Digital Commons Network^™

Best Practices For Using Drones In Seabird Monitoring And Research, Alice J. Edney, Tom Hart, Mark J. Jessopp, Alex Banks, Lucy E. Clarke, Laure Cugnière, Kyle H. Elliot, Ignacio Juarez Martinez, Alexandra Kilcoyne, Matthew Murphy, Ruedi G. Nager, Norman Ratcliffe, Danielle L. Thompson, Robin M. Ward, Matt J. Wood

Marine Ornithology

Over the past decade, drones have become increasingly popular in environmental biology and have been used to study wildlife on all continents. Drones have become of global importance for surveying breeding seabirds by providing opportunities to transform monitoring techniques and allow new research on some of the most threatened birds. However, such fast-changing and increasingly available technology presents challenges to regulators responding to requests to carry out surveys and to researchers ensuring their work follows best practices and meets legal and ethical standards. Following a workshop convened at the 14th International Seabird Group Conference and a subsequent literature search, we …

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 …

High-Contrast Banners Designed To Deter Seabirds From Gillnets Reduce Target Fish Catch, William A. Montevecchi, Jessika Lamarre, Yann Rouxel, Marina W. Montevecchi, Robert J. Blackmore, Christina Bourne, Caleb S. Spiegel

Marine Ornithology

The incidental catch of non-target species in fishing gear (i.e., bycatch) is a global threat to sustainability and conservation in marine systems. Seabirds experience substantial bycatch mortality, with gillnets having the greatest impacts of any fishing gear. Widespread mitigation to reduce seabird bycatch in gillnet fisheries is tenuous, and information on bycatch in inshore surface-set gillnets remains a major knowledge gap. To help address these issues, we collaborated with commercial fishers to test the efficacy of high-contrast banners designed to alert seabirds. In waters of Newfoundland, Canada, banners were attached to surface-set gillnets for Atlantic Herring Clupea harengus and were …

Flight Altitudes Of Chick-Rearing Rhinoceros Auklets Cerorhinca Monocerata Measured By Gps Logger, Jumpei Okado, Yutaka Watanuki

Marine Ornithology

Alcids generally fly at low altitudes (below 5 m) over the sea but may occasionally fly higher in certain areas, which may put them at risk of collision with turbine blades in offshore wind farms. We used GPS loggers to investigate the location and altitude of flying Rhinoceros Auklets Cerorhinca monocerata. They typically flew at low altitudes averaging < 1 m but flew higher (> 20 m) when returning the last 5–10 km to their colony, which was located at an elevation of 120–130 m above sea level. Thus, the region over which Rhinoceros Auklets fly highest may vary, depending on the location and elevation of their …

Underwater Kleptoparasitism On A Human Diver By A Galapagos Flightless Cormorant Nannopterum Harrisi, Juan Manuel Álava-Jurado, Michael J. Kingsford, Margarita Brandt, Eric Dorfman

Marine Ornithology

We describe underwater kleptoparasitism on a human diver by a Galapagos Flightless Cormorant Nannopterum harrisi, a behavior that has not been previously described for this species.

When Ornithology Meets Ethnology And Archeology: The Birds Of The Bird-Cult At Rapa Nui (Easter Island) And Their Demise, Manuel Marín

Marine Ornithology

The disappearance of the bird species involved in the bird-cult of Rapa Nui (Easter Island) was examined. The cult was a contest in which the winner gathered the first seabird egg of the year from a near-shore islet, allowing the winner to become the Tangata Manu, or Birdman. This title provided a heightened status, bringing social and economic benefits and a way of being closer to their gods. Three seabird species were involved in the bird-cult: Great Frigatebird Fregata minor, Sooty Tern Onychoprion fuscatus, and the Spectacled Tern Onychoprion lunatus, none of which currently breed in the area. Rock art …

European-Asian Population Of Great White Pelican Pelecanus Onocrotalus, From Breeding To Wintering: A Review, Khashayar Mahdiany Bora, Ghazaleh Mirbazel, Mohammadjavad Tajadod

Marine Ornithology

Great White Pelican Pelecanus onocrotalus (hereafter: GWP) is an IUCN Near Threatened species having two distinct populations. The first population is a migratory European-Asian population that has an extensive Palearctic breeding range from eastern Europe to western Asia and has exhibited a sharp decline during the last couple of decades. The second population, on the other hand, is a sedentary but stable population that breeds mostly in Kenya, South Africa, and Namibia. Herein, we review the literature available on the occurrence patterns of these populations. Many studies on the migratory population show that conditions during winter have substantial impacts on …

