United States

**Abstract:**

Seabirds are attracted to fishing vessels through the availability of fishery discards, increasing the risk of injury or mortality from interactions with fishing gear. However, it is difficult to estimate what proportion of the population may be at risk. We use DNA metabarcoding of scats to characterise the intra- and inter-annual variability in the diet of shy albatross at Albatross Island, and combine this dietary data with foraging range estimates to examine spatial overlaps and species overlaps between albatross and fisheries in the region. Shy albatross diet consisted predominantly of fish (93% of samples) and cephalopods (38% of samples), with 84 fish and 11 cephalopod species detected. The majority of food was sourced naturally, however, at least 13% of the population overall is sourcing food from fisheries, with up to 29% during some breeding stages. There were spatial overlaps between shy albatross and six Commonwealth managed fisheries operating in South-East Australia and two Tasmanian managed fisheries. There was considerable intra-annual variation in the level of engagement with the Commonwealth fishery, but little inter-annual variability. Blue Grenadier, Ling and Warehou sp. were the main Commonwealth managed fishery discard species consumed. This study highlights that fisheries still pose a risk for shy albatross in Australian waters. As the majority of albatross food is sourced naturally, it shows that albatross are unlikely to be reliant on discards, therefore a reduction in discard availability would benefit shy albatross populations and improve the sustainability of fisheries in the region. DNA dietary analysis in conjunction with spatial foraging data provides a valuable tool to assess the proportion of a population at risk from fishing operations.

**Authors:**

Julie McInnes¹, Geoff Tuck², Rachael Alderman³

¹University of Tasmania, ²CSIRO, ³Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment

3rd World Seabird Conference

Using scat DNA to inform sustainable fisheries management and Ecological Risk Assessments: a Shy Albatross case study

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technical paper

Welcome Seabirders!  

Welcome to Virtual World Seabird Conference 3 - vWSC3! Whether you are in your office or lab, at home, in a coffee shop or bar poaching some wifi, or at a remote field site or research vessel – we are very excited to welcome you to the third ever World Seabird Conference. 

We would like to thank ALL of you for being so patient as WSC3 was scheduled, postponed, rescheduled, revised to virtual, and scheduled again. Throughout all those iterations there was one message that remained perfectly clear – seabirders were eager to meet and share their science. If we could not meet in person then virtual it would have to be, but a 3rd WSC was something everyone wanted. That support and commitment helped the WSU Board of Directors and Member Societies sort through all of the challenges they faced to plan and hold this conference. 

The list of those that need to be thanked is long and, while we plan on recognizing many during the live closing plenary, it is important to do so here in writing as well. 

The Australasian Seabird Group was our Local Host for our plan to meet in Hobart, Tasmania. They invested substantial time and effort to find venues and plan events that we unfortunately were not able to visit. Nonetheless we appreciate their work on behalf of WSC3 and encourage all of you to thank them when you see their members in Gathertown or elsewhere during our virtual meeting. Their willingness to host created the initial excitement for WSC3 and without that our vWSC would not have been possible.

We also wish to thank the Science Program Committee, the Virtual Committee, and the Early Career Scientist Committee for their hard work planning the logistics, events, and schedule for vWSC3. These committees also had to deal with changing parameters and short timelines that made what is always a challenging task even more challenging. The Travel Awards Committee also invested time and effort in developing procedures for awarding travel funds that ultimately would not be implemented. 

Our ability to shift from an in-person to a virtual meeting, and to do so in a way that would be financially feasible, was due to the effective efforts of The International Fundraising Committee and to our financial sponsors. The IFC raised funds to support WSC3 and then, through the good relationships they built with sponsors, ensured we could re-envision how those funds could be used to support a virtual conference that would be affordable and high-quality.

We all owe the WSU Board of Directors and the Representatives of the Member Societies a great deal of thanks. They are the ones who manage the WSU and, for the past 18 months, have had to have a series of challenging meetings and conversations, have had to make a series of difficult choices, have had to do all of that while considering the short- and long-term health of WSU and the World Seabird Conferences, and did this while also managing their own challenges at their day jobs. We are grateful for their diligence, patience, foresight, and throughout all of the meetings, their collegiality. Also – a 6-year term is quite a commitment!

