Foraging behaviour of the Sooty Albatross in relation to climatic variability and fisheries

• Main Author: Banda, Shamiso
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: Nelson Mandela University 2022
• Subjects: Spatial behavior in animals; Conservation of natural resources > South Africa; Antarctic; Antarc*; Marion Island
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/55632; https://corycommons.ru.ac.za/vital/access/manager/Repository/vital:53383

As top predators, seabirds occupy the upper trophic level of marine ecosystems. They are consequently important for the maintenance of ecosystem structure and function, while also possessing characteristics which are useful for identifying climate-driven changes in oceanography at all trophic levels. This important faunal group is one of the most threatened, with climate change and fisheries bycatch mortality being the primary drivers of population declines. Understanding these threats is important for the management of threatened seabird populations. One impact of climate change and variability in climate occurs through changes in prey availability. As central place foragers, breeding seabirds have trip duration constraints due to the obligation of nest duties. This makes them particularly vulnerable to changes in prey availability within their foraging ranges. The ability to adjust foraging behaviour during environmental conditions which alter prey availability is an important attribute which can contribute to breeding success. Thus, investigating for this foraging behavioural plasticity during different breeding stages provides insights into how a species is likely to be impacted by climate change. The sooty albatross population on Marion Island was studied and displayed a degree of foraging behavioural plasticity during the five-year period of pronounced climatic variability studied. Incubating birds mainly foraged in the subtropical convergence zone (STCZ), the Sub Antarctic Front (SAF) and Subtropical Front (STF) which border it, and the region north of the STF. Brooding birds mainly used the SAF and Polar Frontal Zone (PFZ). Significantly different areas were used between years during both breeding stages. This population showed a lack of consistent habitat preferences which may offer resilience to progressive climatic variability and change. Interactions of sooty albatrosses, as well as white-chinned petrels for comparative purposes, with fisheries were also assessed. The two species were compared to ...