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Predator Disturbance Contributed To Common Murre Uria Aalge Breeding Failures In Cook Inlet, Alaska Following The 2014–2016 Pacific Marine Heatwave, Caitlin E. Marsteller, Mayumi L. Arimitsu, Sarah K. Schoen, Samuel B. Stark, John F. Piatt

Marine Ornithology

The 2014–2016 Pacific marine heatwave caused unprecedented die-offs and multi-year reproductive failures for Common Murres Uria aalge along the west coast of North America. Lingering impacts, such as declines in colony attendance and productivity, have persisted at some colonies following the heatwave and are attributed largely to changes in prey availability and quality. Here, we present evidence of an additional, top-down mechanism contributing to Common Murre breeding failures on Gull Island (Alaska): disturbance of nesting birds by aerial predators and associated egg depredation. We collected time-lapse images over five murre breeding seasons (2016–2020) on Gull Island to document the frequency, …

Ecological Experiences And Perceptions Of Small-Scale Gillnet And Purse Seine Fishers On Seabirds And Other Non-Target Taxa In The Humboldt Current System, Chile, Cristián G. Suazo, Cristóbal Anguita, Jaime Ojeda, Guillermo Luna-Jorquera, Maritza Sepúlveda, Oliver Yates

Marine Ornithology

Strategies to reduce the negative impacts of fisheries on ecosystems often come into conflict with fishers who have different experiences with, and perceptions of, biodiversity compared to policy makers and fisheries managers. We interviewed 800 fishers along 2400 kilometers of the Humboldt Current System (HCS) coast, assessing fishers’ perceptions of the impacts of marine predators on fishing and their proposals to reduce conflicts with small-scale net fisheries. Vessel captains saw seabirds as positive indicators of fish presence along the HCS (mean probability 62.7%). In contrast, sea lions were perceived negatively, affecting catches for all fishers and causing fishing gear damage …

A Systematic Review Of Trends In Research On Seabird Behavioral Flexibility, M. Candelaria Biagiotti Barchiesi, Laura M. Biondi, German O. García

Marine Ornithology

There has been an increase in interest in the study of behavioral flexibility for its role in how organisms face disturbances and changes in their environment. However, there is not much research on this topic for seabirds, whose conservation status is affected by multiple issues related to changes in their environment. The goal of this paper was to analyze research on seabird behavioral flexibility and to identify knowledge gaps. A systematic review was conducted using academic search engines that included articles published from 1986 to 2022. In the 143 articles that were analyzed, the following were identified: publication date, family …

Diet Assessment And Vulnerability Of White-Faced Storm Petrel Pelagodroma Marina Within A Warming Hotspot, Madhuli Karmalkar, Lauren Roman, Farzana Kastury, Fernando Arce, Kerrie M. Swadling

Marine Ornithology

Shifts in zooplankton communities due to changing ocean climate can affect foraging patterns among planktivorous seabirds. To better understand seabird response to environmental change in Bass Strait, southeast Australia, we investigated the prey species and 16 elements in prey and feathers of the planktivorous White-faced Storm Petrel Pelagodroma marina. The krill Nyctiphanes australis was the most abundant prey species, followed by several species of post-larval fish; otherwise, the species appeared to be a generalist feeder. Element concentrations of feathers were not significantly influenced by dietary composition. Likewise, element concentrations did not significantly differ between major prey species, confirming that the …

Reproductive Indices Of Common Murres Uria Aalge And Marbled Murrelets Brachyramphus Marmoratus Indicate Murrelets Are More Resilient During Poor Years, Craig S. Strong, Adam Duarte

Marine Ornithology

Fledgling encounter rates at sea were used as measures of annual reproductive performance for Common Murres Uria aalge and Marbled Murrelets Brachyramphus marmoratus over 29 years in two marine biogeographic regions off the coast of Oregon, USA, north and south of Cape Blanco. In both bioregions, the adult murre population was much larger and the encounter rate of murre fledglings was much higher than for murrelets overall, but the apparent decline in productivity during El Niño events and years of poor foraging was significantly greater in murres than in murrelets. We conclude that murrelets are better at coping with variations …