There would not be a WSC3 without a successful WSC1 and WSC2. Thanks go to the Pacific Seabird Group for their support of WSC1 in Victoria, Canada, and to the African Seabird Group for their support of WSC2 in Cape Town, South Africa. In each of these endeavors and for our current conference we were fortunate to work with a dependable and trustworthy partner in Podium Conferences. Michelle Smith and Marischal de Armond have become valued members of our team and have not only helped us plan conferences but have assisted and advised the WSU Chairs and Board on issues above and beyond conference planning. 

As we embark on our vWSC3 week we extend to all of you our thanks for showing up, for being patient, and most importantly for the work you do with seabirds. We are all part of a unique, global community that shares an interest, a fascination, and a passion for birds that make a living in our world’s oceans. We have advanced the science, conservation, and management of seabirds as well the ecosystems they inhabit. We are consistently impressed and motivated by the work you do. 

The WSU formed in 2010 because we saw the need for a global organization to address challenges at a global level. Over the past 11 years WSU has grown, adapted, and evolved to become the community that this week is making vWSC3 a reality. Enjoy the week, appreciate and support the friends and colleagues you have made in the community, and if you see us in a virtual hallway please stop and say hello! 

Thank you for the opportunity to serve all of you and the WSU over the past few years,

Nicholas Carlile, Interim Chair, WSU<br>
Patrick Jodice, 2nd Chair of the WSU<br><br>

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**Abstract:**

Burrow-nesting petrels and shearwaters include some of the seabird species most vulnerable to extinction and species with some of the largest knowledge gaps. Much of this is due to their cryptic, nocturnal habits and their tendency to nest in underground burrows that are often in inaccessible locations. Locating nests, or in some cases even entire colonies, can be difficult. The use of unoccupied aerial vehicles (drones) in conservation biology has accelerated in recent years, but few studies have examined the potential to combine traditional visible spectrum photography with infrared thermal imaging to survey wildlife. We tested the use of thermal imaging cameras mounted alongside traditional RGB cameras to detect the heat signatures of cryptic burrow-nesting seabirds. We conducted six test flights of a quad copter drone with a dual sensor RGB/infrared camera over survey plots in a Wedge-tailed Shearwater colony prior to sunrise at Kaena Point, Oahu, Hawaii. Within one hour of the flights, we then manually counted the burrows in each plot and confirmed their contents to verify the drone results. Initial results indicate the thermal images taken by the drone were able to detect the presence of birds in burrows by the signature of heat venting from the burrow entrance. Burrows were detectable at an altitude of up to 10m in this colony, despite a small difference between the ambient temperature and the birds . This technique can be expected to perform better in cooler climates with larger thermal gradients. Enhanced monitoring tools are needed to provide more information about seabirds and guide conservation efforts, and the results from this study can be broadly applied to other cryptic birds, mammals, and habitats.

**Authors:**

Lindsay Young¹, James Harmon², Dena Spatz¹, Erika Dittmar¹, David Johnston³, Matthew McKown⁴, Eric VanderfWerf¹

¹Pacific Rim Conservation, ²Hawaii Division of Forestry and Wildlife, ³Duke University Marine Laboratory, ⁴Conservation Metrics

