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Viollat L, Quéroué M, Delord K, Gimenez O, Barbraud C. Bottom-up effects drive the dynamic of an Antarctic seabird predator-prey system. Ecology 2024; 105:e4367. [PMID: 38923494 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.4367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2023] [Revised: 04/10/2024] [Accepted: 05/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024]
Abstract
Understanding how populations respond to variability in environmental conditions and interspecific interactions is one of the biggest challenges of population ecology, particularly in the context of global change. Although many studies have investigated population responses to climate change, very few have explicitly integrated interspecific relationships when studying these responses. In this study, we aimed to understand the combined effects of interspecific interactions and environmental conditions on the demographic parameters of a prey-predator system of three sympatric seabird populations breeding in Antarctica: the south polar skua (Catharacta maccormicki) and its two main preys during the breeding season, the Adélie penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae) and the emperor penguin (Aptenodytes forsteri). We built a two-species integrated population model (IPM) with 31 years of capture-recapture and count data and provided a framework that made it possible to estimate the demographic parameters and abundance of a predator-prey system in a context where capture-recapture data were not available for one species. Our results showed that predator-prey interactions and local environmental conditions differentially affected south polar skuas depending on their breeding state of the previous year. Concerning prey-predator relationships, the number of Adélie penguin breeding pairs showed a positive effect on south polar skua survival and breeding probability, and the number of emperor penguin dead chicks showed a positive effect on the breeding success of south polar skuas. In contrast, there was no evidence for an effect of the number of south polar skuas on the demography of Adélie penguins. We also found an important impact of sea ice conditions on both the dynamics of south polar skuas and Adélie penguins. Our results suggest that this prey-predator system is mostly driven by bottom-up processes and local environmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lise Viollat
- Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive (CEFE), UMR 5175, CNRS-Université de Montpellier-EPHE-IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Maud Quéroué
- Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive (CEFE), UMR 5175, CNRS-Université de Montpellier-EPHE-IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Karine Delord
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372, CNRS-La Rochelle Université, Villiers-en-Bois, France
| | - Olivier Gimenez
- Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive (CEFE), UMR 5175, CNRS-Université de Montpellier-EPHE-IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Christophe Barbraud
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372, CNRS-La Rochelle Université, Villiers-en-Bois, France
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2
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Wells MR, Coggan TL, Stevenson G, Singh N, Askeland M, Lea MA, Philips A, Carver S. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in little penguins and associations with urbanisation and health parameters. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 912:169084. [PMID: 38056658 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.169084] [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: 08/31/2023] [Revised: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 12/01/2023] [Indexed: 12/08/2023]
Abstract
Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are increasingly detected in wildlife and present concerning and unknown health risks. While there is a growing body of literature describing PFAS in seabird species, knowledge from temperate Southern Hemisphere regions is lacking. Little penguins (Eudyptula minor) can nest and forage within heavily urbanised coastal environments and hence may be at risk of exposure to pollutants. We analysed scat contaminated nesting soils (n = 50) from 17 colonies in lutruwita/Tasmania for 16 PFAS, plasma samples (n = 45) from nine colonies, and three eggs for 49 PFAS. We detected 14 PFAS across the sample types, with perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) and perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS) most commonly detected. Mean concentration of PFOS in plasma was 2.56 ± 4.3 ng/mL (
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Affiliation(s)
- Melanie R Wells
- Department of Biological Sciences, School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart 7001, Tasmania, Australia; Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, Battery Point 7004, Tasmania, Australia.