Medical History And Post-Release Survival Of Rehabilitated California Brown Pelicans Pelecanus Occidentalis Californicus, 2009-2019, Rebecca S. Duerr, Deborah L. Jaques, Barton G. Selby, Julie S. Skoglund, Suzanne Kosina

Marine Ornithology

California Brown Pelicans Pelecanus occidentalis californicus rehabilitated in 2009–2019 were released with metal federal and blue plastic auxiliary leg bands. Resighting data were obtained from the US Geological Survey’s Bird Banding Laboratory, International Bird Rescue’s citizen science reporting forms, and non-breeding communal roost site surveys. Medical problems and demographic data were assessed in relation to whether birds were resighted, whether they were alive at the most recent resighting, and by longevity after release. The 1418 blue-banded individuals in the study were admitted for rehabilitation and released 1 465 times, and 49.9% were resighted at least once. At the most recent …

Characterizing The Diet Of A Threatened Seabird, The Marbled Murrelet Brachyramphus Marmoratus, Using High-Throughput Sequencing, Emily D. Fountain, Paige J. Kulzer, Richard T. Golightly, James W. Rivers, Scott F. Pearson, Martin G. Raphael, Matthew G. Betts, S. Kim Nelson, Daniel D. Roby, Nicholas F. Kryshak, Stephanie Schneider, M. Zachariah Peery

Marine Ornithology

Understanding prey consumption patterns is critical to understanding the ways in which seabirds cope with a changing ocean. However, characterizing the dietary habitats of seabirds can be challenging. In this study, we investigated the diet of the Marbled Murrelet Brachyramphus marmoratus population that lives in waters off California, Oregon, and Washington, USA, using fecal DNA, custom metabarcoding, and high-throughput sequencing. Murrelets were captured at sea by dip-netting at night. Across this region, murrelets consumed highly diverse prey types including 17 fish species and 10 invertebrate species, in accord with previous work indicating the species’ forage on a wide range of …

Stable Isotope-Determined Diets Of Black Oystercatchers Haematopus Bachmani In The Northern Gulf Of Alaska, Brooke Carney, David Tessler, Heather Coletti, Jeffrey M. Welker, Douglas Causey

Marine Ornithology

Black Oystercatchers Haematopus bachmani (BLOY) feed on intertidal invertebrates along coasts of the northern Gulf of Alaska and elsewhere. Details of their feeding ecology have only been marginally delineated, however, and as population sizes are small and limited geographically, rapid ecological changes may alter their prey base, placing BLOY resiliency in jeopardy. We examined the diets of BLOYs occupying the coast at three sites in Southeast Alaska using stable isotope analysis of carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) to answer the following three questions: (1) what are the diet proportions of prey groups consumed at different locations along the northern Gulf …

Demographics And Gross Pathology Of Scoters And Scaups Killed By The Cosco Busan Oil Spill In California, Jessie Beck, Ryan D. Carle, Hannahrose Nevins, Susan E.W. De La Cruz, Erica Donnelly-Greenan

Marine Ornithology

Unusual wildlife mortality events provide a unique opportunity to collect information on demographics, disease, and body condition in affected wildlife, which may be useful for informing oil spill damage assessments and future spill responses. In November 2007, the Cosco Busan Oil Spill occurred in San Francisco Bay, California, a globally important wintering area for waterfowl. The spill resulted in the mortality of scoters Melanitta spp. and scaups Aythya spp., species that have declined significantly over recent decades. We examined the demography (sex and age ratios) and prevalence of grossly apparent disease (acanthocephalan parasite infection and mycotic disease) in 288 Surf …

The Potential Of Ecologists To Enhance Our Understanding Of Seabird Health, Melanie R. Wells, Annie Philips, Mary-Anne Lea, Scott Carver

