High connectivity in a long-lived high-Arctic seabird, the ivory gull Pagophila eburnea

• Published in: Polar Biology
• Main Authors: Yannic, Glenn, Yearsley, Jonathan M, Sermier, Roberto, Dufresnes, Christophe, Gilg, Olivier, Aebischer, Adrian, Gavrilo, Maria V., Strøm, Hallvard, Mallory, Mark L., Morrison, R I Guy, Gilchrist, H Grant, Broquet, Thomas
• Other Authors: Université Laval Québec (ULaval), Université de Moncton, Groupe de recherche en écologie arctique (GREA), University College Dublin Dublin (UCD), Université de Lausanne = University of Lausanne (UNIL), Biogéosciences UMR 6282 (BGS), Université de Bourgogne (UB)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Museum of Natural History Fribourg, National Park Russian Arctic, Joint Directorate of Taimyr Nature Reserves, Norwegian Polar Institute, Acadia University, National Wildlife Research Center, Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), Department of Biology, Carleton University (Carleton University), Carleton University, Adaptation et diversité en milieu marin (AD2M), Station biologique de Roscoff Roscoff (SBR), Université Pierre et Marie Curie - Paris 6 (UPMC)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université Pierre et Marie Curie - Paris 6 (UPMC)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), DIVersité et COnnectivité dans le paysage marin côtier (DIVCO), Université Pierre et Marie Curie - Paris 6 (UPMC)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université Pierre et Marie Curie - Paris 6 (UPMC)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Station biologique de Roscoff Roscoff (SBR)
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 2016
• Subjects: Breeding dispersal; Natal dispersal; Population genetic structure; Overlapping generation model; Effective number of breeders; [SDV.GEN.GPO]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Genetics/Populations and Evolution [q-bio.PE]; [SDV.EE.ECO]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Ecology; environment/Ecosystems; Arctic; ivory gull; Pagophila eburnea; Polar Biology
• Online Access: https://hal.sorbonne-universite.fr/hal-01196647; https://hal.sorbonne-universite.fr/hal-01196647/document; https://hal.sorbonne-universite.fr/hal-01196647/file/Yannic_2015_PolarBiology.pdf; https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-015-1775-z

International audience Species may cope with rapid habitat changes by distribution shifts or adaptation to new conditions. A common feature of these responses is that they depend on how the process of dispersal connects populations, both demographically and genetically. We analyzed the genetic structure of a near-threatened high-Arctic seabird, the ivory gull (Pagophila eburnea) in order to infer the connectivity among gull colonies. We analyzed 343 individuals sampled from 16 localities across the circumpolar breeding range of ivory gulls, from northern Russia to the Canadian Arctic. To explore the roles of natal and breeding dispersal, we developed a population genetic model to relate dispersal behavior to the observed genetic structure of worldwide ivory gull populations. Our key finding is the striking genetic homogeneity of ivory gulls across their entire distribution range. The lack of population genetic structure found among colonies, in tandem with independent evidence of movement among colonies, suggests that ongoing effective dispersal is occurring across the Arctic Region. Our results contradict the dispersal patterns generally observed in seabirds where species movement capabilities are often not indicative of dispersal patterns. Model predictions show how natal and breeding dispersal may combine to shape the genetic homogeneity among ivory gull colonies separated by up to 2800 km. Although field data will be key to determine the role of dispersal for the demography of local colonies and refine the respective impacts of natal versus breeding dispersal, conservation planning needs to consider ivory gulls as a genetically homogeneous, Arctic-wide metapopulation effectively connected through dispersal.