United States

3rd World Seabird Conference

The sensory ecology of seabird color perception and nesting habitat

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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Join us for four days of science, networking and virtual engagement with delegates from around the world!

symposium

**Abstract:**

Morphological identification of digested prey remains from a generalist forager can be a challenge, especially to species level. DNA techniques, whereby prey is sequenced and matched to large public nucleotide sequence databases, are increasingly being used to augment traditional morphological identification. To identify highly-digested prey items from Christmas (Chocolate) shearwater (Puffinus nativitatis) regurgitations from Kure Atoll, Hawaii, we used two DNA approaches that target the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) mitochondrial gene. First, we individually sequenced prey items from five regurgitations retrieved from birds tagged with time depth recorders in 2017, pairing dive behavior with diet. Second, we used "metabarfcoding" to bulk-process 92 water samples from regurgitations collected from 2009-2017 to get an overview of species presence in their contemporary diet. The prey items identified from tagged birds spanned a diverse range of taxa, including three reef-associated families, four pelagic-oceanic families, and a meso-pelagic family. The integration of diet and diving data provided insights into the vertical distribution of the prey, particularly regarding mesopelagic and nocturnal species. The metabarfcoding technique identified 94 unique taxa from 31 families of fish and squid. Overall, 81% percent of the families detected in the contemporary diet were previously documented in historical Chocolate shearwater diets from the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands dating back to the 1970s (Harrison et al. 1983). Rare species (occurring in 5% or less of the samples) constituted 70% of the species richness. Our results indicate that the COI region is successful in identifying a wide range of taxa from highly digested seabird regurgitations. Furthermore, the diet analysis highlights the prey diversity that supports critical seabird populations within the protected Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument.

**Authors:**

Ilana Nimz¹, Mark Renshaw¹, John Baczenas¹, Matthew Iacchei¹, K. David Hyrenbach¹, Cynthia Vanderlip²

¹Hawaii Pacific University, ²State of Hawaii, Department of Land and Natural Resources

MetaBARFcoding: DNA-barcoding of barf yields insights into seabird foraging ecology

**Abstract:**

As a hotspot of seabird diversity, the Hauraki Gulf in Northern Aotearoa New Zealand is spoilt for choice when looking at seabirds as indicators of change in the marine environment. However, little research has been done on some of the most ubiquitous species that forage within the Gulf and have the greatest potential for tracking change in the nearshore marine environment. This research addresses this lack of data by linking environmental variables and energetic inputs with the physiology, movement, and breeding success of common Procellariiform species within the region. Part of the initial phase of this project has involved following the northernmost population of Fairy prions (Pachyptila turtur) on the Poor Knights Islands throughout the year, including the first insight into their migration movements, the nature of their foraging during the breeding season and physiological adjustments to ensure breeding success. By repeating this study over three years and investigating the interplay of environmental conditions and physiology, we plan to unravel the relationships between the breeding success of these birds and fluctuations in the marine environment. Results from the first two seasons will be presented.

**Authors:**

Edin Whitehead¹, Chris Gaskin², Brendon Dunphy¹

¹University of Auckland, ²Northern New Zealand Seabird Trust

Sentinels: The potential for seabirds to monitor marine change in the Hauraki Gulf, New Zealand

**Abstract:**

By their very nature and definition, parasites are often considered harmful or detrimental to their hosts. However, parasites that do not cause disease have the potential to be beneficial to hosts, especially by improving host immune function. This phenomena, termed immune system priming, increases the specificity and functionality of immune response as a result of immunological experience during early life. To explore the potential for immune system priming in a colonial seabird, crested tern chicks Thalasseus bergii were sampled before, during and after hatching to determine the exact period that the immune system begins production of white blood cells. This functionality was significantly earlier than a non-colonial bird, the red jungle fowl, indicating that colonial living may result in life-long improved immune function. Candidates for immune system priming were surveyed at two sites resulting in louse species as the favoured candidates. The potential for other ecto-parasites (ticks, fleas) to function as immune system primers and the need for targeted research and conservation of co-evolved ecto-parasites is discussed.