Marine Ornithology

Ecologists play a pivotal role in the detection and investigation of population changes in seabirds and by doing so have significant potential to contribute to enhancing knowledge of seabird health. This review highlights key examples in the literature where ecologists have employed diligent passive health surveillance and/or undertaken targeted investigations of seabirds, strategies that have augmented our knowledge of seabird health at individual and population levels. Within the context of One Health, an integrated approach to perceiving and managing health, this review amalgamates veterinarian and ecology disciplines by summarising auxiliary metrics of clinical health that may be considered for incorporation …

Mercury Contamination In The Endocrine Glands Of Black-Tailed Gulls Larus Crassirostris On Kabushima (Kabu Island), Japan, Yasuaki Niizuma, Hinako Tani, Yuki Yamashita, Mitsuki Ito, Miho Maeda

Marine Ornithology

A colony of about 30 000 pairs of Black-tailed Gull Larus crassirostris nest on Kabushima (Kabu Island), which is located on the northeast mainland coast of Japan (Sanriku Coast, Honshu Island). There, the surface-water Hg concentration is higher than in the North Pacific Ocean. We collected carcasses from the breeding colony to assess the level of mercury (Hg) contamination. We measured Hg concentrations in 10 body tissues, including the endocrine glands. The relative mercury concentrations in the tissue samples (µg/g dry weight) were as follows: adrenal glands > livers > kidneys > blood > pituitaries > gonads > breast muscles > thyroid glands > pancreases > brain stems. Correlations …

No Evidence Of Habitat Effect On Clutch Size, Egg Quality, And Hatching Success Of The Yellow-Legged Gull Larus Michahellis At A Micro-Spatial Scale, Sergio Delgado, Nere Zorrozua, Juan Arizaga

Marine Ornithology

In colonial seabirds, the nest substrate that is available and, in particular, the vegetation cover around the nest, are important environmental factors that drive an individual’s nesting selection process and, ultimately, reproductive performance. Using data collected during three consecutive years in a Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis colony from the Bay of Biscay, Spain, we tested whether clutch size, egg volume, and hatching success covaried with the proportion of vegetation cover around nests. We found no effect of vegetation cover on breeding performance. Laying date showed a positive effect on egg volume and a negative effect on hatching success and the …

The Feeding Ecology And Behavior Of Breeding Iceland Gulls Larus Glaucoides Kumlieni And Comparisons With Sympatric Large Larus Gulls On Southwestern Baffin Island, Canada, Scott S. Moorhouse

Marine Ornithology

The feeding ecology and behavior of breeding Iceland Gulls Larus glaucoides kumlieni and, to a lesser extent, American Herring Gulls Larus smithsonianus and Glaucous Gulls Larus hyperboreus, were studied at a large Iceland Gull colony located near Kinngait, Baffin Island, Canada. Iceland Gulls collected food close to the colony, mainly at ebbing and low tides, on or very close to the shoreline, and in adjacent nearshore waters. The most common feeding technique was picking on the water surface while swimming. Additional techniques included plunging to capture food items at greater depths and kleptoparasitism. Known food items included marine invertebrates and …

Ocean Heat Wave Induces Breeding Failure At The Southern Breeding Limit Of The Northern Gannet Morus Bassanus, William A. Montevecchi, Paul M. Regular, Jean-François Rail, Kyran Power, Chris Mooney, Kyle J.N. D’Entremont, Stefan Garthe, Leanne Guzzwell, Sabina I. Wilhelm

Marine Ornithology

We document unprecedented abandonments and breeding failures by Northern Gannets in eastern Canada at Cape St. Mary’s, Bonaventure Island, and the Magdalen Islands. These events were associated with a marine heat wave during chick rearing in the late summer of 2012. The rapid onset of abandonment at Cape St. Mary’s also coincided with intense lightning and thunder during an overnight storm. Parental desertions at all colonies were transient, resolving over a period of weeks, and appeared to be food-related, resulting in the poorest breeding success on record for each of these colonies. The Northern Gannet’s primary prey during the breeding …

