Browsing by Author "Hedd, April"
Now showing 1 - 8 of 8
Results Per Page
Sort Options
- Effect of breeding performance on the distribution and activity budgets of a predominantly resident population of black‐browed albatrossesPublication . Ponchon, Aurore; Cornulier, Thomas; Hedd, April; Granadeiro, José Pedro; Catry, PauloPelagic seabirds breeding at high latitudes generally split their annual cycle between reproduction, migration, and wintering. During the breeding season, they are constrained in their foraging range due to reproduction while during winter months, and they often undertake long-distance migrations. Black-browed albatrosses (Thalassarche melanophris) nesting in the Falkland archipelago remain within 700 km from their breeding colonies all year-round and can therefore be considered as resident. Accordingly, at-sea activity patterns are expected to be adjusted to the absence of migration. Likewise, breeding performance is expected to affect foraging, flying, and floating activities, as failed individuals are relieved from reproduction earlier than successful ones. Using geolocators coupled with a saltwater immersion sensor, we detailed the spatial distribution and temporal dynamics of at-sea activity budgets of successful and failed breeding black-browed albatrosses nesting in New Island, Falklands archipelago, over the breeding and subsequent nonbreeding season. The 90% monthly kernel distribution of failed and successful breeders suggested no spatial segregation. Both groups followed the same dynamics of foraging effort both during daylight and darkness all year, except during chick-rearing, when successful breeders foraged more intensively. Failed and successful breeders started decreasing flying activities during daylight at the same time, 2-3 weeks after hatching period, but failed breeders reached their maximum floating activity during late chick-rearing, 2 months before successful breeders. Moon cycle had a significant effect on activity budgets during darkness, with individuals generally more active during full moon. Our results highlight that successful breeders buffer potential reproductive costs during the nonbreeding season, and this provides a better understanding of how individuals adjust their spatial distribution and activity budgets according to their breeding performance in absence of migration.
- Framework for mapping key areas for marine megafauna to inform Marine Spatial Planning: The Falkland Islands case studyPublication . Augé, Amélie A.; Dias, Maria P.; Lascelles, Ben; Baylis, Alastair M.M.; Black, Andy; Boersma, P. Dee; Catry, Paulo; Crofts, Sarah; Galimberti, Filippo; Granadeiro, José Pedro; Hedd, April; Ludynia, Katrin; Masello, Juan F.; Montevecchi, William A.; Phillips, Richard A.; Pütz, Klemens; Quillfeldt, Petra; Rebstock, Ginger A.; Sanvito, Simona; Staniland, Iain J.; Stanworth, Andrew J.; Thompson, Dave R.; Tierney, Megan; Trathan, Philip N.; Croxall, John P.Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) is becoming a key management approach throughout the world. The process includes the mapping of how humans and wildlife use the marine environment to inform the development of management measures. An integrated multi-species approach to identifying key areas is important for MSP because it allows managers a global representation of an area, enabling them to see where management can have the most impact for biodiversity protection. However, multi-species analysis remains challenging. This paper presents a methodological framework for mapping key areas for marine megafauna (seabirds, pinnipeds, cetaceans) by incorporating different data types across multiple species. The framework includes analyses of tracking data and observation survey data, applying analytical steps according to the type of data available during each year quarter for each species. It produces core-use area layers at the species level, then combines these layers to create megafauna core-use area layers. The framework was applied in the Falkland Islands. The study gathered over 750,000 tracking and at-sea observation locations covering an equivalent of 5495 data days between 1998 and 2015 for 36 species. The framework provides a step-by-step implementation protocol, replicable across geographic scales and transferable to multiple taxa. R scripts are provided. Common repositories, such as the Birdlife International Tracking Database, are invaluable tools, providing a secure platform for storing and accessing spatial data to apply the methodological framework. This provides managers with data necessary to enhance MSP efforts and marine conservation worldwide.
