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Use Of An Honest Signal By Red-Footed Boobies Sula Sula In Response To Kleptoparasitism By Great Frigatebirds Fregata Minor, Lin Chao

Marine Ornithology

On Genovesa Island (00.3°N, 089.9°W) in the Galápagos Islands, Ecuador, Great Frigatebirds Fregata minor kleptoparasitize (i.e., steal food from) Red-footed Boobies Sula sula. In five of eight cases that I observed, the frigatebirds harassed the boobies until the latter regurgitated their forage, which the frigatebirds consumed. In three cases, the booby responded with a honk-like call and the frigatebirds stopped harassing. I propose that the honk is an “honest signal” by a booby having little food to divulge. Boobies loaded with forage do not honk because the call could trigger regurgitation. Thus, frigatebirds harass with escalation only non-honking boobies. The …

Nape Coloration Varies With Sex, Not Age, Among Great Shearwaters Ardenna Gravis, Ewan D. Wakefield, Anna R. Robuck, Kevin D. Powers, Robert A. Ronconi, Peter G. Ryan, David N. Wiley

Marine Ornithology

Most petrels (family Procellariidae) exhibit little or no obvious variation in plumage with age or sex, either because plumage performs no sexual function or does so in a way poorly perceptible to humans. This limits the inferences that can be made from visual observations of petrels at sea. However, it has been suggested that nape coloration of Great Shearwaters Ardenna gravis whitens with age. Here we test this supposition using observations of known-age-class individuals. We necropsied birds bycaught around Gough Island, a major breeding colony in the South Atlantic Ocean, and in Massachusetts Bay, a wintering area off the northeastern …

Spatial And Temporal Variation Of Beached Birds In Northern Argentine Patagonia, Victoria Magdalena Pizá, Patricio Javier Pereyra, Juan Pablo Seco Pon

Marine Ornithology

Beached birds on marine coastal beaches, along with other megafauna, are a valuable source of biological information, offering insights into species occurrence and factors that negatively affect their populations. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the spatial and temporal variation, and species composition, of coastal and marine birds found on sandy beaches in the Bahía de San Antonio Protected Natural Area (Río Negro Province, Argentina), and to relate resulting species abundance and richness to oceanographic and environmental variables. A biweekly survey was carried out over two years (2020-2022), during which 672 beached birds were recorded. The overall …

Seagrass And Mangroves As Water-Associated Bird Habitat In The Southern Red Sea Coasts Of Saudi Arabia, Jeff Bogart R. Abrogueña, Iwao Tanita, Anthony M. Doyle, Romana Roje-Busatto, Jean Rose H. Maquirang, Seerangan Manokaran, Khalid Imam, Thamer Al-Johani, Sau Pinn Woo

Marine Ornithology

Studies on water-associated bird communities within seagrass and mangrove habitats, especially in arid environments, are limited. Here, we studied a pristine mangrove forest with associated seagrass meadows in the Jazan City for Primary and Downstream Industries (JCPDI) on the southern Red Sea coast of Saudi Arabia. Our objectives were to (1) determine the differences in the diversity and distribution of water-associated bird communities between three sampling stations—S1 (a mixture of mangroves and seagrass beds), S2 (an open coast adjacent to mangroves), and S3 (an open coast without vegetation)—and across three seasons (March for spring, July for summer, and November for …

Wire Ingestion By A Red-Billed Tropicbird Phaethon Aethereus Chick On San Pedro Mártir Island, Mexico, Alberto Piña-Ortiz, Vladislav Marcuk, Salvador Gómez-Hernández, José Alfredo Castillo-Guerrero, Petra Quillfeldt

Marine Ornithology

We report the ingestion of wire by a Red-billed Tropicbird Phaethon aethereus chick at San Pedro Mártir Island, Gulf of California, Mexico. A scat sample collected from a four- to five-week-old chick contained a copper wire ~5.0 mm in length. Biologging revealed the previous foraging trips by one of the parents, and we ascertained the diet of birds in this colony through a molecular approach. From these data, we suggest why this individual was fed wire.

