果支持使用Cory的剪枝搜索策略的组合，该策略从被跟踪的个体产生了空间使用的代表性模式，包括相邻子殖民地的空间觅食隔离。此外，尽管支持局部增强的机制在缓解次优觅食条件方面发挥了关键作用，但嗅觉的使用在广泛的环境条件下具有很大的适应性觅食优势。我们的结果还表明了这两种策略之间的协同效应，这表明多模式觅食策略对于在极端动态环境中觅食很有用。开发的模型为进一步研究觅食机制在殖民地动物种群动态中的作用提供了基础，其中包括海洋顶级掠食者对动态环境条件的适应性觅食行为。在广泛的环境条件下，嗅觉的使用具有很大的适应性觅食优势。我们的结果还表明了这两种策略之间的协同效应，这表明多模式觅食策略对于在极端动态环境中觅食很有用。开发的模型为进一步研究觅食机制在殖民地动物种群动态中的作用提供了基础，其中包括海洋顶级掠食者对动态环境条件的适应性觅食行为。在广泛的环境条件下，嗅觉的使用具有很大的适应性觅食优势。我们的结果还表明了这两种策略之间的协同效应，这表明多模式觅食策略对于在动态环境中觅食很有用。开发的模型为进一步研究觅食机制在殖民地动物种群动态中的作用提供了基础，其中包括海洋顶级掠食者对动态环境条件的适应性觅食行为。