The development of ACAP seabird bycatch indicators, data needs, methodological approaches and reporting requirements

The Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels (ACAP) is a multilateral environmentalagreement that seeks to achieve and maintain a favourable conservation status for albatrosses andpetrels. The Agreement is currently ratified by 13 countries. In addition, a number of non-Party RangeStates and international organisations actively participate in the work of the Agreement. The Agreementprovides a framework for coordinating and undertaking international activity to mitigate known threatsto populations of affected species, including fisheries bycatch. In order to monitor and report on theperformance of the Agreement, a system of indicators following the Pressure-State-Responseframework is being developed and implemented by ACAP. The primary Pressure indicator for bycatchcomprises two linked components: (i) the seabird bycatch rate across each of the fisheries of memberParties, and (ii) the total number of birds killed (bycaught) per year of ACAP species (per species wherepossible). The Seabird Bycatch Working Group of ACAP is currently undertaking work to developguidelines on issues that need to be considered in estimating and reporting against these bycatchindicators and, considering the estimation methods currently in use, to propose guidance andrecommendations to achieve consistent reporting. This paper provides an outline of therecommendations and guidelines that have been developed to date. It is important to note that thisrepresents work in progress, and is presented here to help inform discussions regarding seabird bycatchestimation and reporting within the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) andother RFMOs.Fil: Wolfaardt, Anton. Agreement On The Conservation Of Albatrosses & Petrels; AustraliaFil: Debski, Igor. Agreement On The Conservation Of Albatrosses & Petrels; AustraliaFil: Misiak, Wieslawa. No especifíca;Fil: Walker, Nathan. Agreement On The Conservation Of Albatrosses & Petrels; AustraliaFil: Favero, Marco. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras; Argentina14th Regular Session of the Scientific CommitteePohnpeiMicronesiaWestern and Central Pacific Fisheries Commissio

Survey of Period Variations of Superhumps in SU UMa-Type Dwarf Novae. VIII: The Eighth Year (2015-2016)

Continuing the project described by Kato et al. (2009, arXiv:0905.1757), we collected times of superhump maxima for 128 SU UMa-type dwarf novae observed mainly during the 2015-2016 season and characterized these objects. The data have improved the distribution of orbital periods, the relation between the orbital period and the variation of superhumps, the relation between period variations and the rebrightening type in WZ Sge-type objects. Coupled with new measurements of mass ratios using growing stages of superhumps, we now have a clearer and statistically greatly improved evolutionary path near the terminal stage of evolution of cataclysmic variables. Three objects (V452 Cas, KK Tel, ASASSN-15cl) appear to have slowly growing superhumps, which is proposed to reflect the slow growth of the 3:1 resonance near the stability border. ASASSN-15sl, ASASSN-15ux, SDSS J074859.55+312512.6 and CRTS J200331.3-284941 are newly identified eclipsing SU UMa-type (or WZ Sge-type) dwarf novae. ASASSN-15cy has a short (~0.050 d) superhump period and appears to belong to EI Psc-type objects with compact secondaries having an evolved core. ASASSN-15gn, ASASSN-15hn, ASASSN-15kh and ASASSN-16bu are candidate period bouncers with superhump periods longer than 0.06 d. We have newly obtained superhump periods for 79 objects and 13 orbital periods, including periods from early superhumps. In order that the future observations will be more astrophysically beneficial and rewarding to observers, we propose guidelines how to organize observations of various superoutbursts.Comment: 123 pages, 162 figures, 119 tables, accepted for publication in PASJ (including supplementary information

Business Expenditure on Research and Development in New Zealand - future potential and future industries

