1
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Nono Almeida F, Leray C, Souc C, Scotto S, Selmi S, Hammouda A, Ramos R, Ter Halle A, McCoy KD, Vittecoq M. Among-colony variation in plastic ingestion by Yellow-legged gulls (Larus michahellis) across the western Mediterranean basin. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2024; 204:116508. [PMID: 38824707 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2024.116508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2024] [Revised: 05/15/2024] [Accepted: 05/15/2024] [Indexed: 06/04/2024]
Abstract
The Mediterranean region is both a hotspot for biodiversity and for the accumulation of plastic pollution. Many species are exposed to this pollution while feeding, including a wide diversity of seabirds. Our objective was to investigate spatial variation in the quantity and types of plastic ingested by Yellow-legged gulls using information obtained from regurgitated pellets collected in 11 colonies. Anthropogenic debris, and particularly plastic, was found in pellets from all colonies, but the amount varied considerably. This among-colony difference was stable over the two years of study. The presence of marine prey and the proportion of agricultural area around the colonies significantly influenced the number of ingested plastics. As landfills close and garbage management improves, the availability of anthropogenic waste should decline. Following the response of gulls to these changes will be particularly useful for monitoring plastic pollution and for understanding the response of opportunistic wildlife to environmental modifications.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Carole Leray
- Tour du Valat, Research Institute for the Conservation of Mediterranean Wetlands, Arles, France
| | - Charly Souc
- MIVEGEC, University of Montpellier CNRS IRD, Centre IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Sara Scotto
- Tour du Valat, Research Institute for the Conservation of Mediterranean Wetlands, Arles, France
| | - Slaheddine Selmi
- Ecology & Environment Laboratory (LR24ES17), Faculty of Sciences, Gabès University, Gabès, Tunisia
| | - Abdessalem Hammouda
- Ecology & Environment Laboratory (LR24ES17), Faculty of Sciences, Gabès University, Gabès, Tunisia
| | - Raül Ramos
- Departament de Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals, Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Av. Diagonal 643, 08028 Barcelona, Spain; Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio), Universitat de Barcelona, Av. Diagonal 643, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Alexandra Ter Halle
- Softmat, UMR 5623 CNRS - University of Toulouse III Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France
| | - Karen D McCoy
- MIVEGEC, University of Montpellier CNRS IRD, Centre IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Marion Vittecoq
- Tour du Valat, Research Institute for the Conservation of Mediterranean Wetlands, Arles, France
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2
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Monier SA. Social interactions and information use by foraging seabirds. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2024. [PMID: 38693884 DOI: 10.1111/brv.13089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2023] [Revised: 04/11/2024] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/03/2024]
Abstract
What do seabirds perceive about the world? How do they do so? And how do they use the information available to them to make foraging decisions? Social cues provide seabirds with information about the location of prey. This can, of course, be passive and not involve higher-order cognitive processes (e.g. simple conspecific or heterospecific attraction). However, seabirds display many behaviours that promote learning and the transmission of information between individuals: the vast majority of seabirds are colonial living, have an extended juvenile phase that affords them time to learn, routinely form intra- and interspecific associations, and can flexibly deploy a combination of foraging tactics. It is worth evaluating their foraging interactions in light of this. This review describes how seabirds use social information both at the colony and at sea to forage, and discusses the variation that exists both across species and amongst individuals. It is clear that social interactions are a critical and beneficial component of seabird foraging, with most of the variation concerning the way and extent to which social information is used, rather than whether it is used. While it may seem counterintuitive that large groups of potential competitors congregating at a patch can result in foraging gains, such aggregations can alter species dynamics in ways that promote coexistence. This review explores how competitive interference at a patch can be mitigated by behavioural modifications and niche segregation. Utilising others for foraging success (e.g. via social cues and facilitation at a patch) is likely to make population declines particularly damaging to seabirds if the quantity or quality of their social foraging interactions is reduced. Environmental changes have the potential to disrupt their social networks and thus, how these species obtain food and transfer information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha Anne Monier
- Biology Department, The Graduate Center, City University of New York, 365 5th Avenue, New York, NY, 10016, USA
- Biology Department, College of Staten Island, 2800 Victory Blvd., Staten Island, NY, 10314, USA
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3
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Calvert AM, Gutowsky SE, Fifield DA, Burgess NM, Bryant R, Fraser GS, Gjerdrum C, Hedd A, Jones PL, Mauck RA, McFarlane Tranquilla L, Montevecchi WA, Pollet IL, Ronconi RA, Rock JC, Russell J, Wilhelm SI, Wong SNP, Robertson GJ. Inter-colony variation in predation, mercury burden and adult survival in a declining seabird. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 911:168549. [PMID: 37981162 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.168549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2023] [Revised: 10/25/2023] [Accepted: 11/11/2023] [Indexed: 11/21/2023]
Abstract
Migratory species with disjunct and localized breeding distributions, including many colonial marine birds, pose challenges for management and conservation as their dynamics are shaped by both broad oceanographic changes and specific factors affecting individual breeding colonies. We compare six colonies of the declining Leach's storm-petrel, Hydrobates leucorhous, across their core range in Atlantic Canada using standard capture-mark-recapture methods to estimate annual survival of individually marked populations of breeding adults. Over the period analysed (5-20 years per colony; 2003-2022), mean annual survival varied among colonies (0.81-0.88) and annually (process error σ ranging from 0.01 to 0.09), though annual fluctuations were not synchronous across colonies. Two colonies with limited natural predation showed higher survival, and there was a decline in survival with increasing colony-specific total mercury burden. Our work shows that colony-specific pressures and regional contaminant burdens are potentially important contributors to current population declines, and highlights the importance of monitoring demographic rates at multiple sites for species that congregate at key life-history stages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna M Calvert
- Landscape Science & Technology Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | | | - David A Fifield
- Wildlife Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Mount Pearl, NL, Canada
| | - Neil M Burgess
- Ecotoxicology and Wildlife Health Division, Environment and Climate Change, Canada, Mount Pearl, NL
| | - Rachel Bryant
- Alder Institute, Tors Cove, NL, Canada; Department of Philosophy and Religion, University of Tampa, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Gail S Fraser
- Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Carina Gjerdrum
- Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Dartmouth, NS, Canada
| | - April Hedd
- Wildlife Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Mount Pearl, NL, Canada
| | | | | | | | - William A Montevecchi
- Department of Psychology, Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador, St. John's, NL, Canada
| | - Ingrid L Pollet
- Biology Department, Acadia University, Wolfville, NS, Canada
| | - Robert A Ronconi
- Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Dartmouth, NS, Canada
| | - Jennifer C Rock
- Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Sackville, NB, Canada
| | | | - Sabina I Wilhelm
- Wildlife Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Mount Pearl, NL, Canada
| | - Sarah N P Wong
- Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Dartmouth, NS, Canada
| | - Gregory J Robertson
- Wildlife Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Mount Pearl, NL, Canada.
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4
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Weimerskirch H, Corbeau A, Pajot A, Patrick SC, Collet J. Albatrosses develop attraction to fishing vessels during immaturity but avoid them at old age. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20222252. [PMID: 36598019 PMCID: PMC9811633 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2022.2252] [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: 11/09/2022] [Accepted: 12/02/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Animals have to develop novel behaviours to adapt to anthropogenic activities or environmental changes. Fishing vessels constitute a recent feature that attracts albatrosses in large numbers. While they provide a valuable food source through offal and bait, they cause mortalities through bycatch, such that selection on vessel attraction will depend on the cost-benefit balance. We examine whether attraction to fishing and other vessels changes through the lifetime of great albatrosses, and show that attraction differed between age classes, sexes and personality. Juveniles encountered fewer vessels than adults, but also showed a lower attraction to vessels when encountered. Attraction rates, especially for fishing vessels, increased through immaturity to peak during adulthood, decreasing with old age. Shy females had lower attraction to vessels and shy males remained at vessels longer, suggesting that bolder individuals may outcompete shyer ones, with positive consequences for mass gain. These results suggest that attraction to vessels is a learned process, leading to an increase with age, and is not the result of preferential attraction to new objects by juveniles. Overall, our findings have important conservation implications as a result of potential strong differential selection on the risk of bycatch for age classes, personality types, populations and species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henri Weimerskirch
- Centre d’Études Biologiques de Chizé, UMR 7372 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, 79360 Villiers en Bois, France
| | - Alexandre Corbeau
- Centre d’Études Biologiques de Chizé, UMR 7372 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, 79360 Villiers en Bois, France
- CNRS, ECOBIO [(Ecosystèmes, biodiversité, évolution)] - UMR 6553, University of Rennes, Rennes, France
| | - Adrien Pajot
- Centre d’Études Biologiques de Chizé, UMR 7372 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, 79360 Villiers en Bois, France
| | - Samantha C. Patrick
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 3BX, UK
| | - Julien Collet
- Centre d’Études Biologiques de Chizé, UMR 7372 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, 79360 Villiers en Bois, France
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1, UK
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5
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Important marine areas for endangered African penguins before and after the crucial stage of moulting. Sci Rep 2022; 12:9489. [PMID: 35676286 PMCID: PMC9177839 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-12969-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2021] [Accepted: 05/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The population of the Endangered African penguin Spheniscus demersus has decreased by > 65% in the last 20 years. A major driver of this decrease has been the reduced availability of their principal prey, sardine Sardinops sagax and anchovy Engraulis encrasicolus. To date, conservation efforts to improve prey availability have focused on spatial management strategies to reduce resource competition with purse-seine fisheries during the breeding season. However, penguins also undergo an annual catastrophic moult when they are unable to feed for several weeks. Before moulting they must accumulate sufficient energy stores to survive this critical life-history stage. Using GPS tracking data collected between 2012 and 2019, we identify important foraging areas for pre- and post-moult African penguins at three of their major colonies in South Africa: Dassen Island and Stony Point (Western Cape) and Bird Island (Eastern Cape). The foraging ranges of pre- and post-moult adult African penguins (c. 600 km from colony) was far greater than that previously observed for breeding penguins (c. 50 km from colony) and varied considerably between sites, years and pre- and post-moult stages. Despite their more extensive range during the non-breeding season, waters within 20 and 50 km of their breeding colonies were used intensively and represent important foraging areas to pre- and post-moult penguins. Furthermore, penguins in the Western Cape travelled significantly further than those in the Eastern Cape which is likely a reflection of the poor prey availability along the west coast of South Africa. Our findings identify important marine areas for pre- and post-moult African penguins and support for the expansion of fisheries-related spatio-temporal management strategies to help conserve African penguins outside the breeding season.
