Decline of Sooty Shearwaters, Puffin us griseus, on The Snares,  New Zealand

Scott, Darren; Scofield, R. Paul; Hunter, Christine M.; Fletcher, David

doi:10.26749/rstpp.142.1.185

Cited by 32 publications

(56 citation statements)

References 44 publications

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“…Population trends from breeding sites for the migrant species are also indicative, primarily, of declining trends. Sooty shearwaters have declined 37% over 27 yr (1969−1996) at breeding colonies in New Zealand (Scott et al 2008), and pink-footed shearwaters have declined from colonies in Chile (Schlatter 1984).…”

Section: Internal and External Drivers Of Changementioning

confidence: 99%

Phenology of pelagic seabird abundance relative to marine climate change in the Alaska Gyre

Thompson¹,

Sydeman²,

Santora³

et al. 2012

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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In relation to climate change, a common finding from long-term studies on marine ecosystems is earlier annual peaks of abundance for many organisms. Here, we test the hypothesis of unidirectional change in the seasonal abundance of pelagic seabirds in association with change in marine climate and primary productivity in the Alaska Gyre. To test this hypothesis, we analyzed data on hydrographic conditions and seasonal at-sea abundance of seabirds along a 1425 km transect (Line P) over 11 yr, 1996 to 2006. Long-term sea surface temperature (SST) data show warming in the study region, advanced and delayed temperature peaks and northwestward isotherm displacement. Using negative binomial regression, we tested seasonal trends in the relative abundance of 15 seabird species and compared abundances to a multivariate ocean climate index we developed with principal component analysis from in situ measurements of water temperature, salinity, density and nitrate concentrations. Overall, 5 species showed no change, 1 declined, and 9 species as well as all species combined showed increasing abundance. By season, 3 species increased in winter, 7 in late spring, and 6 in late summer. Eight of 15 species showed relationships with our environmental index. Increases in seasonal seabird abundance may be related to lengthening of the 'growing season', as demonstrated by temporal temperature shifts and expansion of peak chlorophyll concentrations. Seabirds of the Alaska Gyre are probably responding to changes in forage nekton that are related to this extended growing season by shifting their migration to later dates.

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Section: Internal and External Drivers Of Changementioning

confidence: 99%

Phenology of pelagic seabird abundance relative to marine climate change in the Alaska Gyre

Thompson¹,

Sydeman²,

Santora³

et al. 2012

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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“…Substantial evidence exists for many species that suggest seabird populations have declined at breeding colonies to threatened and endangered levels (Rodrigues et al 2006). Populations of sooty shearwaters have declined at their breeding colonies in New Zealand (Jones 2000, Scott et al 2008, and it is likely that migrating populations to the CCE should also reflect this decline. However, their interannual abundance off the U.S. West Coast is often highly variable in space and time (Briggs and Chu 1986, Veit et al 1997, Santora et al 2011a, Adams et al 2012.…”

Section: Declines In Species Richness and Abundancementioning

confidence: 99%

Persistence of hotspots and variability of seabird species richness and abundance in the southern California Current

Santora

Sydeman

2015

Ecosphere

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Citation: Santora, J. A., and W. J. Sydeman. 2015. Persistence of hotspots and variability of seabird species richness and abundance in the southern California Current. Ecosphere 6(11):214. http://dx.doi.org/10.1890/ES14-00434.1Abstract. Aggregations of seabirds at sea may provide information on centers of enhanced trophic interactions and concentrating mechanisms, however, to date most studies lack quantification of persistence, a key hotspot characteristic. Persistence statistics may reduce uncertainty about seabird habitat use, improve understanding of the spatio-temporal scales of pelagic food web dynamics, and inform conservation planning. Using 26 years 47 surveys) of shipboard surveys from a 300K km 2 study area within the southern California Current Ecosystem, we conduct a spatial assessment of the inter-annual and seasonal dynamics of the persistence of seabird hotspots and identify recurring sites of elevated seabird species richness and abundance. Previous studies document declines in abundance, but were based on broad spatial standardizations to assess where declines may have occurred. Here, we refine the hypothesis that seabird populations have declined off southern California by focusing on persistently used habitats in nearshore or offshore domains. We demonstrate that spatio-temporal variability of seabird distribution and abundance is characterized by anomalous events embedded within trends. In addition to identifying the locations of persistence of seabird aggregations, we found significant declines in species richness and the density of sooty shearwater (Puffinus griseus) and Leach's storm petrel (Oceanodroma leucorhoa); in contrast, black-footed albatross (Phoebastria nigripes) abundance appear to be increasing. This assessment provides a spatially-explicit framework for future evaluations of biophysical drivers of seabird hotspots and their associations and impacts on forage fish and zooplankton populations.

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“…It is possible that the low density of burrows and their simple structure is related to a population decline either from human influences or a reflection of the ongoing decline in Sooty Shearwater numbers in New Zealand (e.g. Scott et al 2008).…”

Section: Architecture Habitat and Density Of Burrowsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Recent evidence suggests that Sooty Shearwater populations have declined worldwide (Scofield and Christie 2002;Moller et al 2009), with declines reflected in the annual harvest of birds in New Zealand (Lyver et al 1999), in observed densities in the North Pacific Ocean (Veit et al 1996(Veit et al , 1997, and in a marked reduction in the density of burrows on some islands (Scott et al 2008). Like many seabirds today, Sooty Shearwaters are affected by oceanic fisheries (Uhlmann et al 2005), introduced predators (Jones et al 2008) and increased frequency of climatic anomalies (Lyver et al 1999).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Like many seabirds today, Sooty Shearwaters are affected by oceanic fisheries (Uhlmann et al 2005), introduced predators (Jones et al 2008) and increased frequency of climatic anomalies (Lyver et al 1999). Small populations of Sooty Shearwaters have disappeared from predator-free islands in the Hauraki Gulf, New Zealand, in the last century (Scott et al 2008).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Breeding parameters of the Sooty Shearwater (Ardenna grisea) on Long Island, New Zealand

Geary

Corin²,

Nelson

2014

Emu - Austral Ornithology

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Abstract. The Sooty Shearwater (Ardenna grisea) is one of the better studied petrels of New Zealand. Although one of New Zealand's most abundant seabirds, smaller populations of Sooty Shearwaters may be less resilient to stochastic events in the long term. We investigated aspects of the breeding biology of Sooty Shearwaters and burrow dynamics on Long Island, in the Marlborough Sounds, New Zealand, from November 2008 to May 2009. Burrows were usually simple and unbranched, with an average length of 83.6 cm (s.e. 4.3 cm). The incubation period was 54.3 days (s.e. 1 day) and the nestling period 104.5 days (s.e. 2 days). Breeding success was 40.1%, within the range expected based on published studies of other populations of Sooty Shearwaters and of congeners. This study paves the way for further investigation into the viability and persistence of a small island population.

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Decline of Sooty Shearwaters, Puffin us griseus, on The Snares, New Zealand

Cited by 32 publications

References 44 publications

Phenology of pelagic seabird abundance relative to marine climate change in the Alaska Gyre

Phenology of pelagic seabird abundance relative to marine climate change in the Alaska Gyre

Persistence of hotspots and variability of seabird species richness and abundance in the southern California Current

Breeding parameters of the Sooty Shearwater (Ardenna grisea) on Long Island, New Zealand

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