**Authors:**

Maggie Watson¹

¹Charles Sturt University

Seabirds and ectoparasites: the benefits of hosting parasites for colonial species

**Abstract:**

Accumulating evidence suggest that infectious diseases represent a significant threat to seabird populations. Characterizing the reservoir community of pathogenic infectious agents is key to identify, and potentially limit, pathogen re-emergence and spread. Due to their foraging behaviours, terrestrial predating and/or scavenging species have the potential to play critical roles in epidemiological dynamics by introducing, maintaining pathogens and/or enhancing their circulation within and among seabird colonies. On Amsterdam Island (Southern Indian Ocean), avian cholera, caused by Pasteurella multocida bacteria, has been causing recurrent die-offs of albatross and penguin nestlings since the 1980's, threatening the viability of these populations. We investigated the potential role of native brown skuas Stercorarius antarcticus and introduced rodents (Rattus norvegicus and Mus musculus) in avian cholera outbreaks by combining classical epidemiological tools with population and foraging ecology approaches. At the height of the avian cholera epizootics, both rodents and skuas carried P. multocida. Movement tracking of skuas revealed that they do not defend individual foraging territories, and that a given individual could visit several seabird colonies within a day, creating opportunities for pathogen spread at the island scale. In contrast, rodents may contribute to pathogen spread at a smaller, within-colony, scale. During winter, when most seabirds have migrated at sea, rodents still carried P. multocida bacteria, suggesting that they may play a critical role in the inter-annual maintenance of the bacteria. Based on these empirical results, we discuss the potential management strategies that could be designed to limit pathogen re-emergence and spread in seabird communities. Overall, this study highlight the benefit of broadening field investigations beyond classical epidemiological data and beyond the obviously affected species in order to better understand epidemiological processes in seabird communities and implement efficient surveillance and management measures.

**Authors:**

Amandine Gamble¹, Augustin Clessin², Baudouin Des Monstiers³, Lorien Boujot³, Romain Bazire², Romain Dedet⁴, Marine Bely², Erwan Lagadec³, Jean-Baptise Thiebot³, Audrey Jaeger³, Camille Lebarbenchon⁵, Pablo Tortosa⁵, Eric Thibault⁶, Christophe Barbraud⁷, Karine Delord⁷, Henri Weimerskirch⁷, Jérémy Tornos⁸, Romain Garnier⁹, Hubert Gantelet⁶, Nicolas Keck⁴, Thierry Boulinier¹⁰

¹University of California Los Angeles, ²Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive, ³Réserve Naturelle Nationale des Terres Australes Françaises, ⁴Laboratoire Départemental Vétérinaire de l'Hérault, ⁵Université de la Réunion, ⁶Ceva Biovac, ⁷Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, CNRS, ⁸Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive, Ceva Biovac, ⁹Georgetown University, ¹⁰Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive, CNRS

Investigating native and introduced predators involvement in pathogen maintenance and spread within and among endangered seabird colonies

**Abstract:**

As most first-time human parents realize, there is significant learning involved in successfully rearing offspring. The experience of each individual parent and their experience as a pair can be important predictors of success. This study seeks to investigate the mechanisms that affect reproductive success by combining physiological measurements with behavioral data and reproductive histories to disentangle the interactions between these effects and address the role physiology plays in mediating the relationship between experience and success. We measured levels of two hormones that we propose are important mediators of this relationship: prolactin, which modulates parental behavior, and corticosterone, a stress hormone in birds. These hormones were measured in known age Cassin's auklets Ptychoramphus aleuticus with known reproductive histories and paired with nest attendance data to understand the proximate drivers of the mate familiarity effect.

**Authors:**

Amy Miles¹, Chris Tyson¹, Joshua Hull¹, Thomas Hahn¹, Pete Warzybok²

¹University of California Davis, ²Point Blue Conservation Science

Mechanisms of Increased Breeding Success with Pair Experience in Cassin's Auklet

**Abstract:**

Procellariiform use the sense of smell to find food in the middle of the ocean, to orient and navigate. For these seabirds, olfaction has been evidenced as they key cue for homing at night in burrow-nesting species. Penguins are phylogenetically closely related to Procellariiforms but very little is known on their use of odours for foraging. In addition, the potential use of olfaction for homing has never been investigated, despite some penguin species are burrow nesting and one is nocturnal at the colony like many petrels. Here, we investigated the sensory ecology of Little penguins (Eudyptula minur), the only burrow nesting species which is exclusively nocturnal at the colony. We performed Y-maze choice tests to investigate whether penguins are able to a) detect DMS, a food related odour, and b) distinguish between their own and another random nest by the odour. Our results show that these penguins detected and were attracted by DMS. But, when asked to choose between their nest odour and the odour of another neighbour nest, they showed no behavioural preference. Such results suggest that Little penguins may use olfactory cues to locate productive areas at sea but that they may disregard olfactory information in favour of more constant and reliable cues, like topographical features, when homing. We highlight that understanding how sensory ecology is shaped respect to the general ecology and behaviour of the species can bring a missed benefit for the implementation of conservation plans and provide new insight for new solutions.