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6
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Clairbaux M, Mathewson P, Porter W, Fort J, Strøm H, Moe B, Fauchald P, Descamps S, Helgason HH, Bråthen VS, Merkel B, Anker-Nilssen T, Bringsvor IS, Chastel O, Christensen-Dalsgaard S, Danielsen J, Daunt F, Dehnhard N, Erikstad KE, Ezhov A, Gavrilo M, Krasnov Y, Langset M, Lorentsen SH, Newell M, Olsen B, Reiertsen TK, Systad GH, Thórarinsson TL, Baran M, Diamond T, Fayet AL, Fitzsimmons MG, Frederiksen M, Gilchrist HG, Guilford T, Huffeldt NP, Jessopp M, Johansen KL, Kouwenberg AL, Linnebjerg JF, Major HL, Tranquilla LM, Mallory M, Merkel FR, Montevecchi W, Mosbech A, Petersen A, Grémillet D. North Atlantic winter cyclones starve seabirds. Curr Biol 2021; 31:3964-3971.e3. [PMID: 34520704 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.06.059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2021] [Revised: 04/26/2021] [Accepted: 06/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Each winter, the North Atlantic Ocean is the stage for numerous cyclones, the most severe ones leading to seabird mass-mortality events called "winter wrecks."1-3 During these, thousands of emaciated seabird carcasses are washed ashore along European and North American coasts. Winter cyclones can therefore shape seabird population dynamics4,5 by affecting survival rates as well as the body condition of surviving individuals and thus their future reproduction. However, most often the geographic origins of impacted seabirds and the causes of their deaths remain unclear.6 We performed the first ocean-basin scale assessment of cyclone exposure in a seabird community by coupling winter tracking data for ∼1,500 individuals of five key North Atlantic seabird species (Alle alle, Fratercula arctica, Uria aalge, Uria lomvia, and Rissa tridactyla) and cyclone locations. We then explored the energetic consequences of different cyclonic conditions using a mechanistic bioenergetics model7 and tested the hypothesis that cyclones dramatically increase seabird energy requirements. We demonstrated that cyclones of high intensity impacted birds from all studied species and breeding colonies during winter but especially those aggregating in the Labrador Sea, the Davis Strait, the surroundings of Iceland, and the Barents Sea. Our broad-scale analyses suggested that cyclonic conditions do not increase seabird energy requirements, implying that they die because of the unavailability of their prey and/or their inability to feed during cyclones. Our study provides essential information on seabird cyclone exposure in a context of marked cyclone regime changes due to global warming.8.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manon Clairbaux
- CEFE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Univ Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, Montpellier, France.
| | - Paul Mathewson
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Warren Porter
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Jérôme Fort
- Littoral, Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR7266 CNRS - La Rochelle Université, 2 rue Olympe de Gouges, 17000 La Rochelle, France
| | - Hallvard Strøm
- Norwegian Polar Institute, Fram Centre, PO Box 6606 Langnes, 9296 Tromsø, Norway
| | - Børge Moe
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research - NINA, PO Box 5685 Torgarden, 7485 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Per Fauchald
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research - NINA, PO Box 5685 Torgarden, 7485 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Sebastien Descamps
- Norwegian Polar Institute, Fram Centre, PO Box 6606 Langnes, 9296 Tromsø, Norway
| | - Hálfdán H Helgason
- Norwegian Polar Institute, Fram Centre, PO Box 6606 Langnes, 9296 Tromsø, Norway
| | - Vegard S Bråthen
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research - NINA, PO Box 5685 Torgarden, 7485 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Benjamin Merkel
- Akvaplan-niva AS, Fram Centre, PO Box 6606 Langnes, 9296 Tromsø, Norway
| | - Tycho Anker-Nilssen
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research - NINA, PO Box 5685 Torgarden, 7485 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Ingar S Bringsvor
- Norwegian Ornithological Society, Sandgata 30 B, 7012 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Olivier Chastel
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372 CNRS/La Rochelle Univ, La Rochelle, France
| | | | - Jóhannis Danielsen
- Faroe Marine Research Institute, PO Box 3051, Nóatún 1, 110 Tórshavn, Faroe Islands
| | - Francis Daunt
- UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Bush Estate, Penicuik EH26 0QB, UK
| | - Nina Dehnhard
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research - NINA, PO Box 5685 Torgarden, 7485 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Kjell Einar Erikstad
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, Fram Centre, 9296 Tromsø, Norway; Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, 7491 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Alexey Ezhov
- Murmansk Marine Biological Institute, 17 Vladimirskaya Street, 183010 Murmansk, Russia
| | - Maria Gavrilo
- Association Maritime Heritage, Saint Petersburg, Russia; National Park Russian Arctic, 57 Sovetskikh Kosmonavtove Avenue, Archangelsk, Russia
| | - Yuri Krasnov
- Murmansk Marine Biological Institute, 17 Vladimirskaya Street, 183010 Murmansk, Russia
| | - Magdalene Langset
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research - NINA, PO Box 5685 Torgarden, 7485 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Svein-H Lorentsen
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research - NINA, PO Box 5685 Torgarden, 7485 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Mark Newell
- UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Bush Estate, Penicuik EH26 0QB, UK
| | - Bergur Olsen
- Faroe Marine Research Institute, PO Box 3051, Nóatún 1, 110 Tórshavn, Faroe Islands
| | - Tone K Reiertsen
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, Fram Centre, 9296 Tromsø, Norway
| | - Geir Helge Systad
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research - NINA, PO Box 5685 Torgarden, 7485 Trondheim, Norway
| | | | - Mark Baran
- Atlantic Laboratory for Avian Research, University of New Brunswick, PO Box 4400, Fredericton, NB E3B 5A3, Canada
| | - Tony Diamond
- Atlantic Laboratory for Avian Research, University of New Brunswick, PO Box 4400, Fredericton, NB E3B 5A3, Canada
| | - Annette L Fayet
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, 11a Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3SZ, UK
| | - Michelle G Fitzsimmons
- Wildlife Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, 6 Bruce Street, Mount Pearl, NL A1N 4T3, Canada
| | - Morten Frederiksen
- Aarhus University, Department of Bioscience, Frederiksborgvej 399, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Hugh G Gilchrist
- National Wildlife Research Centre, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Tim Guilford
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, 11a Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3SZ, UK
| | - Nicholas P Huffeldt
- Aarhus University, Department of Bioscience, Frederiksborgvej 399, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark; Greenland Institute of Natural Resources, Kivioq 2, 3900 Nuuk, Greenland
| | - Mark Jessopp
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University College Cork, Distillery Field, North Mall, Cork, Ireland; MaREI Centre, Environmental Research Inst., Univ. College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Kasper L Johansen
- Aarhus University, Department of Bioscience, Frederiksborgvej 399, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | | | - Jannie F Linnebjerg
- Aarhus University, Department of Bioscience, Frederiksborgvej 399, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Heather L Major
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of New Brunswick, PO Box 5050, Saint John, NB E2L 4L5, Canada
| | | | - Mark Mallory
- Biology, Acadia University, 15 University Avenue, Wolfville, NS B4P 2R6, Canada
| | - Flemming R Merkel
- Aarhus University, Department of Bioscience, Frederiksborgvej 399, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - William Montevecchi
- Psychology and Biology Departments, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL A1C 5S7, Canada
| | - Anders Mosbech
- Aarhus University, Department of Bioscience, Frederiksborgvej 399, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | | | - David Grémillet
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372 CNRS/La Rochelle Univ, La Rochelle, France; Percy FitzPatrick Institute, DST/NRF Centre of Excellence, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, South Africa.
