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Viollat L, Quéroué M, Delord K, Gimenez O, Barbraud C. Bottom-up effects drive the dynamic of an Antarctic seabird predator-prey system. Ecology 2024; 105:e4367. [PMID: 38923494 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.4367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2023] [Revised: 04/10/2024] [Accepted: 05/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024]
Abstract
Understanding how populations respond to variability in environmental conditions and interspecific interactions is one of the biggest challenges of population ecology, particularly in the context of global change. Although many studies have investigated population responses to climate change, very few have explicitly integrated interspecific relationships when studying these responses. In this study, we aimed to understand the combined effects of interspecific interactions and environmental conditions on the demographic parameters of a prey-predator system of three sympatric seabird populations breeding in Antarctica: the south polar skua (Catharacta maccormicki) and its two main preys during the breeding season, the Adélie penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae) and the emperor penguin (Aptenodytes forsteri). We built a two-species integrated population model (IPM) with 31 years of capture-recapture and count data and provided a framework that made it possible to estimate the demographic parameters and abundance of a predator-prey system in a context where capture-recapture data were not available for one species. Our results showed that predator-prey interactions and local environmental conditions differentially affected south polar skuas depending on their breeding state of the previous year. Concerning prey-predator relationships, the number of Adélie penguin breeding pairs showed a positive effect on south polar skua survival and breeding probability, and the number of emperor penguin dead chicks showed a positive effect on the breeding success of south polar skuas. In contrast, there was no evidence for an effect of the number of south polar skuas on the demography of Adélie penguins. We also found an important impact of sea ice conditions on both the dynamics of south polar skuas and Adélie penguins. Our results suggest that this prey-predator system is mostly driven by bottom-up processes and local environmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lise Viollat
- Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive (CEFE), UMR 5175, CNRS-Université de Montpellier-EPHE-IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Maud Quéroué
- Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive (CEFE), UMR 5175, CNRS-Université de Montpellier-EPHE-IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Karine Delord
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372, CNRS-La Rochelle Université, Villiers-en-Bois, France
| | - Olivier Gimenez
- Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive (CEFE), UMR 5175, CNRS-Université de Montpellier-EPHE-IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Christophe Barbraud
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372, CNRS-La Rochelle Université, Villiers-en-Bois, France
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2
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Dreyer S, Marcu D, Keyser S, Bennett M, Maree L, Koeppel K, Abernethy D, Petrik L. Factors in the decline of the African penguin: Are contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) a potential new age stressor? MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2024; 206:116688. [PMID: 39029148 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2024.116688] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2024] [Revised: 07/01/2024] [Accepted: 07/03/2024] [Indexed: 07/21/2024]
Abstract
The African penguin is currently experiencing a significant decline, with just over 10,000 breeding pairs left. A substantial body of research reflects the impacts of contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) on the marine environment, with wastewater treatment plants reported as one of the main sources of CEC release. In South Africa, CECs were identified contaminating the marine environment and bioaccumulating in several marine species. Approximately 70 % of all African penguin colonies breed in close proximity to cities and/or harbors in South Africa. Currently, the impact of CECs as a stressor upon the viability of African penguin populations is unknown. Based on the search results there was a clear lack of information on CECs' bioaccumulation and impact on the African penguin. This narrative review will thus focus on the prevalent sources and types of CECs and examine the reported consequences of constant exposure in seabirds, particularly African penguins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie Dreyer
- Animal Production Studies, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X04, Onderstepoort 0110, South Africa.