- Global phenological insensitivity to shifting ocean temperatures among seabirdsPublication . Keogan, Katharine; Daunt, Francis; Wanless, Sarah; Phillips, Richard A.; Walling, Craig A.; Agnew, Philippa; Ainley, David G.; Anker-Nilssen, Tycho; Ballard, Grant; Barrett, Robert T.; Barton, Kerry J.; Bech, Claus; Becker, Peter; Berglund, Per-Arvid; Bollache, Loïc; Bond, Alexander L.; Bouwhuis, Sandra; Bradley, Russell W.; Burr, Zofia M.; Camphuysen, Kees; Catry, Paulo; Chiaradia, Andre; Christensen-Dalsgaard, Signe; Cuthbert, Richard; Dehnhard, Nina; Descamps, Sébastien; Diamond, Tony; Divoky, George; Drummond, Hugh; Dugger, Katie M.; Dunn, Michael J.; Emmerson, Louise; Erikstad, Kjell Einar; Fort, Jérôme; Fraser, William; Genovart, Meritxell; Gilg, Olivier; González-Solís, Jacob; Granadeiro, José Pedro; Grémillet, David; Hansen, Jannik; Hanssen, Sveinn A.; Harris, Mike; Hedd, April; Hinke, Jefferson; Igual, José Manuel; Jahncke, Jaime; Jones, Ian; Kappes, Peter J.; Lang, Johannes; Langset, Magdalene; Lescroël, Amélie; Lorentsen, Svein-Håkon; Lyver, Phil O’B.; Mallory, Mark; Moe, Børge; Montevecchi, William A.; Monticelli, David; Mostello, Carolyn; Newell, Mark; Nicholson, Lisa; Nisbet, Ian; Olsson, Olof; Oro, Daniel; Pattison, Vivian; Poisbleau, Maud; Pyk, Tanya; Quintana, Flavio; Ramos, Jaime A.; Ramos, Raül; Reiertsen, Tone Kirstin; Rodríguez, Cristina; Ryan, Peter G.; Sanz-Aguilar, Ana; Schmidt, Niels M.; Shannon, Paula; Sittler, Benoit; Southwell, Colin; Surman, Christopher; Svagelj, Walter S.; Trivelpiece, Wayne; Warzybok, Pete; Watanuki, Yutaka; Weimerskirch, Henri; Wilson, Peter R.; Wood, Andrew G.; Phillimore, Albert B.; Lewis, SueReproductive timing in many taxa plays a key role in determining breeding productivity1, and is often sensitive to climatic conditions2. Current climate change may alter the timing of breeding at different rates across trophic levels, potentially resulting in temporal mismatch between the resource requirements of predators and their prey3. This is of particular concern for highertrophic- level organisms, whose longer generation times confer a lower rate of evolutionary rescue than primary producers or consumers4. However, the disconnection between studies of ecological change in marine systems makes it difficult to detect general changes in the timing of reproduction5. Here, we use a comprehensive meta-analysis of 209 phenological time series from 145 breeding populations to show that, on average, seabird populations worldwide have not adjusted their breeding seasons over time (− 0.020 days yr−1) or in response to sea surface temperature (SST) (− 0.272 days °C−1) between 1952 and 2015. However, marked between-year variation in timing observed in resident species and some Pelecaniformes and Suliformes (cormorants, gannets and boobies) may imply that timing, in some cases, is affected by unmeasured environmental conditions. This limited temperature-mediated plasticity of reproductive timing in seabirds potentially makes these top predators highly vulnerable to future mismatch with lower-trophic-level resources.
