Search

Your search keyword '"Kim L. Stevens"' showing total 12 results
Start Over Author "Kim L. Stevens"
12 results on '"Kim L. Stevens"'

1. Foraging in a dynamic environment: Response of four sympatric sub‐Antarctic albatross species to interannual environmental variability

Author

Tegan Carpenter‐Kling, Ryan R. Reisinger, Florian Orgeret, Maëlle Connan, Kim L. Stevens, Peter G. Ryan, Azwianewi Makhado, and Pierre A. Pistorius

Subjects
behavioral plasticity, biologging, central place foragers, marine predators, resilience, Southern Annual Mode, Ecology, QH540-549.5
Abstract

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.

Published
2020
Full Text
View/download PDF

2. Molecular characterization and lesions associated with Diomedenema diomedeae (Aproctoidea: Desmidocercidae) from grey-headed albatrosses (Thalassarche chrysostoma) on Subantarctic Marion Island

Author

Ralph E.T. Vanstreels, Michael J. Yabsley, Liandrie Swanepoel, Kim L. Stevens, Tegan Carpenter-Kling, Peter G. Ryan, and Pierre A. Pistorius

Subjects
Zoology, QL1-991
Abstract

The Prince Edward Islands are Subantarctic islands in the southwest Indian Ocean that are of global importance as seabird nesting sites, and are breeding grounds for five species of albatrosses (Procellariiformes: Diomedeidae). In March–April 2016 numerous chicks of one of these species, the grey-headed albatross (Thalassarche chrysostoma), were found dead at colonies on Marion Island (46°57′S 37°42′E), the larger of the two Prince Edward Islands. Affected chicks were weak, prostrated, apathetic, had drooping wings, and many eventually died while sitting on the nest. Five carcasses were necropsied, and samples were obtained for pathological and parasitological analysis. Four chicks appeared to have died from starvation, and one died due to air-sac helminthiasis, with extensive hemorrhage in the air sacs and multifocal pyogranulomatous air-sacculitis. The air sac parasites were identified as Diomedenema diomedeae (Aproctoidea: Desmidocercidae). Phylogenetic analysis of the nuclear 18S rRNA gene and mitochondrial COI gene confirmed that D. diomedeae belongs to the suborder Spirurina and showed that it is most closely related to the Diplotriaenidae (superfamily Diplotriaenoidea), a family of parasites that infect the air sacs and subcutaneous tissues of a variety of bird species. To our knowledge this is the first record of the occurrence of a nematode in the respiratory tract of an albatross and the first study to provide DNA sequences for a species of the superfamily Aproctoidea. Keywords: Air sac, Mortality, Nematoda, Respiratory, Seabird, Subantarctic

Published
2018
Full Text
View/download PDF

3. Detections of house mice on Gough Island approach zero within days of aerial baiting

Author

Araceli Samaniego, Kim L. Stevens, Vonica Perold, Steffen Oppel, and Pete McClelland

Subjects
Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law, Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
Abstract

Context House mice (Mus musculus) on temperate Gough Island (6500 ha) are known for their large size, boldness, and tendency to kill large prey such as albatross chicks and even adults. To remove this threat, a mouse eradication operation was implemented in June–August 2021. How mice react to bait during eradications is not well understood, so we capitalised on this operation and conducted the first study with wild house mice during an actual eradication. Aim To document how rapidly mouse activity declined after application of rodent bait, to improve eradication guidelines. Methods We set up a monthly monitoring regime using 10 trail cameras without lures, active for three nights in various habitats around a research station, because this area supported the highest abundance of mice and was logistically feasible. Monitoring commenced before the mouse eradication operation (January–May 2021), and continued when rodent bait was spread (from June 2021), when mouse activity was monitored for 17 consecutive nights, starting the day before baiting. In addition, an increasing number of cameras (up to 15) associated with lures were set further afield in July–August to detect survivors. Key results In the months before bait application, mean daily mouse activity was 3.2 detections/camera (range: 0–56 detections/camera). Immediately after the first bait application, detection rates declined dramatically, from 9.6 to zero detections/camera per day on Day 4 post-baiting. From 1 week post-baiting, mouse detections were extremely rare on both cameras with and without lures. Our last mouse record, 27 days after the first bait application, may be related to initial rapid bait disappearance. Opportunistic camera traps first detected surviving mice 6 months after the first bait drop. Conclusions The rapid decline in detections suggests that most mice consumed bait as soon as it became available, which is faster than what laboratory trials suggest. Future similar operations can expect that mouse activity will decline sharply within 1 week, although some mice may survive longer. Implications Documenting similar declines in mouse activity using cameras could inform operational decisions such as timing of a second bait application or non-target monitoring on future eradication projects. Cameras, particularly with attractive lures, are an effective addition to the mouse detection toolkit, and facilitated a timely confirmation of eradication outcome.