| | - Timothy L Coggan
- Environment Protection Authority Victoria, 200 Victoria Street, Carlton 3053, Victoria, Australia; ADE Consulting Group, U 4/95 Salmon Street, Port Melbourne 3207, Victoria, Australia
| | - Gavin Stevenson
- Australian Ultra-Trace Laboratory, National Measurement Institute, North Ryde 2113, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Navneet Singh
- ADE Consulting Group, U 4/95 Salmon Street, Port Melbourne 3207, Victoria, Australia
| | - Matthew Askeland
- ADE Consulting Group, U 4/95 Salmon Street, Port Melbourne 3207, Victoria, Australia
| | - Mary-Anne Lea
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, Battery Point 7004, Tasmania, Australia; Centre for Marine Socioecology, University of Tasmania, Hobart 7001, Tasmania, Australia
| | - Annie Philips
- Wildlife Veterinary Consultant, Hobart 7000, Tasmania, Australia
| | - Scott Carver
- Department of Biological Sciences, School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart 7001, Tasmania, Australia; Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, GA, USA 30602; Center for the Ecology of Infectious Diseases, University of Georgia, GA, USA 30602
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3
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Nunes GT, Efe MA, Barreto CT, Gaiotto JV, Silva AB, Vilela F, Roy A, Bertrand S, Costa PG, Bianchini A, Bugoni L. Ecological trap for seabirds due to the contamination caused by the Fundão dam collapse, Brazil. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 807:151486. [PMID: 34742806 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.151486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2021] [Revised: 10/28/2021] [Accepted: 11/02/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Human-induced rapid environmental changes can disrupt habitat quality in the short term. A decrease in quality of habitats associated with preference for these over other available higher quality is referred as ecological trap. In 2015, the Fundão dam containing iron mining tailings, eastern Brazil, collapsed and released about 50 million cubic meters of metal-rich mud composed by Fe, As, Cd, Hg, Pb in three rivers and the adjacent continental shelf. The area is a foraging site for dozens of seabird and shorebird species. In this study, we used a dataset from before and after Fundão dam collapse containing information on at-sea distribution during foraging activities (biologging), dietary aspects (stable isotopes), and trace elements concentration in feathers and blood from three seabird species known to use the area as foraging site: Phaethon aethereus, Sula leucogaster, and Pterodroma arminjoniana. In general, a substantial change in foraging strategies was not detected, as seabirds remain using areas and food resources similar to those used before the dam collapse. However, concentration of non-essential elements increased (e.g., Cd and As) while essential elements decreased (e.g., Mn and Zn), suggesting that the prey are contaminated by trace elements from tailings. This scenario represents evidence of an ecological trap as seabirds did not change habitat use, even though it had its quality reduced by contamination. The sinking-resuspension dynamics of tailings deposited on the continental shelf can temporally increase seabird exposure to contaminants, which can promote deleterious effects on populations using the region as foraging sites in medium and long terms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guilherme Tavares Nunes
- Centro de Estudos Costeiros, Limnológicos e Marinhos, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, 95625-000 Imbé, RS, Brazil; Programa de Monitoramento da Biodiversidade Aquática, Rede Rio Doce Mar, Brazil.
| | - Márcio Amorim Efe
- Laboratório de Bioecologia e Conservação de Aves Neotropicais, Universidade Federal de Alagoas, 57072-900 Maceió, AL, Brazil; Programa de Monitoramento da Biodiversidade Aquática, Rede Rio Doce Mar, Brazil
| | - Cindy Tavares Barreto
- Laboratório de Aves Aquáticas e Tartarugas Marinhas, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande, 96203-900 Rio Grande, RS, Brazil; Programa de Monitoramento da Biodiversidade Aquática, Rede Rio Doce Mar, Brazil
| | - Juliana Vallim Gaiotto
- Laboratório de Aves Aquáticas e Tartarugas Marinhas, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande, 96203-900 Rio Grande, RS, Brazil; Programa de Monitoramento da Biodiversidade Aquática, Rede Rio Doce Mar, Brazil
| | - Aline Barbosa Silva
- Laboratório de Aves Aquáticas e Tartarugas Marinhas, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande, 96203-900 Rio Grande, RS, Brazil; Programa de Monitoramento da Biodiversidade Aquática, Rede Rio Doce Mar, Brazil
| | - Fiorella Vilela
- Centro de Estudos Costeiros, Limnológicos e Marinhos, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, 95625-000 Imbé, RS, Brazil
| | - Amédée Roy
- IRD, MARBEC (Univ. Montpellier, Ifremer, CNRS, IRD), Centre de Recherche Halieutique Méditerranéenne et Tropicale, BP 171, 34203 Sète Cedex, France
| | - Sophie Bertrand
- IRD, MARBEC (Univ. Montpellier, Ifremer, CNRS, IRD), Centre de Recherche Halieutique Méditerranéenne et Tropicale, BP 171, 34203 Sète Cedex, France
| | - Patrícia Gomes Costa
- Laboratório de Determinações 2, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande, 96203-900 Rio Grande, RS, Brazil; Programa de Monitoramento da Biodiversidade Aquática, Rede Rio Doce Mar, Brazil
| | - Adalto Bianchini
- Laboratório de Determinações 2, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande, 96203-900 Rio Grande, RS, Brazil; Programa de Monitoramento da Biodiversidade Aquática, Rede Rio Doce Mar, Brazil
| | - Leandro Bugoni
- Laboratório de Aves Aquáticas e Tartarugas Marinhas, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande, 96203-900 Rio Grande, RS, Brazil; Programa de Monitoramento da Biodiversidade Aquática, Rede Rio Doce Mar, Brazil