| | - Daniel Marcu
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, NR4 7TJ, United Kingdom
| | - Shannen Keyser
- Comparative Spermatology Laboratory, Department of Medical Bioscience, University of the Western Cape, Private Bag X17, Bellville 7535, South Africa
| | - Monique Bennett
- Comparative Spermatology Laboratory, Department of Medical Bioscience, University of the Western Cape, Private Bag X17, Bellville 7535, South Africa
| | - Liana Maree
- Comparative Spermatology Laboratory, Department of Medical Bioscience, University of the Western Cape, Private Bag X17, Bellville 7535, South Africa
| | - Katja Koeppel
- Animal Production Studies, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X04, Onderstepoort 0110, South Africa
| | - Darrell Abernethy
- Aberystwyth School of Veterinary Science, Aberystwyth University, Ceredigion SY23 3FL, United Kingdom
| | - Leslie Petrik
- Environmental and Nano Sciences Group, Department of Chemistry, University of the Western Cape, Private Bag X17, Bellville 7535, South Africa
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3
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Muñoz G, Ulloa M, Alegría R, Quezada B, Bennett B, Enciso N, Atavales J, Johow M, Aguayo C, Araya H, Neira V. Stranding and mass mortality in humboldt penguins (Spheniscus humboldti), associated to HPAIV H5N1 outbreak in Chile. Prev Vet Med 2024; 227:106206. [PMID: 38696942 DOI: 10.1016/j.prevetmed.2024.106206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2023] [Revised: 04/03/2024] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/04/2024]
Abstract
The highly pathogenic Avian Influenza virus (HPAIV) H5N1 has caused a global outbreak affecting both wild and domestic animals, predominantly avian species. To date, cases of the HPAIV H5 Clade 2.3.4.4b in penguins have exclusively been reported in African Penguins. In Chile, the virus was confirmed in pelicans in December 2022 and subsequently spread across the country, affecting several species, including Humboldt penguins. This study aims to provide an overview of the incidents involving stranded and deceased Humboldt penguins and establish a connection between these events and HPAIV H5N1. Historical data about strandings between 2009 and 2023 was collected, and samples from suspected cases in 2023 were obtained to confirm the presence of HPAIV H5N1. Between January and August 2023, 2,788 cases of stranded and deceased penguins were recorded. Out of these, a total of 2,712 penguins deceased, evidencing a significative increase in mortality starting in early 2023 coinciding with the introduction and spreading of HPAIV H5N1 in the country. Thirty-seven events were categorized as mass mortality events, with the number of deceased penguins varying from 11 to 98. Most cases (97 %) were observed in the North of Chile. One hundred and eighty-one specimens were subjected to HPAIV diagnosis, four of which tested positive for HPAIV H5N1. Spatial analysis validates the correlation between mass mortality events and outbreaks of HPAIV in Chile. However, the limited rate of HPAIV H5N1 detection, which can be attributed to the type and quality of the samples, requiring further exploration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriela Muñoz
- Departamento de Medicina Preventiva Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias y Pecuarias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile; Programa de Doctorado en Ciencias Silvoagropecuarias y Veterinarias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Mauricio Ulloa
- Veterinary Histology and Pathology, Institute of Animal Health and Food Safety, Veterinary School, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain; Servicio Nacional de Pesca y Acuicultura, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Raúl Alegría
- Escuela Medicina Veterinaria, sede Santiago, Facultad de Recursos Naturales y Medicina Veterinaria, Universidad Santo Tomás, Santiago, Chile
| | - Barbara Quezada
- Departamento de Medicina Preventiva Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias y Pecuarias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Benjamín Bennett
- Departamento de Medicina Preventiva Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias y Pecuarias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Nikita Enciso
- Departamento de Medicina Preventiva Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias y Pecuarias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | | | | | | | - Hugo Araya
- Servicio Agrícola y Ganadero, Santiago, Chile
| | - Victor Neira
- Departamento de Medicina Preventiva Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias y Pecuarias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
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Méheust Y, Delord K, Bonnet-Lebrun AS, Raclot T, Vasseur J, Allain J, Decourteillle V, Bost CA, Barbraud C. Human infrastructures correspond to higher Adélie penguin breeding success and growth rate. Oecologia 2024; 204:675-688. [PMID: 38459994 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-024-05523-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 03/11/2024]
Abstract
Anthropogenic activities generate increasing disturbance in wildlife especially in extreme environments where species have to cope with rapid environmental changes. In Antarctica, while studies on human disturbance have mostly focused on stress response through physiological and behavioral changes, local variability in population dynamics has been addressed more scarcely. In addition, the mechanisms by which breeding communities are affected around research stations remain unclear. Our study aims at pointing out the fine-scale impact of human infrastructures on the spatial variability in Adélie penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae) colonies dynamics. Taking 24 years of population monitoring, we modeled colony breeding success and growth rate in response to both anthropic and land-based environmental variables. Building density around colonies was the second most important variable explaining spatial variability in breeding success after distance from skua nests, the main predators of penguins on land. Building density was positively associated with penguins breeding success. We discuss how buildings may protect penguins from avian predation and environmental conditions. The drivers of colony growth rate included topographical variables and the distance to human infrastructures. A strong correlation between 1-year lagged growth rate and colony breeding success was coherent with the use of public information by penguins to select their initial breeding site. Overall, our study brings new insights about the relative contribution and ecological implications of human presence on the local population dynamics of a sentinel species in Antarctica.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yann Méheust
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, UMR7372 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, 79360, Villiers-en-Bois, France.
