Grant: Discovery Grants Program - Individual

Migration is a phenomenon among animals from insects to whales that captivates the imagination of the public. The evolution of this phenomenon has involved numerous changes and adaptations that allow animals to travel often thousands of kilometers annually. For migratory birds and insects, especially those breeding at high latitudes where seasons are short, some are known to carry nutrients with them that can ultimately be transferred to eggs. That strategy, known as capital breeding, has the advantage of buffering individuals from unpredictable conditions upon arrival and often short breeding seasons. The downside to this is the cost of transport and so an alternative strategy is to obtain nutrients for reproduction at breeding sites, a strategy known as income breeding, expected especially in smaller bodied animals. In reality, this is not a dichotomy but a continuum. Previously, it has been difficult to measure directly the source of nutrients to reproduction in migrant animals. My overarching long-term goal involves the development of direct tracing of nutrient investment to reproduction in migrating animals. Previously, I used naturally occurring biomarkers (stable isotopes of several elements) to trace sources of bulk nutrient (proteins and lipids) to reproduction which was a breakthrough in how we can quantify nutrient allocations to reproduction in animals. Most recently, it has become clear (also through my research) that drilling down further into examining such biomarkers in individual compounds such as amino acids and fatty acids can provide information on sources of essential and non-essential dietary compounds. Over the next 5+ years I will now further develop this compound-specific approach to defining the capital-income strategy among migrant birds and insects. This shorter-term program of research is especially important for understanding the evolution of these traits but more fundamentally for pinpointing where animals need to acquire these essential nutrients before, during or after migration. Finally quantifying nutrient investments by migratory birds and insects, a task that has previously been elusive, will also allow us to determine the importance of specific conservation areas, a critical management component in this era of massive global change and biodiversity loss. By identifying where nutrients are obtained to ensure reproductive success among migrant animals, this research will be impactful since it will inform more strategic protection of those crucial resources. Knowing how animals change their allocation strategies to reproduction in changing climates, especially for those breeding at high latitudes, will also contribute directly to conservation strategies needed in order to predict future conservation needs at the level of individual species and populations.