Published
2022

4. Habitat model forecasts suggest potential redistribution of marine predators in the southern Indian Ocean

Author

Stefan Schoombie, Delia Davies, Stephen P. Kirkman, Stuart Corney, Mia Wege, Ari S. Friedlaender, Ben Raymond, Cédric Cotté, P J Nico de Bruyn, Michael D. Sumner, Kim L. Stevens, Amanda T. Lombard, Ben J. Dilley, Yan Ropert-Coudert, T. Otto Whitehead, Marthán N Bester, Pierre A. Pistorius, Cheryl Ann Tosh, Ryan R. Reisinger, Mark A. Hindell, Robert J. M. Crawford, Peter G. Ryan, Simon Wotherspoon, Azwianewi B. Makhado, School of Ocean and Earth Sciences, National Oceanography Centre, University of Southampton, Institute for Marine Sciences [California, USA], University of California [Santa Cruz] (UCSC), University of California-University of California, Centre d'Études Biologiques de Chizé - UMR 7372 (CEBC), Université de La Rochelle (ULR)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE), Laboratoire d'Océanographie et du Climat : Expérimentations et Approches Numériques (LOCEAN), Institut Pierre-Simon-Laplace (IPSL (FR_636)), École normale supérieure - Paris (ENS Paris), Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (UVSQ)-Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-École polytechnique (X)-Centre National d'Études Spatiales [Toulouse] (CNES)-Sorbonne Université (SU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université de Paris (UP)-École normale supérieure - Paris (ENS Paris), Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (UVSQ)-Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-École polytechnique (X)-Centre National d'Études Spatiales [Toulouse] (CNES)-Sorbonne Université (SU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université de Paris (UP)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Sorbonne Université (SU), Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies and Centre for Marine Socioecology, University of Tasmania [Hobart, Australia] (UTAS), Institute for Coastal Marine Research (CMR), Nelson Mandela University, Department of Zoology and Entomology [Pretoria], University of Pretoria [South Africa], Fisheries Research and Development, Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, DST/NRF Centre of Excellence - Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology [South Africa], Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University [Port Elizabeth, South Africa], Australian Antarctic Division, Department of Agriculture [Australia], Australian Antarctic Division, Kingston, Tasmania, 7050, Australia, Research Office, Faculty of Health Sciences [South Africa], Processus et interactions de fine échelle océanique (PROTEO), Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (UVSQ)-Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-École polytechnique (X)-Centre National d'Études Spatiales [Toulouse] (CNES)-Sorbonne Université (SU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université de Paris (UP)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Sorbonne Université (SU)-Institut Pierre-Simon-Laplace (IPSL (FR_636)), Institute for Coastal and Marine Research and Department of Zoology [South Africa], University of California [Santa Cruz] (UC Santa Cruz), University of California (UC)-University of California (UC), La Rochelle Université (ULR)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Sorbonne Université (SU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut Pierre-Simon-Laplace (IPSL (FR_636)), École normale supérieure - Paris (ENS-PSL), Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (UVSQ)-Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-École polytechnique (X)-Centre National d'Études Spatiales [Toulouse] (CNES)-Sorbonne Université (SU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université Paris Cité (UPCité)-École normale supérieure - Paris (ENS-PSL), Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (UVSQ)-Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-École polytechnique (X)-Centre National d'Études Spatiales [Toulouse] (CNES)-Sorbonne Université (SU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université Paris Cité (UPCité), Nelson Mandela University [Port Elizabeth], and Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (UVSQ)-Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-École polytechnique (X)-Centre National d'Études Spatiales [Toulouse] (CNES)-Sorbonne Université (SU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université Paris Cité (UPCité)-Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Sorbonne Université (SU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut Pierre-Simon-Laplace (IPSL (FR_636))

Subjects
0106 biological sciences, 010504 meteorology & atmospheric sciences, Climate change, projection, 010603 evolutionary biology, 01 natural sciences, Predation, distribution, 14. Life underwater, Southern Ocean, marine mammals, Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics, 0105 earth and related environmental sciences, Ecology, Redistribution (cultural anthropology), prediction, 15. Life on land, Indian ocean, Oceanography, climate change, Habitat, 13. Climate action, [SDU]Sciences of the Universe [physics], [SDE]Environmental Sciences, Environmental science, seabirds
Abstract

Aim: Climate change will likely lead to a significant redistribution of biodiversity in marine ecosystems. We examine the potential redistribution of a community of marine predators by comparing current and future habitat distribution projections. We examine relative changes among species, indicative of potential future community-level changes and consider potential consequences of these changes for conservation and management. Location: Southern Indian Ocean. Methods: We used tracking data from 14 species (10 seabirds, 3 seals and 1 cetacean, totalling 538 tracks) to model the habitat selection of predators around the Prince Edward Islands. Using random forest classifiers, we modelled habitat selection as a response to a static environmental covariate and nine dynamic environmental covariates obtained from eight IPCC-class climate models. To project the potential distribution of the predators in 2071–2100, we used climate model outputs assuming two greenhouse gas emission scenarios: RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5.Results: Analogous climates are projected to predominantly shift to the southeast and southwest. Species’ potential range shifts varied in direction and magnitude, but overall shifted slightly to the southwest. Despite the variable shifts among species, current species co-occurrence patterns and future projections were statistically similar. Our projections show that at least some important habitats will shift out of national waters and marine protected areas by 2100, but important habitat area will increase in the Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources Area. Predicted areas of common use among predators decreased north of the islands and increased to the south, suggesting that multiple predator species may use southerly habitats more intensively in the future. Consequently, Southern Ocean management authorities could implement conservation actions to partially offset these shifts. Main conclusions: Overall, we predict that marine predator biodiversity in the southern Indian Ocean will be redistributed, with ecological, conservation and management implications.

