[conteúdo apenas disponível em inglês]
The main goal of this project is to assess the role of migratory shorebirds in ecological networks of temperate and tropical intertidal environments. Despite being seasonal, shorebirds are pivotal predators of benthic invertebrates in coastal areas, having the potential to exert top-down regulation on prey populations which effects can cascade down to multiple trophic levels and even affect ecosystem processes. We aim to describe the structure of intertidal food web networks under a modelling framework, identifying main interactions and fluxes among species and key functional groups and compare food web metrics among study areas. Food web networks will also be used to predict the impact of shorebird loss on ecosystem resilience. Different biogeochemical tracers (stable isotopes and trace metals) will be tested to increase knowledge on shorebird migratory connectivity, which can provide cues on population trends at particular areas and help shaping future predation pressure scenarios.