Article
Biology
Francesco Ventura, Paulo Catry, Maria P. Dias, Greg A. Breed, Arnau Folch, Jose Pedro Granadeiro
Summary: Using GPS tracking data, this study investigated the foraging movements of Bulwer's petrels in the persistent North Atlantic trade winds. The results showed that crosswinds maximized both the distance travelled and the probability of detecting odour plumes, suggesting that seabirds plan round-trip flights considering the expected costs of homeward journeys. These findings highlight the critical role of wind in seabird foraging ecology.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jessica Pulvirenti, Richard D. Reina, Andre Chiaradia
Summary: Differences in foraging and reproductive success were observed between subcolonies of little penguins at Phillip Island, Australia. These differences were influenced by environmental pressure and variations in prey availability. Understanding these variations can help in developing effective conservation strategies for colonial seabirds.
ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Alice M. Trevail, Jonathan A. Green, Mark Bolton, Francis Daunt, Stephanie M. Harris, Peter Miller, Stephen Newton, Ellie Owen, Jeff A. Polton, Gail Robertson, Jonathan Sharples, Samantha C. Patrick
Summary: This study suggests that individual specialisations in habitat selection while foraging are more prevalent in heterogeneous environments. This trend is significant across multiple dynamic habitat variables and does not arise through site fidelity, highlighting the importance of environmental processes in facilitating behavioral adaptation by predators. Individual differences may drive evolutionary processes, indicating that environmental heterogeneity plays a crucial role in determining current and future population, species, and community dynamics.
JOURNAL OF ANIMAL ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Katarzyna Wojczulanis-Jakubas, Antoine Grissot, Marion Devogel, Lauraleen Altmeyer, Tessa Fuijisaki, Dariusz Jakubas, Dorota Kidawa, Nina Karnovsky
Summary: Studies on the time allocation of various activities are crucial for understanding animal behavioral strategies. The study found that the post-foraging in-colony activities of little auks vary with respect to year and sex, suggesting behavioral plasticity of the population.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Bo-Wen Li, Wen-Bo Li, Dong-Po Xia, Tong Zhang, Pei-Pei Yang, Jin-Hua Li
Summary: The study found that the altitude of sleeping sites chosen by Tibetan macaques for acquiring food differed significantly by season, and the sleeping sites were located near foraging patches, indicating the important role of sleeping sites in food resource utilization.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Ginger A. Rebstock, Pablo Garcia Borboroglu, P. Dee Boersma
Summary: Satellite tracking of seabirds is crucial for understanding their foraging patterns and potential conflicts with human activities in the ocean. This study focused on Magellanic penguins and found that assumptions commonly made regarding foraging distance, colony size, and distribution around colonies may not hold true for all colonies. The findings highlight the importance of considering temporal and spatial dynamics in marine planning and conservation efforts.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Ann E. McKellar, Sarah J. Clements
Summary: Understanding the movement patterns and habitat selection of Black Terns is crucial for conservation and wetland management practices. This study found that their home ranges and distances travelled were larger than previously thought, with a selection for wetlands, open water, and developed areas. Despite the small sample size, this study provides important implications for the species' conservation at a high resolution.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Teresa Militao, Nathalie Kurten, Sandra Bouwhuis
Summary: Sex-specific foraging behavior was observed in common terns, with females resting less and foraging closer to the colony in more coastal waters compared to males. Males showed higher variability in their foraging distribution throughout the tide cycle and foraged more outside of protected areas. This study highlights the importance of considering sex-specific foraging distributions when assessing the impact of at-sea threats on seabirds.
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Deepthi Mahishi, Tilman Triphan, Ricarda Hesse, Wolf Huetteroth
Summary: Animal behaviors are influenced by various factors, including hunger states and previous experiences. Starvation history can lead to a long-lasting reduction in locomotion and a delayed preference for food patches.