| | - Karine Delord
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, UMR7372 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, 79360, Villiers-en-Bois, France
| | - Anne-Sophie Bonnet-Lebrun
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, UMR7372 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, 79360, Villiers-en-Bois, France
| | - Thierry Raclot
- Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien, UMR7178 CNRS, 69037, Strasbourg, France
| | - Julien Vasseur
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, UMR7372 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, 79360, Villiers-en-Bois, France
| | - Jimmy Allain
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, UMR7372 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, 79360, Villiers-en-Bois, France
| | - Virgil Decourteillle
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, UMR7372 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, 79360, Villiers-en-Bois, France
| | - Charles-André Bost
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, UMR7372 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, 79360, Villiers-en-Bois, France
| | - Christophe Barbraud
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, UMR7372 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, 79360, Villiers-en-Bois, France
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Brisson-Curadeau É, Scheffer A, Trathan P, Roquet F, Cotté C, Delord K, Barbraud C, Elliott K, Bost CA. Investigating two consecutive catastrophic breeding seasons in a large king penguin colony. Sci Rep 2023; 13:12967. [PMID: 37563162 PMCID: PMC10415367 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-40123-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2023] [Accepted: 08/04/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Large-scale breeding failures, such as offspring die-offs, can disproportionately impact wildlife populations that are characterized by a few large colonies. However, breeding monitoring-and thus investigations of such die-offs-is especially challenging in species with long reproductive cycles. We investigate two unresolved dramatic breeding failures that occurred in consecutive years (2009 and 2010) in a large king penguin Aptenodytes patagonicus colony, a long-lived species with a breeding cycle lasting over a year. Here we found that a single period, winter 2009, was likely responsible for the occurrence of breeding anomalies during both breeding seasons, suggesting that adults experienced poor foraging conditions at sea at that time. Following that unfavorable winter, the 2009 breeding cohort-who were entering the late stage of chick-rearing-immediately experienced high chick mortality. Meanwhile, the 2010 breeding cohort greatly delayed their arrival and egg laying, which would have otherwise started not long after the winter. The 2010 breeding season continued to display anomalies during the incubation and chick-rearing period, such as high abandonment rate, long foraging trips and eventually the death of all chicks in winter 2010. These anomalies could have resulted from either a domino-effect caused by the delayed laying, the continuation of poor foraging conditions, or both. This study provides an example of a large-scale catastrophic breeding failure and highlights the importance of the winter period on phenology and reproduction success for wildlife that breed in few large colonies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Émile Brisson-Curadeau
- UMR 7372-CNRS, Centre d'Études Biologiques de Chizé, La Rochelle University, Villiers-en-Bois, France.
- Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC, Canada.
| | - Annette Scheffer
- OKEANOS Centre, University of the Azores, 9901-862, Horta, Portugal
| | - Phil Trathan
- British Antarctic Survey, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 0ET, UK
- National Oceanography Centre, Waterfront Campus European Way, Southampton, SO14 3ZH, UK
| | - Fabien Roquet
- Department of Marine Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Cédric Cotté
- Laboratoire d'Océanographie et du Climat: Expérimentations et Approches Numériques (LOCEAN-IPSL), CNRS, IRD, MNHN, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
| | - Karine Delord
- UMR 7372-CNRS, Centre d'Études Biologiques de Chizé, La Rochelle University, Villiers-en-Bois, France
| | - Christophe Barbraud
- UMR 7372-CNRS, Centre d'Études Biologiques de Chizé, La Rochelle University, Villiers-en-Bois, France
| | - Kyle Elliott
- Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC, Canada
| | - Charles-André Bost
- UMR 7372-CNRS, Centre d'Études Biologiques de Chizé, La Rochelle University, Villiers-en-Bois, France
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6
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Hammer TL, Bize P, Gineste B, Robin JP, Groscolas R, Viblanc VA. Disentangling the "many-eyes", "dilution effect", "selfish herd", and "distracted prey" hypotheses in shaping alert and flight initiation distance in a colonial seabird. Behav Processes 2023:104919. [PMID: 37481004 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2023.104919] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2023] [Revised: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 07/24/2023]
Abstract
Group living is thought to have important antipredator benefits for animals, owing to the mechanisms of shared vigilance ("many-eyes" hypothesis), risk dilution ("dilution effect" hypothesis), and relative safety in the center of the group ("selfish herd" hypothesis). However, it can also incur costs since social stimuli, such as conspecific aggression, may distract individuals from anti-predator behavior ("distracted prey" hypothesis). We simultaneously evaluated how these four different hypotheses shape anti-predator behaviors of breeding king penguins (Aptenodytes patagonicus), which aggregate into large colonies, experience frequent aggressive social interactions, and are regularly exposed to predation by giant petrels (Macronectes sp.) and brown skuas (Catharacta loonbergi) when breeding on land. We approached 200 incubating penguins at four different periods of the breeding season across a range of overall increasing colony densities. We measured the distance at which focal birds detected the approaching threat (alert distance: AD), whether birds decided to flee or not, and the distance of flight initiation (flight initiation distance: FID, viz. the bird attempting to walk away with its egg on its feet). We quantified relative local neighbor density, centrality within the colony (rank), and the number of aggressions the focal bird emitted towards neighbors during the approach. We found that birds engaged in aggressive conflicts with neighbors were less likely to flee, and that increasing relative local neighbor density at low and medium overall colony density resulted in a decrease in bird AD, both supporting the "distracted prey" hypothesis. However, at maximal overall colony density, increasing relative local neighbor density resulted in longer AD, supporting the "many-eyes" hypothesis. We found no support for the "dilution effect" and "selfish herd" hypotheses, and no effects of any hypothesis on FID.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tracey L Hammer