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Veit RR, Velarde E, Horn MH, Manne LL. Population Growth and Long-Distance Vagrancy Leads to Colonization of Europe by Elegant Terns Thalasseus elegans. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.725614] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Elegant terns Thalasseus elegans breed in a very limited area of the northern Gulf of California and the Pacific coast of southern California, with up to 95% (mean 78%, 1991–2014, Perez et al., 2020) of the population nesting on Isla Rasa in the northern Gulf of California. On Isla Rasa, the primary nesting colony, elegant terns suffered predation by rodents which raised the possibility of population extinction, with a substantial proportion of the world population nesting on this single island. Because of this threat, rodents were successfully removed from Isla Rasa in 1995. The removal of rodents from Isla Rasa led to a near immediate increase in the population of elegant terns. That increase was associated with a changing pattern in dispersal by the terns, including extraordinary movements to the Gulf of Mexico, the Atlantic coast of the United States north to Massachusetts, and, remarkably, to western Europe. A few elegant terns successfully bred at these European localities during 2009 to the present. In this paper we use this exceptional example of long-distance dispersal to illustrate how rapid population growth during ∼ 1995 to present can lead to successful colonization of remote sites through repeated instances of vagrancy. We tested four Hypotheses that together support the idea that the growing population of elegant terns has produced increasing numbers of young, and these young have spread, through the mechanism of vagrancy, to the Pacific Northwest, the east coast of the United States, and western Europe. Our Hypotheses are: (1) The nesting population of elegant terns within their core nesting range has increased since removal of rodents from Isla Rasa; (2) Occurrence of vagrant elegant terns in the Pacific Northwest is driven by population growth within the core breeding range. (3) Occurrence of vagrant elegant terns at the east coast of the United States is driven by population growth within the core breeding range. (4) Occurrence and colonization of western Europe by elegant terns is driven by nesting population size within the core breeding range. Corollaries of these Hypotheses are, (i) that there is a time lag in occurrence of vagrants at each of these areas, based on increasing distance from the core breeding range and (ii) the number of vagrants in any given year is also related to sea surface temperature (SST), as expressed by Oceanic Niño Index, a proxy for food resource levels. Generally we found strong statistical support for each of these Hypotheses; an exception was for the occurrence of elegant terns in the Pacific Northwest, which initially occurred following El Niño events (low food supply) and profound breeding failure, but later corresponding to cold water years with high breeding success. We use elegant terns, exceptional for the highly restricted breeding range and sustained population growth over 25 years, to illustrate how growing populations may colonize very distant habitats through repeated instances of vagrancy.
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5
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Tate HM, Studholme KR, Domalik AD, Drever MC, Romero LM, Gormally BMG, Hobson KA, Hipfner JM, Crossin GT. Interannual measures of nutritional stress during a marine heatwave (the Blob) differ between two North Pacific seabird species. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2021; 9:coab090. [PMID: 34858598 PMCID: PMC8633633 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coab090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2021] [Revised: 08/10/2021] [Accepted: 11/05/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
'The Blob', a mass of anomalously warm water in the Northeast Pacific Ocean peaking from 2014 to 2016, caused a decrease in primary productivity with cascading effects on the marine ecosystem. Among the more obvious manifestations of the event were seabird breeding failures and mass mortality events. Here, we used corticosterone in breast feathers (fCort), grown in the winter period during migration, as an indicator of nutritional stress to investigate the impact of the Blob on two sentinel Pacific auk species (family Alcidae). Feathers were collected from breeding females over 8 years from 2010 to 2017, encompassing the Blob period. Since Pacific auks replace body feathers at sea during the migratory period, measures of fCort provide an accumulated measure of nutritional stress or allostatic load during this time. Changes in diet were also measured using δ15N and δ13C values from feathers. Relative to years prior to the Blob, the primarily zooplanktivorous Cassin's auklets (Ptychoramphus aleuticus) had elevated fCort in 2014-2017, which correlated with the occurrence of the Blob and a recovery period afterwards, with relatively stable feather isotope values. In contrast, generalist rhinoceros auklets (Cerorhinca monocerata) displayed stable fCort values across years and increased δ15N values during the Blob. As marine heatwaves increase in intensity and frequency due to climate change, this study provides insight into the variable response of Pacific auks to such phenomena and suggests a means for monitoring population-level responses to climatological variation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heidi M Tate
- Department of Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | | | - Alice D Domalik
- Wildlife Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Delta, British Columbia, Canada
- Centre for Wildlife Ecology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Mark C Drever
- Wildlife Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Delta, British Columbia, Canada
| | | | - Brenna M G Gormally
- Department of Biology, Tufts University, Medford, MA USA
- Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, Orange, CA USA