Studies of business expenditure on R&D (BERD) are important because BERD supports firms’ technological progress that is the only sustainable way to a nation’s long-term productivity growth, which is essential for its long-term international competitiveness. The gap between our BERD intensity – at 0.49% GDP and that of 1.53% for OECD nations taken as a whole – is large and this suggests New Zealand experiences substantial competitive disadvantages. To investigate these competitive disadvantages, in this study: (i) we update our previous estimates for the country-specific and firm-specific components of the BERD Intensity Gap; (ii) we re-estimate the gap and its components using estimates of industry-level purchasing power parities as a proxy for purchasing power parities for R&D input costs; and (iii) we report and discuss the industrylevel sub-structure of the gap components. In conclusion we recommend the use of the gap, its components, and their industry-level structure, as useful indicators to monitor changes in BERD intensity over time relative to other nations. We provide examples of such application in the context of recent policy initiatives in New Zealand. Our results demonstrate how the BERD Intensity Gap for New Zealand and other nations is dependent on estimates of industry-level prices for R&D inputs in nations. This underscores the vulnerability of nations which focus their R&D in a few areas. In this respect a nation’s international competitiveness due to BERD is itself influenced by the competitiveness of the business of performing R&D.Julian Williams, Igor Debski and Richard Whit

Acoustic attraction system draws in competing seabird species

No description supplie

Decisive conservation action in areas beyond national jurisdiction is urgently required for seabird recovery in the face of global change

Abstract Areas beyond national jurisdiction, or the high seas, are vital to life on Earth. However, the conservation of these areas, for example, through area‐based management tools (ABMTs), is challenging, particularly when accounting for global change. Using decision science, integrated population models, and a Critically Endangered seabird (Kuaka; Pelecanoides whenuahouensis) as a case study, we evaluated potential ABMTs in the high seas under global change and different governance structures, while accounting for uncertainty and imperfect compliance. Our study highlighted that global change in these areas will likely cause population declines of ∼60% by 2050. However, decisive conservation action could cost‐effectively address predicted declines, particularly when implemented as soon as possible and under the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Treaty. We illustrate how decision science can transparently navigate a complex seascape of management decisions and we advocate for its wider integration in the management of the largest sections of our planet, the high seas

Analyses of phenotypic differentiations among South Georgian Diving Petrel (Pelecanoides georgicus) populations reveal an undescribed and highly endangered species from New Zealand

International audienceUnresolved taxonomy of threatened species is problematic for conservation as the field relies on species being distinct taxonomic units. Differences in breeding habitat and results from a preliminary molecular analysis indicated that the New Zealand population of the South Georgian Diving Petrel (Pelecanoides georgicus) was a distinct, yet undescribed, species. We measured 11 biometric characters and scored eight plumage characters in 143 live birds and 64 study skins originating from most populations of P. georgicus, to assess their taxonomic relationships. We analysed differences with principal component analyses (PCA), factorial ANOVAs, and Kruskal-Wallis rank sum tests. Results show that individuals from New Zealand differ significantly from P. georgicus from all other populations as following: 1) longer wings, 2) longer outer tail feathers, 3) deeper bills, 4) longer heads, 5) longer tarsi, 6) limited collar extent, 7) greater extent of contrasting scapulars, 8) larger contrasting markings on the secondaries, 9) paler ear coverts, 10) paler collars, and 11) paler flanks. Furthermore, we used a species delimitation test with quantitative phenotypic criteria; results reveal that the New Zealand population of P. georgicus indeed merits species status. We hereby name this new species Pelecanoides whenuahouensis sp. nov. Due to severe reductions in its range and the very low number of remaining birds (~150 individuals limited to a single breeding colony on Codfish Island/Whenua Hou) the species warrants listing as ‘Critically Endangered’. An abstract in the Māori language/Te Reo Māori can be found in S1 File

Appendix B. Distribution maps (of all individuals greater than or equal to 1 cm dbh) for the 17 Aporosa species in the Lambir 52-ha plot.

Distribution maps (of all individuals greater than or equal to 1 cm dbh) for the 17 Aporosa species in the Lambir 52-ha plot

Appendix C. Distribution maps (of all individuals greater than or equal to 1 cm dbh) for the 17 Aporosa species in the Pasoh 50-ha plot.

Distribution maps (of all individuals greater than or equal to 1 cm dbh) for the 17 Aporosa species in the Pasoh 50-ha plot