Stefan Garthe

Fine‐scale foraging behaviour of a medium‐ranging marine predator

1. Movement patterns of predators should allow them to detect and respond to prey patches at different spatial scales, particularly through the adoption of area-restricted search (ARS) behaviour. Here we use fine-scale movement and activity data combined with first-passage time (FPT) analysis to examine the foraging strategy of northern gannets Morus bassanus in the western North Sea, and to test the following hypotheses: (i) birds adopt a hierarchical foraging strategy characterized by nested ARS behaviour; (ii) the locations and characteristics of ARS zones are strongly influenced by physical oceanography; (iii) the initiation of ARS behaviour is triggered by the detection and pursuit of prey; (iv) ARS behaviour is strongly linked to increased foraging effort, particularly within nested ARS areas. 2. Birds on 13 of 15 foraging trips adopted ARS behaviour at a scale of 9.1 +/- 1.9 km, and birds on 10 of these 13 trips adopted a second, nested ARS scale of 1.5 +/- 0.8 km, supporting hypothesis 1 above. ARS zones were located 117 +/- 55 km from the colony and over half were within 5 km of a tidal mixing front ~50 km offshore, supporting hypothesis 2 above. 3. The initiation of ARS behaviour was usually followed after only a short time interval (typically ~5 min) by the commencement of diving. Gannets do not dive until after they have located prey, and so this pattern strongly suggests that ARS behaviour was triggered by prey detection, supporting hypothesis 3 above. However, ~33% of dives in mixed coastal water and 16% of dives in stratified water were not associated with any detectable ARS behaviour. Hence, while ARS behaviour resulted from the detection and pursuit of prey, encounters with prey species did not inevitably induce ARS behaviour. 4. Following the initiation of ARS behaviour, dive rates were almost four times higher within ARS zones than elsewhere and almost three times higher in zones with nested ARS behaviour than in those without, supporting hypothesis 4 above and suggesting that the foraging success of birds was linked to their ability to match the hierarchical distribution of prey.

Breeding distribution and abundance of seabirds on islands off north-central Chile

Between 1999 and 2003 we collected information on the breeding distribution and abundance of 12 seabird species occurring on nine islands off the coasts of north and central Chile (27°-33°S). The Peruvian booby Sula variegata was the most abundant seabird with a breeding population of ca. 18,000 pairs concentrated in two islands, followed by the Humboldt penguin Spheniscus humboldti with ca. 9,000 pairs, the largest colony being at Chanaral Island with ca. 7,000 pairs. Kelp gulls Larus dominicanus bred at all the surveyed sites in colonies of variable size, ranging from 40 to 2,000 pairs. Peruvian diving-petrels Pelecanoides garnotii and Peruvian pelicans Pelecanus occidentalis bred at restricted sites, but generally in large colonies. Magellanic penguins Spheniscus magellanicus, wedge-rumped storm-petrels Oceanodroma tethys, Neotropical cormorants Hypoleucos brasiliensis, guanay cormorants Leucocarbo bougainvillii, red-legged cormorants Stictocarbo gairmardi, band-tailed gulls Larus belcheri and Inca terns Larosterna inca nested at few sites forming small colonies (from a few to 150 pairs). Two new breeding sites are reported for the Peruvian diving-petrel and nesting of the wedge-rumped storm-petrel is confirmed on the Chilean coast for the first time. Despite protective status, most of the islands showed human disturbance, derived mainly from guano harvesting, egging and tourism. On at least five of these islands we were able to confirm introduced mammals including rats, rabbits and cats. These factors are likely to be detrimental to seabirds and thus demand detailed assessment. Further comprehensive ornithological surveys in other areas are needed so as to improve the scarce knowledge that we currently have on the seabird populations along the Chilean coast

Effects of ship traffic on seabirds in offshore waters: implications for marine conservation and spatial planning