| | - Keith A Hobson
- Department of Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - J Mark Hipfner
- Wildlife Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Delta, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Glenn T Crossin
- Department of Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
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6
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Duda MP, Hargan KE, Michelutti N, Blais JM, Grooms C, Gilchrist HG, Mallory ML, Robertson GJ, Smol JP. Reconstructing Long-Term Changes in Avian Populations Using Lake Sediments: Opening a Window Onto the Past. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.698175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The lack of long-term monitoring data for many wildlife populations is a limiting factor in establishing meaningful and achievable conservation goals. Even for well-monitored species, time series are often very short relative to the timescales required to understand a population’s baseline conditions before the contemporary period of increased human impacts. To fill in this critical information gap, techniques have been developed to use sedimentary archives to provide insights into long-term population dynamics over timescales of decades to millennia. Lake and pond sediments receiving animal inputs (e.g., feces, feathers) typically preserve a record of ecological and environmental information that reflects past changes in population size and dynamics. With a focus on bird-related studies, we review the development and use of several paleolimnological proxies to reconstruct past colony sizes, including trace metals, isotopes, lipid biomolecules, diatoms, pollen and non-pollen palynomorphs, invertebrate sub-fossils, pigments, and others. We summarize how animal-influenced sediments, cored from around the world, have been successfully used in addressing some of the most challenging questions in conservation biology, namely: How dynamic are populations on long-term timescales? How may populations respond to climate change? How have populations responded to human intrusion? Finally, we conclude with an assessment of the current state of the field, challenges to overcome, and future potential for research.
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7
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Complex population structure of the Atlantic puffin revealed by whole genome analyses. Commun Biol 2021; 4:922. [PMID: 34326442 PMCID: PMC8322098 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-021-02415-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2020] [Accepted: 07/01/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The factors underlying gene flow and genomic population structure in vagile seabirds are notoriously difficult to understand due to their complex ecology with diverse dispersal barriers and extensive periods at sea. Yet, such understanding is vital for conservation management of seabirds that are globally declining at alarming rates. Here, we elucidate the population structure of the Atlantic puffin (Fratercula arctica) by assembling its reference genome and analyzing genome-wide resequencing data of 72 individuals from 12 colonies. We identify four large, genetically distinct clusters, observe isolation-by-distance between colonies within these clusters, and obtain evidence for a secondary contact zone. These observations disagree with the current taxonomy, and show that a complex set of contemporary biotic factors impede gene flow over different spatial scales. Our results highlight the power of whole genome data to reveal unexpected population structure in vagile marine seabirds and its value for seabird taxonomy, evolution and conservation.
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8
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Ben-Gigirey B, Soliño L, Bravo I, Rodríguez F, Casero MVM. Paralytic and Amnesic Shellfish Toxins Impacts on Seabirds, Analyses and Management. Toxins (Basel) 2021; 13:454. [PMID: 34209782 PMCID: PMC8309893 DOI: 10.3390/toxins13070454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2021] [Revised: 06/24/2021] [Accepted: 06/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Marine biotoxins have been frequently implicated in morbidity and mortality events in numerous species of birds worldwide. Nevertheless, their effects on seabirds have often been overlooked and the associated ecological impact has not been extensively studied. On top of that, the number of published studies confirming by analyses the presence of marine biotoxins from harmful algal blooms (HABs) in seabirds, although having increased in recent years, is still quite low. This review compiles information on studies evidencing the impact of HAB toxins on marine birds, with a special focus on the effects of paralytic and amnesic shellfish toxins (PSTs and ASTs). It is mainly centered on studies in which the presence of PSTs and/or ASTs in seabird samples was demonstrated through analyses. The analytical techniques commonly employed, the tissues selected and the adjustments done in protocols for processing seabird matrixes are summarized. Other topics covered include the role of different vectors in the seabird intoxications, information on clinical signs in birds affected by PSTs and ASTs, and multifactorial causes which could aggravate the syndromes. Close collaboration between seabird experts and marine biotoxins researchers is needed to identify and report the potential involvement of HABs and their toxins in the mortality events. Future studies on the PSTs and ASTs pharmacodynamics, together with the establishment of lethal doses in various seabird species, are also necessary. These studies would aid in the selection of the target organs for toxins analyses and in the postmortem intoxication diagnoses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Begoña Ben-Gigirey
- Centro Oceanográfico de Vigo (IEO, CSIC), 36390 Vigo, Spain; (L.S.); (I.B.); (F.R.)