Published
2022

5. Front Cover

Author

Ryan R. Reisinger, Stuart Corney, Ben Raymond, Amanda T. Lombard, Marthán N. Bester, Robert J. M. Crawford, Delia Davies, P. J. Nico Bruyn, Ben J. Dilley, Stephen P. Kirkman, Azwianewi B. Makhado, Peter G. Ryan, Stefan Schoombie, Kim L. Stevens, Cheryl A. Tosh, Mia Wege, T. Otto Whitehead, Michael D. Sumner, Simon Wotherspoon, Ari S. Friedlaender, Cedric Cotté, Mark A. Hindell, Yan Ropert‐Coudert, and Pierre A. Pistorius

Subjects
Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
Published
2021

6. Automated extraction of bank angles from bird‐borne video footage using open‐source software

Author

Janine Schoombie, Stefan Schoombie, Christiaan W. Brink, Christopher W. Jones, Peter G. Ryan, Michelle M. Risi, and Kim L. Stevens

Subjects
Computer science, business.industry, Canny edge detector, Computer vision, Extraction (military), Open source software, Artificial intelligence, Python (programming language), business, computer, Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics, computer.programming_language
Published
2019

7. Global political responsibility for the conservation of albatrosses and large petrels

Author

Scott A. Shaffer, Steffen Oppel, April Hedd, Henri Weimerskirch, Benjamin Metzger, John P. Y. Arnould, Richard J. Cuthbert, Martin Beal, José Pedro Granadeiro, Christopher J. R. Robertson, José Manuel Reyes-González, Lorna Deppe, Paul M. Sagar, Valentina Colodro, William A. Montevecchi, Carolina Hazin, Matthieu Le Corre, Mark Carey, Flavio Quintana, Richard A. Phillips, Jill A. Awkerman, Michelle Antolos, José Manuel Arcos, Susan M. Waugh, Christopher A. Surman, Daniel Oro, Elizabeth J. Pearmain, Jaimie Cleeland, Leia Navarro-Herrero, Tim Reid, Karine Delord, Zuzana Zajková, Virginia Morera-Pujol, Manuela G. Forero, Vikash Tatayah, D. G. Nicholls, Takashi Yamamoto, Graeme A. Taylor, Peter Hodum, Audrey Jaeger, Ryan D. Carle, Herculano Andrade Dinis, Robert M. Suryan, David R. Thompson, Ridha Ouni, R. Paul Scofield, Kiyoaki Ozaki, Amanda N. D. Freeman, Elizabeth A. Bell, Ross M. Wanless, José Manuel Igual, Graham Robertson, Kim L. Stevens, Javier Arata, Todd J. Landers, Jonathan J. Felis, Josh Adams, Deon Nel, David J. Anderson, Ben J. Dilley, Paulo Catry, Fumio Sato, Teresa Militão, Michael A. Bell, Mohamed Salah Romdhane, Akinori Takahashi, Raül Ramos, Peter G. Ryan, Nirmal Shah, Kath Walker, Stefan Schoombie, Marta Cruz-Flores, Akira Fukuda, Thomas A. Clay, Fernanda De Felipe, Graeme Elliott, Jacob González-Solís, Laura Zango, Leigh G. Torres, Maria P. Dias, Azwianewi B. Makhado, Melinda G. Conners, European Commission, National Science Foundation (US), Universidad de Barcelona, Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia (España), Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (España), Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (España), Generalitat de Catalunya, Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre [Portugal] (MARE), Instituto Universitário de Ciências Psicológicas, Sociais e da Vida = University Institute of Psychological, Social and Life Sciences (ISPA), BirdLife International, British Antarctic Survey (BAS), Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, Western Ecological Research Center, Wake Forest University, Oregon State University (OSU), SEO/BirdLife, Deakin University [Burwood], U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Wildlife Management International Limited, La Trobe University, Oikonos Ecosysteme Knowledge [Chile], University of Liverpool, DST/NRF Centre of Excellence at the Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Oikonos Ecosystem Knowledge [Chile], University of California [Santa Cruz] (UC Santa Cruz), University of California (UC), Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat - Biodiversity Research Institute [Barcelona, Spain] (IRBio UB), Universitat de Barcelona (UB), World Land Trust, Centre d'Études Biologiques de Chizé - UMR 7372 (CEBC), La Rochelle Université (ULR)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE), The Hutton’s Shearwater Charitable Trust, Associação Projecto Vitó, New Zealand Department of Conservation (DOC), DoC, CSIC, EBD, E-41080 Seville, Spain, Partenaires INRAE, Nature North, University of Shizuoka, Universidade de Lisboa = University of Lisbon (ULISBOA), Environment and Climate Change Canada, University of Puget Sound, Institut Mediterrani d'Estudis Avancats (IMEDEA), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas [Madrid] (CSIC)-Universidad de las Islas Baleares (UIB), Ecologie marine tropicale dans les Océans Pacifique et Indien (ENTROPIE [Réunion]), Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Université de La Réunion (UR)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), University of Auckland [Auckland], Auckland Museum, Auckland Council, Department of Environment, Agriculture and Fisheries [South Africa] (Oceans and Coasts), BirdLife [Malta], Memorial University of Newfoundland = Université Memorial de Terre-Neuve [St. John's, Canada] (MUN), WWF-Netherlands, Chisholm Institute, Centre d'Estudis Avançats de Blanes (CEAB), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas [Madrid] (CSIC), Faculté des Sciences Mathématiques, Physiques et Naturelles de Tunis (FST), Université de Tunis El Manar (UTM), Yamashina Institute for Ornithology, Instituto de Biología de Organismos Marinos [Chubut] (IBIOMAR), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas [Buenos Aires] (CONICET), University of Tasmania [Hobart, Australia] (UTAS), Wild Press, Institut National Agronomique de Tunisie, National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research [Christchurch] (NIWA), Canterbury Museum, San Jose State University [San Jose] (SJSU), Nature Seychelles, Halfmoon Biosciences, National Institute of Polar Research [Tokyo] (NiPR), Mauritian Wildlife Foundation, National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research [Wellington] (NIWA), National Taiwan Ocean University (NTOU), Office of the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment, Meiji Institute for Advanced Study of Mathematical Sciences (MIMS), Meiji University [Tokyo], Instituto Universitário de Ciências Psicológicas, Sociais e da Vida (ISPA), University of California [Santa Cruz] (UCSC), University of California, Université de La Rochelle (ULR)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE), Universidade de Lisboa (ULISBOA), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université de La Réunion (UR)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), Memorial University of Newfoundland [St. John's], San Jose State University [San José] (SJSU), and Meiji university