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7
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Davies TE, Carneiro AP, Tarzia M, Wakefield E, Hennicke JC, Frederiksen M, Hansen ES, Campos B, Hazin C, Lascelles B, Anker‐Nilssen T, Arnardóttir H, Barrett RT, Biscoito M, Bollache L, Boulinier T, Catry P, Ceia FR, Chastel O, Christensen‐Dalsgaard S, Cruz‐Flores M, Danielsen J, Daunt F, Dunn E, Egevang C, Fagundes AI, Fayet AL, Fort J, Furness RW, Gilg O, González‐Solís J, Granadeiro JP, Grémillet D, Guilford T, Hanssen SA, Harris MP, Hedd A, Huffeldt NP, Jessopp M, Kolbeinsson Y, Krietsch J, Lang J, Linnebjerg JF, Lorentsen S, Madeiros J, Magnusdottir E, Mallory ML, McFarlane Tranquilla L, Merkel FR, Militão T, Moe B, Montevecchi WA, Morera‐Pujol V, Mosbech A, Neves V, Newell MA, Olsen B, Paiva VH, Peter H, Petersen A, Phillips RA, Ramírez I, Ramos JA, Ramos R, Ronconi RA, Ryan PG, Schmidt NM, Sigurðsson IA, Sittler B, Steen H, Stenhouse IJ, Strøm H, Systad GHR, Thompson P, Thórarinsson TL, Bemmelen RS, Wanless S, Zino F, Dias MP. Multispecies tracking reveals a major seabird hotspot in the North Atlantic. Conserv Lett 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/conl.12824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Ewan Wakefield
- Institute of Biodiversity Animal Health and Comparative Medicine University of Glasgow Glasgow U.K
| | | | | | | | - Bruna Campos
- EuroNatur Foundation Radolfzell Germany
- Stichting BirdLife Europe Brussels Belgium
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Loïc Bollache
- UMR 6249 Chrono‐environnement Université de Bourgogne Franche‐Comté Besançon France
- Groupe de Recherche en Ecologie Arctique Francheville France
| | - Thierry Boulinier
- Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive CNRS ‐ Université de Montpellier ‐ Université Paul‐Valéry Montpellier – EPHE Montpellier France
| | - Paulo Catry
- MARE ‐ Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre ISPA ‐ Instituto Universitário Lisbon Portugal
| | - Filipe R. Ceia
- University of Coimbra, MARE‐Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Dep. Life Sciences Coimbra Portugal
| | - Olivier Chastel
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC) UMR 7372 CNRS‐La Rochelle Université Villiers‐en‐bois France
| | | | - Marta Cruz‐Flores
- Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio) and Dept. de Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals Universitat de Barcelona Barcelona Spain
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Jérôme Fort
- Littoral, Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs) UMR 7266 CNRS‐La Rochelle Université La Rochelle France
| | - Robert W. Furness
- Institute of Biodiversity Animal Health and Comparative Medicine University of Glasgow Glasgow U.K
| | - Olivier Gilg
- UMR 6249 Chrono‐environnement Université de Bourgogne Franche‐Comté Besançon France
- Groupe de Recherche en Ecologie Arctique Francheville France
| | - Jacob González‐Solís
- Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio) and Dept. de Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals Universitat de Barcelona Barcelona Spain
| | | | - David Grémillet
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC) UMR 7372 CNRS‐La Rochelle Université Villiers‐en‐bois France
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology Rondebosch South Africa
| | | | | | | | - April Hedd
- Wildlife Research Division Environment and Climate Change Mount Pearl NL Canada
| | - Nicholas Per Huffeldt
- Department of Bioscience Aarhus University Roskilde Denmark
- Greenland Institute of Natural Resources Nuuk Greenland
| | - Mark Jessopp
- School of Biological, Earth & Environmental Sciences, Environmental Research Institute University College Cork Ireland
| | | | - Johannes Krietsch
- Friedrich Schiller University, Institute of Ecology and Evolution Jena Germany
- Max Planck Institute for Ornithology Department of Behavioural Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics Seewiesen Germany
| | - Johannes Lang
- Groupe de Recherche en Ecologie Arctique Francheville France
- Justus‐Liebig‐University Giessen, Clinic for Birds, Reptiles, Amphibians and Fish Working Group for Wildlife Research Giessen Germany
| | | | | | - Jeremy Madeiros
- Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Government of Bermuda Paget Bermuda
| | | | | | | | - Flemming R. Merkel
- Department of Bioscience Aarhus University Roskilde Denmark
- Greenland Institute of Natural Resources Nuuk Greenland
| | - Teresa Militão
- Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio) and Dept. de Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals Universitat de Barcelona Barcelona Spain
| | - Børge Moe
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research Trondheim Norway
| | | | - Virginia Morera‐Pujol
- Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio) and Dept. de Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals Universitat de Barcelona Barcelona Spain
| | - Anders Mosbech
- Department of Bioscience Aarhus University Roskilde Denmark
| | - Verónica Neves
- MARE – Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, IMAR & Okeanos Horta Portugal
| | | | - Bergur Olsen
- Faroe Marine Research Institute Tórshavn Faroe Islands
| | - Vitor H. Paiva
- University of Coimbra, MARE‐Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Dep. Life Sciences Coimbra Portugal
| | - Hans‐Ulrich Peter
- Friedrich Schiller University, Institute of Ecology and Evolution Jena Germany
| | | | | | | | - Jaime A. Ramos
- University of Coimbra, MARE‐Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Dep. Life Sciences Coimbra Portugal
| | - Raül Ramos
- Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio) and Dept. de Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals Universitat de Barcelona Barcelona Spain
| | - Robert A. Ronconi
- Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment and Climate Change Canada Dartmouth NS Canada
| | - Peter G. Ryan
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology Rondebosch South Africa
| | | | | | - Benoît Sittler
- Groupe de Recherche en Ecologie Arctique Francheville France
- University of Freiburg Freiburg Germany
| | | | | | | | | | - Paul Thompson
- Lighthouse Field Station, School of Biological Sciences University of Aberdeen Cromarty U.K
| | - Thorkell L. Thórarinsson
- Northeast Iceland Nature Research Centre Húsavík Iceland
- Icelandic Institute of Natural History Garðabær Iceland
| | | | | | | | - Maria P. Dias
- BirdLife International Cambridge U.K
- MARE ‐ Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre ISPA ‐ Instituto Universitário Lisbon Portugal
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8
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Direct evidence of a prey depletion "halo" surrounding a pelagic predator colony. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2101325118. [PMID: 34260406 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2101325118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Colonially breeding birds and mammals form some of the largest gatherings of apex predators in the natural world and have provided model systems for studying mechanisms of population regulation in animals. According to one influential hypothesis, intense competition for food among large numbers of spatially constrained foragers should result in a zone of prey depletion surrounding such colonies, ultimately limiting their size. However, while indirect and theoretical support for this phenomenon, known as "Ashmole's halo," has steadily accumulated, direct evidence remains exceptionally scarce. Using a combination of vessel-based surveys and Global Positioning System tracking, we show that pelagic seabirds breeding at the tropical island that first inspired Ashmole's hypothesis do indeed deplete their primary prey species (flying fish; Exocoetidae spp.) over a considerable area, with reduced prey density detectable >150 km from the colony. The observed prey gradient was mirrored by an opposing trend in seabird foraging effort, could not be explained by confounding environmental variability, and can be approximated using a mechanistic consumption-dispersion model, incorporating realistic rates of seabird predation and random prey dispersal. Our results provide a rare view of the resource footprint of a pelagic seabird colony and reveal how aggregations of these central-place foraging, marine top predators profoundly influence the oceans that surround them.