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 …

The Influence Of Breeding Status And Nest Site Location On Marine Habitat Use By Marbled Murrelet Brachyramphus Marmoratus, Sonya A. Pastran, David B. Lank, Patrick D. O’Hara, Russell W. Bradley, Cecilia Lougheed, Lynn W. Lougheed, Nadine R. Parker, Laura A. Mcfarlane Tranquilla, Elizabeth A. Krebs, Fred Cooke, Douglas F. Bertram

Marine Ornithology

The Marbled Murrelet Brachyramphus marmoratus is a threatened seabird that relies on old-growth forest for nesting. We compare marine space use between breeding and non-breeding birds, and how marine home range locations and overlap vary with respect to nesting location and breeding status. We collected very high frequency (VHF) radio-telemetry data in southern British Columbia from Clayoquot Sound (190 birds; 2000–2002) and Desolation Sound (206 birds; 1998–2001). The sites differ strongly in their oceanic exposure and surrounding terrestrial features. Kernel utilization distribution-based estimates showed that breeders and non-breeders had similar overall distributions, but breeders were more spatially aggregated. Pooled home …

At-Colony Behaviour Of Great Black-Backed Gulls Larus Marinus Following Breeding Failure, Laurie D. Maynard, Julia Gulka, Edward Jenkins, Gail K. Davoren

Marine Ornithology

Territoriality for breeding sites comes at an energetic cost—individuals actively defend the site from competitors and potential predators, thus precluding themselves from self-maintenance (e.g., foraging, preening) or offspring care. Breeding individuals are also constrained to central place foraging within a limited range of the territory. For these reasons, many seabirds do not spend extensive periods or make regular visits to the colony following breeding failure. To investigate behaviour following breeding failure, we studied colony and nest attendance and daily number of visits for six Great Black-backed Gulls Larus marinus that had failed to breed following global positioning system (GPS) tag …

Nocturnal Flight Activity By Northern Gannets Morus Bassanus In Response To Predator Presence, Kyle J.N. D’Entremont, William A. Montevecchi

Marine Ornithology

The Northern Gannet Morus bassanus typically flies only during the day, with minimal flight activity following civil twilight. Here we document nocturnal flight activity by Northern Gannets in response to predation risk by Eastern Coyotes Canis latrans. Eight parental gannets were fitted with GPS/time-depth recorders on 15 July 2021 at mainland nest sites at Cape St. Mary’s, Newfoundland, Canada. Previously, among 506 foraging trips in 2019 and 2020 that were investigated using biologging, only two were initiated at night, suggesting nocturnal departures for foraging are very rare at this colony. Then, however, killings of chicks by coyotes occurred within our …

Composition Of The Seabird Community Off French Guiana, Claire Pusineri, Ludivine Martinez, Benjamin De Montgolfier, Dinis Geraldes, Paul Lenrume, Amandine Bordin, Morjane Safi, Alessandra Suardi, Virginie Wyss, Brendan Leclerc, Vincent Rufray

Marine Ornithology

We provide information on the seabirds occurring year-round in waters of the French Guiana Exclusive Economic Zone, based on data obtained from three boat-based campaigns: a campaign by the Groupe d’Étude et de Protection des Oiseaux de Guyane was conducted for four days every two months from July 2011 to June 2012; a campaign by Cohabys was performed for five days per month from January to May 2018; and a campaign by Ocean Science & Logistic consisted of four 10-day surveys conducted in June, July, September, and October 2018. Overall, 30 seabird species within 1110 groups of birds were sighted …

Seabird Abundance And Distribution Off Western Iberian Waters Estimated Through Aerial Surveys, Hélder Araújo, Pedro Correia-Rodrigues, Jorge Bastos-Santos, Marisa Ferreira, Andreia T. Pereira, Jose Martinez-Cedeira, José Vingada, Catarina Eira

Marine Ornithology

Western Iberian waters are important migratory flyways, stopover sites, and wintering areas for several of the world’s seabird species. To describe seabird species composition, distribution, and abundance in these waters, we performed six aerial surveys in September and/ or October of each year, 2010–2015, covering 74 840 km2. Using line-transect methodology, 27 396 seabird sightings from 17 taxonomic groups were recorded along 10496.3 nautical miles (19 433 km). Using the program “Distance,” annual and overall abundance estimates were obtained for nine taxonomic groups: Balearic Shearwater Puffinus mauretanicus, Great Shearwater Ardenna gravis, Cory’s Shearwater Calonectris borealis, shearwaters, Northern Gannet Morus bassanus, …