Subjects
0106 biological sciences, seabird, Environmental management, Science Policy, Population, Fishing, Biodiversity, Biodiversity conservation, 010603 evolutionary biology, 01 natural sciences, Politics, tracking data, Ocells marins, 14. Life underwater, education, Applied Ecology, Research Articles, education.field_of_study, Multidisciplinary, 010604 marine biology & hydrobiology, conservation, SciAdv r-articles, Gestió ambiental, Sea birds, 15. Life on land, [SDE.ES]Environmental Sciences/Environmental and Society, Fishery, Geography, International waters, Work (electrical), 13. Climate action, Threatened species, high seas, Conservació de la diversitat biològica, Fisheries management, ecology, [SDE.BE]Environmental Sciences/Biodiversity and Ecology, Research Article
Abstract

Migratory marine species cross political borders and enter the high seas, where the lack of an effective global management framework for biodiversity leaves them vulnerable to threats. Here, we combine 10,108 tracks from 5775 individual birds at 87 sites with data on breeding population sizes to estimate the relative year-round importance of national jurisdictions and high seas areas for 39 species of albatrosses and large petrels. Populations from every country made extensive use of the high seas, indicating the stake each country has in the management of biodiversity in international waters. We quantified the links among national populations of these threatened seabirds and the regional fisheries management organizations (RFMOs) which regulate fishing in the high seas. This work makes explicit the relative responsibilities that each country and RFMO has for the management of shared biodiversity, providing invaluable information for the conservation and management of migratory species in the marine realm., This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement no. 766417. Research made possible with the support, permissions, and funding granted by the following organizations, institutions, and grant agreements: Marine Conservation Program of DPIPWE Tasmania; American Bird Conservancy; Bureau of Ocean Energy Management; communities of Isla Mocha and Islas Juan Fernández; Corporación Nacional Forestal and Servicio Agrícola y Ganadería (Chile); Environment Canada; the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation; the National Geographic Society; ProDelphinus; and the Wallis Foundation; NSF grants DEB 9304579, DEB 9629539, DEB9806606, DEB0235818, and DEB 0842199 to D.J.A.; the National Geographic Society; the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; U.S. Geological Survey Ecosystems Mission Area, Wake Forest University; Max-Planck Society and State of Baden-Wuerttemberg Innovation funding; Colorado State University International Programs; Swiss Friends of Galapagos; the International Center for Tropical Ecology at University of Missouri-St. Louis; the Instituto Antartico Chileno (INACH) and the Australian Antarctic Division (AAD); LIFE “Marine IBAs IN Spain” (LIFE04NAT/ES/000049, 2004-2009) and LIFE+ INDEMARES (2009-2014); Sea World Research and Rescue Foundation Inc.; Holsworth Wildlife Research Endowment; and Winifred Violet Scott Trust; FCT-Portugal through projects (UIDB/04292/2020 and UIDP/04292/2020 and UIDP/50017/2020 and UIDB/50017/2020, granted to MARE and CESAM, respectively); the Falklands Islands Government; Natural Environmental Research Council (NERC) core funding to British Antarctic Survey Ecosystems Programme and Official Development Assistance Atlantic Islands project (NE/ R000 107/1); the New Zealand Department of Conservation; Ministry for Primary Industries; Ngāti Rehua Ngāti Wai ki Aotea; Falklands Island Conservation; University of Barcelona (APIF/2015, to M.C.-F.); the French Polar Institute (program IPEV n°109 to H.W.); Réserve Naturelle Nationale des Terres Australes Françaises; and the Zones Atelier Antarctique (LTSER France, CNRS-INEE); European funds through the European Commission Training and Mobility of Researchers Programme (ERBFMBICT983030); Spanish funds through the Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnología (REN2002-01164/GLO), Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia (CGL2006-01315/BOS), Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (CGL2009-11278/BOS), and Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (CGL2013-42585-P); Catalan funds through the Generalitat de Catalunya (2001SGR00091); and additional funding from SEO/BirdLife (programa Migra & proyecto LIFE+ Indemares), Fundación Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria (BIOCON04/099) and Fundación Biodiversidad (18PCA4328, 2012-2013); NSERC Discovery Grant and Government of Canada’s Program for International Polar Year to W.A.M.; and an ACAP AC Grant in 2013-14, predoctoral contract BES-2017-079874 of the Spanish Ministerio de Industria, Economía y Competitividad (to L.N.-H.); Spanish Foundation for Biodiversity and Spanish Ministry of Science grant ref. CGL2013-42203-R; the Pew Environment Group via the Pew Fellowship Award in Marine Conservation (to M.L.C.); National Research Foundation; South Africa and Oceans and Coasts; Department of Environment, Agriculture and Fisheries; Malta Seabird Project (LIFE10NAT/MT/090) co-funded by the LIFE program of the European Commission and the Maltese Ministry for the Environment, Sustainable Development and Climate Change, in partnership with the Royal Society for the Protection of Bird and the Portuguese Society for the Study of Birds; predoctoral contract BES-2014-068025 of the Spanish Ministerio de Industria, Economía y Competitividad (to V.M.-P.); Scientific Expert PIM initiative (Petites Iles de Méditerranée); the PIM initiative (Petites Iles de Méditerranée); the Tunisian Coastal Protection and Planning Agency (APAL); Ministry of the Environment, Japan; Funding by Fundación Ecocentro, Argentina; Wildlife Conservation Society, USA; and Ministerio de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación, Argentina; Centro Nacional Patagónico (CONICET), postdoctoral contracts by Beatriu de Pinós (2010-BP_A-00173), Juan de la Cierva (JCI-2009-05426), PLEAMAR (2017/2349), and Ramón y Cajal (RYC-2017-22055) programme (to R.R.); Seventh Framework Programme (Research Executive Agency of the European Commission, 618841, FP7-PEOPLE-2013-CIG); Fondation Total pour la Biodiversité (project: Trophic ecology and impacts of bycatch on the avifauna communities of Zembra archipelago); Agence de Protection et d’Aménagement du Littoral (APAL-Tunisia); Killam Postdoctoral fellowship from Dalhousie University; South African National Antarctic Programme; ACAP; Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument; NOAA; Japan Society for the Promotion of Science Kakenhi grant 19651100 and 15H02857; National Parks and Conservation Service (Mauritius) (to M.L.C.); IPEV Prog 109; and NASA. The use of trade, product, or firm names in this publication is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. government. The scientific results and conclusions, as well as any views or opinions expressed herein, are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the NOAA or the Department of Commerce. This communication reflects only the authors’ view, and the Research Executive Agency of the European Union is not responsible for any use that may be made of the information it contains. Z.Z. acknowledges funding from a predoctoral grant (APIF/2012) from the University of Barcelona. J.Ad. acknowledges funding from the U.S. Geological Survey Ecosystems Mission Area, U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Pacific OCS Region.