| | - Lucía Soliño
- Centro Oceanográfico de Vigo (IEO, CSIC), 36390 Vigo, Spain; (L.S.); (I.B.); (F.R.)
| | - Isabel Bravo
- Centro Oceanográfico de Vigo (IEO, CSIC), 36390 Vigo, Spain; (L.S.); (I.B.); (F.R.)
| | - Francisco Rodríguez
- Centro Oceanográfico de Vigo (IEO, CSIC), 36390 Vigo, Spain; (L.S.); (I.B.); (F.R.)
| | - María V. M. Casero
- RIAS Wildlife Rehabilitation and Research Centre, Parque Natural da Ria Formosa, 8700-194 Olhão, Portugal;
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9
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Sydeman WJ, Schoeman DS, Thompson SA, Hoover BA, García-Reyes M, Daunt F, Agnew P, Anker-Nilssen T, Barbraud C, Barrett R, Becker PH, Bell E, Boersma PD, Bouwhuis S, Cannell B, Crawford RJM, Dann P, Delord K, Elliott G, Erikstad KE, Flint E, Furness RW, Harris MP, Hatch S, Hilwig K, Hinke JT, Jahncke J, Mills JA, Reiertsen TK, Renner H, Sherley RB, Surman C, Taylor G, Thayer JA, Trathan PN, Velarde E, Walker K, Wanless S, Warzybok P, Watanuki Y. Hemispheric asymmetry in ocean change and the productivity of ecosystem sentinels. Science 2021; 372:980-983. [PMID: 34045354 DOI: 10.1126/science.abf1772] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2020] [Accepted: 04/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Climate change and other human activities are causing profound effects on marine ecosystem productivity. We show that the breeding success of seabirds is tracking hemispheric differences in ocean warming and human impacts, with the strongest effects on fish-eating, surface-foraging species in the north. Hemispheric asymmetry suggests the need for ocean management at hemispheric scales. For the north, tactical, climate-based recovery plans for forage fish resources are needed to recover seabird breeding productivity. In the south, lower-magnitude change in seabird productivity presents opportunities for strategic management approaches such as large marine protected areas to sustain food webs and maintain predator productivity. Global monitoring of seabird productivity enables the detection of ecosystem change in remote regions and contributes to our understanding of marine climate impacts on ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - D S Schoeman
- Global-Change Ecology Research Group, School of Science, Technology and Engineering, University of the Sunshine Coast, Sippy Downs, Queensland, Australia.,Centre for African Conservation Ecology, Department of Zoology, Nelson Mandela University, Gqeberha, South Africa
| | | | | | | | - F Daunt
- UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Bush Estate, Penicuik, Midlothian, UK
| | - P Agnew
- Oamaru Blue Penguin Colony, Oamaru, New Zealand
| | - T Anker-Nilssen
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), Trondheim, Norway
| | - C Barbraud
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, CNRS UMR7372, Villiers en Bois, France
| | - R Barrett
- UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
| | - P H Becker
- Institute of Avian Research, Wilhelmshaven, Germany
| | - E Bell
- Wildlife Management International, Blenheim, New Zealand
| | - P D Boersma
- Center for Ecosystem Sentinels, Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - S Bouwhuis
- Institute of Avian Research, Wilhelmshaven, Germany
| | - B Cannell
- Murdoch University, Murdoch, Western Australia, and University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia
| | - R J M Crawford
- Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - P Dann
- Phillip Island Nature Parks, Cowes, Victoria, Australia
| | - K Delord
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, CNRS UMR7372, Villiers en Bois, France
| | - G Elliott
- New Zealand Department of Conservation, Wellington, New Zealand
| | - K E Erikstad
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), FRAM Centre, Tromsø, Norway and Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics (CBD), Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway
| | - E Flint
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Honolulu, HI, USA
| | - R W Furness
- University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland, UK
| | - M P Harris
- UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Bush Estate, Penicuik, Midlothian, UK
| | - S Hatch
- Institute for Seabird Research and Conservation, Anchorage, AK, USA
| | - K Hilwig
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Anchorage, AK, USA
| | - J T Hinke
- Antarctic Ecosystem Research Division, Southwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - J Jahncke
- Point Blue Conservation Science, Petaluma, CA, USA
| | | | - T K Reiertsen
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), FRAM Centre, Tromsø, Norway
| | - H Renner
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Anchorage, AK, USA
| | - R B Sherley
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Cornwall, UK
| | - C Surman