- University of Strasbourg, CNRS, Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien, UMR 7178, 67000 Strasbourg, France
| | - Pierre Bize
- Swiss Ornithological Institute, Sempach, Switzerland
| | - Benoit Gineste
- University of Strasbourg, CNRS, Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien, UMR 7178, 67000 Strasbourg, France; IPEV - Institut Polaire Français Paul Émile Victor, 29280 Plouzané, France
| | - Jean-Patrice Robin
- University of Strasbourg, CNRS, Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien, UMR 7178, 67000 Strasbourg, France
| | - René Groscolas
- University of Strasbourg, CNRS, Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien, UMR 7178, 67000 Strasbourg, France
| | - Vincent A Viblanc
- University of Strasbourg, CNRS, Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien, UMR 7178, 67000 Strasbourg, France
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7
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Brisson‐Curadeau É, Elliott K, Bost C. Contrasting bottom-up effects of warming ocean on two king penguin populations. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2023; 29:998-1008. [PMID: 36350299 PMCID: PMC10099393 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2022] [Revised: 10/31/2022] [Accepted: 11/06/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Breeding success is often correlated with climate, but the underlying bottom-up mechanisms remain elusive-particularly in marine environments. Consequently, conservation plans of many species often consider climate change as a unilateral threat, ignoring that even nearby populations can show contradicting trends with climate. Better understanding the relationship between climate and environment at different scales can help us interpret local differences in population trends, ultimately providing better tools to evaluate the global response of a species to threats such as global warming. We studied a growing king penguin population nesting at Kerguelen island (Southern Indian Ocean), hosting one of the largest colonies in the world. We used a unique dataset of foraging, breeding success, and climate data spanning over 25 years to examine the links between climate, marine environment, and breeding success at this colony. The results were then compared to the neighboring population of Crozet, which experienced the steepest decline for this species over the past few decades. At Crozet, penguins experienced lower breeding success in warmer years due to productive currents shifting away from the colony, affecting foraging behavior during chick rearing. At Kerguelen, while chick mass and survival experienced extreme variation from year to year, the annual variation was not associated with the position of the currents, which varied very little compared to the situation in Crozet. Rather than being affected by prey distribution shifts, we found evidence that chick provisioning in Kerguelen might be influenced by prey abundance, which seem to rather increase in warmer conditions. Furthermore, warmer air temperature in winter increased chick survival rate, likely due to reduced thermoregulation cost. Investigating the mechanisms between climate and fitness allowed us to predict two different fates for these populations regarding ongoing global warming.
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Affiliation(s)
- Émile Brisson‐Curadeau
- Natural Resource SciencesMcGill UniversityQuebecSainte‐Anne‐de‐BellevueCanada
- UMR 7372‐CNRSCentre d'Études Biologiques de Chizé, La Rochelle UniversityVilliers‐en‐BoisFrance
| | - Kyle Elliott
- Natural Resource SciencesMcGill UniversityQuebecSainte‐Anne‐de‐BellevueCanada
| | - Charles‐André Bost
- UMR 7372‐CNRSCentre d'Études Biologiques de Chizé, La Rochelle UniversityVilliers‐en‐BoisFrance
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8
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Green C, Green DB, Ratcliffe N, Thompson D, Lea M, Baylis AMM, Bond AL, Bost C, Crofts S, Cuthbert RJ, González‐Solís J, Morrison KW, Poisbleau M, Pütz K, Rey AR, Ryan PG, Sagar PM, Steinfurth A, Thiebot J, Tierney M, Whitehead TO, Wotherspoon S, Hindell MA. Potential for redistribution of post-moult habitat for Eudyptes penguins in the Southern Ocean under future climate conditions. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2023; 29:648-667. [PMID: 36278894 PMCID: PMC10099906 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2022] [Revised: 09/28/2022] [Accepted: 10/12/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Anthropogenic climate change is resulting in spatial redistributions of many species. We assessed the potential effects of climate change on an abundant and widely distributed group of diving birds, Eudyptes penguins, which are the main avian consumers in the Southern Ocean in terms of biomass consumption. Despite their abundance, several of these species have undergone population declines over the past century, potentially due to changing oceanography and prey availability over the important winter months. We used light-based geolocation tracking data for 485 individuals deployed between 2006 and 2020 across 10 of the major breeding locations for five taxa of Eudyptes penguins. We used boosted regression tree modelling to quantify post-moult habitat preference for southern rockhopper (E. chrysocome), eastern rockhopper (E. filholi), northern rockhopper (E. moseleyi) and macaroni/royal (E. chrysolophus and E. schlegeli) penguins. We then modelled their redistribution under two climate change scenarios, representative concentration pathways RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 (for the end of the century, 2071-2100). As climate forcings differ regionally, we quantified redistribution in the Atlantic, Central Indian, East Indian, West Pacific and East Pacific regions. We found sea surface temperature and sea surface height to be the most important predictors of current habitat for these penguins; physical features that are changing rapidly in the Southern Ocean. Our results indicated that the less severe RCP4.5 would lead to less habitat loss than the more severe RCP8.5. The five taxa of penguin may experience a general poleward redistribution of their preferred habitat, but with contrasting effects in the (i) change in total area of preferred habitat under climate change (ii) according to geographic region and (iii) the species (macaroni/royal vs. rockhopper populations). Our results provide further understanding on the regional impacts and vulnerability of species to climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cara‐Paige Green
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic StudiesUniversity of TasmaniaHobartTasmaniaAustralia
| | - David B. Green
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic StudiesUniversity of TasmaniaHobartTasmaniaAustralia
- ARC Australian Centre for Excellence in Antarctic ScienceInstitute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of TasmaniaHobartTasmaniaAustralia
| | | | - David Thompson
- National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research Ltd.HataitaiWellingtonNew Zealand
| | - Mary‐Anne Lea
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic StudiesUniversity of TasmaniaHobartTasmaniaAustralia
- ARC Australian Centre for Excellence in Antarctic ScienceInstitute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of TasmaniaHobartTasmaniaAustralia
| | - Alastair M. M. Baylis
- South Atlantic Environmental Research InstituteStanleyFalkland Islands
- Macquarie UniversitySydneyNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Alexander L. Bond
- RSPB Centre for Conservation ScienceRoyal Society for the Protection of BirdsThe LodgeSandyUK
- Bird GroupNatural History MuseumTingUK
| | - Charles‐André Bost
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de ChizéUMR7372 CNRS‐La Rochelle UniversitéVilliers en BoisFrance
| | | | - Richard J. Cuthbert
- Royal Society for the Protection of BirdsCentre for Conservation ScienceCambridgeUK
- World Land TrustBlyth HouseHalesworthUK
| | - Jacob González‐Solís
- Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio) and Departament de Biologia EvolutivaEcologia i Ciències AmbientalsUniversitat de BarcelonaBarcelonaSpain
| | - Kyle W. Morrison
- National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research Ltd.HataitaiWellingtonNew Zealand
| | - Maud Poisbleau
- Behavioural Ecology and Ecophysiology GroupDepartment of BiologyUniversity of AntwerpWilrijkBelgium
| | | | | | - Peter G. Ryan
- FitzPatrick Institute of African OrnithologyDST‐NRF Centre of ExcellenceUniversity of Cape TownRondeboschSouth Africa
| | - Paul M. Sagar
- National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research Ltd.HataitaiWellingtonNew Zealand
| | - Antje Steinfurth
- Royal Society for the Protection of BirdsCentre for Conservation ScienceCambridgeUK
| | - Jean‐Baptiste Thiebot
- National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research Ltd.ChristchurchNew Zealand
- Graduate School of Fisheries SciencesHokkaido UniversityHakodateJapan
| | - Megan Tierney
- South Atlantic Environmental Research InstituteStanleyFalkland Islands
- Joint Nature Conservation CommitteePeterboroughUK
| | - Thomas Otto Whitehead
- FitzPatrick Institute of African OrnithologyDST‐NRF Centre of ExcellenceUniversity of Cape TownRondeboschSouth Africa
| | - Simon Wotherspoon
- Australian Antarctic DivisionDepartment of Agriculture, Water and the EnvironmentAustralian Antarctic DivisionKingstonTasmaniaAustralia
| | - Mark A. Hindell
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic StudiesUniversity of TasmaniaHobartTasmaniaAustralia
- ARC Australian Centre for Excellence in Antarctic ScienceInstitute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of TasmaniaHobartTasmaniaAustralia
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9
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Emmerson L, Southwell C. Environment-triggered demographic changes cascade and compound to propel a dramatic decline of an Antarctic seabird metapopulation. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2022; 28:7234-7249. [PMID: 36214124 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2022] [Accepted: 08/07/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
While seabirds are well-known for making a living under some of the harshest conditions on the planet, their capacity to buffer against unfavourable conditions can be stretched in response to ecosystem change. During population increases, overlap between conspecifics can limit population growth through competition for breeding or feeding resources. What is less well understood is the role that intrinsic processes play during periods of population decline or under a changing environment. We interrogate key demographic parameters and their biophysical drivers to understand the role of intrinsic and extrinsic drivers during a recent near halving of a large Adélie penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae) metapopulation. The loss of 154,000 breeding birds along the 100-km East Antarctic coastline centred around 63°E over the last decade diverges from a sustained increase over preceding decades and is contrary to recent models that predict a continued increase. The decline was initially triggered by changed environmental conditions: more extensive near-shore sea ice caused a reduction in breeding success. The evidence suggests this decline was exacerbated by feedback processes driving an inverse density-dependent decrease in fledgling survival in response to smaller cohort size. It appears that the old adage of safety in numbers may shape the fledgling penguins' chances of survival and, if compromised over multiple years, could exacerbate difficulties during population decline or if feedback processes arise. The likely interplay between demographic parameters meant that conditions were more unfavourable and negative effects more rapid than would be expected if demographic processes acted in isolation or independently. Failure to capture both intrinsic and extrinsic drivers in predictive population models may mean that the real impacts of climate change on species' populations are more severe than projections would lead us to believe. These results improve our understanding of population regulation during periods of rapid decline for long-lived marine species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louise Emmerson
- Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, Australian Antarctic Division, Kingston, Tasmania, Australia
| | - Colin Southwell
- Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, Australian Antarctic Division, Kingston, Tasmania, Australia
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10
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Noll D, Leon F, Brandt D, Pistorius P, Le Bohec C, Bonadonna F, Trathan PN, Barbosa A, Rey AR, Dantas GPM, Bowie RCK, Poulin E, Vianna JA. Positive selection over the mitochondrial genome and its role in the diversification of gentoo penguins in response to adaptation in isolation. Sci Rep 2022; 12:3767. [PMID: 35260629 PMCID: PMC8904570 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-07562-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2021] [Accepted: 02/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Although mitochondrial DNA has been widely used in phylogeography, evidence has emerged that factors such as climate, food availability, and environmental pressures that produce high levels of stress can exert a strong influence on mitochondrial genomes, to the point of promoting the persistence of certain genotypes in order to compensate for the metabolic requirements of the local environment. As recently discovered, the gentoo penguins (Pygoscelis papua) comprise four highly divergent lineages across their distribution spanning the Antarctic and sub-Antarctic regions. Gentoo penguins therefore represent a suitable animal model to study adaptive processes across divergent environments. Based on 62 mitogenomes that we obtained from nine locations spanning all four gentoo penguin lineages, we demonstrated lineage-specific nucleotide substitutions for various genes, but only lineage-specific amino acid replacements for the ND1 and ND5 protein-coding genes. Purifying selection (dN/dS < 1) is the main driving force in the protein-coding genes that shape the diversity of mitogenomes in gentoo penguins. Positive selection (dN/dS > 1) was mostly present in codons of the Complex I (NADH genes), supported by two different codon-based methods at the ND1 and ND4 in the most divergent lineages, the eastern gentoo penguin from Crozet and Marion Islands and the southern gentoo penguin from Antarctica respectively. Additionally, ND5 and ATP6 were under selection in the branches of the phylogeny involving all gentoo penguins except the eastern lineage. Our study suggests that local adaptation of gentoo penguins has emerged as a response to environmental variability promoting the fixation of mitochondrial haplotypes in a non-random manner. Mitogenome adaptation is thus likely to have been associated with gentoo penguin diversification across the Southern Ocean and to have promoted their survival in extreme environments such as Antarctica. Such selective processes on the mitochondrial genome may also be responsible for the discordance detected between nuclear- and mitochondrial-based phylogenies of gentoo penguin lineages.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Noll
- Departamento de Ecosistemas y Medio Ambiente, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Vicuña Mackenna 4860, Macul, Santiago, Chile.,Millennium Institute Biodiversity of Antarctic and Subantarctic Ecosystems (BASE), Santiago, Chile.,Facultad de Ciencias, Instituto de Ecología y Biodiversidad, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - F Leon
- Departamento de Ecosistemas y Medio Ambiente, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Vicuña Mackenna 4860, Macul, Santiago, Chile
| | - D Brandt
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, 3101 Valley Life Science Building, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - P Pistorius
- Department of Zoology, 11DST/NRF Centre of Excellence at the Percy FitzPatrick Institute for African Ornithology, Nelson Mandela University, Port Elizabeth, South Africa
| | - C Le Bohec
- CNRS, IPHC UMR 7178, Université de Strasbourg, 67000, Strasbourg, France.,Département de Biologie Polaire, Centre Scientifique de Monaco, 98000, Monaco City, Monaco
| | - F Bonadonna
- CEFE UMR 5175, CNRS, Université de Montpellier, Université Paul-Valéry Montpellier, EPHE, Montpellier Cedex 5, France
| | | | - A Barbosa
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC, Madrid, Spain
| | - A Raya Rey
- Centro Austral de Investigaciones Científicas - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CADIC-CONICET), Ushuaia, Argentina.,Instituto de Ciencias Polares, Ambiente y Recursos Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Tierra del Fuego, Ushuaia, Argentina.,Wildlife Conservation Society, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - G P M Dantas
- PPG in Vertebrate Biology, Pontificia Universidade Católica de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - R C K Bowie
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology and Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, 3101 Valley Life Science Building, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - E Poulin
- Millennium Institute Biodiversity of Antarctic and Subantarctic Ecosystems (BASE), Santiago, Chile.,Facultad de Ciencias, Instituto de Ecología y Biodiversidad, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - J A Vianna
- Departamento de Ecosistemas y Medio Ambiente, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Vicuña Mackenna 4860, Macul, Santiago, Chile. .,Millennium Institute Biodiversity of Antarctic and Subantarctic Ecosystems (BASE), Santiago, Chile. .,Fondo de Desarrollo de Áreas Prioritarias (FONDAP), Center for Genome Regulation (CRG), Santiago, Chile.