Most anthropogenic influences on marine ecosystems, except for river- or terrestrial-borne pollution, involve some sort of vessel activity. Increasing anthropogenic activities mean that many countries are being forced to develop spatial planning schemes, while at the same time implementing conservation sites for sensitive species at sea. The effects of ship traffic on seabirds sensitive to human disturbance are currently too poorly understood to allow for the development of proper planning and conservation guidelines. We therefore used aerial surveys and experimental disturbance to elucidate the effects of passing ships on the distribution patterns, habitat loss, and species-specific flight reactions of birds, as well as the potential for habituation. Loons (Gavia spp.) showed clear avoidance of areas with high shipping intensity. Flush distances of four sea duck species differed significantly, with the longest distances recorded for Common Scoters (Melanitta nigra) and the shortest for Common Eiders (Somateria mollissima). Flush distance was positively related to flock size. Among all the sea duck species studied, the duration of temporary habitat loss was longest for Common Scoters. We found indications of habituation in sea ducks within areas of channeled traffic. However, it is questionable if habituation to free-ranging ships is likely to occur, because of their unpredictable nature. We therefore recommend that spatial planning should aim to channel ship traffic wherever possible to avoid further habitat fragmentation and to allow for habituation, at least in some species. Information on the effects of shipping on other seabird species and during different periods of the year is urgently needed, together with information on the effects of different types of boats, including recreational and fishing vessels.

Meta-population evidence of oriented chain migration in northern gannets (Morus bassanus)

Although oriented migrations have been identified in many terrestrial bird species, the post-breeding-season movements of seabirds are generally regarded as dispersive. We used geolocator tags to reveal post-breeding movements and winter distribution of northern gannets (Morus bassanus) at a meta-population scale. By focusing on five breeding colonies of European gannets, we show that their breeding and wintering grounds are connected by a major flyway running along the coasts of Western Europe and Africa. Moreover, maximum winter distance to colony was similar across colonies despite their wide latitudinal range. In contrast with the general opinion that large pelagic birds such as gannets have unlimited ranges beyond the breeding season, our findings strongly suggest oriented chain migration in northern gannets (a pattern in which populations move uniformly southward) and highlight the benefit of meta-population approaches for studying seabird movements. We argue that the inclusion of such processes in ocean management plans is essential to improve efforts in marine biodiversity conservation.

Tracking long-distance migration to assess marine pollution impact

Animal tracking provides new means to assess far-reaching environmental impacts. In the aftermath of the Deepwater Horizon explosion in the Gulf of Mexico, a long-distance migrant, the northern gannet (Morus bassanus) suffered the highest oiling among beach-wrecked birds recovered. Analysis of bird-borne tracking data indicated that 25 per cent of their North American population from multiple colonies in eastern Canada migrated to the pollution zone. Findings contrasted sharply with available mark-recapture (band recovery) data. The timing of movement into and out of the Gulf indicates that immature birds would have absorbed most oil-induced mortality. Consequently, one of two outcomes is likely: either a lagged (likely difficult to assess) population decrease, or an undetectable population response buffered by age-related life-history adaptations. Tracking research is especially useful when little information on animal distributions in pollution zones is available, as is the case in the Gulf of Mexico. Ongoing research highlights current risks and conservation concerns.

20 years of the German Small-Scale Bottom Trawl Survey (GSBTS): A review

AbstractThe German Small-scale Bottom Trawl Survey (GSBTS) was initiated in 1987 in order to provide complementary investigations to the International Bottom Trawl Survey (IBTS) in the North Sea, using the same methodology but focussing high-intensity sampling on selected survey areas. Over the last 20 years, the initial number of 4 survey areas (10 × 10 nautical miles; “Boxes”) has been increased to 12, which are distributed over the entire North Sea. This paper describes the survey methods of the GSBTS, summarizes the scientific outcome of the first 20 years, and suggests that international fisheries research institutions would join the GSBTS.The major outcomes of the survey include to date:— Documentation changes in the distribution of fish species and in species assemblages (e.g. changes in species richness, shifts in the southern species component).— Geostatistical evaluation of GSBTS data.— Analysis of spatial scale effects: the relevance of GSBTS survey results for interpreting large-scaled abundance and distribution data from the IBTS.— Description of benthic habitats, composition of invertebrate fauna and its variability.— Process studies, especially investigation of predator-prey interactions between fish through analyses of stomach contents.— Characterization of the typical hydrographic conditions in the survey areas and their variability, and description of the nutrient supply.— Observations of seabirds and their feeding habits.— Analysis of the effects of different parameters on catch rates for bottom fish and on the estimates of abundance indices (e.g. vessel and gear effects, towing time, hydrographic conditions, time of day, number of hauls per area). In continuing this interdisciplinary survey with simultaneous sampling of all faunal and environmental compartments and especially in making it an international effort, we see the possibility of contributing data for the implementation of the ecosystems approach to fisheries management. Particularly, the following aspects can be addressed and would further increase the scientific value of the GSBTS:— Combining the survey data with highly resolved data from the commercial fishery to separate the effects of fishing from natural variability.— Further interdisciplinary analyses of the entire data set. Main aspects include benthos-fish-bird-community changes over time and their relation to historic fisheries impacts, and the coupling of biological and physical habitat characterisation.— Collection of accompanying data (phyto-, zoo- and ichthyoplankton data) in order to make the GSBTS a true ecosystem survey in detecting temporal changes in nearly all major levels of the food web.