Using Thermal Imaging Drones To Survey Cryptic Burrow-nesting Seabirds

**Abstract:**

'Ua'u kani (Wedge-tailed Shearwater, Ardenna pacifica) colonies in Hawai'i persist despite pressures from predation, sea level rise, and anthropogenic development. In an effort to understand the demographic processes of this species, a mark and recapture study began in Maui Nui in 1999. Chick banding occurs every fall at five sites (Hawea, Mo'omomi, Kāma'ole III, Ho'okipa, and Molokini islet) and adult recapture occurs every spring at four sites (Hawea, Mo'omomi, Kāma'ole III, and Ho'okipa). The colonies at Hawea and Mo'omomi - which benefit from both predator control and habitat restoration - are growing in size while the colonies at Kāma'ole III and Ho'okipa remain static. Interestingly, however, adult survivorship among the four colonies is equivalent. Although most 'ua'u kani return to their natal colony, the data indicate that emigration does occur, primarily from the islet of Molokini. As such, the offshore islets are likely acting as source populations and therefore maintaining the adult population of the islands. Provided these findings, we hypothesize that the variation in growth rates at colonies is instead influenced by a differential in reproductive success. After monitoring a scattered selection of active burrows at Hawea, Mo'omomi, Kāma'ole III, and Ho'okipa, we determined that the growing colonies have a higher reproductive success (Hawea=80%, Mo'omomi=64%, Kāma'ole III=54%, and Ho'okipa=30%). Ultimately, all of our findings emphasize the importance of both habitat restoration and predator control. Protective management can have rapid and positive effects on the individual colony and long-term impacts on the stability of the larger population. These efforts are critical as 'ua'u kani and other native species adapt to their rapidly changing environment.

**Authors:**

Cecelia Frisinger¹, Jennifer Learned¹, Martin Frye¹, Jay Penniman¹

¹Maui Nui Seabird Recovery Project

Twenty years of mark and recapture data from Wedge-Tailed Shearwater (Ardenna pacifica, 'ua'u kani) colonies in Maui Nui

**Abstract:**

Proven solutions to minimise seabird bycatch exist for longline and trawl gears, but information on successful implementation of mitigation is generally lacking. While there are numerous examples of experimental work to verify the efficacy of mitigation measures these are mostly short-term studies that are undertaken on a few vessels and do not span entire fishing seasons, even less several years. Long-term case studies are important because fishing is dynamic, with changes in effort, gear and practices driven by market forces exposing mitigation measures to thorough testing under a range of conditions rarely tested in short-term experimental work. Under current knowledge and operations bycatch is inevitable and understanding the causes of these factors, and finding suitable approaches to manage them, will require good data collection and ongoing collaboration among fishers, fishery managers, seabird biologists and gear technologists. We evaluate a suite of approaches introduced to mitigate seabird bycatch in deepwater large vessel trawl fleets that have operated in New Zealand waters for 35 years. Our analysis is confined to the period 2003 to 2018. The fisheries are noted for higher than average rates of seabird interactions and display many of the operational characteristics and complexities typical of large-scale commercial trawling. These include a multi-national fleet; a range of vessel sizes and types; changes in spatial and temporal fishing effort resulting from fleet rationalisation, policy changes and market conditions; improved technology and efficiency in the catch of fish; and changes in economics in fishing for some species. We sought to determine if and how seabird conservation objectives can be achieved in a diverse trawl fishery with measures demonstrated to be effective through research, and to identify alternative management options that might further improve seabird conservation in both New Zealand and global trawl fisheries.

**Authors:**

Barry Baker¹, Keith Reid², Richard Wells³

¹Latitude 42 Environmental Consultants, ²Ross Analytics, ³DeepWater Group Ltd

Mitigation of seabird bycatch in New Zealand trawl fisheries

**Abstract:**

Seabirds have long been thought to exploit social information when searching for their prey, the distribution of which is often patchy and variable. The fact that most seabirds breed colonially has led to speculation that colonies serve as "information centers," allowing their inhabitants to learn about the distribution of food by observing or following other successful foragers--though this hypothesis is controversial, and the evidence for it is mixed. However, several recent studies have documented behaviors that suggest some seabirds do exploit social orientation cues at or near their colonies in order to orient towards food. I explored one such social orientation behavior, which I term "visual trail following." I derived a simple model of public information transfer and showed that trail following should be favored over other commonly hypothesized foraging behaviors. An individual-based simulation model was then used to test this theoretical prediction while varying prey patchiness and colony size. The model's results showed that trail following was the optimal strategy across a wide range of conditions. Finally, I used radar data recorded at a tern colony in coastal New York, USA to demonstrate evidence for trail following in the movements of wild seabirds. These results show that trail following and similar behaviors are effective foraging strategies which are likely important for seabirds and other colonial animals.