- Global political responsibility for the conservation of albatrosses and large petrelsPublication . Beal, Martin; Dias, Maria P.; Phillips, Richard A.; Oppel, Steffen; Hazin, Carolina; Pearmain, Elizabeth J.; Adams, Josh; Anderson, David J.; Antolos, Michelle; Arata, Javier; Arcos, José Manuel; Arnould, John P. Y.; Awkerman, Jill; Bell, Elizabeth; BELL, Mike; Carey, Mark; Carle, Ryan; Clay, Thomas A.; Cleeland, Jaimie; Colodro, Valentina; Conners, Melinda; Flores, Marta Cruz; Cuthbert, Richard; Delord, Karine; Deppe, Lorna; Dilley, Ben J.; Dinis, Herculano; Elliott, Graeme; De Felipe, Fernanda; Felis, Jonathan; Forero, Manuela G.; Freeman, Amanda; Fukuda, Akira; González-Solís, Jacob; Granadeiro, J. P.; Hedd, April; Hodum, Peter; Igual, Jose Manuel; Jaeger, Audrey; Landers, Timothy; Le Corre, Matthieu; Makhado, Azwianewi; Metzger, Benjamin; Militão, Teresa; Montevecchi, William A.; Pujol, Virginia Morera; Herrero, Leia Navarro; Nel, Deon; Nicholls, David; Oro, Daniel; Ouni, Ridha; Ozaki, Kiyoaki; Quintana, Flavio; Ramos, Raül; Reid, Tim; Reyes-González, José Manuel; Robertson, Christopher; Robertson, Graham; Romdhane, Mohamed Salah; Ryan, Peter G.; Sagar, Paul; Sato, Fumio; Schoombie, Stefan; Scofield, Richard; Shaffer, Scott; Shah, Nirmal Jivan; Stevens, Kim L.; Surman, Christopher; Suryan, Robert M.; Takahashi, Akinori; Tatayah, Vikash; Taylor, Graeme; Thompson, David R.; Torres, Leigh; Walker, Kath; Wanless, Ross; Waugh, Susan M.; Weimerskirch, Henri; Yamamoto, Takashi; Zajkova, Zuzana; Zango, Laura; Catry, PauloMigratory 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.
- Important At-Sea areas of colonial breeding marine predators on the Southern Patagonian ShelfPublication . Baylis, Matthew; Tierney, Megan; Orben, Rachael; Evans, Victoria Warwick; Wakefield, Ewan; Grecian, William James; Trathan, Phil; Reisinger, Ryan R.; Ratcliffe, Norman Arthur; Croxall, John; Campioni, Letizia; Catry, Paulo; Crofts, Sarah; Boersma, P. Dee; Galimberti, Filippo; Granadeiro, José Pédro; Handley, Jonathan; Hayes, Sean; Hedd, April; Masello, Juan; Montevecchi, William A.; Pütz, Klemens; Quillfeldt, Petra; Rebstock, Ginger A.; Sanvito, Simona; Staniland, Iain; Brickle, PaulThe Patagonian Shelf Large Marine Ecosystem supports high levels of biodiversity and endemism and is one of the most productive marine ecosystems in the world. Despite the important role marine predators play in structuring the ecosystems, areas of high diversity where multiple predators congregate remains poorly known on the Patagonian Shelf. Here, we used biotelemetry and biologging tags to track the movements of six seabird species and three pinniped species breeding at the Falkland Islands. Using Generalized Additive Models, we then modelled these animals' use of space as functions of dynamic and static environmental indices that described their habitat. Based on these models, we mapped the predicted distribution of animals from both sampled and unsampled colonies and thereby identified areas where multiple species were likely to overlap at sea. Maximum foraging trip distance ranged from 79 to 1,325 km. However, most of the 1,891 foraging trips by 686 animals were restricted to the Patagonian Shelf and shelf slope, which highlighted a preference for these habitats. Of the seven candidate explanatory covariates used to predict distribution, distance from the colony was retained in models for all species and negatively affected the probability of occurrence. Predicted overlap among species was highest on the Patagonian Shelf around the Falkland Islands and the Burdwood Bank. The predicted area of overlap is consistent with areas that are also important habitat for marine predators migrating from distant breeding locations. Our findings provide comprehensive multi-species predictions for some of the largest marine predator populations on the Patagonian Shelf, which will contribute to future marine spatial planning initiatives. Crucially, our findings highlight that spatially explicit conservation measures are likely to benefit multiple species, while threats are likely to impact multiple species.