Spatial Effects In Relation To Reproductive Performance Of Common Murres Uria Aalge At A Re-Established Colony, Gerard J. Mcchesney, Julie L. Yee, Michael W. Parker, William M. Perry, Harry R. Carter, Richard T. Golightly, Stephen W. Kress

Marine Ornithology

A main goal of seabird colony restoration is for the colony to become self-sustaining. To do so, elevated rates must be attained in (1) reproductive success and (2) recruitment by immigrants and birds produced at the colony. Thus, an understanding of the factors affecting reproductive success and recruitment at restoration sites is vital. We examined how spatial features at the colony level affected reproductive success of Common Murres Uria aalge (hereafter, murres) over a six-year period at Devil’s Slide Rock, California, a colony re-established using social attraction techniques. Clusters of sites with similar egg-laying dates, as well as high hatching …

Hatching Success Of Common Murres Uria Aalge Is Linked To The Number Of Neighbours And Resource Availability, Amy L. Irvine, Julia E. Gulka, Gail K. Davoren

Marine Ornithology

When breeding within densely populated colonies, seabirds benefit from increased offspring protection from predators, but intraspecific competition for resources may outweigh these benefits. We tested whether the number of breeding-site neighbours and days of predator presence influenced the breeding performance of Common Murres Uria aalge at two different-sized colonies off the northeastern Newfoundland coast: Cabot Island (10000 breeding pairs; < 10 km offshore) and Funk Island (500000 breeding pairs; ~60 km offshore). Gulls, the main predators of murre eggs/chicks, inhabit both islands in similar numbers. During July–August 2018, camera traps placed at topographically similar plots on each colony recorded breeding performance metrics (i.e., hatching, fledging, reproductive success), number of breeding-site neighbours, and daily presence of gulls. Hatching success was lower at Funk Island (64.7%) than Cabot Island (96.2%), but nearly all hatched chicks fledged at both colonies. Lower hatching success at Funk Island was due to higher egg abandonment and predation. It was also associated with fewer breeding-site neighbours, including non-brooding mates and non-breeders, along with higher gull presence (96.6% of all gull sightings at both colonies). Fewer neighbours at Funk Island may have resulted from mates and non-breeding murres spending more time at sea due to longer distances to predictable foraging sites and higher conspecific densities relative to Cabot Island. In turn, with fewer breeding-site neighbours at Funk Island, parents appeared less able to defend against or deter gull predation. Although Funk Island has special conservation status, protection of Cabot Island may also be important for the long-term conservation of murres in Newfoundland.

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 …

Non-Breeding Movements And Foraging Ecology Of The Black Guillemot Cepphus Grylle In Atlantic Canada, Julia E. Baak, Marty L. Leonard, Carina Gjerdrum, Mark D. Dodds, Robert A. Ronconi

Marine Ornithology

Understanding the movements of seabirds, which are important ecological indicators, can provide new insights into physical and biological aspects of the marine environment. This information can also be used in planning marine conservation and oil spill response strategies. Though Black Guillemots Cepphus grylle are widely distributed in the coastal waters of eastern and arctic Canada, little is known about their movements during the non-breeding season. We used a combination of global location sensors and stable-isotope analyses on Black Guillemots breeding on Country Island, Nova Scotia, Canada and on Kent Island, New Brunswick, Canada to examine their non-breeding movements and trophic …

Reviews: Journal Of A Voyage: Federico Craveri And The Gulf Of California In 1856 (Craveri, F.; T. Bowen [Ed.], B. D'Arpa And B. Cavatorta [Translators]); How To Be An Antiracist (Kendi, I.X.); The Skin We're In: A Year Of Black Resistance And Power (Cole, D.); Hawai'i'S White Tern: Manu-O-Ku, An Urban Seabird (Scott, S.), Daniel W. Anderson, Rachel T. Buxton, David Ainley, Louise Blight, Jenna Cragg, Benjamin Saenz, Lindsay Young

Marine Ornithology

No abstract provided.

