Abstract

Did you know there are winged ghosts in the sea? European Storm-Petrels, often called "sea ghosts," are tiny seabirds that glide unnoticed across the ocean, searching for food. Tagging such small and elusive creatures has been one of the greatest challenges in ecology, but recent advances in GPS miniaturization have finally allowed us to lift the veil on their mysterious journeys. We tracked 39 storm-petrels from four colonies across the Western Mediterranean using GPS devices. By combining tracking data with oceanographic features, we not only uncovered the key areas where these birds prefer to forage, but we also found that these birds are highly selective, favoring waters with specific environmental conditions. Using this knowledge, we created predictive maps of the best foraging spots, revealing crucial hotspots in the Mediterranean. However, many of these areas lack Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), leaving them vulnerable to overfishing and human impacts.