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11
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Hammer TL, Bize P, Saraux C, Gineste B, Robin J, Groscolas R, Viblanc VA. Repeatability of alert and flight initiation distances in king penguins: Effects of colony, approach speed, and weather. Ethology 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.13264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Tracey L. Hammer
- CNRS Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien UMR 7178 University of Strasbourg Strasbourg France
| | - Pierre Bize
- School of Biological Sciences University of Aberdeen Aberdeen UK
| | - Claire Saraux
- CNRS Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien UMR 7178 University of Strasbourg Strasbourg France
| | - Benoit Gineste
- CNRS Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien UMR 7178 University of Strasbourg Strasbourg France
- IPEV – Institut Polaire Français Paul‐Émile‐Victor Plouzané France
| | - Jean‐Patrice Robin
- CNRS Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien UMR 7178 University of Strasbourg Strasbourg France
| | - René Groscolas
- CNRS Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien UMR 7178 University of Strasbourg Strasbourg France
| | - Vincent A. Viblanc
- CNRS Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien UMR 7178 University of Strasbourg Strasbourg France
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12
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Barbraud C, Delord K, Le Bouard F, Harivel R, Demay J, Chaigne A, Micol T. Seabird population changes following mammal eradication at oceanic Saint-Paul Island, Indian Ocean. J Nat Conserv 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jnc.2021.126049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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13
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Frugone MJ, Cole TL, López ME, Clucas G, Matos‐Maraví P, Lois NA, Pistorius P, Bonadonna F, Trathan P, Polanowski A, Wienecke B, Raya‐Rey A, Pütz K, Steinfurth A, Bi K, Wang‐Claypool CY, Waters JM, Bowie RCK, Poulin E, Vianna JA. Taxonomy based on limited genomic markers may underestimate species diversity of rockhopper penguins and threaten their conservation. DIVERS DISTRIB 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.13399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- María José Frugone
- Laboratorio de Ecología Molecular Departamento de Ciencias Ecológicas Facultad de Ciencias Universidad de Chile Santiago Chile
- Instituto de Ecología y Biodiversidad (IEB) Santiago Chile
- Instituto de Ciencias Ambientales y EvolutivasFacultad de CienciasUniversidad Austral de Chile Valdivia Chile
| | - Theresa L. Cole
- Department of Zoology University of Otago Dunedin New Zealand
- Department of Biology, Ecology and Evolution University of Copenhagen Copenhagen Denmark
| | - María Eugenia López
- Department of Aquatic Resources Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences Drottningholm Sweden
| | - Gemma Clucas
- Atkinson Center for a Sustainable Future Cornell University Ithaca NY USA
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology Cornell University Ithaca NY USA
| | - Pável Matos‐Maraví
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of SciencesInstitute of Entomology České Budějovice Czech Republic
| | - Nicolás A. Lois
- Departamento de Ecología Genética y Evolución Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales Universidad de Buenos Aires Buenos Aires Argentina
- Instituto de Ecología Genética y Evolución de Buenos AiresConsejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas Buenos Aires Argentina
| | - Pierre Pistorius
- DST/NRF Centre of Excellence at the Percy FitzPatrick Institute for African Ornithology Department of Zoology Nelson Mandela University Port Elizabeth South Africa
| | | | | | | | | | - Andrea Raya‐Rey
- Centro Austral de Investigaciones Científicas – Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CADIC‐CONICET) Ushuaia Argentina
- Wildlife Conservation Society Bronx NY USA
- Instituto de Ciencias Polares, Ambiente y Recursos NaturalesUniversidad Nacional de Tierra del Fuego Ushuaia Argentina
| | | | - Antje Steinfurth
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology University of Cape Town Rondebosch South Africa
- RSPB Centre for Conservation Science Cambridge UK
| | - Ke Bi
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology and Department of Integrative Biology University of California Berkeley CA USA
| | - Cynthia Y. Wang‐Claypool
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology and Department of Integrative Biology University of California Berkeley CA USA
| | | | - Rauri C. K. Bowie
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology and Department of Integrative Biology University of California Berkeley CA USA
| | - Elie Poulin
- Laboratorio de Ecología Molecular Departamento de Ciencias Ecológicas Facultad de Ciencias Universidad de Chile Santiago Chile
- Instituto de Ecología y Biodiversidad (IEB) Santiago Chile
| | - Juliana A. Vianna
- Pontificia Universidad Católica de ChileCenter for Genome RegulationFacultad de Agronomía e Ingeniería ForestalDepartamento de Ecosistemas y Medio Ambiente Santiago Chile
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14