**Authors:**

Samuel Urmy¹

¹Stony Brook University

Visual trail following in colonial seabirds: Models and radar observations of social foraging

**Abstract:**

Punta San Juan is a peninsula located on the southern coast of Peru and is a breeding site for tens to hundreds of thousands of Guanay cormorants, Phalacracorax bougainvillii; a persuit-diving seabird species with no evident dimorphism. Our objective was to characterize foraging behavior according to sex to offer precise management recommendations for the marine protection off Punta San Juan. During the 2017 and 2019 breeding seasons, we deployed GPS devices with depth sensors in 97 adults rearing chicks (n=37 females; n=52 males). We measured/weighed each individual and collected spontaneous regurgitations. We found morphological differences between sexes for wing cord in 2017 (females: 29.8 ± 0.6 cm, n = 22; males: 30.8 ± 0.7 cm, n = 29; p<0.0001), head length in 2019 (females: 14.1 ± 0.3 cm, n = 15; males: 14.5 ± 0.5 cm, n = 23; p= 0.013) and body mass in both years (females: 1.8 ± 0.2 kg, n = 37; males: 2.0 ± 0.2 kg, n = 52; p<0.0001). However, there were no significant differences between sexes during both years for mean dive depth (females: 13.1 ± 4.9 m; males: 13.2 ± 4.8 m), maximum dive depth (females: 68.9m, males: 67.3m), maximum dive duration (females: 123.6 s; males: 124 s), maximum straight-line distance from the colony (females: 84 km; males: 71.9 km) or mean straight-line distance from the colony (females: 26.8 ± 15.2 km; males: 22.9 ± 14.1 km). Guanay cormorants fed mainly on Peruvian anchovy (Engraulis ringens, (females: 78%, n= 18; males: 94%, n = 18). In addition to anchovy, females also fed on four other fish species. This study reveals greater distances and diving depths compared to records colonies in northern Peru. However, although some differences were found in morphometrics between sexes, our study shows no sexual segregation in the foraging behavior of Guanay cormorants in southern Peru.

**Authors:**

Lyanne Ampuero-Merino¹, Rosana Paredes², Diego Gonzales-DelCarpio³, Carlos Zavalaga³, Susana Cárdenas-Alayza⁴

¹Programa Punta San Juan, CSA-UPCH, ²Department of Fisheries and Wildlife - Oregon State University, ³Unidad de Investigación de Ecosistemas Marinos - Grupo Aves Marinas, ⁴Programa Punta San Juan, CSA - UPCH

Foraging behavior and diet of male and female Guanay cormorant in Punta San Juan, Peru

**Abstract:**

When threatened seabirds nest in inhabited areas, effective conservation requires involving local communities concurrently with ecological studies. In the Caribbean, the remaining nesting areas of the endangered Black-capped petrel (Pterodroma hasitata, known as Diablotin) are shared across Haiti and the Dominican Republic, two countries where resources for conservation are severely limited. Considered extinct until the 1960's, the population is estimated at 1,000-2,000 pairs, with 100 known nests located between five documented sites on Hispaniola. Surveys conducted in the last decade have shown a significant population decline due to habitat degradation and loss, predation by invasive species and collisions with infrastructure. To foster conversation about the conservation of tropical species at risk, we report on the progress of conservation actions and research undertaken under the auspices of the International Black-capped Petrel Conservation Group. On land, colony monitoring and nest searches started in the 2010's and, to date, ca. 100 nests have been located and are monitored annually; in parallel, education and outreach are ongoing in both countries in communities neighboring nesting areas: these have ranged from rural development, sustainable agriculture and school programs, to the creation of a Black-capped petrel festival and pride campaign. Recent actions are focusing on controlling predators at nesting sites, reducing collisions, and finding unknown nesting sites in Dominica, Guadeloupe, and Cuba. At sea, little information is available on the species' distribution and its ecology but recent studies, ranging from satellite tracking of birds captured at sea to a molecular assessment of diet, are expanding our understanding of its marine range and of associated conservation threats. Finally, institutionally, the International Black-capped Petrel Conservation Group has used Open Standard processes to collectively identify key conservation strategies for the species at local, regional, and international levels.