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9
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Woodworth BK, Fuller RA, Hemson G, McDougall A, Congdon BC, Low M. Trends in seabird breeding populations across the Great Barrier Reef. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2021; 35:846-858. [PMID: 32885491 PMCID: PMC8336572 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13630] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2019] [Revised: 08/17/2020] [Accepted: 08/28/2020] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
The Great Barrier Reef is an iconic ecosystem, known globally for its rich marine biodiversity that includes many thousands of tropical breeding seabirds. Despite indications of localized declines in some seabird species from as early as the mid-1990s, trends in seabird populations across the reef have never been quantified. With a long history of human impact and ongoing environmental change, seabirds are likely sentinels in this important ecosystem. Using 4 decades of monitoring data, we estimated site-specific trends for 9 seabird species from 32 islands and cays across the reef. Trends varied markedly among species and sites, but probable declines occurred at 45% of the 86 species-by-site combinations analyzed compared with increases at 14%. For 5 species, we combined site-specific trends into a multisite trend in scaled abundance, which revealed probable declines of Common Noddy (Anous stolidus), Sooty Tern (Onychoprion fuscatus), and Masked Booby (Sula dactylatra), but no long-term changes in the 2 most widely distributed species, Greater Crested Tern (Thalasseus bergii) and Brown Booby (Sula leucogaster). For Brown Booby, long-term stability largely resulted from increases at a single large colony on East Fairfax Island that offset declines at most other sites. Although growth of the Brown Booby population on East Fairfax points to the likely success of habitat restoration on the island, it also highlights a general vulnerability wherein large numbers of some species are concentrated at a small number of key sites. Identifying drivers of variation in population change across species and sites while ensuring long-term protection of key sites will be essential to securing the future of seabirds on the reef.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Richard A. Fuller
- School of Biological SciencesUniversity of QueenslandBrisbaneQLD4072Australia
| | - Graham Hemson
- Queensland Parks and Wildlife ServiceGreat Barrier Reef and Marine Parks RegionRockhamptonQLD4701Australia
| | - Andrew McDougall
- Queensland Parks and Wildlife ServiceGreat Barrier Reef and Marine Parks RegionRockhamptonQLD4701Australia
| | - Bradley C. Congdon
- Centre for Tropical Environmental and Sustainability Science and College of Science and EngineeringJames Cook UniversityCairnsQLD4870Australia
| | - Matthew Low
- Department of EcologySwedish University of Agricultural SciencesUppsala750 07Sweden
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10
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Bernard A, Rodrigues AS, Cazalis V, Grémillet D. Toward a global strategy for seabird tracking. Conserv Lett 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/conl.12804] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Alice Bernard
- CEFE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD Montpellier France
- Sustainability Research Unit Nelson Mandela University (NMU) George South Africa
- CNRS UMR 5558, LBBE Université Lyon 1 Villeurbanne Cedex France
- REHABS, CNRS‐Université Lyon 1‐NMU, International Research Laboratory George South Africa
| | | | - Victor Cazalis
- CEFE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD Montpellier France
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle‐Jena‐Leipzig, Puschstr. 4 Leipzig Germany
- Leipzig University Leipzig Germany
| | - David Grémillet
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC) UMR 7372 CNRS – La Rochelle Université Villiers‐en‐Bois France
- FitzPatrick Institute DST/NRF Excellence Centre at the University of Cape Town Rondebosch South Africa
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11
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Preparing for translocations of a Critically Endangered petrel through targeted monitoring of nest survival and breeding biology. ORYX 2021. [DOI: 10.1017/s0030605320000794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
The population of the recently-described Whenua Hou diving petrel Pelecanoides whenuahouensis comprises c. 200 adults that all breed in a single 0.018 km2 colony in a dune system vulnerable to erosion. The species would therefore benefit from the establishment of a second breeding population through a translocation. However, given the small size of the source population, it is essential that translocations are informed by carefully targeted monitoring data. We therefore modelled nest survival at the remaining population in relation to potential drivers (distance to sea and burrow density of conspecifics and a competitor) across three breeding seasons with varying climatic conditions as a result of the southern oscillation cycle. We also documented breeding phenology and burrow attendance, and measured chicks, to generate growth curves. We estimated egg survival at 0.686, chick survival at 0.890, overall nest survival at 0.612, and found no indication that nest survival was affected by distance to sea or burrow density. Whenua Hou diving petrels laid eggs in mid October, eggs hatched in late November, and chicks fledged in mid January at c. 86% of adult weight. Burrow attendance (i.e. feeds) decreased from 0.94 to 0.65 visits per night as chicks approached fledging. Nest survival and breeding biology were largely consistent among years despite variation in climate. Nest survival estimates will facilitate predictions about future population trends and suitability of prospective translocation sites. Knowledge of breeding phenology will inform the timing of collection of live chicks for translocation, and patterns of burrow attendance combined with growth curves will structure hand-rearing protocols. A tuhinga whakarāpopoto (te reo Māori abstract) can be found in the Supplementary material.
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12
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Animal Harms and Food Production: Informing Ethical Choices. Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:ani11051225. [PMID: 33922738 PMCID: PMC8146968 DOI: 10.3390/ani11051225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2021] [Revised: 04/17/2021] [Accepted: 04/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Consideration of animal welfare in food choices has become an influential contemporary theme. Traditional animal welfare views about food have been largely restricted to direct and intentional harms to livestock in intensive animal agriculture settings. However, many harms to animals arising from diverse food production practices in the world are exerted indirectly and unintentionally and often affect wildlife. Here we apply a qualitative analysis of food production by considering the breadth of harms caused by different food production systems to wild as well as domestic animals. Production systems are identified that produce relatively few and relatively many harms. The ethical implications of these findings are discussed for consumers concerned with the broad animal welfare impacts of their food choices. Abstract Ethical food choices have become an important societal theme in post-industrial countries. Many consumers are particularly interested in the animal welfare implications of the various foods they may choose to consume. However, concepts in animal welfare are rapidly evolving towards consideration of all animals (including wildlife) in contemporary approaches such as “One Welfare”. This approach requires recognition that negative impacts (harms) may be intentional and obvious (e.g., slaughter of livestock) but also include the under-appreciated indirect or unintentional harms that often impact wildlife (e.g., land clearing). This is especially true in the Anthropocene, where impacts on non-human life are almost ubiquitous across all human activities. We applied the “harms” model of animal welfare assessment to several common food production systems and provide a framework for assessing the breadth (not intensity) of harms imposed. We considered all harms caused to wild as well as domestic animals, both direct effects and indirect effects. We described 21 forms of harm and considered how they applied to 16 forms of food production. Our analysis suggests that all food production systems harm animals to some degree and that the majority of these harms affect wildlife, not livestock. We conclude that the food production systems likely to impose the greatest overall breadth of harms to animals are intensive animal agriculture industries (e.g., dairy) that rely on a secondary food production system (e.g., cropping), while harvesting of locally available wild plants, mushrooms or seaweed is likely to impose the least harms. We present this conceptual analysis as a resource for those who want to begin considering the complex animal welfare trade-offs involved in their food choices.
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13
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Bertram DF, Wilson L, Charleton K, Hedd A, Robertson GJ, Smith JL, Morgan KH, Song XJ. Modelling entanglement rates to estimate mortality of marine birds in British Columbia commercial salmon gillnet fisheries. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2021; 166:105268. [PMID: 33626460 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2021.105268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2020] [Revised: 01/25/2021] [Accepted: 01/29/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Incidental mortality of marine birds in fisheries is an international conservation concern, including in Canada where globally significant populations of vulnerable diving species overlap with coastal gillnet fisheries. In British Columbia (BC), commercial salmon gillnet fishing effort was historically very high (>200,000 days fished annually in the early 1950's), and although this fishery has declined, over 6,400 days were fished annually in the 2006-2016 decade. Observations of seabird bycatch within the commercial fishery, however, are limited in both scope (comprising <2% of cumulative effort 2001-2016) and in time (being available only from 1995 onwards and only for a small number of areas). Using onboard fishery observer data from commercial, test and experimental fisheries (1995-2016), we developed two models to estimate the number of marine birds captured per set in sockeye (Oncorhynchus nerka) and chum (O. keta) salmon gillnet fisheries employing a Generalized Linear Mixed Modeling (GLMM) approach in a hierarchical Bayesian framework, with observer data post-stratified by fisheries management area and year. Using estimates of total commercial fishing effort (estimated number of sets, 2001-2016) we applied the models to extrapolate annual take for the main bird species (or groups) of interest. Multinomial probability estimates of species composition were calculated based upon a sample of 852 birds identified to species that were associated with sockeye or chum fisheries, enabling estimates (with CIs) of potential numbers of the mostly commonly observed species (common murres (Uria aalge), rhinoceros auklets (Cerorhinca monocerata), and marbled murrelets (Brachyramphus marmoratus)) entangled annually in commercial sockeye and chum salmon gillnet fisheries throughout BC. Conservative estimates of annual losses to entanglement were greatest for common murres (2,846, 95% CI: 2,628-3,047), followed by rhinoceros auklets (641, CI: 549-770) and marbled murrelets (228 CI: 156-346). Populations of all three of these alcids species are currently in decline in BC and entanglement mortality is a conservation concern. Gillnet mortality has been identified as a longstanding threat to marbled murrelet populations, which are recognized as Threatened in the Canada and the United States of America (USA). In addition, 622 (CI: 458-827) birds from 12 other species were estimated to be entangled annually. We conclude that cumulative mortality from incidental take in salmon gillnet fisheries is one of the largest sources of human-induced mortality for marine birds in BC waters, a conservation concern impacting both breeders and visiting migrants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Douglas F Bertram
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, PO Box 6000, Sidney, BC, V8L 4B2, Canada.