Trends In Radar Counts Of Marbled Murrelets Brachyramphus Marmoratus In British Columbia (1996-2018): Effects Of 'The Blob' Marine Heatwave And Prey Fish Abundance, Mark C. Drever, Murdoch K. Mcallister, Douglas F. Bertram, Bernard K. Schroeder, Kerry J. Woo

Marine Ornithology

During 2014–2016, the northeast Pacific Ocean experienced a large-scale marine heatwave (nicknamed ‘The Blob’), an event that was associated with die-offs of several marine bird species. The Marbled Murrelet Brachyramphus marmoratus is a small seabird in this region for which we evaluated trends in abundance—for the purposes of conservation planning—during radar surveys at 58 sites in coastal British Columbia, from 1996 to 2018, and for which we determined whether trends may have been affected by ‘The Blob’. A hierarchical Bayesian model allowed us to separate long-term trends from short-term annual fluctuations (‘year effects’) that might have resulted from changes in …

Stable Isotope Analysis Of Multiple Tissues From Chick Carcasses Of Three Pygoscelid Penguins In Antarctica, Yanina A. Ciriani, Mariana A. Juáres, M. Mercedes Santos, Steven D. Emslie

Marine Ornithology

Many types of animal tissues are increasingly being used for stable isotope analysis, with their application dependent on the time frame they reflect and their availability for collection. Here, we investigated the isotopic values (δ13C and δ15N) of four tissues (feather, skin, toenail, and bone) collected from fledgling-period chick carcasses of three species of pygoscelid penguins to compare the variability and accuracy of the data among tissues. Samples were collected at 25 de Mayo/King George Island during the 2017/18 austral summer. Chick carcasses are commonly found at active penguin colonies, and “opportunistic sampling” can easily be performed without disturbing nesting …

Avifauna Associated With An Otter-Trawl Fishery In A Tropical Estuary, Natalie Villar Freret-Meurer, José Vanderli Andreata, Maria Alice S. Alves

Marine Ornithology

Otter trawls are commonly used in fisheries for benthic fishes, and they provide a source of food to many marine birds. This study aimed to quantify the response of birds, by species, attracted to forage at fishing vessels in Ribeira Bay, Angra dos Reis, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Sampling was conducted every two months in 2006 at five stations, for a total of 30 trawls; fish were collected for 20 minutes per trawl. Bird counts were recorded just before the trawling started, when it began, 10 minutes after trawling began, and 10 minutes after it stopped. After trawling, 10 fresh …

A Multidimensional Perspective Of Patterns Of Functioning And Well-Being, Lendi Nicole Joy

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality estimates that 79.4% of U.S. adults will remain free from mental illness each year, but this does not necessarily mean they will enjoy positive psychological health and well-being. Well-being has been associated with positive outcomes such as greater health, longevity, work productivity, and increased social engagement. Thus, it is important for researchers to understand factors contributing to the development of well-being and optimal functioning. The current study used latent profile analysis to classify individuals based on their levels of well-being at ages 23 to 26 years and explored functioning indexes assessed when …

Thick-Billed Murres Uria Lomvia At Cape Parry, Northwest Territories: Core-Use Areas, Morphometrics And Chick Diets, Rosana Paredes, Stephen, J. Insley, Sebastian Luque, Piia Kortsalo

Marine Ornithology

Cape Parry is home to the only colony of Thick-billed Murres Uria lomvia in the western Canadian Arctic, but ecological information for this small, isolated population is lacking. To address this information gap, we investigated the spatial distribution, diving behaviour, diet, and morphometrics of male and female Cape Parry Thick-billed Murres during the breeding season. We tracked 23 chick-rearing adults (seven females and 16 males) using Global Positioning System (GPS) tags with depth sensors (2021) and collected chick diet data (2021, 2022) using observations and photos. Cape Parry murres foraged relatively close to the colony (4.5 ± 3.3 km) and …