Nightly Colony Attendance Patterns Of Provisioning Cassin's Auklet Ptychoramphus Aleuticus Are Consistent And Synchronous, Laura Mcfarlane Tranquilla, John L. Ryder, Louise K. Blight, Patrick D. O’Hara, Douglas F. Bertram

Marine Ornithology

We conducted a multi-year (1999–2001) radio telemetry study to determine patterns of colony attendance among breeding Cassin’s Auklets Ptychoramphus aleuticus during the chick-rearing period on Triangle Island in British Columbia, Canada. A total of 1 625 detections were obtained for 80 individual birds (24–28 birds per year), each detected 20.3 times on average. We found that colony attendance (arrival times, departure times, in-burrow shift duration) and foraging trip duration (i.e., time away from the colony) were remarkably synchronous among individuals and years. On average, birds arrived in a pulse after darkness, with 67% of returns between 23h15 and 00h15 and …

Responses Of Sympatric Shearwaters To Supplemental Food Under Varying Natural Prey Availability On The Wintering Grounds Of Coastal Newfoundland, Canada, Paloma C. Carvalho, Laurie D. Maynard, Gail K. Davoren

Marine Ornithology

Species tend to concentrate in areas with high prey availability, which could lead to competitive interactions within a feeding assemblage as resources become depleted. In coastal Newfoundland, Canada, capelin Mallotus villosus is the focal forage fish species that many top predators feed on during the summer; however, inshore availability varies throughout the boreal summer when abundant aggregations migrate inshore to spawn. We investigated the interactions and responses of Great Shearwaters Ardenna gravis and Sooty Shearwaters A. grisea during their non-breeding season to supplemental food supply under changing natural prey availability (higher and lower capelin availability) by conducting an at-sea experiment …

Mode Engineering And Functional Enhancement In Piezoelectric-On-Silicon Mems Resonators With Magnetic Field Sensing Applications, Ugur Guneroglu

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation significantly advances the field of micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) resonators by exploring novel post-fabrication tuning techniques, electrode configuration effects, and innovative sensor applications for thin-film piezoelectric-on-silicon (TPoS) resonator devices. Driven by the increasing demand for tunable, high-precision and robust MEMS resonators in radio frequency (RF) applications such as sensing, timing, and filtering, this research aim to provide foundational knowledge and practical solutions for overcoming existing technological limitations. The dissertation is organized into three main research thrusts, each addressing critical challenges and opportunities in the design, fabrication, and application of TPoS MEMS resonators.

The first research thrust investigates an innovative …

Reviews: The Quickening: Antarctica, Motherhood, And Cultivating Hope In A Warming World, Rachel T. Buxton, Eric J. Woehler

Marine Ornithology

No abstract provided.

Confirmed Record Of Red-Footed Booby Sula Sula From Lakshadweep Sea, Northern Indian Ocean, Chullikad Lalan Vishnulal, Harichandran Prasitha Nisanth, Raveendhiran Ravinesh, Narayanane Saravanane

Marine Ornithology

The Red-footed Booby Sula sula occurs across tropical and subtropical oceans, nesting on islands and coastal areas. It is identified by its distinctive red feet, long wings, and sharp bill. However, confirmed reports are rare. Here we report, with photographs, the presence of a Red-footed Booby from the Union Territory of Lakshadweep, northern Indian Ocean. This record adds to the collective understanding of the species’ presence and distribution in the region.

Status Of Craveri’S Murrelet Synthliboramphus Craveri In The Midriff Islands, Gulf Of California, Mexico, Francisco Jaime Martínez Reyes, Lauren A. Dolinski, Lorayne R. Meltzer, Paulina De L. Camarena Gomez, Noah L. Oas

Marine Ornithology

The Craveri's Murrelet Synthliboramphus craveri is an endangered seabird (family Alcidae) endemic to northwestern Mexico, where it breeds on rocky islands throughout the Gulf of California (GOC). Nesting records are scarce for most of these islands, and much of the available information relies on historical data collected more than 50 years ago. Beginning in 2009 through to 2023, we performed intermittent nest searches on five islands in the Midriff Islands of the GOC. Starting in 2018 on Alcatraz Island and starting in 2022 on San Pedro Mártir Island, we monitored nests to determine average clutch size and hatching success. We …

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 …

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.

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 …

Decrypting The Breeding Biology Of The Elusive And Declining Tahiti Petrel Pseudobulweria Rostrata, Angelique Pagenaud, Karen Bourgeois, Léna Payandi, Wilfried Weiss, Éric Vidal, Andreas Ravache

Marine Ornithology

Among procellariids, the Tahiti Petrel Pseudobulweria rostrata is one of the most endangered and least known species. Its global populations are declining, yet demographic and ecological studies remain scarce. Understanding the breeding cycle and behavior of Tahiti Petrel adults and chicks is essential to develop effective protection measures. To address this knowledge gap, Tahiti Petrel colonies of various sizes were studied at three sites in New Caledonia, with extensive sampling at two main sites and limited sampling at a third. A total of 157 burrows were monitored for up to two years using endoscopic cameras and camera traps. This allowed …

‘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 …