| | - Laurie Wilson
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, 5421 Robertson Rd. RR1, Delta, BC, V4K 3N2, Canada
| | | | - April Hedd
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, 6 Bruce Street, Mount Pearl, NL, A1N 4T3, Canada
| | - Gregory J Robertson
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, 6 Bruce Street, Mount Pearl, NL, A1N 4T3, Canada
| | - Joanna L Smith
- Nature United, 366 Adelaide St. East, Suite 331, Toronto, ON, M5A 3X9, Canada
| | - Ken H Morgan
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, PO Box 6000, Sidney, BC, V8L 4B2, Canada
| | - Xiao J Song
- 319A Evergreen Dr, Port Moody, BC, V5E 2A4, Canada
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14
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Clairbaux M, Cheung WWL, Mathewson P, Porter W, Courbin N, Fort J, Strøm H, Moe B, Fauchald P, Descamps S, Helgason H, Bråthen VS, Merkel B, Anker-Nilssen T, Bringsvor IS, Chastel O, Christensen-Dalsgaard S, Danielsen J, Daunt F, Dehnhard N, Erikstad KE, Ezhov A, Gavrilo M, Krasnov Y, Langset M, Lorentsen SH, Newell M, Olsen B, Reiertsen TK, Systad G, Þórarinsson ÞL, Baran M, Diamond T, Fayet AL, Fitzsimmons MG, Frederiksen M, Gilchrist GH, Guilford T, Huffeldt NP, Jessopp M, Johansen KL, Kouwenberg AL, Linnebjerg JF, McFarlane Tranquilla L, Mallory M, Merkel FR, Montevecchi W, Mosbech A, Petersen A, Grémillet D. Meeting Paris agreement objectives will temper seabird winter distribution shifts in the North Atlantic Ocean. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2021; 27:1457-1469. [PMID: 33347684 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2020] [Accepted: 10/28/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
We explored the implications of reaching the Paris Agreement Objective of limiting global warming to <2°C for the future winter distribution of the North Atlantic seabird community. We predicted and quantified current and future winter habitats of five North Atlantic Ocean seabird species (Alle alle, Fratercula arctica, Uria aalge, Uria lomvia and Rissa tridactyla) using tracking data for ~1500 individuals through resource selection functions based on mechanistic modeling of seabird energy requirements, and a dynamic bioclimate envelope model of seabird prey. Future winter distributions were predicted to shift with climate change, especially when global warming exceed 2°C under a "no mitigation" scenario, modifying seabird wintering hotspots in the North Atlantic Ocean. Our findings suggest that meeting Paris agreement objectives will limit changes in seabird selected habitat location and size in the North Atlantic Ocean during the 21st century. We thereby provide key information for the design of adaptive marine-protected areas in a changing ocean.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manon Clairbaux
- CEFE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Univ Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, Montpellier, France
| | - William W L Cheung
- Changing Ocean Research Unit, Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Paul Mathewson
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Warren Porter
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Nicolas Courbin
- CEFE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Univ Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, Montpellier, France
| | - Jérôme Fort
- Littoral, Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR7266 CNRS - La Rochelle Université, La Rochelle, France
| | | | - Børge Moe
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research - NINA, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Per Fauchald
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research - NINA, Trondheim, Norway
| | | | | | - Vegard S Bråthen
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research - NINA, Trondheim, Norway
| | | | | | | | - Olivier Chastel
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372 CNRS-Univ. La Rochelle, La Rochelle, France
| | | | | | | | - Nina Dehnhard
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research - NINA, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Kjell-Einar Erikstad
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research - NINA, Trondheim, Norway
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Alexeï Ezhov
- Murmansk Marine Biological Institute, Murmansk, Russia
| | - Maria Gavrilo
- Association Maritime Heritage, Saint Petersburg, Russia
- National Park Russian Arctic, Archangelsk, Russia
| | - Yuri Krasnov
- Murmansk Marine Biological Institute, Murmansk, Russia
| | | | | | - Mark Newell
- UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Penicuik, UK
| | - Bergur Olsen
- Faroe Marine Research Institute, Tórshavn, Faroe Islands
| | | | - Geir Systad
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research - NINA, Trondheim, Norway
| | | | - Mark Baran
- Atlantic Laboratory for Avian Research, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, NB, Canada
| | - Tony Diamond
- Atlantic Laboratory for Avian Research, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, NB, Canada
| | | | - Michelle G Fitzsimmons
- Wildlife Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Mount Pearl, NL, Canada
| | | | - Grant H Gilchrist
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, National Wildlife Research Centre, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Tim Guilford
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Nicholas P Huffeldt
- Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Roskilde, Denmark
- Greenland Institute of Natural Resources, Nuuk, Greenland
| | - Mark Jessopp
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | | | | | | | | | - Mark Mallory
- Biology, Acadia University, Wolfville, NS, Canada
| | | | - William Montevecchi
- Psychology and Biology Departments, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL, Canada
| | - Anders Mosbech
- Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Roskilde, Denmark
| | | | - David Grémillet
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372 CNRS-Univ. La Rochelle, La Rochelle, France
- Percy Fitz Patrick Institute, DST/NRF Centre of Excellence, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, South Africa
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15
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Fayet AL, Clucas GV, Anker-Nilssen T, Syposz M, Hansen ES. Local prey shortages drive foraging costs and breeding success in a declining seabird, the Atlantic puffin. J Anim Ecol 2021; 90:1152-1164. [PMID: 33748966 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2020] [Accepted: 01/19/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
As more and more species face anthropogenic threats, understanding the causes of population declines in vulnerable taxa is essential. However, long-term datasets, ideal to identify lasting or indirect effects on fitness measures such as those caused by environmental factors, are not always available. Here we use a single year but multi-population approach on populations with contrasting demographic trends to identify possible drivers and mechanisms of seabird population changes in the north-east Atlantic, using the Atlantic puffin, a declining species, as a model system. We combine miniature GPS trackers with camera traps and DNA metabarcoding techniques on four populations across the puffins' main breeding range to provide the most comprehensive study of the species' foraging ecology to date. We find that puffins use a dual foraging tactic combining short and long foraging trips in all four populations, but declining populations in southern Iceland and north-west Norway have much greater foraging ranges, which require more (costly) flight, as well as lower chick-provisioning frequencies, and a more diverse but likely less energy-dense diet, than stable populations in northern Iceland and Wales. Together, our findings suggest that the poor productivity of declining puffin populations in the north-east Atlantic is driven by breeding adults being forced to forage far from the colony, presumably because of low prey availability near colonies, possibly amplified by intraspecific competition. Our results provide valuable information for the conservation of this and other important North-Atlantic species and highlight the potential of multi-population approaches to answer important questions about the ecological drivers of population trends.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Erpur S Hansen
- South Iceland Nature Research Centre, Vestmannaeyjar, Iceland
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16
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Corbeau A, Collet J, Orgeret F, Pistorius P, Weimerskirch H. Fine‐scale interactions between boats and large albatrosses indicate variable susceptibility to bycatch risk according to species and populations. Anim Conserv 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/acv.12676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- A. Corbeau
- Centre d’Études Biologiques de Chizé UMR7372 CNRS‐La Rochelle Université Villiers en Bois France
| | - J. Collet
- Department of Zoology University of Oxford Oxford United Kingdom
| | - F. Orgeret
- DST/NRF Centre of Excellence at the FitzPatrick Institute for African Ornithology Department of Zoology Nelson Mandela University Port Elizabeth South Africa
- Marine Apex Predator Research Unit Institute for Coastal and Marine Research Nelson Mandela University Port Elizabeth South Africa
| | - P. Pistorius
- DST/NRF Centre of Excellence at the FitzPatrick Institute for African Ornithology Department of Zoology Nelson Mandela University Port Elizabeth South Africa
- Marine Apex Predator Research Unit Institute for Coastal and Marine Research Nelson Mandela University Port Elizabeth South Africa
| | - H. Weimerskirch
- Centre d’Études Biologiques de Chizé UMR7372 CNRS‐La Rochelle Université Villiers en Bois France
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17
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Duda MP, Allen-Mahé S, Barbraud C, Blais JM, Boudreau A, Bryant R, Delord K, Grooms C, Kimpe LE, Letournel B, Lim JE, Lormée H, Michelutti N, Robertson GJ, Urtizbéréa F, Wilhelm SI, Smol JP. Linking 19th century European settlement to the disruption of a seabird's natural population dynamics. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:32484-32492. [PMID: 33288699 PMCID: PMC7768677 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2016811117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent estimates indicate that ∼70% of the world's seabird populations have declined since the 1950s due to human activities. However, for almost all bird populations, there is insufficient long-term monitoring to understand baseline (i.e., preindustrial) conditions, which are required to distinguish natural versus anthropogenically driven changes. Here, we address this lack of long-term monitoring data with multiproxy paleolimnological approaches to examine the long-term population dynamics of a major colony of Leach's Storm-petrel (Hydrobates leucorhous) on Grand Colombier Island in the St. Pierre and Miquelon archipelago-an overseas French territory in the northwest Atlantic Ocean. By reconstructing the last ∼5,800 y of storm-petrel dynamics, we demonstrate that this colony underwent substantial natural fluctuations until the start of the 19th century, when population cycles were disrupted, coinciding with the establishment and expansion of a European settlement. Our paleoenvironmental data, coupled with on-the-ground population surveys, indicate that the current colony is only ∼16% of the potential carrying capacity, reinforcing concerning trends of globally declining seabird populations. As seabirds are sentinel species of marine ecosystem health, such declines provide a call to action for global conservation. In response, we emphasize the need for enlarged protected areas and the rehabilitation of disturbed islands to protect ecologically critical seabird populations. Furthermore, long-term data, such as those provided by paleoecological approaches, are required to better understand shifting baselines in conservation to truly recognize current rates of ecological loss.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew P Duda