Published
2021

8. Foraging in a dynamic environment: Response of four sympatric sub-Antarctic albatross species to interannual environmental variability

Author

Maëlle Connan, Peter G. Ryan, Ryan R. Reisinger, Tegan Carpenter-Kling, Pierre A. Pistorius, Florian Orgeret, Kim L. Stevens, Azwianewi B. Makhado, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University [Port Elizabeth, South Africa], Centre d'Études Biologiques de Chizé - UMR 7372 (CEBC), Université de La Rochelle (ULR)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE), Processus et interactions de fine échelle océanique (PROTEO), Laboratoire d'Océanographie et du Climat : Expérimentations et Approches Numériques (LOCEAN), Institut Pierre-Simon-Laplace (IPSL (FR_636)), École normale supérieure - Paris (ENS Paris), Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (UVSQ)-Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-École polytechnique (X)-Centre National d'Études Spatiales [Toulouse] (CNES)-Sorbonne Université (SU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université de Paris (UP)-École normale supérieure - Paris (ENS Paris), Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (UVSQ)-Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-École polytechnique (X)-Centre National d'Études Spatiales [Toulouse] (CNES)-Sorbonne Université (SU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université de Paris (UP)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Sorbonne Université (SU)-Institut Pierre-Simon-Laplace (IPSL (FR_636)), Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (UVSQ)-Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-École polytechnique (X)-Centre National d'Études Spatiales [Toulouse] (CNES)-Sorbonne Université (SU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université de Paris (UP)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Sorbonne Université (SU), University of Cape Town, Nelson Mandela University [Port Elizabeth], La Rochelle Université (ULR)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Sorbonne Université (SU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut Pierre-Simon-Laplace (IPSL (FR_636)), École normale supérieure - Paris (ENS-PSL), Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (UVSQ)-Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-École polytechnique (X)-Centre National d'Études Spatiales [Toulouse] (CNES)-Sorbonne Université (SU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université Paris Cité (UPCité)-École normale supérieure - Paris (ENS-PSL), Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (UVSQ)-Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-École polytechnique (X)-Centre National d'Études Spatiales [Toulouse] (CNES)-Sorbonne Université (SU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université Paris Cité (UPCité)-Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Sorbonne Université (SU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut Pierre-Simon-Laplace (IPSL (FR_636)), and Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (UVSQ)-Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-École polytechnique (X)-Centre National d'Études Spatiales [Toulouse] (CNES)-Sorbonne Université (SU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université Paris Cité (UPCité)