- Halfmoon Biosciences, Ocean Beach, Western Australia, Australia
| | - G Taylor
- New Zealand Department of Conservation, Wellington, New Zealand
| | | | | | - E Velarde
- Universidad Veracruzana, Veracruz, Mexico
| | - K Walker
- New Zealand Department of Conservation, Wellington, New Zealand
| | - S Wanless
- UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Bush Estate, Penicuik, Midlothian, UK
| | - P Warzybok
- Point Blue Conservation Science, Petaluma, CA, USA
| | - Y Watanuki
- Hokkaido University, Hakodate, Hokkaido, Japan
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10
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Krug DM, Frith R, Wong SNP, Ronconi RA, Wilhelm SI, O'Driscoll NJ, Mallory ML. Marine pollution in fledged Leach's storm-petrels (Hydrobates leucorhous) from Baccalieu Island, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2021; 162:111842. [PMID: 33203602 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2020.111842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2020] [Revised: 10/27/2020] [Accepted: 11/11/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The Leach's storm-petrel (Hydrobates leucorhous) is one of the most abundant and widely distributed marine birds in the North Atlantic but is under global population decline, possibly linked to marine pollution. We determined levels of ingested plastic and hepatic total mercury (THg) in recently fledged juveniles that stranded in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, and assessed the relationship to body condition, size and diet. Plastic prevalence was high (87.5%) but hepatic THg was relatively low (mean 486.7 ng/g dry weight) compared to other studies. Levels of neither pollutant were significantly related to body metrics of health. Our data confirm that plastic and mercury are pervasive in the western North Atlantic Ocean, prominent even in young birds.
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Affiliation(s)
- David M Krug
- Department of Biology, Dalhousie University, 1355 Oxford St., Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Rhyl Frith
- Department of Biology, Dalhousie University, 1355 Oxford St., Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Sarah N P Wong
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Wildlife Service, 45 Alderney Drive, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia B2Y 2N6, Canada
| | - Robert A Ronconi
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Wildlife Service, 45 Alderney Drive, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia B2Y 2N6, Canada
| | - Sabina I Wilhelm
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Wildlife Service, 6 Bruce Street, Mount Pearl, Newfoundland A1N 4T3, Canada
| | - Nelson J O'Driscoll
- Department of Earth and Environmental Science, Acadia University, 15 University Drive, Wolfville, Nova Scotia B40 2R6, Canada
| | - Mark L Mallory
- Department of Biology, Acadia University, 15 University Drive, Wolfville, Nova Scotia B4P 2R6, Canada.
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Monier SA, Veit RR, Manne LL. Changes in positive associations among vertebrate predators at South Georgia during winter. Polar Biol 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s00300-020-02720-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
AbstractWe studied positive associations among seabirds and marine mammals at South Georgia on research cruises during the Austral winters of 1985, 1991 and 1993 and found statistically significant differences. We collected data on abundance and distribution, providing a critical reference for sub-Antarctic conservation in anticipation of future environmental changes. We found significant changes in the abundance of 29% of species surveyed and a consequent change in species diversity. We postulate that the resulting altered community composition may have previously unanticipated population effects on the component species, due to changes in positive interactions among species which use each other as cues to the presence of prey. We found a near threefold reduction in spatial overlap among vertebrate predators, associated with warming sea temperatures. As the strength and opportunity for positive associations decreases in the future, feeding success may be negatively impacted. In this way, environmental changes may disproportionately impact predator abundances and such changes are likely already underway, as Southern Ocean temperatures have increased substantially since our surveys. Of course the changes we describe are not solely due to changing sea temperature or any other single cause—many factors are important and we do not claim to have removed these from consideration. Rather, we report previously undocumented changes in positive associations among species, and argue these changes may continue into the future, given near-certain continued increases in climate-related changes.
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