- Paleoecological Environmental Assessment and Research Laboratory, Department of Biology, Queen's University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada;
| | - Sylvie Allen-Mahé
- Maison de la Nature et de l'Environnement, Place des Ardilliers, BP8333 Miquelon, Langlade, St. Pierre et Miquelon, France
| | - Christophe Barbraud
- Centre d'Études Biologiques de Chizé, UMR 7372 du CNRS-La Rochelle Université, 79360 Villiers-en-Bois, France
| | - Jules M Blais
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5, Canada
| | - Amaël Boudreau
- Association SPM Frag'îles, 97500 St. Pierre et Miquelon, France
| | | | - Karine Delord
- Centre d'Études Biologiques de Chizé, UMR 7372 du CNRS-La Rochelle Université, 79360 Villiers-en-Bois, France
| | - Christopher Grooms
- Paleoecological Environmental Assessment and Research Laboratory, Department of Biology, Queen's University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada
| | - Linda E Kimpe
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5, Canada
| | - Bruno Letournel
- Office Français de la Biodiversité, Service Départemental de Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon, 97500 Saint Pierre et Miquelon, France
| | - Joeline E Lim
- Paleoecological Environmental Assessment and Research Laboratory, Department of Biology, Queen's University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada
| | - Hervé Lormée
- Office Français de la Biodiversité, Direction de la Recherche et de l'Appui Scientifique-Unité Avifaune Migratrice, Station de Chizé, Carrefour de la Canauderie 79360 Villiers-en-Bois, France
| | - Neal Michelutti
- Paleoecological Environmental Assessment and Research Laboratory, Department of Biology, Queen's University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada
| | - Gregory J Robertson
- Wildlife Research Division, Environment Canada and Climate Change, Mount Pearl, NL A1N 4T3, Canada
| | - Frank Urtizbéréa
- Direction Territoriale de l'Alimentation et de la Mer, Service Agriculture, Eau et Biodiversité, Quai de l'Alysse, BP4217, 97500 Saint Pierre et Miquelon, France
| | - Sabina I Wilhelm
- Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment Canada and Climate Change, Mount Pearl, NL A1N 4T3, Canada
| | - John P Smol
- Paleoecological Environmental Assessment and Research Laboratory, Department of Biology, Queen's University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada
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18
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Hentati‐Sundberg J, Olin AB, Evans TJ, Isaksson N, Berglund P, Olsson O. A mechanistic framework to inform the spatial management of conflicting fisheries and top predators. J Appl Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.13759] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jonas Hentati‐Sundberg
- Department of Aquatic Resources, Institute of Marine Research Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences Lysekil Sweden
| | - Agnes B. Olin
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine University of Glasgow Glasgow UK
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics University of Strathclyde Glasgow UK
| | - Tom J. Evans
- Marine Scotland Science Marine Laboratory Aberdeen UK
| | - Natalie Isaksson
- Environmental Research Institute, North Highland College University of the Highlands and Islands Thurso UK
| | - Per‐Arvid Berglund
- Baltic Seabird Project Karlsö Jagt och Djurskyddsförenings AB Visby Sweden
| | - Olof Olsson
- Stockholm Resilience Centre Stockholm University Stockholm Sweden
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19
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Carpenter‐Kling T, Reisinger RR, Orgeret F, Connan M, Stevens KL, Ryan PG, Makhado A, Pistorius PA. Foraging in a dynamic environment: Response of four sympatric sub-Antarctic albatross species to interannual environmental variability. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:11277-11295. [PMID: 33144964 PMCID: PMC7593157 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6766] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2020] [Revised: 07/02/2020] [Accepted: 08/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Seasonal and annual climate variations are linked to fluctuations in the abundance and distribution of resources, posing a significant challenge to animals that need to adjust their foraging behavior accordingly. Particularly during adverse conditions, and while energetically constrained when breeding, animals ideally need to be flexible in their foraging behavior. Such behavioral plasticity may separate "winners" from "losers" in light of rapid environmental changes due to climate change. Here, the foraging behavior of four sub-Antarctic albatross species was investigated from 2015/16 to 2017/18, a period characterized by pronounced environmental variability. Over three breeding seasons on Marion Island, Prince Edward Archipelago, incubating wandering (WA, Diomedea exulans; n = 45), grey-headed (GHA, Thalassarche chrysostoma; n = 26), sooty (SA, Phoebetria fusca; n = 23), and light-mantled (LMSA, P. palpebrata; n = 22) albatrosses were tracked with GPS loggers. The response of birds to environmental variability was investigated by quantifying interannual changes in their foraging behavior along two axes: spatial distribution, using kernel density analysis, and foraging habitat preference, using generalized additive mixed models and Bayesian mixed models. All four species were shown to respond behaviorally to environmental variability, but with substantial differences in their foraging strategies. WA was most general in its habitat use defined by sea surface height, eddy kinetic energy, wind speed, ocean floor slope, and sea-level anomaly, with individuals foraging in a range of habitats. In contrast, the three smaller albatrosses exploited two main foraging habitats, with habitat use varying between years. Generalist habitat use by WA and interannually variable use of habitats by GHA, SA, and LMSA would likely offer these species some resilience to predicted changes in climate such as warming seas and strengthening of westerly winds. However, future investigations need to consider other life-history stages coupled with demographic studies, to better understand the link between behavioral plasticity and population responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tegan Carpenter‐Kling
- Marine Apex Predator Research Unit (MAPRU)Department of ZoologyInstitute for Coastal and Marine ResearchNelson Mandela UniversityPort ElizabethSouth Africa
- DST‐NRF Centre of Excellence at the FitzPatrick Institute of African OrnithologyNelson Mandela UniversityPort ElizabethSouth Africa
| | - Ryan R. Reisinger
- Marine Apex Predator Research Unit (MAPRU)Department of ZoologyInstitute for Coastal and Marine ResearchNelson Mandela UniversityPort ElizabethSouth Africa
- LOCEAN‐IPSLUMR 7159 CNRS‐IRD‐MNHNSorbonne UniversitéParisFrance
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de ChizéUMR 7372 du CNRS‐Université de La RochelleVilliers‐en‐BoisFrance
| | - Florian Orgeret
- Marine Apex Predator Research Unit (MAPRU)Department of ZoologyInstitute for Coastal and Marine ResearchNelson Mandela UniversityPort ElizabethSouth Africa
| | - Maëlle Connan
- Marine Apex Predator Research Unit (MAPRU)Department of ZoologyInstitute for Coastal and Marine ResearchNelson Mandela UniversityPort ElizabethSouth Africa
| | - Kim L. Stevens
- FitzPatrick Institute of African OrnithologyDST‐NRF Centre of ExcellenceUniversity of Cape TownRondeboschSouth Africa
| | - Peter G. Ryan
- FitzPatrick Institute of African OrnithologyDST‐NRF Centre of ExcellenceUniversity of Cape TownRondeboschSouth Africa
| | - Azwianewi Makhado
- FitzPatrick Institute of African OrnithologyDST‐NRF Centre of ExcellenceUniversity of Cape TownRondeboschSouth Africa
- Department of Environment, Forestry and FisheriesOceans and Coasts ResearchCape TownSouth Africa
| | - Pierre A. Pistorius
- Marine Apex Predator Research Unit (MAPRU)Department of ZoologyInstitute for Coastal and Marine ResearchNelson Mandela UniversityPort ElizabethSouth Africa
- DST‐NRF Centre of Excellence at the FitzPatrick Institute of African OrnithologyNelson Mandela UniversityPort ElizabethSouth Africa
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20
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Hindell MA, Reisinger RR, Ropert-Coudert Y, Hückstädt LA, Trathan PN, Bornemann H, Charrassin JB, Chown SL, Costa DP, Danis B, Lea MA, Thompson D, Torres LG, Van de Putte AP, Alderman R, Andrews-Goff V, Arthur B, Ballard G, Bengtson J, Bester MN, Blix AS, Boehme L, Bost CA, Boveng P, Cleeland J, Constantine R, Corney S, Crawford RJM, Dalla Rosa L, de Bruyn PJN, Delord K, Descamps S, Double M, Emmerson L, Fedak M, Friedlaender A, Gales N, Goebel ME, Goetz KT, Guinet C, Goldsworthy SD, Harcourt R, Hinke JT, Jerosch K, Kato A, Kerry KR, Kirkwood R, Kooyman GL, Kovacs KM, Lawton K, Lowther AD, Lydersen C, Lyver PO, Makhado AB, Márquez MEI, McDonald BI, McMahon CR, Muelbert M, Nachtsheim D, Nicholls KW, Nordøy ES, Olmastroni S, Phillips RA, Pistorius P, Plötz J, Pütz K, Ratcliffe N, Ryan PG, Santos M, Southwell C, Staniland I, Takahashi A, Tarroux A, Trivelpiece W, Wakefield E, Weimerskirch H, Wienecke B, Xavier JC, Wotherspoon S, Jonsen ID, Raymond B. Tracking of marine predators to protect Southern Ocean ecosystems. Nature 2020; 580:87-92. [PMID: 32238927 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-020-2126-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2018] [Accepted: 02/20/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Southern Ocean ecosystems are under pressure from resource exploitation and climate change1,2. Mitigation requires the identification and protection of Areas of Ecological Significance (AESs), which have so far not been determined at the ocean-basin scale. Here, using assemblage-level tracking of marine predators, we identify AESs for this globally important region and assess current threats and protection levels. Integration of more than 4,000 tracks from 17 bird and mammal species reveals AESs around sub-Antarctic islands in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans and over the Antarctic continental shelf. Fishing pressure is disproportionately concentrated inside AESs, and climate change over the next century is predicted to impose pressure on these areas, particularly around the Antarctic continent. At present, 7.1% of the ocean south of 40°S is under formal protection, including 29% of the total AESs. The establishment and regular revision of networks of protection that encompass AESs are needed to provide long-term mitigation of growing pressures on Southern Ocean ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark A Hindell
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. .,Antarctic Climate and Ecosystems Cooperative Research Centre, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia.