Subjects
0106 biological sciences, Range (biology), central place foragers, Population, Foraging, Climate change, Albatross, Generalist and specialist species, 010603 evolutionary biology, 01 natural sciences, behavioral plasticity, Phoebetria, 03 medical and health sciences, biologging, Southern Annual Mode, marine predators, [SDV.BA.ZV]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Animal biology/Vertebrate Zoology, 14. Life underwater, education, resilience, Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics, QH540-549.5, 030304 developmental biology, Nature and Landscape Conservation, Original Research, 0303 health sciences, education.field_of_study, biology, Ecology, 15. Life on land, biology.organism_classification, Habitat, 13. Climate action, [SDE.BE]Environmental Sciences/Biodiversity and Ecology
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., Anomalous climatic events change the predictability of resource distributions; this can have detrimental effects on species foraging efficiency and subsequently their population health. By analyzing GPS tracks of four species of albatross over three years characterized by pronounced climatic variability, we show that these albatrosses cope with variability within their environments using different foraging strategies. This is an encouraging finding as it indicates possible resilience of these species to climate change.

Published
2020

9. A framework for mapping the distribution of seabirds by integrating tracking, demography and phenology

Author

Elizabeth J. Pearmain, Leigh G. Torres, Azwianewi B. Makhado, Peter G. Ryan, Jaimie Cleeland, Jacob González-Solís, Paul M. Sagar, David Grémillet, Andrew Stanworth, Amanda N. D. Freeman, Yvan Richard, Lorna Deppe, David R. Thompson, Maria P. Dias, R. Paul Scofield, Todd J. Landers, Edward R. Abraham, Susan M. Waugh, Anne-Sophie Bonnet-Lebrun, Ross M. Wanless, Kath Walker, Richard A. Phillips, Leandro Bugoni, Philip N. Trathan, Kalinka Rexer-Huber, Henri Weimerskirch, Cleo Small, Letizia Campioni, Christopher J. R. Robertson, Paulo Catry, Deon Nel, Joel Rice, Jean-Claude Stahl, John P. Y. Arnould, Ana P. B. Carneiro, Ben J. Dilley, Thomas A. Clay, D. G. Nicholls, Kim L. Stevens, Javier Arata, Graeme Elliott, Tammy E. Davies, Elizabeth A. Bell, Steffen Oppel, Jonathan Handley, José Pedro Granadeiro, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia (FCT NOVA), Universidade Nova de Lisboa (NOVA), Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, Université Panthéon-Sorbonne (UP1), British Antarctic Survey (BAS), Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, University of Cape Town-DST-NRF Centre of Excellence, Wake Forest University, DST/NRF Centre of Excellence at the Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, BirdLife International, Instituto Antartico Chileno, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University [Burwood], Faculty of Biomedical and Life Sciences, Graham Kerr Building, University of Glasgow, Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre [Portugal] (MARE), Instituto Universitário de Ciências Psicológicas, Sociais e da Vida (ISPA), MARE – Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre [Portugal], Instituto Universitário [Portugal], Xénobiotiques, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA)-Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire de Toulouse (ENVT), Institut National Polytechnique (Toulouse) (Toulouse INP), Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Institut National Polytechnique (Toulouse) (Toulouse INP), Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées, CESAM, Museu Nacional de Historia Natural, Centre d’Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive (CEFE), Université Paul-Valéry - Montpellier 3 (UM3)-Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA)-Centre international d'études supérieures en sciences agronomiques (Montpellier SupAgro)-École pratique des hautes études (EPHE)-Université de Montpellier (UM)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD [France-Sud])-Institut national d’études supérieures agronomiques de Montpellier (Montpellier SupAgro), Department of Zoology, University of Otago [Dunedin, Nouvelle-Zélande], School of Chemistry University of Birmingham, University of Birmingham [Birmingham], National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, National Institute of Water, Falklands Conservation, Royal Veterinary College [London], University of London [London], Natural Environment Research Council - British Antarctic Survey [Cambridge, UK], British Antarctic Survey NERC [UK], Department of Chemistry and Applied Science, College of William and Mary [Williamsburg] (WM), Centre d'études biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia = School of Science & Technology (FCT NOVA), Universidade Nova de Lisboa = NOVA University Lisbon (NOVA), Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne (UP1), Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire de Toulouse (ENVT), Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA), Centro de Estudos do Ambiente e do Mar (CESAM), Universidade de Lisboa (ULISBOA), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université de Montpellier (UM)-École pratique des hautes études (EPHE), Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Centre international d'études supérieures en sciences agronomiques (Montpellier SupAgro)-Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA)-Université Paul-Valéry - Montpellier 3 (UPVM)-Institut national d’études supérieures agronomiques de Montpellier (Montpellier SupAgro), Institut national d'enseignement supérieur pour l'agriculture, l'alimentation et l'environnement (Institut Agro)-Institut national d'enseignement supérieur pour l'agriculture, l'alimentation et l'environnement (Institut Agro)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD [France-Sud]), National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research [Wellington] (NIWA), Centre d'Études Biologiques de Chizé - UMR 7372 (CEBC), and Université de La Rochelle (ULR)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE)