**Authors:**

Gaia Dell'Ariccia¹, Ross Holmberg², Francesco Bonadonna³, André Chiaradia²

¹Auckland Council, ²Phillip Island Nature Park, ³Centre d?Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive-UMR 5175 CEFE, CNRS-Université de Montpellier, Universi

Little penguins respond to odours linked to food but not to the nest

**Abstract:**

Environmental impacts of marine or coastal debris are evident at the global scale. There is ample evidence indicating severe impacts of debris resulting from fishing operations in coastal economies, as well as marine megafauna, including seabirds through entanglement with and ingestion of debris. The later became evident in the northern coasts of Argentina, particularly affected by poorly planned urbanization and the consequent habitat degradation affecting wildlife. Further, recent literature has shown detrimental effects of fishery debris on seabirds, resulting in severe injuries and mortality in a range of species. Our interdisciplinary project seeks to improve the health of coastal areas in northern Argentina, focusing in Mar Chiquita coastal lagoon, an Important Bird and Biodiversity Area subject to an intensive use as recreational resort. We implemented a research and conservation program focused in understanding the nature and characteristics of stranded debris in coastal areas, and contributing towards its reduction through the implementation of an outreach and awareness transdisciplinary programme. We surveyed the perceptions of anglers and tour operators on their recreational activity and the potential effect of the by-products generated by this activity on the environment. Using the information obtained and with all stakeholders involved, a trial was conducted installing debris collectors in key areas of the estuary, accompanied by outreach posters and brochures. These collectors were monitored on a weekly basis during six months. A total of 212 kg of fishing-related debris (e.g. monofilament lines holding some 416 hooks, plastic containers with bait remains) and another 100 kilograms of debris related to recreational activities were classified and quantified. Currently, we are on the second stage of the project, monitoring the collectors and the behavior in this recreational activity, confident that this transdisciplinary approach to conservation is the one needed to drive significant changes in the way humans use coastal areas.

**Authors:**

GERMAN GARCIA¹, ARIADNA GOROSTEGUI VALENTI², MAXIMILIANO HERNANDEZ¹, FRANCISCO ZUMPANO¹, MELINA CASTANO¹, VICTORIA CABRAL³, MARCO FAVERO¹, JUAN PABLO SECO PON¹

¹Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras (UNMdP-CONICET), ²Facultad de Humanidades, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, ³Instituto del Hábitat y del Ambiente, IHAM-FAUD, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata

Interaction between seabirds and recreational fisheries: a new transdisciplinary conservation program for the responsible disposal of fishing debris in Argentina

**Abstract:**

Recovering critically endangered populations poses a challenge to conservationists, especially when breeding sites are restricted to remote areas and birds depend on specific conditions. Trindade is a volcanic island arising over 1100 km east of Brazil mainland and is the only remaining breeding site for Fregata minor nicolli and F. trinitatis, both critically endangered. Severe population decline is due to the dependence on trees for nesting, which were destroyed by goats over the 19th and 20th. Frigatebirds were still nesting on remains of trees of Trindade in 1916 and 1925, but appear to have been gone by 1950; they were certainly absent from the main island by 1975-1976. For the past 30 years, less than 20 pairs have been recorded on a small islet off the southern point of the island, nesting on the ground. On the main island of Trindade, however, presence of native land crabs (Johngarthia lagostoma), and the invasive and abundant house mice (Mus musculus) make ground nesting probably not feasible. Brazilian Navy snipers eradicated goats by 2005, with nearly immediate recovery of some components of the native vegetation, but trees are still not available. Thus, Brazilian researchers set up a conservation project (RETER-Trindade), which erected until now ten artificial nests and roosting perches with three decoys in areas most suitable for frigatebirds. Monitoring of the artificial nests occurs with camera traps and expeditions to the area. Since November 2018, six field expeditions were accomplished to this remote site, it was censused an overall of four Fregata trinitatis and ten F. minor nicolli (2019). Extinction of these populations would imply in loss of global biological diversity, also loss of genes that could increase the evolutionary potential of Pacific and Indian Ocean conspecific populations. To try everything in our hands to save those Trindade frigatebirds represent an iconic attempt to fight against the loss of seabird species in the world.

**Authors:**

Patricia Serafini¹, Gustavo Leal², Guilherme Nunes³, Marcio Efe⁴, Ricardo Krul⁵, Andre Elias-Paiva⁶, Ruy Alves⁷, Nilber Silva⁷, Fabricio Escarlate-Tavares¹, Fabio Oliveira⁸, Gabriela Oliveira², Leandro Bugoni²

¹ICMBio, ²FURG, ³UFRGS, ⁴UFAL, ⁵Tríade, ⁶UnB, ⁷MNRJ, ⁸UFMG

Creating lost colonies from scratch: artificial nests to the critically endangered Lesser and Great Frigatebirds from Trindade Island, Brazil