Comparison Of Offspring Growth Models In Atlantic Puffins Fratercula Arctica , Katja H. Kochvar, Raul Zabala Belenguer, Pierre-Paul Bitton

Marine Ornithology

Growth of morphological traits in the offspring of many seabirds, including Atlantic Puffins Fratercula arctica, has typically been characterized by linear models despite displaying nonlinear patterns. We assessed the fit of six typical avian growth models to measurements of puffling mass, wing length, and tenth primary length. Across all three biometrics, the first- and second-best performing models were nonlinear (i.e., quadratic, logistic, extreme value function); these models were then used to generate separate growth curves for individual pufflings and extract easily interpretable and comparable parameter estimates. We recommend the reported models in future studies incorporating metrics of puffling growth and …

Technological Evolution Generates New Answers And New Ways Forward: A Progress Report From The First Decade At The Karlsö Auk Lab, Jonas Hentati-Sundberg, Per-Arvid Berglund, Agnes B. Olin, Aron Hejdström, Henrik Österblom, Astrid A. Carlsen, Quentin Queiros, Olof Olsson

Marine Ornithology

In 2008, we built an artificial nesting construction for Common Murres Uria aalge, the Karlsö Auk Lab, on an island in the Baltic Sea (Hentati-Sundberg et al., 2012). The aim was to create an environment in which the birds could be readily monitored and accessed, and technological equipment easily installed. In this current paper, we report on murre recruitment to the Auk Lab over the first decade, assess the performance of the birds living on the lab compared to natural cliff ledges, and revisit the original research questions. We conclude that the tremendous developments in sensor technology (video surveillance, automated …

‘Floating Populations’ Of Seabirds: The Bane Of Demographic Modelers And Managers, David G. Ainley, George J. Divoky, Pat Baird, Gregory C. Spencer

Marine Ornithology

’Floating’ portions of seabird populations (mature but non-breeding individuals) are generally ignored in seabird research and management despite frequent evidence of their existence, especially in cavity-nesting species for whom nest habitat is often limiting. Here we demonstrate, using a few among an appreciable number of cases, that often more adults contribute to regional populations than colony-based censuses reveal, and that these birds are able to breed but do not. Once given the chance through the creation of nesting habitat, either by natural or human-caused processes, these populations reveal themselves by occupying the newly created habitats to become breeders. We include …

Have Rodents Impacted The Breeding And Distribution Of Black Noddy Anous Minutus On Lord Howe Island?, Nicholas Carlile, Lisa O’Neill, Terence O’Dwyer

Marine Ornithology

Rodents are well known to impact nesting seabirds. However, not all seabird species are equally susceptible to rodents due to variations in size, nest-site selection, or nesting behaviour. The Black Noddy Anous minutus, a common tropical, tree-nesting species, began colonisation of North Bay on Australia’s Lord Howe Island in 1989, 70 years after the establishment of Black Rats Rattus rattus. In 2014, when the breeding colony consisted of 560 pairs, we commenced a pilot study to assess impacts of rodents. Ten motion-triggered cameras monitoring 12 nests showed no rodent presence on any branches within view; 11 of those nesting attempts …

No Evidence For High Pathogenicity Avian Influenza In Waved Albatross Phoebastria Irrorata, Gustavo Jiménez-Uzcátegui, Alberto Vélez, Patricio Vega, Verónica Buendia, Verónica Montenegro-Benalcázar, Christian Sevilla, Marilyn Cruz

Marine Ornithology

Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) is caused by the Alphainfluenzavirus influenzae species (type A, subtype H5N1), which has been detected in mammals (including humans) and marine birds in the Americas, including the Galápagos Islands. The Waved Albatross Phoebastria irrorata is a marine endemic species of Ecuador. Most of its breeding population nests on Española Island in the Galápagos Archipelago, and it forages at sea in the eastern South Pacific. This marine bird shares its feeding areas with the Peruvian Pelican Pelecanus thagus, Peruvian Booby Sula variegata, Guanay Cormorant Leucocarbo bougainvillii, Humboldt Penguin Spheniscus humboldti, Sanderling Calidris alba, Belcher’s Gull Larus …

Assessing The Short- And Long-Term Response Of Gulls To Non-Lethal Hazing On An Offshore Island, Pete Warzybok, Nadav Nur, Russell W. Bradley, Dan Grout, Gerard J. Mcchesney

Marine Ornithology

Non-lethal bird hazing techniques are commonly used to protect public health and safety, defend crops, and safeguard the birds themselves. Examples of their use include warding them away from airports, landfills, oil spills, and other avian toxic exposure situations. Herein we examine the efficacy of non-lethal hazing tools for minimizing impacts to Gulls Larus spp. prior to a proposed eradication of introduced House Mice Mus musculus at the South Farallon Islands, 30 km offshore of the Central California coast. Methods considered for removing mice include the aerial application of rodenticide, which poses an adverse risk to non-target wildlife, including Western …

