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Do individual seabirds specialize in fisheries' waste? The case of black-browed albatrosses foraging over the Patagonian Shelf

2013; Wiley; Volume: 17; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1111/acv.12050

1469-1795

José P. Granadeiro, Paul Brickle, Paulo Catry,

Avian ecology and behavior

Animal ConservationVolume 17, Issue 1 p. 19-26 ORIGINAL ARTICLE Do individual seabirds specialize in fisheries' waste? The case of black-browed albatrosses foraging over the Patagonian Shelf J. P. Granadeiro, Corresponding Author J. P. Granadeiro CESAM and Department of Biology, Universidade de Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal Correspondence José Pedro Granadeiro, CESAM and Department of Biology, Universidade de Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal Email: jpgranadeiro@ua.ptSearch for more papers by this authorP. Brickle, P. Brickle Fisheries Department, Directorate of Natural Resources, Falkland Islands Government, Stanley, Falkland Islands South Atlantic Environmental Research Institute, Stanley, Falkland IslandsSearch for more papers by this authorP. Catry, P. Catry Eco-Ethology Research Unit, ISPA, Lisboa, PortugalSearch for more papers by this author J. P. Granadeiro, Corresponding Author J. P. Granadeiro CESAM and Department of Biology, Universidade de Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal Correspondence José Pedro Granadeiro, CESAM and Department of Biology, Universidade de Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal Email: jpgranadeiro@ua.ptSearch for more papers by this authorP. Brickle, P. Brickle Fisheries Department, Directorate of Natural Resources, Falkland Islands Government, Stanley, Falkland Islands South Atlantic Environmental Research Institute, Stanley, Falkland IslandsSearch for more papers by this authorP. Catry, P. Catry Eco-Ethology Research Unit, ISPA, Lisboa, PortugalSearch for more papers by this author First published: 06 June 2013 https://doi.org/10.1111/acv.12050Citations: 32 Editor: Todd Katzner Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat Abstract Fisheries can have profound impacts on the structure and functioning of marine ecosystems and affect seabird populations. For seabirds, impacts can include direct mortality in fishing gear, but fisheries also represent an abundant source of food that may otherwise be inaccessible. Previous studies with seabirds have revealed the occurrence of individual foraging specializations, and therefore in scavenging species some individuals may have a higher propensity to feed on fisheries discharges than the rest of the population. Here we used recently developed techniques (spatio-temporal match of positions) to detect interactions between black-browed albatrosses Thalassarche melanophris and fishing vessels, and also stable isotope analysis of tissues with different turnovers, to investigate long-term individual specialization in fishery waste products. We combined global positioning system tracking data from 89 birds with vessel monitoring system data from the entire fleet operating around the Falklands Islands, in 2009 and 2011. Interactions with vessels (freezer/factory bottom trawlers) occurred in 15 out of 89 independent albatross trips. Among individuals tracked in both years, those that associated with fisheries in 2009 were not more likely to do so again in 2011. Carbon and nitrogen isotopic signatures in whole blood and feathers of albatrosses that interacted with trawlers were similar to those of individuals that did not. Also, we found no correlation between feather and blood isotopic ratios of carbon or nitrogen, indicating no long-term consistency in the isotopic niche of study birds. These results suggest no specialization of individual albatrosses with regard to fisheries. Studies of other albatrosses have also failed to show long-term trophic consistency, which may indicate that scavenging albatrosses, a group particularly threatened by fisheries activity, do not specialize in discards. Therefore, any management actions leading to a reduction of discards will be beneficial, decreasing the numbers of birds behind vessels and consequently the likelihood of incidental mortality. Citing Literature Supporting Information Filename Description acv12050-sup-0001-si.docx18.4 KB Appendix S1. Carbon and nitrogen isotopic ratios of potential prey in the diet of black-browed albatrosses, used in the isotopic mixing model. Please note: The publisher is not responsible for the content or functionality of any supporting information supplied by the authors. Any queries (other than missing content) should be directed to the corresponding author for the article. Volume17, Issue1February 2014Pages 19-26 RelatedInformation