- Multispecies tracking reveals a major seabird hotspot in the North AtlanticPublication . Davies, Tammy E.; Carneiro, Ana P.B.; Tarzia, Marguerite; Wakefield, Ewan; Hennicke, Janos C.; Frederiksen, Morten; Hansen, Erpur Snær; Campos, Bruna; Hazin, Carolina; Lascelles, Ben; Anker‐Nilssen, Tycho; Arnardóttir, Hólmfríður; Barrett, Robert T.; Biscoito, Manuel; Bollache, Loïc; Boulinier, Thierry; Catry, Paulo; Ceia, Filipe R.; Chastel, Olivier; Christensen‐Dalsgaard, Signe; Cruz‐Flores, Marta; Danielsen, Jóhannis; Daunt, Francis; Dunn, Euan; Egevang, Carsten; Fagundes, Ana Isabel; Fayet, Annette L.; Fort, Jérôme; Furness, Robert W.; Gilg, Olivier; González‐Solís, Jacob; Granadeiro, J. P.; Grémillet, David; Guilford, Tim; Hanssen, Sveinn Are; Harris, Michael P.; Hedd, April; Huffeldt, Nicholas Per; Jessopp, Mark; Kolbeinsson, Yann; Krietsch, Johannes; Lang, Johannes; Linnebjerg, Jannie Fries; Lorentsen, Svein‐Håkon; Madeiros, Jeremy; Magnusdottir, Ellen; Mallory, Mark L.; McFarlane Tranquilla, Laura; Merkel, Flemming R.; Militão, Teresa; Moe, Børge; Montevecchi, William A.; Morera‐Pujol, Virginia; Mosbech, Anders; Neves, Verónica; Newell, Mark A.; Olsen, Bergur; Paiva, Vitor H.; Peter, Hans‐Ulrich; Petersen, Aevar; Phillips, Richard A.; Ramírez, Iván; Ramos, Jaime A.; Ramos, Raül; Ronconi, Robert A.; Ryan, Peter G.; Schmidt, Niels Martin; Sigurðsson, Ingvar A.; Sittler, Benoît; Steen, Harald; Stenhouse, Iain J.; Strøm, Hallvard; Systad, Geir H. R.; Thompson, Paul; Thórarinsson, Thorkell L.; Bemmelen, Rob S.A.; Wanless, Sarah; Zino, Francis; Dias, Maria P.The conservation of migratory marine species, including pelagic seabirds, is challenging because their movements span vast distances frequently beyond national jurisdictions. Here, we aim to identify important aggregations of seabirds in the North Atlantic to inform ongoing regional conservation efforts. Using tracking, phenology, and population data, we mapped the abundance and diversity of 21 seabird species. This revealed a major hotspot associated with a discrete area of the subpolar frontal zone, used annually by 2.9–5 million seabirds from ≥56 colonies in the Atlantic: the first time this magnitude of seabird concentrations has been documented in the high seas. The hotspot is temporally stable and amenable to site-based conservation and is under consideration as a marine protected area by the OSPAR Commission. Protection could help mitigate current and future threats facing species in the area. Overall, our approach provides an exemplar data-driven pathway for future conservation efforts on the high seas.
- Seabird migration strategies: Flight budgets, diel activity patterns, and lunar influencePublication . Bonnet-Lebrun, Anne-Sophie; Dias, Maria P.; Phillips, Richard; Granadeiro, José P.; Brooke, M. de L.; Chastel, Olivier; Clay, Thomas A.; Fayet, Annette; GILG, Olivier; González-Solís, Jacob; Guilford, Tim; Hanssen, Sveinn Are; Hedd, April; Jaeger, Audrey; Krietsch, Johannes; Lang, Johannes; Le Corre, Matthieu; Militão, Teresa; Moe, Børge; Montevecchi, William A.; Peter, Hans-Ulrich; Pinet, Patrick; Rayner, Matt J.; Reid, Tim; Reyes-González, José Manuel; Ryan, Peter G.; Sagar, Paul M.; Schmidt, Niels M.; Thompson, David R.; van Bemmelen, Rob; Watanuki, Yutaka; Weimerskirch, Henri; Yamamoto, Takashi; Catry, PauloEvery year, billions of birds undertake extensive migrations between breeding and nonbreeding areas, facing challenges that require behavioural adjustments, particularly to flight timing and duration. Such adjustments in daily activity patterns and the influence of extrinsic factors (e.g., environmental conditions, moonlight) have received much more research attention in terrestrial than marine migrants. Taking advantage of the widespread deployment in recent decades of combined light-level geolocator-immersion loggers, we investigated diel organisation and influence of the moon on flight activities during the non-breeding season of 21 migrant seabird species from a wide taxonomic range (6 families, 3 orders). Migrant seabirds regularly stopped (to either feed or rest) migration, unlike some terrestrial and wetland birds which fly non-stop. We found an overall increase for most seabird species in time in flight and, for several species, also in flight bout duration, during migration compared to when resident at the non-breeding grounds. Additionally, several nocturnal species spent more of the day in flight during migration than at non-breeding areas, and vice versa for diurnal species. Nocturnal time in flight tended to increase during full moon, both during migration and at the nonbreeding grounds, depending on species. Our study provides an extensive overview of activity patterns of migrant seabirds, paving the way for further research on the underlying mechanisms and drivers.