| | - Ryan R Reisinger
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, Station d'Écologie de Chizé-La Rochelle Université, CNRS UMR7372, Villiers-en-Bois, France.,CESAB-FRB, Institut Bouisson Bertrand, Montpellier, France.,LOCEAN/IPSL, Sorbonne Université-CNRS-IRD-MNHN, UMR7159, Paris, France
| | - Yan Ropert-Coudert
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, Station d'Écologie de Chizé-La Rochelle Université, CNRS UMR7372, Villiers-en-Bois, France
| | - Luis A Hückstädt
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | - Philip N Trathan
- British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, Cambridge, UK
| | - Horst Bornemann
- Alfred-Wegener-Institut Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung, Bremerhaven, Germany
| | | | - Steven L Chown
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Daniel P Costa
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | - Bruno Danis
- Marine Biology Laboratory, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Mary-Anne Lea
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia.,Antarctic Climate and Ecosystems Cooperative Research Centre, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
| | - David Thompson
- National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, Wellington, New Zealand
| | - Leigh G Torres
- Marine Mammal Institute, Oregon State University, Newport, OR, USA
| | - Anton P Van de Putte
- BEDIC, OD Nature, Royal Belgian Institute for Natural Sciences, Brussels, Belgium.,Laboratory of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Genomics, Department of Biology, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Rachael Alderman
- Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
| | - Virginia Andrews-Goff
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia.,Australian Antarctic Division, Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment, Kingston, Tasmania, Australia
| | - Ben Arthur
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
| | | | - John Bengtson
- Marine Mammal Laboratory, Alaska Fisheries Science Center, NOAA Fisheries, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Marthán N Bester
- Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Hatfield, South Africa
| | | | | | - Charles-André Bost
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, Station d'Écologie de Chizé-La Rochelle Université, CNRS UMR7372, Villiers-en-Bois, France
| | - Peter Boveng
- Marine Mammal Laboratory, Alaska Fisheries Science Center, NOAA Fisheries, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Jaimie Cleeland
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
| | | | - Stuart Corney
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
| | - Robert J M Crawford
- Oceans and Coasts, Department of Environment, Agriculture and Fisheries, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Luciano Dalla Rosa
- Instituto de Oceanografia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande, Rio Grande, Brazil
| | - P J Nico de Bruyn
- Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Hatfield, South Africa
| | - Karine Delord
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, Station d'Écologie de Chizé-La Rochelle Université, CNRS UMR7372, Villiers-en-Bois, France
| | | | - Mike Double
- Australian Antarctic Division, Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment, Kingston, Tasmania, Australia
| | - Louise Emmerson
- Australian Antarctic Division, Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment, Kingston, Tasmania, Australia
| | - Mike Fedak
- Scottish Oceans Institute, St Andrews, UK
| | - Ari Friedlaender
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA.,Institute of Marine Sciences, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | - Nick Gales
- Australian Antarctic Division, Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment, Kingston, Tasmania, Australia
| | - Michael E Goebel
- Institute of Marine Sciences, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | - Kimberly T Goetz
- National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, Wellington, New Zealand
| | - Christophe Guinet
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, Station d'Écologie de Chizé-La Rochelle Université, CNRS UMR7372, Villiers-en-Bois, France
| | - Simon D Goldsworthy
- South Australian Research and Development Institute, West Beach, South Australia, Australia
| | - Rob Harcourt
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Jefferson T Hinke
- Antarctic Ecosystems Research Division, Southwest Fisheries Science Center, NOAA Fisheries, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Kerstin Jerosch
- Alfred-Wegener-Institut Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung, Bremerhaven, Germany
| | - Akiko Kato
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, Station d'Écologie de Chizé-La Rochelle Université, CNRS UMR7372, Villiers-en-Bois, France
| | - Knowles R Kerry
- Australian Antarctic Division, Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment, Kingston, Tasmania, Australia
| | - Roger Kirkwood
- Australian Antarctic Division, Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment, Kingston, Tasmania, Australia
| | - Gerald L Kooyman
- Center for Marine Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Kit M Kovacs
- Norwegian Polar Institute, Fram Centre, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Kieran Lawton
- Australian Antarctic Division, Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment, Kingston, Tasmania, Australia
| | | | | | | | - Azwianewi B Makhado
- Oceans and Coasts, Department of Environment, Agriculture and Fisheries, Cape Town, South Africa
| | | | - Birgitte I McDonald
- Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, San José State University, Moss Landing, CA, USA
| | - Clive R McMahon
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia.,Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,Sydney Institute of Marine Science, Mosman, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Monica Muelbert
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia.,Instituto de Oceanografia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande, Rio Grande, Brazil
| | - Dominik Nachtsheim
- Alfred-Wegener-Institut Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung, Bremerhaven, Germany.,Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Büsum, Germany
| | - Keith W Nicholls
- British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, Cambridge, UK
| | | | - Silvia Olmastroni
- Dipartimento di Scienze Fisiche, della Terra e dell'Ambiente, Università di Siena, Siena, Italy.,Museo Nazionale dell'Antartide, Siena, Italy
| | - Richard A Phillips
- British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, Cambridge, UK
| | - Pierre Pistorius
- DST-NRF Centre of Excellence at the FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, Nelson Mandela University, Port Elizabeth, South Africa
| | - Joachim Plötz
- Alfred-Wegener-Institut Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung, Bremerhaven, Germany
| | | | - Norman Ratcliffe
- British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, Cambridge, UK
| | - Peter G Ryan
- DST-NRF Centre of Excellence at the FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, South Africa
| | | | - Colin Southwell
- Australian Antarctic Division, Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment, Kingston, Tasmania, Australia
| | - Iain Staniland
- British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, Cambridge, UK
| | | | - Arnaud Tarroux
- Norwegian Polar Institute, Fram Centre, Tromsø, Norway.,Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, Fram Centre, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Wayne Trivelpiece
- Antarctic Ecosystems Research Division, Southwest Fisheries Science Center, NOAA Fisheries, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Ewan Wakefield
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Henri Weimerskirch
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, Station d'Écologie de Chizé-La Rochelle Université, CNRS UMR7372, Villiers-en-Bois, France
| | - Barbara Wienecke
- Australian Antarctic Division, Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment, Kingston, Tasmania, Australia
| | - José C Xavier
- British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, Cambridge, UK.,Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Simon Wotherspoon
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia.,Australian Antarctic Division, Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment, Kingston, Tasmania, Australia
| | - Ian D Jonsen
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Ben Raymond
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia.,Antarctic Climate and Ecosystems Cooperative Research Centre, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia.,Australian Antarctic Division, Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment, Kingston, Tasmania, Australia
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21
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Carneiro APB, Pearmain EJ, Oppel S, Clay TA, Phillips RA, Bonnet‐Lebrun A, Wanless RM, Abraham E, Richard Y, Rice J, Handley J, Davies TE, Dilley BJ, Ryan PG, Small C, Arata J, Arnould JPY, Bell E, Bugoni L, Campioni L, Catry P, Cleeland J, Deppe L, Elliott G, Freeman A, González‐Solís J, Granadeiro JP, Grémillet D, Landers TJ, Makhado A, Nel D, Nicholls DG, Rexer‐Huber K, Robertson CJR, Sagar PM, Scofield P, Stahl J, Stanworth A, Stevens KL, Trathan PN, Thompson DR, Torres L, Walker K, Waugh SM, Weimerskirch H, Dias MP. A framework for mapping the distribution of seabirds by integrating tracking, demography and phenology. J Appl Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.13568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Thomas A. Clay
- School of Environmental Sciences University of Liverpool Liverpool UK
| | | | | | - Ross M. Wanless
- Institute of Marine Affairs and Resources Management National Taiwan Ocean University Keelung Taiwan
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology DST/NRF Centre of Excellence University of Cape Town Cape Town South Africa
| | | | | | - Joel Rice
- Rice Marine Analytics Saint Paul MN USA
| | | | | | - Ben J. Dilley
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology DST/NRF Centre of Excellence University of Cape Town Cape Town South Africa
| | - Peter G. Ryan
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology DST/NRF Centre of Excellence University of Cape Town Cape Town South Africa
| | - Cleo Small
- Royal Society for the Protection of Birds Sandy UK
| | - Javier Arata
- Centro FONDAP de Investigacion en Dinamica de Ecosistemas Marinos de Altas Latitudes Valdivia Chile
| | - John P. Y. Arnould
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences Deakin University Burwood Vic. Australia
| | - Elizabeth Bell
- Wildlife Management International Ltd. Blenheim New Zealand
| | - Leandro Bugoni
- Universidade Federal do Rio Grande‐FURG Rio Grande Brazil
| | - Letizia Campioni
- MARE‐Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre ISPA‐Instituto Universitario Lisbon Portugal
| | - Paulo Catry
- MARE‐Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre ISPA‐Instituto Universitario Lisbon Portugal
| | | | - Lorna Deppe
- The Hutton's Shearwater Charitable Trust Kaikoura New Zealand
| | | | | | - Jacob González‐Solís
- Departament de Biologia Evolutiva Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals Universitat de Barcelona Barcelona Spain
| | | | - David Grémillet
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology DST/NRF Centre of Excellence University of Cape Town Cape Town South Africa
- CEFE CNRS Université de MontpellierUniversité Paul‐Valéry MontpellierEPHE Montpellier France
| | - Todd J. Landers
- Auckland Council, Research and Evaluation Unit (RIMU) Auckland New Zealand
- School of Biological Sciences University of Auckland Auckland New Zealand
| | - Azwianewi Makhado
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology DST/NRF Centre of Excellence University of Cape Town Cape Town South Africa
- Department of Environmental Affairs Oceans & Coasts Branch South Africa
| | - Deon Nel
- Global Resilience Partnership Stockholm Resilience Centre Stockholm University Stockholm Sweden
| | | | | | | | - Paul M. Sagar
- National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research Christchurch New Zealand
| | | | | | | | - Kim L. Stevens
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology DST/NRF Centre of Excellence University of Cape Town Cape Town South Africa
| | - Philip N. Trathan
- British Antarctic Survey Natural Environment Research Council Cambridge UK
| | - David R. Thompson
- National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research Christchurch New Zealand
| | - Leigh Torres
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Oregon State University Newport OR USA
| | | | - Susan M. Waugh
- Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa Wellington New Zealand
| | | | - Maria P. Dias
- BirdLife International Cambridge UK
- MARE‐Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre ISPA‐Instituto Universitario Lisbon Portugal
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22
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Ocean sentinel albatrosses locate illegal vessels and provide the first estimate of the extent of nondeclared fishing. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:3006-3014. [PMID: 31988130 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1915499117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
With threats to nature becoming increasingly prominent, in order for biodiversity levels to persist, there is a critical need to improve implementation of conservation measures. In the oceans, the surveillance of fisheries is complex and inadequate, such that quantifying and locating nondeclared and illegal fisheries is persistently problematic. Given that these activities dramatically impact oceanic ecosystems, through overexploitation of fish stocks and bycatch of threatened species, innovative ways to monitor the oceans are urgently required. Here, we describe a concept of "Ocean Sentinel" using animals equipped with state-of-the-art loggers which monitor fisheries in remote areas. Albatrosses fitted with loggers detecting and locating the presence of vessels and transmitting the information immediately to authorities allowed an estimation of the proportion of nondeclared fishing vessels operating in national and international waters of the Southern Ocean. We found that in international waters, more than one-third of vessels had no Automatic Identification System operating; in national Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs), this proportion was lower on average, but variable according to EEZ. Ocean Sentinel was also able to provide unpreceded information on the attraction of seabirds to vessels, giving access to crucial information for risk-assessment plans of threatened species. Attraction differed between species, age, and vessel activity. Fishing vessels attracted more birds than other vessels, and juveniles both encountered fewer vessels and showed a lower attraction to vessels than adults. This study shows that the development of technologies offers the potential of implementing conservation policies by using wide-ranging seabirds to patrol oceans.