FRONTIERS IN BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Melanie Dickie, Robert Serrouya, Tal Avgar, Philip McLoughlin, R. Scott McNay, Craig DeMars, Stan Boutin, Adam T. Ford
Summary: This study examines how the interaction between resource density and exploitation efficiency influences home range size of wolves. The results show that exploitation efficiency plays a key role in determining home range size, with the impact of linear features diminishing in areas of higher resource density.
Article
Ecology
Alice M. Trevail, Hannah Wood, Peter Carr, Ruth E. Dunn, Malcolm A. Nicoll, Stephen C. Votier, Robin Freeman
Summary: This study tracked GPS-tracked red-footed boobies breeding in the central Indian Ocean to determine how foraging strategies vary with colony, accounting for various factors. The results highlight the importance of inter-colony differences in tropical seabird foraging.
MARINE ECOLOGY PROGRESS SERIES
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Geert Aarts, Evert Mul, John Fieberg, Sophie Brasseur, Jan A. van Gils, Jason Matthiopoulos, Louise Riotte-Lambert
Summary: Central place foragers with spatial cognitive abilities can exhibit spatial segregation based on individual-level memory of resource availability. The fidelity of foragers to their colonies and commuting costs can lead to partitioning with equidistant borders between neighboring colonies. Strong colony fidelity may create regional imbalances between resource requirements and availability, resulting in nontrivial space-use patterns.
AMERICAN NATURALIST
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Dongmei Yu, Zhongrong Xia, Xitao Yang, Connie Ka Yan Ng, Kong Yang, Zhenghao Wu, Xiaofeng Liu, Huijian Hu
Summary: Insights gained from individual tracking can enhance the conservation of released young green sea turtles by providing detailed data on migration routes, foraging areas, and habitat distribution. During the fishing moratorium in 2021, we tracked 6 juvenile green sea turtles released from China's Huidong Sea Turtle Nature Reserve using satellites, and determined their migration routes and foraging areas. The tracking data revealed that the turtles had varying tracking times, movement distances, and speeds, with the northern coastline of the South China Sea serving as a migration route and certain locations being important foraging grounds. Protecting these migration routes and foraging areas is crucial for sea turtle conservation.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Magda Chudzinska, Jacob Nabe-Nielsen, Sophie Smout, Geert Aarts, Sophie Brasseur, Isla Graham, Paul Thompson, Bernie McConnell
Summary: The study explores the central question in ecology of why animals move as they do when searching for resources, focusing on central-place foragers (CPF) and their decision-making process. Using AgentSeal model based on behavior and physiology, with harbour seals as a case study, the research sheds light on the movement decisions and behavior patterns of CPFs outside their breeding and moulting seasons.
ECOLOGICAL MODELLING
(2021)
Review
Ecology
Ines Silva, Christen H. Fleming, Michael J. Noonan, Jesse Alston, Cody Folta, William F. Fagan, Justin M. Calabrese
Summary: Modern tracking devices allow for high-volume animal tracking data collection, but traditional statistical methods may underestimate or overestimate home range areas. The autocorrelated kernel density estimation (AKDE) family of estimators aims to address the complexities of modern movement data, improve statistical efficiency, and reduce biases.
METHODS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Joao L. Guilherme, Victoria R. Jones, Ines Catry, Martin Beal, Maria P. Dias, Steffen Oppel, Juliet A. Vickery, Chris M. Hewson, Stuart H. M. Butchart, Ana S. L. Rodrigues
Summary: The conservation of long-distance migratory birds requires coordination between countries connected by their movements. Tracking studies have provided new information on these movements, but it is often inaccessible to conservation practitioners and policy makers. This study synthesized current knowledge on migratory connectivity between European breeding countries and sub-Saharan African nonbreeding countries. The number of available tracking studies has increased, but the coverage of data is incomplete and biased towards certain species and regions. Despite limitations, the results can inform policy discussions and help prioritize future tracking studies.