Utilization of discards and offal from commercial fisheries by seabirds in the Baltic Sea

The distribution and abundance of scavenging seabirds and their utilization of discards and offal between June and December 1998 were studied in the western Baltic Sea. Herring gulls were clearly the most numerous scavenging species in all areas and all seasons, followed by great black-backed gulls, lesser black-backed gulls and mew gulls. High percentages of discarded gadoids (cod, whiting), clupeids (herring, sprat), scad, rockling and offal were consumed by seabirds during experimental discarding on fishing boats, whereas the percentages of flatfish consumed were extremely low. There was a clear effect of cod length on total and species-specific consumption by birds but this pattern was hardly evident for clupeids or dab. By combining official discard and offal statistics and our experimental discarding, we estimate that 6500 t of fish discards and 16 000 t of offal were consumed annually by seabirds in the Baltic Sea. Bivalves, especially blue mussels Mytilus edulis, were the most frequently represented food item in herring gull pellets. Fish identified in the pellets consisted mainly of gadoids, in particular cod. The proportion of discards in herring gull pellets was on average 1.6% (range: 0-4.5%) at Laboe and 17.5% at Warnemunde (range: 9.4-25.5%), but pellets bias diet assessment as offal and other soft prey (including clupeids) will be under-represented. Scavenging on discards and offal is a widespread phenomenon in the Baltic Sea as it is in other shelf areas of Europe, but the number of bird species involved is generally lower and strongly biased towards gulls, especially herring gulls.

Waterbird Populations and Pressures in the Baltic Sea

This report outlines the results of the internationally coordinated census of wintering waterbirds in the Baltic Sea 2007-2009 undertaken under the SOWBAS project (Status of wintering Waterbird pop ...

Ecosystem-based management objectives for the North Sea:Riding the forage fish rollercoaster

The North Sea provides a useful model for considering forage fish (FF) within ecosystem-based management as it has a complex assemblage of FF species. This paper is designed to encourage further debate and dialogue between stakeholders about management objectives. Changing the management of fisheries on FF will have economic consequences for all fleets in the North Sea. The predators that are vulnerable to the depletion of FF are Sandwich terns, great skua and common guillemots, and to a lesser extent, marine mammals. Comparative evaluations of management strategies are required to consider whether maintaining the reserves of prey biomass or a more integral approach of monitoring mortality rates across the trophic system is more robust under the ecosystem approach. In terms of trophic energy transfer, stability, and resilience of the ecosystem, FF should be considered as both a sized-based pool of biomass and as species components of the system by managers and modellers. Policy developers should not consider the knowledge base robust enough to embark on major projects of ecosystem engineering. Management plans appear able to maintain sustainable exploitation in the short term. Changes in the productivity of FF populations are inevitable so management should remain responsive and adaptive.

Seasonal and Regional Variation in the Diet of the Kelp Gull in Northern Chile

Abstract The feeding ecology of the Kelp Gull (Larus dominicanus) was studied during the 2002-03 breeding season at Coquimbo, northern Chile. Food composition was studied by analyzing pellets regurgitated by Kelp Gulls living in different habitats. Birds breeding or resting near fishing ports used these as their main feeding grounds. Birds breeding on offshore islands fed mainly on intertidal organisms and olives. A comparison between the food of breeders and non-breeding birds during the breeding season showed a difference in diet composition of breeders, who fed more on fish of high energy density while non-breeding birds continued feeding on a wide range of organisms and waste. Observations in a fishing harbor and at sea demonstrated that fisheries waste was an important food source for the birds. The inshore distribution at sea was related to the location of fishing ports and breeding colonies.