**Authors:**

Yvan Satgé¹, Anderson Jean², Jennifer Wheeler³, Adam Brown⁴, Ernst Rupp⁵, Hannah Nevins⁶, Brad Keitt⁷, Patrick Jodice⁸

¹South Carolina Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit - Clemson University, ²Jeunes en Action pour la Sauvegarde de l?Ecologie en Haïti, ³BirdsCaribbean, ⁴Environmental Protection in the Caribbean, ⁵Grupo Jaragua, ⁶Independent Researcher, ⁷American Bird Conservancy, ⁸U.S. Geological Survey South Carolina Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit

Recent advances in the conservation and ecological study of the endangered Black-capped petrel: a multi-level approach from community education to fecal DNA

**Abstract:**

Using a path analysis, we investigated direct and indirect effects of the main life-history traits and strategies on the fitness of 147 little penguins monitored throughout their entire life. Surprisingly, annual breeding success had a higher effect than longevity on fitness. Yet, once we removed birds that never fledged a single chick (1/4th of the individuals which tried to reproduce at least once), this result was reversed and longevity became more important. While skipping reproduction had a direct negative effect on fitness by decreasing the number of breeding events, its total effect (i.e. sum of direct and indirect through longevity) was not significant, suggesting that this strategy (displayed by 35% of the individuals) might be a solution to avoid impairing survival and fitness when conditions are harsh. Indeed, the propensity to skip a breeding event was not related to individual characteristics or carry-over effects but was highly variable between years. In the contrary, delayed maturity appeared detrimental as the direct negative effect of age at first maturity on fitness was not compensated by its indirect effect despite an increase in longevity for birds which mature later. Finally, the number of eggs laid per clutch offered very little variation but half of the birds laid more than one clutch in at least one year, enabling them to increase their fitness. Surprisingly, the number of clutches per year did not impair survival and longevity, as it was actually positively related to longevity. Similarly, we observed a strong positive correlation between longevity and the number of chicks fledged per year, observed both across an individual lifetime or when we focused on its first three breeding events. Such co-variations suggest differences either in individual quality (some being able to both reproduce better and live longer) or in environmental conditions (periods when individuals perform better both in terms of longevity and reproduction). Inter-individual differences in fitness were not explained by sex or weight at fledging but other parameters such as foraging efficiency warranty further investigation.

**Authors:**

Claire Saraux¹, Nicolas Joly¹, Andre Chiaradia²

¹CNRS, ²Phillip Island Nature Parks

Life-history trait effects on fitness in little penguins: the secret of high quality individuals.

**Abstract:**

Personality has been shown to influence reproductive performance and there is new evidence showing that personality is linked to pair-bond formation and development in birds. Personality predicts divorce rates in humans but whether personality is linked to divorce in wildlife species is still an open question. With access to 54 years of individual-based monitoring of a wandering albatross (Diomeda exulans) population in sub-Antarctica, we investigated whether the probability of divorce is linked to personality. We posited that shy males have a higher divorce rate in line with the "forced divorce" hypothesis whereby the intrusion of a third individual who outcompetes one member of the pair forces the divorce. Bold individuals may have a greater propensity to take risks and invest in current reproduction while shy individuals are showing greater behavioral plasticity to avoid risky conditions, and may not jeopardize their future survival for risky current breeding conditions. Consequently, bold males may be more likely to retain their partner in face of an intruder, while shy males are more likely to be outcompeted by an intruder. As expected, we showed that personality affects divorce: shy males have a higher divorce rate than bold males, but there was no such relationship in females. The lack of any significant relationship between female personality and divorce suggests highly sex-specific personality effects, that may be related to a male-skewed population whereby the rarer sex: the females have a greater chance to find a mate. Therefore, personality can have important implications in investigating the dynamics of pair-bond relationships, the evolution of mating strategies, and consequential lifetime outcomes in monogamous species.