Dynamics Of Humboldt Penguin Colonization On Port Terminal Infrastructure In Southern Peru, Carlos Zavalaga, Sebastián Lozano-Sanllehi, Ximena Velez-Zuazo, Bruno Vildoso

Marine Ornithology

The use of artificial structures by seabirds is a globally recognized phenomenon driven by escalating human coastal development. Designed as maritime infrastructure, breakwaters, jetties, and bridges inadvertently offer nesting habitat and refuge for a diverse assemblage of seabird species. The construction of a detached breakwater at the port terminal of the PERU LNG natural gas liquefaction plant in Melchorita, Peru, provided a unique opportunity to observe seabird colonization of new habitat, in this case colonization by Humboldt Penguins Spheniscus humboldti from 2008 to 2024. The penguins founded a permanent breeding site within 3.5 years after cessation of human activity at …

Updated Distribution And Population Dynamics Of Magellanic Penguin Spheniscus Magellanicus Colonies In The Strait Of Magellan, Chile, Manuel Ochoa-Sánchez, Jorge Acevedo, Claudio Moraga, Katherine Gaete, Pedro Valenzuela, Valeria Souza, Eliana Paola Acuña Gomez

Marine Ornithology

The Magellanic Penguin Spheniscus magellanicus exhibits a broad latitudinal distribution in southern South America. However, the locations of many breeding colonies remain poorly known on the Pacific side, particularly in the southernmost region. Here, we provide information for six Magellanic Penguin colonies in the Strait of Magellan and adjacent waters that have been known by the local community for years but were unknown in the scientific literature until now: Rupert Islet, Tuckers Islet 1, Tuckers Islet 2, James Island 1, James Island 2, and Monmouth Island. These locations differ in population size and in vegetation coverage: most colonies are characterized …

Analyses Of Morphological Effects Of Cryopreservation On Plasmodium Yoelii Sporozoites, Lauren J. Topley

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Malaria is a vector-borne disease and is a major global public health threat caused by the genus Plasmodium. Of the five species that infected humans, Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium falciparum contribute the highest rates of morbidity and mortality. Research efforts to develop antimalarial drugs and effective vaccines is imperative to the prevention of future cases. Plasmodium has three reproductive stages: sporogonic, liver, and blood. Sporozoites are injected into the human host from an infected female Anopheles mosquito, which travel to the liver to initiate liver stage malaria. Since few sporozoites are successful, the liver stage is a bottleneck of the …

He’S The Kid That No One Wanted: An Autoethnographic Examination Of Preschool Suspensions And Expulsions From A Mother’S Lens, Lisa M. Smith

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This autoethnographic research examines the personal and professional journey of advocating against preschool suspensions and expulsions through the lens of a Black mother. Titled He’s The Kid That No One Wanted: An Autoethnographic Examination of Preschool Suspensions and Expulsions from a Mother’s Lens, " it dives into the complicated challenges faced while confronting exclusionary disciplinary practices in early childhood education. This research aims to illuminate the societal and institutional roadblocks encountered when navigating systems of power and to explore the impact of these challenges on both personal identity and professional advocacy. Using a blend of social media artifacts and memory …

Concentration And Composition Of Organic Contaminants In Blackfin Tuna, Yellowfin Tuna, And The Common Clubhook Squid In The Western Gulf Of Mexico, Lisa Rose-Mann

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Cephalopods are an important component of pelagic food webs. They play ecological roles not only as predators but also as prey. However, their role as prey in the trophic transfer of organic contaminants to apex predators such as tunas in the Gulf of Mexico (GoM) is not well known. To investigate the importance of cephalopods in tuna diets, stomach samples were collected in February 2020 from tunas caught by rod and reel aboard the F/V Gulf Eagle near two large offshore floating oil/gas platforms in the northwestern GoM. Cephalopod samples were obtained from gut content analysis of 41 tunas caught …

Representation And Visualization Of Multivariate Sensory Time Series Data, Ismail Uysal, Alla Abdella

USF Patents

In accordance with some embodiments, systems, methods, and media for processing and representing multivariate sensor information gathered from multiple sources are provided. In some embodiments, the method comprises: receiving a data sequences from respective sources; identifying a shortest data sequence that corresponds to a first interval; calculating, for pairs of data sequences, a similarity value over the first interval; forming a first segment of a representative data sequence that is a weighted combination of the data sequences over the first interval based on similarity values associated with the data sequences; truncating at least a subset of data sequences to exclude …

Conflicting Social Information And Its Impact On Sentence Comprehension In Young Adults With Dld: An Eye Tracking Study, Ansley Davis

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Individuals must recognize linguistic and non-linguistic social cues to resolve contextual ambiguities in their conversations. When the linguistic and social cues match, sentence processing is facilitated. However, conflicts between linguistic and social stimuli (i.e., incongruency) can lead to prediction errors which slow sentence processing. Limited research has explored the social cognition conflict resolution skills in individuals with Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) despite their documented emotion processing deficits. This study considers the role of social prediction processing in adults with DLD as they engage in a social cognition conflict resolution task.