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Southwell C, Wotherspoon S, Emmerson L. Emerging evidence of resource limitation in an Antarctic seabird metapopulation after 6 decades of sustained population growth. Oecologia 2021; 196:693-705. [PMID: 34109449 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-021-04958-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2020] [Accepted: 05/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The influence of resource limitation on spatio-temporal population dynamics is a fundamental theme in ecology and the concepts of carrying capacity, density dependence and population synchrony are central to this theme. The life history characteristics of seabirds, which include use of disjunct patches of breeding habitat, high coloniality during breeding, strong philopatry, and central-place foraging, make this group well suited to studying this paradigm. Here, we investigate whether density-dependent processes are starting to limit population growth in the Adélie penguin metapopulation breeding in the Windmill Islands, East Antarctica, after 6 decades of growth. Our finding that the regional growth rate has slowed in recent decades, and that growth is slowing differentially across local populations as availability of breeding habitat and possibly food resources decrease, supports the notion of density-dependent regulation. Our observation of the first new colonisation of a breeding patch in a half-century of population growth by this highly philopatric species is further evidence for this. Given these emerging patterns of spatio-temporal population dynamics, this metapopulation may be at a point where the rate of change in density-dependent processes and rare events such as colonisations accelerates into the future, potentially providing new insights into spatio-temporal metapopulation dynamics of a long-lived species over a short time-frame. Continued long-term study of populations experiencing these circumstances provides an opportunity to expedite advances in understanding metapopulation processes. Our study highlights the importance of spatial heterogeneity and the mosaic of abiotic and biotic features of landscapes and seascapes in shaping species' metapopulation dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colin Southwell
- Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment, Australian Antarctic Division, Channel Highway, Kingston, TAS, 7050, Australia.
| | - Simon Wotherspoon
- Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment, Australian Antarctic Division, Channel Highway, Kingston, TAS, 7050, Australia.,Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, 20 Castray Esplanade, Battery Point, TAS, 7004, Australia
| | - Louise Emmerson
- Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment, Australian Antarctic Division, Channel Highway, Kingston, TAS, 7050, Australia
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15
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Winterl A, Richter S, Houstin A, Nesterova AP, Bonadonna F, Schneider W, Fabry B, Le Bohec C, Zitterbart DP. micrObs - A customizable time-lapse camera for ecological studies. HARDWAREX 2020; 8:e00134. [PMID: 35498253 PMCID: PMC9041239 DOI: 10.1016/j.ohx.2020.e00134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2020] [Revised: 08/13/2020] [Accepted: 08/15/2020] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Camera traps for motion-triggered or continuous time-lapse recordings are readily available on the market. For demanding applications in ecology and environmental sciences, however, commercial systems often lack flexibility to freely adjust recording time intervals, suffer from mechanical component wear, and can be difficult to combine with auxiliary sensors such as GPS, weather stations, or light sensors. We present a robust time-lapse camera system that has been operating continuously since 2013 under the harsh climatic conditions of the Antarctic and Subantarctic regions. Thus far, we have recorded over one million images with individual cameras. The system consumes 122 mW of power in standby mode and captures up to 200,000 high-resolution (16 MPix) images without maintenance such as battery or image memory replacement. It offers time-lapse intervals between 2 s and 1 h, low-light or night-time power saving, and data logging capabilities for additional inputs such as GPS and weather data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Winterl
- Department of Physics, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
- Department of Applied Ocean Physics and Engineering, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, USA
| | - Sebastian Richter
- Department of Physics, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
- Department of Applied Ocean Physics and Engineering, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, USA
| | - Aymeric Houstin
- Centre Scientifique de Monaco, Département de Biologie Polaire, Monaco, Monaco
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC, UMR 7178, Strasbourg, France
| | - Anna P. Nesterova
- INRAE, CNRS, Université de Tours, PRC, UMR 7247, Nouzilly, France
- CEFE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, Univ Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Francesco Bonadonna
- CEFE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, Univ Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Werner Schneider
- Department of Physics, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Ben Fabry
- Department of Physics, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Céline Le Bohec
- Centre Scientifique de Monaco, Département de Biologie Polaire, Monaco, Monaco
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC, UMR 7178, Strasbourg, France
| | - Daniel P. Zitterbart
- Department of Physics, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
- Department of Applied Ocean Physics and Engineering, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, USA
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