**Authors:**

Ruijiao Sun¹, Stephanie Jenouvrier¹, Samantha Patrick², Christophe Barbraud³, Karine Delord¹, Henri Weimerskirch¹

¹Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, ²University of Liverpool, ³Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé

Shy males are more likely to divorce in wandering albatross

**Abstract:**

Detailed information on diet and foraging ecology is scarce for most small seabirds such as storm-petrels. In this study, we used molecular techniques, stable isotope analysis, and geolocators to study the diet, trophic ecology, and at-sea distribution of Madeiran storm-petrels (Hydrobates castro) breeding in Farilhões Islet, Portugal, in 2015 - 2017. The diet of Madeiran storm-petrels was dominated by fish for both sexes and study years, with Gadidae representing the main prey family. In 2017, females also fed on Aulopiformes, Stomiiformes and Myctophiformes, which were not identified in the other groups, suggesting some degree of inter-annual and intersexual plasticity in their diet. The carbon isotopic ratios of birds during 2017 were significantly higher when compared to 2015, which might be related to foraging near coastal areas in 2017. Indeed, tracking data for 2017 show that birds foraged near the colony and near the West African coast. Overall, both sexes of this species exhibited a similar trophic ecology and diet during the breeding season. However, intersexual differences occurred during the non-breeding season, when females showed significantly lower nitrogen isotopic ratios than males (in 2016), and the lowest niche overlap between sexes occurred. This, together with the fact that environmental conditions appeared less favourable in 2016 suggests that intersexual differences in the foraging ecology of this species may be related with environmental conditions.

**Authors:**

Ana Rita Carreiro¹, Vitor Paiva¹, Renata Medeiros², Kirsty Franklin³, Nuno Oliveira⁴, Ana Fagundes⁴, Jaime Ramos¹

¹MARE - Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, University of Coimbra, ²Cardiff School of Dentistry, Cardiff University, ³School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, ⁴Sociedade Portuguesa para o Estudo das Aves

Metabarcoding, Stables Isotopes and Tracking: unraveling the trophic ecology of a winter-breeding storm-petrel (Hydrobates castro) with a multimethod approach

**Abstract:**

Farisayi Dakwa¹; Peter Ryan¹; Robert Crawford²; Bruce Dyer²; Pierre Pistorius³, Azwianewi Makhado¹¨² ¹FitzPatrick Institute for African Ornithology, University of Cape Town, ²Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries, Branch Oceans and Coasts, ³Department of Zoology, Nelson Mandela University Breeding penguins are central place foragers, limited by their need to forage and return to their colonies to relieve their partners and/or feed their chicks; they are flightless seabirds which further constrains their movement and range during breeding. As a result, long-term studies of their diet while breeding can be a useful indicator of ecosystem changes around their colonies. At Marion Island, over the past 25 years, there has been a marked decrease in the population of Macaroni Eudyptes chrysolophus and Rockhopper Eudyptes chrysocome Penguins. Since 2008/09 their populations have dropped by 30 and 70%, respectively which has been attributed to climate-induced environmental changes. Diet samples (1005 and 664 respectively) were collected at the Island from 1994 to 2018. We analysed spatio-temporal variability in the diet composition of the two penguins, their prey size and the length distributions of dominant prey species. Considering that these species breed sympatrically, they are predicted to exhibit aspects of segregation in their ecology. Their diets were dominated by crustaceans Thysanoessa vicina and Euphausia vallentini and fish Krefftichthys andersoni and Electrona carlsbergi with small amounts of cephalopods. Fish was more prevalent and prey size and was significantly larger in the diet of Macaroni than Rockhopper Penguins over the years, with the proportion of fish increasing in the diet of Macaroni Penguins during the later stages of chick rearing. There was no change in the selection of the dominant prey species by the two penguins for the past 25 years, but this is not indicative of a stable environmental condition over the years but rather of preference of the prey by the penguins, which could reflect the energy content and calorific value of the selected species. Keywords: diet; penguin; Macaroni; Rockhopper; Marion Island

**Authors:**

Farisayi Dakwa¹, Peter Ryan¹, Robert Crawford², Bruce Dyer², Pierre Pistorius¹, Azwianewi Makhado²

¹University of Capetown, ²Department of Environment Forestry and Fisheries

Using scat DNA to inform sustainable fisheries management and Ecological Risk Assessments: a Shy Albatross case study

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