Subjects
0106 biological sciences, Megafauna, Ecology (disciplines), Population, distributions, Distribution (economics), Conservation, 010603 evolutionary biology, 01 natural sciences, petrels, Longline fisheries, Longline fishing, megafauna, At-sea threats, biology.animal, 14. Life underwater, education, education.field_of_study, Ecology, biology, business.industry, 010604 marine biology & hydrobiology, Petrels, albatrosses, conservation, Seabird density, Fishery, Bycatch, seabird density, Identification (information), Overexploitation, Geography, [SDE]Environmental Sciences, Albatrosses, Distributions, Seabird, business, longline fisheries, at‐sea threats
Abstract

1. The identification of geographic areas where the densities of animals are highest across their annual cycles is a crucial step in conservation planning. In marine environments, however, it can be particularly difficult to map the distribution of species, and the methods used are usually biased towards adults, neglecting the distribution of other life-history stages even though they can represent a substantial proportion of the total population. 2. Here we develop a methodological framework for estimating populationlevel density distributions of seabirds, integrating tracking data across the main life-history stages (adult breeders and non-breeders, juveniles and immatures). We incorporate demographic information (adult and juvenile/immature survival, breeding frequency and success, age at first breeding) and phenological data (average timing of breeding and migration) to weight distribution maps according to the proportion of the population represented by each life-history stage. 3. We demonstrate the utility of this framework by applying it to 22 species of albatrosses and petrels that are of conservation concern due to interactions with fisheries. Because juveniles, immatures and non-breeding adults account for 47%–81% of all individuals of the populations analysed, ignoring the distributions of birds in these stages leads to biased estimates of overlap with threats, and may misdirect management and conservation efforts. Population-level distribution maps using only adult distributions underestimated exposure to longline fishing effort by 18%–42%, compared with overlap scores based on data from all lifehistory stages. 4. Synthesis and applications. Our framework synthesizes and improves on previous approaches to estimate seabird densities at sea, is applicable for data-poor situations, and provides a standard and repeatable method that can be easily updated as new tracking and demographic data become available. We provide scripts in the R language and a Shiny app to facilitate future applications of our approach. We recommend that where sufficient tracking data are available, this framework be used to assess overlap of seabirds with at-sea threats such as overharvesting, fisheries bycatch, shipping, offshore industry and pollutants. Based on such an analysis, conservation interventions could be directed towards areas where they have the greatest impact on populations. Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia - FCT; French Polar Institute IPEV; Falkland Islands Government info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

Published
2020

10. Molecular characterization and lesions associated with Diomedenema diomedeae (Aproctoidea: Desmidocercidae) from grey-headed albatrosses (Thalassarche chrysostoma) on Subantarctic Marion Island

Author

Michael J. Yabsley, Tegan Carpenter-Kling, Liandrie Swanepoel, Ralph Eric Thijl Vanstreels, Peter G. Ryan, Pierre A. Pistorius, and Kim L. Stevens

Subjects
0106 biological sciences, 0301 basic medicine, Nematoda, Subantarctic, Zoology, Albatross, 010603 evolutionary biology, 01 natural sciences, 18S ribosomal RNA, Article, 03 medical and health sciences, Nest, biology.animal, lcsh:Zoology, lcsh:QL1-991, Mortality, Air sacs, biology, Phylogenetic tree, Seabird, biology.organism_classification, 030104 developmental biology, Infectious Diseases, Nematode, Procellariiformes, Respiratory, Animal Science and Zoology, Parasitology, Air sac
Abstract

The Prince Edward Islands are Subantarctic islands in the southwest Indian Ocean that are of global importance as seabird nesting sites, and are breeding grounds for five species of albatrosses (Procellariiformes: Diomedeidae). In March–April 2016 numerous chicks of one of these species, the grey-headed albatross (Thalassarche chrysostoma), were found dead at colonies on Marion Island (46°57′S 37°42′E), the larger of the two Prince Edward Islands. Affected chicks were weak, prostrated, apathetic, had drooping wings, and many eventually died while sitting on the nest. Five carcasses were necropsied, and samples were obtained for pathological and parasitological analysis. Four chicks appeared to have died from starvation, and one died due to air-sac helminthiasis, with extensive hemorrhage in the air sacs and multifocal pyogranulomatous air-sacculitis. The air sac parasites were identified as Diomedenema diomedeae (Aproctoidea: Desmidocercidae). Phylogenetic analysis of the nuclear 18S rRNA gene and mitochondrial COI gene confirmed that D. diomedeae belongs to the suborder Spirurina and showed that it is most closely related to the Diplotriaenidae (superfamily Diplotriaenoidea), a family of parasites that infect the air sacs and subcutaneous tissues of a variety of bird species. To our knowledge this is the first record of the occurrence of a nematode in the respiratory tract of an albatross and the first study to provide DNA sequences for a species of the superfamily Aproctoidea., Graphical abstract Image 1, Highlights • We examined grey-headed albatross chicks found dead at a Subantarctic Island. • Diomedenema diomedeae (Aproctoidea: Desmidocercidae) was found in one albatross. • D. diomedeae infection caused severe air sacculitis. • The first 18S rRNA and COI sequences for a species of Aproctoidea are provided. • Phylogenetic analysis suggests Aproctoidea and Diplotriaenoidea are closely related.