- Spatial scales of marine conservation management for breeding seabirdsPublication . Oppel, Steffen; Bolton, Mark; Carneiro, Ana Paula B.; Dias, Maria P.; Green, Jonathan A.; Masello, Juan F.; Phillips, Richard A.; Owen, Ellie; Quillfeldt, Petra; Beard, Annalea; Bertrand, Sophie; Blackburn, Jez; Boersma, P. Dee; Borges, Alder; Broderick, Jess; Catry, Paulo; Cleasby, Ian; Clingham, Elizabeth; Creuwels, Jeroen; Crofts, Sarah; Cuthbert, Richard J.; Dallmeijer, Hanneke; Davies, Delia; Davies, Rachel; Dilley, Ben J.; Dinis, Herculano; Dossa, Justine; Dunn, Michael J; Efe, Marcio A.; Fayet, Annette; Figueiredo, Leila; Frederico, Adelcides Pereira; Gjerdrum, Carina; Godley, Brendan J.; Granadeiro, José Pedro; Guilford, Tim; Hamer, Keith C.; Hazin, Carolina; Hedd, April; Henry, Leeann; Hernández-Montero, Marcos; Hinke, Jefferson; Kokubun, Nobuo; Leat, Eliza; Tranquilla, Laura McFarlane; Metzger, Benjamin; Militão, Teresa; Montrond, Gilson; Mullié, Wim; Padget, Oliver; Pearmain, Elizabeth J.; Pollet, Ingrid L.; Pütz, Klemens; Quintana, Flavio; Ratcliffe, Norman; Ronconi, Robert A.; Ryan, Peter G.; Saldanha, Sarah; Shoji, Akiko; Sim, Jolene; Small, Cleo; Soanes, Louise; Takahashi, Akinori; Trathan, Phil; Trivelpiece, Wayne; Veen, Jan; Wakefield, Ewan; Weber, Nicola; Weber, Sam; Zango, Laura; Daunt, Francis; Ito, Motohiro; Harris, Michael P.; Newell, Mark A.; Wanless, Sarah; González-Solís, Jacob; Croxall, JohnKnowing the spatial scales at which effective management can be implemented is fundamental for conservation planning. This is especially important for mobile species, which can be exposed to threats across large areas, but the space use requirements of different species can vary to an extent that might render some management approaches inefficient. Here the space use patterns of seabirds were examined to provide guidance on whether conservation management approaches should be tailored for taxonomic groups with different movement characteristics. Seabird tracking data were synthesised from 5419 adult breeding individuals of 52 species in ten families that were collected in the Atlantic Ocean basin between 1998 and 2017. Two key aspects of spatial distribution were quantified, namely how far seabirds ranged from their colony, and to what extent individuals from the same colony used the same areas at sea. There was evidence for substantial differences in patterns of space-use among the ten studied seabird families, indicating that several alternative conservation management approaches are needed. Several species exhibited large foraging ranges and little aggregation at sea, indicating that area-based conservation solutions would have to be extremely large to adequately protect such species. The results highlight that short-ranging and aggregating species such as cormorants, auks, some penguins, and gulls would benefit from conservation approaches at relatively small spatial scales during their breeding season. However, improved regulation of fisheries, bycatch, pollution and other threats over large spatial scales will be needed for wide-ranging and dispersed species such as albatrosses, petrels, storm petrels and frigatebirds.