CONSERVATION BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Paulo Catry, Cheibani Senhoury, Ebaye Sidina, Nahi El Bar, Abdallahi Samba Bilal, Francesco Ventura, Brendan J. Godley, Antonio J. Pires, Aissa Regalla, Ana R. Patricio
Summary: The Banc d'Arguin in Mauritania is a significant foraging ground for green turtles, with an estimated population of 8285 adult female turtles, representing 5.6% of the total population. The site plays a critical role in the conservation of sea turtles.
BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION
(2023)
Editorial Material
Biodiversity Conservation
Chris Sandbrook, Martin Fisher, Graeme S. S. Cumming, Karl L. L. Evans, Jenny Anne Glikman, Brendan J. J. Godley, Frith Jarrad, Nicholas Polunin, Carolina Murcia, Angel Perez-Ruzafa, Judit K. K. Szabo
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Martin Beal, Paulo Catry, Richard A. Phillips, Steffen Oppel, John P. Y. Arnould, Maria I. Bogdanova, Mark Bolton, Ana P. B. Carneiro, Corey Clatterbuck, Melinda Conners, Francis Daunt, Karine Delord, Kyle Elliott, Aymeric Fromant, Jose Pedro Granadeiro, Jonathan A. Green, Lewis Halsey, Keith C. Hamer, Motohiro Ito, Ruth Jeavons, Jeong-Hoon Kim, Nobuo Kokubun, Shiho Koyama, Jude V. Lane, Won Young Lee, Sakiko Matsumoto, Rachael A. Orben, Ellie Owen, Vitor H. Paiva, Allison Patterson, Christopher Pollock, Jaime A. Ramos, Paul Sagar, Katsufumi Sato, Scott A. Shaffer, Louise Soanes, Akinori Takahashi, David R. Thompson, Lesley Thorne, Leigh Torres, Yutaka Watanuki, Susan M. Waugh, Henri Weimerskirch, Shannon Whelan, Ken Yoda, Jose C. Xavier, Maria P. Dias
Summary: Animal tracking studies provide insights into space use patterns and inform conservation planning. This study used GPS-tracking data from 23 seabird species to assess the importance of multi-year sampling for identifying important conservation sites. The results showed a high degree of spatial overlap among distribution patterns from different years, suggesting that tracking animals in multiple years may not be necessary. However, it is crucial to track enough individuals to provide a representative estimate of the population distribution during the sampling period.
BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION
(2023)
Correction
Biodiversity Conservation
Martin Beal, Paulo Catry, Richard A. Phillips, Steffen Oppel, John P. Y. Arnould, Maria I. Bogdanova, Mark Bolton, Ana P. B. Carneiro, Corey Clatterbuck, Melinda Conners, Francis Daunt, Karine Delord, Kyle Elliott, Aymeric Fromant, Jose Pedro Granadeiro, Jonathan A. Green, Lewis G. Halsey, Keith C. Hamer, Motohiro Ito, Ruth Jeavons, Jeong-Hoon Kim, Nobuo Kokubun, Shiho Koyama, Jude V. Lane, Won Young, Sakiko Matsumoto, Rachael A. Orben, Ellie Owen, Vitor H. Paiva, Allison Patterson, Christopher J. Pollock, Jaime A. Ramos, Paul Sagar, Katsufumi Sato, Scott A. Shaffer, Louise Soanes, Akinori Takahashi, David R. Thompson, Lesley Thorne, Leigh Torres, Yutaka Watanuki, Susan M. Waugh, Henri Weimerskirch, Shannon Whelan, Ken Yoda, Jose C. Xavier, Maria P. Dias
BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION
(2023)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Lucy C. M. Omeyer, Emily M. Duncan, Neil Angelo S. Abreo, Jo Marie V. Acebes, Lea A. AngSinco-Jimenez, Sabiqah T. Anuar, Lemnuel V. Aragones, Gonzalo Araujo, Luis R. Carrasco, Marcus A. H. Chua, Muhammad R. Cordova, Lantun P. Dewanti, Emilyn Q. Espiritu, Jovanie B. Garay, Elitza S. Germanov, Jade Getliff, Eva Horcajo-Berna, Yusof S. Ibrahim, Zeehan Jaafar, Jose Isagani B. Janairo, Thanda Ko Gyi, Danielle Kreb, Cheng Ling Lim, Youna Lyons, Putu L. K. Mustika, Mei Lin Neo, Sirius Z. H. Ng, Buntora Pasaribu, Agamuthu Pariatamby, Cindy Peter, Lindsay Porter, Noir P. Purba, Ernesto T. Santa Cruz, Shahriar Shams, Kirsten F. Thompson, Daniel S. Torres, Rodney Westerlaken, Tuempong Wongtawan, Brendan J. Godley