Published
2018

11. Mouse predation affects breeding success of burrow-nesting petrels at sub-Antarctic Marion Island

Author

Peter G. Ryan, Ben J. Dilley, Kim L. Stevens, Tegan Carpenter-Kling, Vonica Perold, Christiaan W. Brink, Delia Davies, Janine Schoombie, Stefan Schoombie, and Alexis Osborne

Subjects
0106 biological sciences, biology, 010604 marine biology & hydrobiology, Petrel, Halobaena caerulea, Zoology, Geology, Procellaria, Oceanography, biology.organism_classification, Burrow, 010603 evolutionary biology, 01 natural sciences, Predation, Procellaria aequinoctialis, House mice, Pterodroma macroptera, Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
Abstract

We report the breeding success of four species of burrow-nesting petrels at sub-Antarctic Marion Island where house miceMus musculusare the sole introduced mammal. Feral catsFelis catuswere present on Marion for four decades from 1949, killing millions of seabirds and greatly reducing petrel populations. Cats were eradicated by 1991, but petrel populations have shown only marginal recoveries. We hypothesize that mice are suppressing their recovery through depredation of petrel eggs and chicks. Breeding success for winter breeders (grey petrelsProcellaria cinerea(34±21%) and great-winged petrelsPterodroma macroptera(52±7%)) were lower than for summer breeders (blue petrelsHalobaena caerulea(61±6%) and white-chinned petrelsProcellaria aequinoctialis(59±6%)) and among winter breeders most chick fatalities were of small chicks up to 14 days old. We assessed the extent of mouse predation by monitoring the inside of 55 burrow chambers with video surveillance cameras (4024 film days from 2012–16) and recorded fatal attacks on grey (3/18 nests filmed, 17%) and great-winged petrel chicks (1/19, 5%). Our results show that burrow-nesting petrels are at risk from mouse predation, providing further motivation for the eradication of mice from Marion Island.

Published
2017

12. Habitat modelling of tracking data from multiple marine predators identifies important areas in the Southern Indian Ocean

Author

Azwianewi B. Makhado, Delia Davies, Marthán N Bester, Mia Wege, Stefan Schoombie, S. P. Kirkman, Michael D. Sumner, Ben J. Dilley, Robert J. M. Crawford, Simon Wotherspoon, Ben Raymond, Mark A. Hindell, Peter G. Ryan, P J Nico de Bruyn, Pierre A. Pistorius, Thomas Otto Whitehead, Ryan R. Reisinger, Kim L. Stevens, Cheryl Ann Tosh, Centre d'Études Biologiques de Chizé - UMR 7372 (CEBC), Université de La Rochelle (ULR)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE), Australian Antarctic Division (AAD), Australian Government, Department of the Environment and Energy, Antartic Wildlife Research Unit, School of Zoology, University of Tasmania, Department of Zoology and Entomology [Pretoria], University of Pretoria [South Africa], Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, University of Cape Town, University of Luxembourg [Luxembourg], Department of Zoology and Entomology, Mammal Research Institute, Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies [Horbat] (IMAS), University of Tasmania [Hobart, Australia] (UTAS), National Research Foundation Centre of Excellence at the Percy FitzPatrick Institute, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA)-Université de La Rochelle (ULR), Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Tasmania (UTAS), and Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA)-Université de La Rochelle (ULR)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)

Subjects
0106 biological sciences, Environmental change, Ecology, 010604 marine biology & hydrobiology, Subtropics, 15. Life on land, 010603 evolutionary biology, 01 natural sciences, Predation, Sea surface temperature, Geography, Habitat, 13. Climate action, Abundance (ecology), [SDE]Environmental Sciences, Ecosystem, Marine protected area, 14. Life underwater, Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics, ComputingMilieux_MISCELLANEOUS
Abstract

Aim: The distribution of marine predators is driven by the distribution and abundance of their prey; areas preferred by multiple marine predator species should therefore indicate areas of ecological significance. The Southern Ocean supports large populations of seabirds and marine mammals and is undergoing rapid environmental change. The management and conservation of these predators and their environment relies on understanding their distribution and its link with the biophysical environment, as the latter determines the distribution and abundance of prey. We addressed this issue using tracking data from 14 species of marine predators to identify important habitat. Location: Indian Ocean sector of the Southern Ocean. Methods: We used tracking data from 538 tag deployments made over a decade at the Subantarctic Prince Edward Islands. For each real track, we simulated a set of pseudo‐tracks that allowed a presence‐availability habitat modelling approach that estimates an animal's habitat preference. Using model ensembles of boosted regression trees and random forests, we modelled these tracks as a response to a set of 17 environmental variables. We combined the resulting species‐specific models to evaluate areas of mean importance. Results: Real tracking locations covered 39.75 million km2, up to 7,813 km from the Prince Edward Islands. Areas of high mean importance were located broadly from the Subtropical Zone to the Polar Frontal Zone in summer and from the Subantarctic to Antarctic Zones in winter. Areas of high mean importance were best predicted by factors including wind speed, sea surface temperature, depth and current speed. Main conclusions: The models and predictions developed here identify important habitat of marine predators around the Prince Edward Islands and can support the large‐scale conservation and management of Subantarctic ecosystems and the marine predators they sustain. The results also form the basis of future efforts to predict the consequences of environmental change.

Published
2018

Catalog

Books, media, physical & digital resources
See catalog results