**Abstract:**

In the past, Humboldt penguin (HUPE) colonies in Peru have been greatly impacted by guano extraction campaigns. At Punta San Juan (PSJ), the largest HUPE breeding area in the country, mitigation strategies have been developed since 2001 to minimize negative effects on this species´ population (e.g. management of extraction areas and use of visual barriers). Even so, interaction with campaign stimuli is still witnessed and might be causing impacts. To date, little is known about the effectiveness of the applied strategies. This study aims to determine the effects that the 2012 and 2019 campaigns had on the biggest HUPE colony at PSJ. We conducted three analyses. First, using nest counts during an 11 year period (2008-2019) we assessed if campaign years present significant temporal or size variation using a non-parametric multivariate analysis. Second, during campaign years we evaluated differences in phenology between sectors of the colony given their proximity to extraction zones. Finally, we used a GLM to estimate the relationship between sector distance to extraction zones and the number of active nests (nest desertion proxy) during campaign years. Results of the inter-annual and inter-sector analysis showed no evidence of campaign impacts. The GLM revealed no significant relationship between distance and nest counts. However, downward trends in overall population and irregular variation in HUPE phenology since 2015-16, 2017 El Niño events might be masking possible 2019 campaign effects. This study contributes much-needed scientific evidence into the effectiveness of mitigation strategies for guano campaigns at PSJ developed thanks to collaborative efforts between academic and governmental authorities. Nevertheless, recent changes in population size and nesting phenology are worrisome. While this case exemplifies how balance between economic and conservation interests can be achieved, it also illustrates the necessity of incorporating other factors in future studies.

**Authors:**

Leonardo Doig-Alba¹ ², Alonso Bussalleu¹ ² , Susana Cárdenas-Alayza¹, Marco Cardeña-Mormontoy¹, Dr. Armando Valdés-Velásquez²

¹Punta San Juan Program, Center for Environmental Sustainability, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia
²Laboratory for EcoHealth and Urban Ecology, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia

Have we achieved a balance? Evaluating the effects of guano extraction campaigns with applied mitigation strategies on Peru's biggest Humboldt penguin breeding colony (2008-2019)

**Abstract:**

Scotland is home to internationally important seabird populations. However, over two thirds of species are experiencing declines in breeding abundance. 2020/21 have been landmark years for seabird conservation in Scotland. We showcase six partnership initiatives developed to help save our seabirds. New marine protected areas: 12 Special Protection Areas (SPAs) for 31 species of marine birds have been designated. These are the first wholly marine SPAs in Scotland and include foraging areas for seabird aggregations. Scottish Seabird Conservation Strategy: The draft Strategy assesses the pressures and threats driving the declines in Scottish seabird populations and identifies actions to reduce the key pressures and their impacts on seabirds. Actions are targeted at enabling better delivery of management, research, monitoring and communication and will be consulted on later this year. Marine Protected Areas Monitoring and Management (MarPAMM): This project is developing cross-border capacity for the monitoring/management of globally important seabird populations within the shared seas between western Scotland, Northern Ireland and Ireland. By collecting novel information on the abundance and distribution of these seabirds, along with the pressures they face, the project is developing regional management plans to safeguard key populations. Biosecurity for Life: Many of our most important seabird colonies are on islands that are free of mammalian predators. This project is putting in place biosecurity measures at 29 Scottish seabird island SPAs to help prevent accidental introduction, developing capacity for effective incursion responses and working with stakeholders to improve preventative measures on key pathways. A long-term programme is in development that will ensure continuation of biosecurity implementation on Scottish seabird islands. Seabirds Count: With nearly 12,000 seabird breeding sites surveyed, approximately 1000 surveyors taking part and a global pandemic appearing in its final year, the 4th Britain and Ireland breeding seabird census is finally complete. The task to understand how breeding seabirds in Britain and Ireland have fared over the last 20 years, now begins. Message in a bottle: This audio-visual performance for Scotland's Year of Coasts & Waters 2020/21 programme draws attention to our impacts on the world's oceans. It focuses on the shear range of marine wildlife Scotland is home to and the incredible journeys they make.

**Authors:**

Emma Philip¹, Kerstin Kober², Laura Bambini³, Daisy Burnell², Richard Howell⁴, Jayne Burns⁵

¹NatureScot, ²Joint Nature Conservation Committee, ³Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, ⁴Marine Scotland Science, ⁵Marine Scotland

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Next from 3rd World Seabird Conference

MetaBARFcoding: DNA-barcoding of barf yields insights into seabird foraging ecology

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Little penguins respond to odours linked to food but not to the nest

Stay up to date with the latest Underline news!

PRESENTATIONS

CONFERENCES

COMPANY

RESOURCES

Downloads