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 …

Ocular Pathology In The Flightless Cormorant Nannopterum Harrisi, Gustavo Jiménez-Uzcátegui

Marine Ornithology

Ocular pathological conditions affecting the cornea, iris, conjunctiva, and third eyelid in each of four Flightless Cormorants Nannopterum harrisi were observed on Fernandina Island, Galápagos, in September 2014. Observations over many years, 2009–2023 (n = 313 cormorants inspected), suggest that the infection noted in 2014 was rare.

Long-Term Outcomes Of A Laysan Albatross Phoebastria Immutabilis Foster Egg Translocation Program, Eric A. Vanderwerf, Lindsay C. Young, C. Robert Kohley, Jessica Behnke, Brooke Mcfarland, Katherine Finney, Hob Osterlund, Julie Murphy, Angela Serota, Louise Barnfield, Yuka Green, Kim S. Rogers, Cathy Granholm

Marine Ornithology

In the 1960s and 1970s, Laysan Albatrosses Phoebastria immutabilis colonized several sites in the Pacific from which they had been extirpated or had not been known to nest previously, including the US Navy’s Pacific Missile Range Facility (PMRF) on Kaua‘i, Hawai‘i, USA, where they increased to become a bird aircraft strike hazard (BASH). To reduce their population at PMRF, albatross eggs were destroyed or removed as part of a BASH reduction program until 2005, when an alternate plan was devised by the Navy, US Fish and Wildlife Service, and US Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services, in which eggs from PMRF …

Assessment Of Tufted Puffin Fratercula Cirrhata Diet Using Dna Metabarcoding, Thomas P. Good, Andrew O. Shelton, Abigail H. Wells, Ana Ramón-Laca, Ramon Gallego, Peter J. Hodum, Scott F. Pearson

Marine Ornithology

Investigating trophic relationships can be critical for understanding relationships between marine predators and their prey. DNA analysis of feces is used increasingly as a non-invasive method to uncover seabird dietary patterns across space and time. Tufted Puffins Fratercula cirrhata are listed as Endangered in the state of Washington (WA), USA, and reduced prey availability is thought to be a key factor in the species’ decline. Recent information on Tufted Puffin diet is lacking, and present opportunities for direct diet observation are limited. We conducted a pilot study to characterize Tufted Puffin diet on Destruction Island, WA, in 2019 using DNA …

Life-History Traits And Divergence In Population Trends Of Two North Pacific Auks: Rhinoceros Auklet Cerorhinca Monocerata And Tufted Puffin Fratercula Cirrhata, J. Mark Hipfner

Marine Ornithology

Population trends in two closely related and ecologically similar North Pacific auks, the Rhinoceros Auklet Cerorhinca monocerata and Tufted Puffin Fratercula cirrhata, have diverged over recent decades: stable in the former, declining in the latter. I propose that differences between the two species in a broad suite of interrelated morphological, demographic, behavioral, and physiological life-history traits could explain their differing responses to recent environmental conditions.

Afghanistan: Consolidation Of Power Under The Taliban, Challenges And Sustainability, Ali Ahmad Jalali

Journal of Strategic Security

Four years after the return of the Taliban to power in Afghanistan, the country under the clerics’ rule is peaceful but not stable. The country is internationally isolated, economically in crisis and socio-politically divided. Despite earlier pledges to share power with other Afghan parties and respect democratic rights of all Afghans,^[i] the Taliban swiftly reinstated many of their harshest policies, pushing women out of public life and allowing no dissent.