Young adults with DLD (n=29) and typically developing (TD) peers …

Mapping Co-Benefits And Cultural Values For Nature-Based Solutions: Palcencia, Belize (Report No. 9), J. M.S. Delevaux, R. K. Zarger, C. Dario, K. Hinds, N. Batista, J. M. Olaya-Restrepo, W. A. Webb, D. Mcdougall, M. Vernon, N. Gibson, R. Mckenna, M. A. Trotz

Strong Coasts Collection

On October 24th and 25th, 2024, 58 persons gathered in Placencia Village for a collaborative workshop aimed at sharing knowledge on priority areas for Nature-Based Solutions and co-benefits pertaining to mangroves and coral reefs, including mapping and valuing fisheries supply chains, and socio-cultural values pertaining to Nature-Based Solutions.

This two-part workshop was part of the Strong Coasts Coastlines and People (CoPE) project which studies the co-benefits of Nature-Based Solutions in terms of contributions to Habitat Extent & Health, Carbon Sequestration, Education, Erosion, Fisheries, Flood Reduction, Heritage, Recreation, Tourism, and Water Quality. The workshop was organized by project partners from the …

Vital Signs: Findings From Florida’S 2024 Ems Workforce Statewide Survey, Michael Lozano, Bruce J. Moeller, Ashley Tobin

Florida Center for Emergency Medical Services Research Reports

The 2024 EMT and Paramedic License Renewal Survey provides a comprehensive analysis of workforce trends, employment characteristics, recruitment challenges, retention patterns, and the mental health and wellness of emergency medical personnel in Florida. Conducted by the Florida Center for Emergency Medical Services (FL-CEMS) in collaboration with the Bureau of Emergency Medical Oversight (BEMO) at the Florida Department of Health (DoH), this survey captures insights from thousands of EMTs and paramedics renewing their professional licenses.

Key findings indicate persistent challenges in workforce retention, particularly for early-career professionals, and a notable decline in satisfaction with compensation. Despite these concerns, EMS personnel express …

U.S. Withdrawal From Afghanistan And Realignment Of Eurasian Rival Powers, Toghrul Seyidbayli

Journal of Strategic Security

This article explores the geopolitical ramifications of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, focusing on how it has catalyzed strategic realignments among China, Russia, and Iran in Eurasia. By examining the withdrawal’s impact on the regional power dynamics, the article analyzes how these revisionist states have exploited the resulting power vacuum to assert their influence and challenge the existing international order. China has used this moment to expand its Belt and Road Initiative, Russia has felt emboldened to escalate its military actions in Ukraine, and Iran, despite regional setbacks, remains determined in pursuing its revisionist strategy in Eurasia. The study employs …

Navigating Transit Governance: Wto Rules And Unclos With A Focus On Nepal And Afghanistan, Dr.Neeru Sidana, Disha Tiwari Ms.

Journal of Strategic Security

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Many developing, landlocked countries, such as Nepal and Afghanistan, face significant challenges in accessing international markets, which hinders their development. These issues inspired the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) in 1982, which grants landlocked states the right to navigate through coastal territories for trade. This article investigates how UNCLOS has influenced the transit and trade of Nepal and Afghanistan since the treaty's signing. The research examines the macroeconomic impacts of UNCLOS on these countries, focusing on trade trends and regional cooperation agreements. It analyzes how UNCLOS has facilitated increased trade and new economic activities …

Human Security And Afghan Refugee Resettlement In The Us: A Case Study Of Camp Atterbury, Arif Akgul, Jennifer Grimes, Samuel Valentine

Journal of Strategic Security

This study examines the application of human security theory in the humanitarian operation at Camp Atterbury, which provided temporary resettlement for over 7,200 Afghan evacuees in the State of Indiana as part of Operation Allies Welcome (OAW). Afghan evacuees were admitted to the US under humanitarian parole and experienced a transitional period since their arrival on August 2021. Using the three pillars of human security: freedom from fear, freedom from want, and freedom to live in dignity, conceptualized by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and Kofi Annan, this analysis explores the security measures, essential services, and accommodations implemented to …