Pace of life and differential migration in changing environments

Using a unique long-term study of brant geese, the researchers will study the dual influence of climate change and an individual’s reproductive history (how many babies they have reared to date) on migration distance, and the impact of migratory decisions on future chances of survival and reproduction. The team will then quantify the contribution of each type of migration behavior to the overall abundance of brant geese. Brant geese affect coastal economies via their role as primary grazers of eelgrass along the Pacific Coast, the same habitat that serves as the rearing ground for a myriad of fish and shellfish species. Without an abundance of brant to maintain healthy beds of eelgrass, and a solid understanding of the factors affecting brant abundance, the fishing industries that rely on eelgrass estuaries could suffer.