Summary: Southeast Asia is highly biodiverse and a major contributor to global marine plastic pollution. However, knowledge about the impacts of plastic pollution on marine megafauna in the region is lacking. A literature review and expert elicitation were conducted to gather information on cases of entanglement and ingestion of plastic by various marine species in Southeast Asia. The study found a limited number of published cases, especially for seabirds, highlighting the need for additional funding and data to address this issue.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Paolo Casale, Gaspard Abitsi, Pierre Didier Agamboue, Eric Augowet, Jean Pierre Bayet, Alexis Billes, Abdon Bitsindou, Tim Collins, Phil D. Doherty, Francois Edgard Faure, Jacques Fretey, Philippe du Plessis, Alain Gibudi, Brendan J. Godley, Judicael Regis Kema Kema, Brice D. Koumba D. Mabert, Francois Lamou Boussamba, Pierre Brice Maganga, Jean Churley Manfoumbi, Bienvenue Ondo Ndong, Kristian Metcalfe, Gianna Minton, Gil Avery Mounguengui, Solange Ngouessono, Jacob Nzegoue, Carmen Karen Kouerey Oliwina, Richard J. Parnell, Sandrine Ricois, Dominique Roumet, Guy-Philippe Sounguet, Dominic Tilley, Hilde van Leeuwe, Bas Verhage, Lee White, Matthew J. Witt, Wynand Viljoen, Angela Formia
Summary: Assessing population trends and reproductive parameters is important for sea turtles. A 21-year study in central Africa found a decline in body size and low survival probability in leatherback and olive ridley sea turtles. However, the estimated annual number of nesting females did not show a clear decline. The study recommends continued monitoring of nesting activity, nest counts, and cross-border cooperation for effective conservation.
AQUATIC CONSERVATION-MARINE AND FRESHWATER ECOSYSTEMS
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Maelle Connan, Christopher W. Jones, Michelle M. Risi, Lucy K. Smyth, Steffen Oppel, Vonica Perold, Kim L. Stevens, Roelf Daling, Peter G. Ryan
Summary: Invasive mice pose a threat to native species, particularly seabirds, on sub-Antarctic Gough and Marion Islands. This study reports the first deaths of adult great albatrosses attributed to mouse attacks. The breeding adults of these long-lived species are critically impacted, highlighting the urgent need for eradication of mice on these islands.
BIOLOGICAL INVASIONS
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Christopher J. W. McClure, Igor Berkunsky, Evan R. Buechley, Leah Dunn, Jeff Johnson, Jennifer McCabe, Steffen Oppel, Brian W. Rolek, Luke J. Sutton, Rikki Gumbs
Summary: Amidst the ongoing sixth mass extinction, conservationists are faced with limited resources and the need to prioritize species and areas for conservation action. This study emphasizes the importance of evolutionary distinctiveness in determining the conservation priority of bird species. By combining evolutionary distinctiveness with a species' global endangered status, an EDGE (Evolutionary Distinct and Globally Endangered) score is obtained. The researchers analyzed all bird species and bird conservation areas globally, with a focus on parrots, raptors, and seabirds due to their high threat levels and species richness. The results showed that these three groups had a significant median threatened evolutionary history, indicating their importance in preserving bird evolutionary history. The countries of Australia, Brazil, Indonesia, Madagascar, New Zealand, and the Philippines were identified as particularly critical for bird conservation, as they had a high concentration of threatened evolutionary history for endemic birds and were important for the focal groups mentioned above. The study highlights the need for increased enforcement of international agreements to protect parrots, raptors, and seabirds, as they safeguard millions of years of threatened bird evolutionary history. Urgent action is required to conserve the evolutionary history of birds in the Anthropocene.
