Seasonal decline in breeding performance of the Kelp Gull Larus dominicanus

The effects of timing of breeding on reproductive parameters of Kelp Gulls Larus dominicanus were studied in Patagonia, Argentina, during 1998 and 1999. Yearly and spatial variation in the study were assessed by sampling nests during two field seasons and in different areas within the colony, and accounted for variation with respect to breeding synchrony and breeding density. In both years and in three study areas, individuals laying earlier had higher hatching success, a larger number of chicks fledged, heavier chicks at one month and higher breeding success. Significant variation between study areas within the colony and between years was observed only for breeding success and number of chicks fledged. No effects of breeding synchrony on breeding parameters were detected. Timing of breeding, independent of study year and area, had no effect on either clutch size or egg size. Our results document for the first time the seasonal decline in breeding performance in the Kelp Gull, a species widely distributed in the southern hemisphere.Peer Reviewe

Research priorities for seabirds: improving conservation and management in the 21st century

Seabirds are facing a growing number of threats in both terrestrial and marine habitats, and many populations have experienced dramatic changes over past decades. Years of seabird research have improved our understanding of seabird populations and provided a broader understanding of marine ecological processes. In an effort to encourage future research and guide seabird conservation science, seabird researchers from 9 nations identified the 20 highest priority research questions and organized these into 6 general categories: (1) population dynamics, (2) spatial ecology, (3) tropho-dynamics, (4) fisheries interactions, (5) response to global change, and (6) management of anthropogenic impacts (focusing on invasive species, contaminants and protected areas). For each category, we provide an assessment of the current approaches, challenges and future directions. While this is not an exhaustive list of all research needed to address the myriad conservation challenges seabirds face, the results of this effort represent an important synthesis of current expert opinion across sub-disciplines within seabird ecology. As this synthesis highlights, research, in conjunction with direct management, education, and community engagement, can play an important role in facilitating the conservation and management of seabird populations and of the ocean ecosystems on which they and we depend

Regurgitation of the koilin layer in chinstrap penguins ( Pygoscelis antarcticus

The koilin membrane, formed by the secretions of the ventricular and pyloric glands, functions as a protective layer in the gizzards of most bird species. However, the ecological functions of koilin have never been studied in free-ranging penguins. During the two austral summers from 2012 to 2014, we observed the regurgitated koilins of chinstrap penguins (Pygoscelis antarcticus) at Narębski Point on King George Island, South Shetland Islands, and we detected a significant difference in the daily accumulation of regurgitated koilins between the pre-hatching and post-hatching periods in the rookery. We also found 233 gastrointestinal parasites, all Stegophorus macronectes (Nematoda, Acuariidae), from 26 out of 45 koilins freshly regurgitated by chinstrap penguins. We suggest that the regurgitation of koilins may benefit adult chinstrap penguins in the wild by reducing parasitic loads when they fast during incubation; it may also help decrease the risk of parasite transmission to chicks. Our results present the first observations of regurgitated koilins among breeding chinstrap penguins. How koilin regurgitation functions in penguins requires further study. Among the gentoo penguins (P. papua) co-occurring at the study site, we observed no regurgitated koilin layers

Research Priorities for seabirds: Improving seabird conservation and management in the 21st century

Seabirds are facing a growing number of threats in both terrestrial and marine habitats, and many populations have experienced dramatic changes over past decades. Years of seabird research have improved our understanding of seabird populations and provided a broader understanding of marine ecological processes. In an effort to encourage future research and guide seabird conservation science, seabird researchers from 9 nations identified the 20 highest priority research questions and organized these into 6 general categories: (1) population dynamics, (2) spatial ecology, (3) tropho-dynamics, (4) fisheries interactions, (5) response to global change, and (6) management of anthropogenic impacts (focusing on invasive species, contaminants and protected areas). For each category, we provide an assessment of the current approaches, challenges and future directions. While this is not an exhaustive list of all research needed to address the myriad conservation challenges seabirds face, the results of this effort represent an important synthesis of current expert opinion across sub-disciplines within seabird ecology. As this synthesis highlights, research, in conjunction with direct management, education, and community engagement, can play an important role in facilitating the conservation and management of seabird populations and of the ocean ecosystems on which they and we depend