Adhering to an ideology of radical exceptionalism, the ruling Taliban maintain control over the country through a totalitarian governance while keeping ideological ties with regional and global Jihadist groups. …

Healthy Bodies, Moral Minds, And Rural Ideals: Contextualizing Interwar British Childhood And Citizenship Through Children's Country Holidays Fund Vacations, Paula J. Pack

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation uses the Children’s Country Holidays Fund (CCHF) as a critical lens to examine how philanthropy, childhood, class, public health, and rural nostalgia intersected within the broader context of citizen formation in interwar Britain. Founded in 1884 to provide country holidays for poor London schoolchildren, the CCHF evolved from a philanthropic response to Victorian slum life into an informal arm of welfare governance by the end of the interwar period. Through its country holidays, the Fund became an active participant in shaping ideals of health, morality, and civic responsibility in a period marked by heightened concern over national vitality …

First Insight On The Genesis Of Iron Oxide-Hydroxide Biospeleothems In Rancho Chico Lava Tube, Mexico, Rafael López-Martínez, Elizabeth Solleiro-Rebolledo, Rocio Alcántara-Hernández, Teresa Pi Puig, Sergey Sedov, Daisy Valera Fernández, M. Nayeli Luis-Vargas, Yasmany Lima Vera, Jesús Solé, Ramon Espinasa-Pereña

International Journal of Speleology

Iron is a common element in lava tube systems, typically observed as thin crusts or inferred from the reddish coloration of secondary mineral deposits. In this study, we describe iron oxide-hydroxide biospeleothems discovered in the Rancho Chico Lava Tube, located within the Xalapa Monogenetic Volcanic Field in Mexico. We adopt an integrative approach combining petrography, soil micromorphology, scanning electron microscopy, mineralogy, and 16S rRNA gene metabarcoding. DNA sequencing reveals the presence of microorganisms such as Acidithiobacillus, Gallionella, and members of the Leptospirillaceae family, which may be involved in the oxidation of Fe²⁺ within the lava tube. The source …

Branching Corals Modulate Their Hydrodynamic Environment, Enhancing Capture Rates Of Evasive Prey, Kelsey Daniels

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Reef-building corals obtain nutrients through two primary means: autotrophy (via mutualism with photosynthetic zooxanthellae) and heterotrophy (via feeding). The latter form of resource acquisition is understudied and many aspects of predator-prey interactions between coral and naturally occurring prey species remain unexplored. In this thesis, I elucidate the role of branching coral morphology in shaping the colony’s local hydrodynamic environment and describe how this environment impacts prey capture, particularly among evasive and hydrodynamically sensitive, but highly abundant prey such as copepods. I used acrylic cylinders of three sizes in aquaria to model the structure of coral branches across the range of …

Food For Thought: Binge Planning Cognitions And Behaviors Within An Online Sample Of Adults With Binge-Type Eating Disorders, Rose H. Miller

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Research has begun exploring the phenomenon of binge planning, wherein individuals who binge eat do so with forethought, rather than impulsively. What specific thought processes and behaviors comprise binge plans remains unexamined. How, or if, the eating disorder presentations of individuals who plan binges ahead of time differ from those who binge impulsively is also still unknown. The present study sought to explore the thoughts, emotions, and behaviors associated with binge planning, and to identify how the motivations, symptomologies, and personality traits (i.e., impulsivity) differ between binge eaters who do or do not plan their binges. An online study using …

Compositions And Methods For Weight Loss Maintenance, Dominic Paul D'Agostino, Angela Marie Poff, Andrew Paul Koutnik

USF Patents

Compositions and methods for inducing weight loss, fat loss, maintaining weight or fat loss, suppressing appetite, reducing calorie intake, reducing weight gain, decreasing feed efficiency, increasing metabolic inefficiency, increasing energy expenditure, increasing thermogenesis and/or resetting metabolic set are disclosed. The compositions have a therapeutically effective amount of a ketogenic supplement, e.g., a ketone diesters, such as R,S 1,3-butanediol diacetoacetate. Compositions of one or more beta-hydroxy butyrate, beta-hydroxybutyrate salt, and medium chain triglycerides are also disclosed.