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23
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St. John Glew K, Wanless S, Harris MP, Daunt F, Erikstad KE, Strøm H, Speakman JR, Kürten B, Trueman CN. Sympatric Atlantic puffins and razorbills show contrasting responses to adverse marine conditions during winter foraging within the North Sea. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2019; 7:33. [PMID: 31695919 PMCID: PMC6824136 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-019-0174-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2019] [Accepted: 09/20/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Natural environments are dynamic systems with conditions varying across years. Higher trophic level consumers may respond to changes in the distribution and quality of available prey by moving to locate new resources or by switching diets. In order to persist, sympatric species with similar ecological niches may show contrasting foraging responses to changes in environmental conditions. However, in marine environments this assertion remains largely untested for highly mobile predators outside the breeding season because of the challenges of quantifying foraging location and trophic position under contrasting conditions. METHOD Differences in overwinter survival rates of two populations of North Sea seabirds (Atlantic puffins (Fratercula arctica) and razorbills (Alca torda)) indicated that environmental conditions differed between 2007/08 (low survival and thus poor conditions) and 2014/15 (higher survival, favourable conditions). We used a combination of bird-borne data loggers and stable isotope analyses to test 1) whether these sympatric species showed consistent responses with respect to foraging location and trophic position to these contrasting winter conditions during periods when body and cheek feathers were being grown (moult) and 2) whether any observed changes in moult locations and diet could be related to the abundance and distribution of potential prey species of differing energetic quality. RESULTS Puffins and razorbills showed divergent foraging responses to contrasting winter conditions. Puffins foraging in the North Sea used broadly similar foraging locations during moult in both winters. However, puffin diet significantly differed, with a lower average trophic position in the winter characterised by lower survival rates. By contrast, razorbills' trophic position increased in the poor survival winter and the population foraged in more distant southerly waters of the North Sea. CONCLUSIONS Populations of North Sea puffins and razorbills showed contrasting foraging responses when environmental conditions, as indicated by overwinter survival differed. Conservation of mobile predators, many of which are in sharp decline, may benefit from dynamic spatial based management approaches focusing on behavioural changes in response to changing environmental conditions, particularly during life history stages associated with increased mortality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katie St. John Glew
- Ocean and Earth Science, University of Southampton, Waterfront Campus, Southampton, SO143ZH UK
| | - Sarah Wanless
- Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Bush Estate, Penicuik, EH26 0QB UK
| | | | - Francis Daunt
- Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Bush Estate, Penicuik, EH26 0QB UK
| | - Kjell Einar Erikstad
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, Fram Centre, N-9296 Tromsø, Norway
- Norwegian University of Science &Technology (NTNU), Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Department of Biology, N-7491 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Hallvard Strøm
- Norwegian Polar Institute, Fram Centre, Postbox 6606, Langnes, NO-9296 Tromsø, Norway
| | - John R. Speakman
- Institute of Genetics and developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, Scotland, UK
| | - Benjamin Kürten
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, University of Newcastle, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, NE1 7RU UK
- Present address: King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Red Sea Research Center (RSRC), Biological and Environmental Sciences & Engineering Division (BESE), Thuwal, 23955-6900 Saudi Arabia
| | - Clive N. Trueman
- Ocean and Earth Science, University of Southampton, Waterfront Campus, Southampton, SO143ZH UK
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24
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Sampling strategies for species with high breeding-site fidelity: A case study in burrow-nesting seabirds. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0221625. [PMID: 31454375 PMCID: PMC6711508 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0221625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2018] [Accepted: 08/12/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Sampling approaches used to census and monitor populations of flora and fauna are diverse, ranging from simple random sampling to complex hierarchal stratified designs. Usually the approach taken is determined by the spatial and temporal distribution of the study population, along with other characteristics of the focal species. Long-term monitoring programs used to assess seabird population trends are facilitated by their high site fidelity, but are often hampered by large and difficult to access colonies, with highly variable densities that require intensive survey. We aimed to determine the sampling effort required to (a) estimate population size with a high degree of confidence, and (b) detect different scenarios of population change in a regionally important species in the Atlantic, the Manx shearwater (Puffinus puffinus). Analyses were carried out using data collected from tape-playback surveys on four islands in the North Atlantic. To explore how sampling effort influenced confidence around abundance estimates, we used the heuristic approach of imagining the areas sampled represented the total population, and bootstrapped varying proportions of subsamples. This revealed that abundance estimates vary dramatically when less than half of all plots (n dependent on the size of the site) is randomly subsampled, leading to an unacceptable lack of confidence in population estimates. Confidence is substantially improved using a multi-stage stratified approach based on previous information on distribution in the colonies. In reality, this could lead to reducing the number of plots required by up to 80%. Furthermore, power analyses suggested that random selection of monitoring plots using a matched pairs approach generates little power to detect overall population changes of 10%, and density-dependent changes as large as 50%, because variation in density between plots is so high. Current monitoring programs have a high probability of failing to detect population-level changes due to inappropriate sampling efforts. Focusing sampling in areas of high density with low plot to plot variance dramatically increases the power to detect year to year population change, albeit at the risk of not detecting increases in low density areas, which may be an unavoidable strategy when resources are limited. We discuss how challenging populations with similar features to seabirds might be censused and monitored most effectively.
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25
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Afán I, Navarro J, Grémillet D, Coll M, Forero MG. Maiden voyage into death: are fisheries affecting seabird juvenile survival during the first days at sea? ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2019; 6:181151. [PMID: 30800365 PMCID: PMC6366166 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.181151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2018] [Accepted: 01/07/2019] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
The study of juvenile migration behaviour of seabird species has been limited so far by the inability to track their movements during long time periods. Foraging and flying skills of young individuals are assumed to be inferior to those of adults, making them more vulnerable during long-distance migrations. In addition to natural oceanographic effects and intrinsic conditions, incidental seabird harvest by human fisheries is one of the main causes of worldwide seabird population declines, and it has been hypothesized that juveniles are particularly vulnerable to bycatch during their first weeks at sea after leaving the nest. We used solar-powered satellite tags to track the at-sea movements of adults and juveniles of Scopoli's shearwater (Calonectris diomedea) after the autumn departure from their breeding colony in Chafarinas Islands (southwestern Mediterranean Sea). Eighty per cent of juvenile tags stopped transmitting during the first week at sea, within 50 km of their natal colony, in an area with one of the highest concentrations of fishing activities in the Mediterranean Sea. All adult birds tagged and only 20% of juveniles migrated into the Atlantic and southwards along the coast of West Africa. The two age groups showed different habitat preferences, with juveniles travelling farther from the coast, in windier and less productive waters than adults. We conclude that Scopoli's shearwater juveniles are particularly vulnerable to mortality events, and we highlight that fisheries, along with differential age-related behaviour skills between adults and juveniles, are likely causes of this mortality. Overall, our study highlights the importance of conducting tracking studies during the first stages of juvenile migration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabel Afán
- Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC), Avda. Américo Vespucio 26, Sevilla 41092, Spain
| | - Joan Navarro
- Institut de Ciències del Mar (ICM-CSIC), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta, 37-49, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
| | - David Grémillet
- Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive, UMR 5175, CNRS - Université de Montpellier - Université Paul-Valéry Montpellier - EPHE, Montpellier, France
- Percy FitzPatrick Institute, DST/NRF Centre of Excellence, University of Cape Town, Rondesbosch, South Africa
| | - Marta Coll
- Institut de Ciències del Mar (ICM-CSIC), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta, 37-49, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Manuela G. Forero
- Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC), Avda. Américo Vespucio 26, Sevilla 41092, Spain
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