CONSERVATION BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Liz Clark, Rebecca Allen, Zara L. R. Botterell, Beatriz Callejo, Brendan J. Godley, Clare Henry, David Santillo, Sarah E. Nelms
Summary: Citizen science is a valuable tool for collecting data on plastic pollution and although it is commonly used, there are few studies that focus on water-borne plastic debris. In this study, citizen scientists used a standardized methodology to sample sea-surface debris off the Cornish coast in the UK. The study provides important baseline data on the abundance and distribution of floating plastic debris in this region, contributing to the understanding of plastic pollution worldwide.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Elizabeth Campbell, Joanna Alfaro-Shigueto, Jeffrey C. Mangel, Jose Luis Mena, Ruth H. Thurstan, Brendan J. Godley, David March
Summary: Based on satellite tracking data, this study demonstrates that the Amazon River dolphin occupies various habitat types and has different sizes of core areas and home range areas. The research shows that the dolphins overlapped with fisheries by 89% and were found at relatively far distances from proposed dam and dredging sites. The findings highlight the need for consideration of negative effects on other riverine species and further tracking programs to understand the movement patterns of the species.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Willemien de Kock, Meaghan Mackie, Max Ramsoe, Morten E. Allentoft, Annette C. Broderick, Julia C. Haywood, Brendan J. Godley, Robin T. E. Snape, Phil J. Bradshaw, Hermann Genz, Matthew von Tersch, Michael W. Dee, Per J. Palsboll, Michelle Alexander, Alberto J. Taurozzi, Canan Cakirlar
Summary: By combining bioarchaeology with contemporary data, researchers have found that Mediterranean green turtles have been using the same North African seagrass meadows for at least 5,000 years, highlighting the significance of protecting these critical coastal habitats.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Yann Rouxel, Holmfriour Arnardottir, Steffen Oppel
Summary: Bycatch of seabirds in gillnets is a significant conservation issue in the north Atlantic. This study tested the effectiveness of a floating device called 'looming-eyes buoy' (LEB) in reducing seabird bycatch in the Icelandic lumpfish fishery. The study found no direct effect of LEBs on target lumpfish catch and bycatch, but indicated that fishing depth-based restrictions could effectively eliminate seabird bycatch. The study estimated that limiting fishing to waters deeper than 50 meters could save between 5000 and 9300 seabirds annually, without significant impact on fish catch.
ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Helen S. Chadwick, James E. F. Barnett, Abby Crosby, Anthea Hawtrey-Collier, Victoria J. Hobson, Lucy C. M. Omeyer, Ruth Williams, Brendan J. Godley
Summary: Changes in grey seal strandings in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly over a 21-year period indicate a significant increase in abundance. The observed seasonality of strandings coincided with important life phases, and most strandings occurred on the north coast of Cornwall. Long-term citizen science data proved valuable for assessing the distribution and abundance of marine top predators.
JOURNAL OF THE MARINE BIOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED KINGDOM
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Araceli Samaniego, Kim L. L. Stevens, Vonica Perold, Steffen Oppel, Pete McClelland
Summary: This study utilized an actual mouse eradication operation to document the rapid decline in mouse activity after the application of rodent bait. The results showed that most mice consumed the bait as soon as it became available, which was faster than what laboratory trials suggest. These findings are important for improving eradication guidelines and future mouse eradication projects.