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. (2021). A dedicated robust instrument for water vapor generation at low humidity for use with a laser water isotope analyzer in cold and dry polar regions (Vol. 14). Bachelor's thesis, , .
Programme: 1110,1169,1205
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. (2021). Untangling local and remote influences in two major petrel habitats in the oligotrophic Southern Ocean (Vol. 27).
Abstract: Ocean circulation connects geographically distinct ecosystems across a wide range of spatial and temporal scales via exchanges of physical and biogeochemical properties. Remote oceanographic processes can be especially important for ecosystems in the Southern Ocean, where the Antarctic Circumpolar Current transports properties across ocean basins through both advection and mixing. Recent tracking studies have indicated the existence of two large-scale, open ocean habitats in the Southern Ocean used by grey petrels (Procellaria cinerea) from two populations (i.e., Kerguelen and Antipodes islands) during their nonbreeding season for extended periods during austral summer (i.e., October to February). In this work, we use a novel combination of large-scale oceanographic observations, surface drifter data, satellite-derived primary productivity, numerical adjoint sensitivity experiments, and output from a biogeochemical state estimate to examine local and remote influences on these grey petrel habitats. Our aim is to understand the oceanographic features that control these isolated foraging areas and to evaluate their ecological value as oligotrophic open ocean habitats. We estimate the minimum local primary productivity required to support these populations to be much <1% of the estimated local primary productivity. The region in the southeast Indian Ocean used by the birds from Kerguelen is connected by circulation to the productive Kerguelen shelf. In contrast, the region in the south-central Pacific Ocean used by seabirds from the Antipodes is relatively isolated suggesting it is more influenced by local factors or the cumulative effects of many seasonal cycles. This work exemplifies the potential use of predator distributions and oceanographic data to highlight areas of the open ocean that may be more dynamic and productive than previously thought. Our results highlight the need to consider advective connections between ecosystems in the Southern Ocean and to re-evaluate the ecological relevance of oligotrophic Southern Ocean regions from a conservation perspective.
Keywords: Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) biogeography conservation grey petrels high seas hotspot open ocean primary productivity Procellaria cinerea seabirds
Programme: 109
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. (2021). Fine-scale structures as spots of increased fish concentration in the open ocean (Vol. 11).
Abstract: Oceanic frontal zones have been shown to deeply influence the distribution of primary producers and, at the other extreme of the trophic web, top predators. However, the relationship between these structures and intermediate trophic levels is much more obscure. In this paper we address this knowledge gap by comparing acoustic measurements of mesopelagic fish concentrations to satellite-derived fine-scale Lagrangian Coherent Structures in the Indian sector of the Southern Ocean. First, we demonstrate that higher fish concentrations occur more frequently in correspondence with strong Lagrangian Coherent Structures. Secondly, we illustrate that, while increased fish densities are more likely to be observed over these structures, the presence of a fine-scale feature does not imply a concomitant fish accumulation, as other factors affect fish distribution. Thirdly, we show that, when only chlorophyll-rich waters are considered, front intensity modulates significantly more the local fish concentration. Finally, we discuss a model representing fish movement along Lagrangian features, specifically built for mid-trophic levels. Its results, obtained with realistic parameters, are qualitatively consistent with the observations and the spatio-temporal scales analysed. Overall, these findings may help to integrate intermediate trophic levels in trophic models, which can ultimately support management and conservation policies.
Keywords: Fisheries Marine biology Physical oceanography
Programme: 109
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. (2021).
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. (2021). Surface ocean microbiota determine cloud precursors (Vol. 11).
Abstract: One pathway by which the oceans influence climate is via the emission of sea spray that may subsequently influence cloud properties. Sea spray emissions are known to be dependent on atmospheric and oceanic physicochemical parameters, but the potential role of ocean biology on sea spray fluxes remains poorly characterized. Here we show a consistent significant relationship between seawater nanophytoplankton cell abundances and sea-spray derived Cloud Condensation Nuclei (CCN) number fluxes, generated using water from three different oceanic regions. This sensitivity of CCN number fluxes to ocean biology is currently unaccounted for in climate models yet our measurements indicate that it influences fluxes by more than one order of magnitude over the range of phytoplankton investigated.
Keywords: Atmospheric science Marine biology
Programme: 1187
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. (2021). Bachelor's thesis, , .
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Mark A. Hindell, Clive R. McMahon, Ian Jonsen, Robert Harcourt, Fernando Arce, Christophe Guinet. (2021). Inter- and intrasex habitat partitioning in the highly dimorphic southern elephant seal (Vol. 11). Bachelor's thesis, , .
Abstract: Partitioning resources is a key mechanism for avoiding intraspecific competition and maximizing individual energy gain. However, in sexually dimorphic species it is difficult to discern if partitioning is due to competition or the different resource needs of morphologically distinct individuals. In the highly dimorphic southern elephant seal, there are intersexual differences in habitat use; at Iles Kerguelen, males predominantly use shelf waters, while females use deeper oceanic waters. There are equally marked intrasexual differences, with some males using the nearby Kerguelen Plateau, and others using the much more distant Antarctic continental shelf ( 2,000 km away). We used this combination of inter and intrasexual behavior to test two hypotheses regarding habitat partitioning in highly dimorphic species. (a) that intersexual differences in habitat use will not appear until the seals diverge in body size and (b) that some habitats have higher rates of energy return than others. In particular, that the Antarctic shelf would provide higher energy returns than the Kerguelen Shelf, to offset the greater cost of travel. We quantified the habitat use of 187 southern elephant seals (102 adult females and 85 subadult males). The seals in the two groups were the same size ( 2.4 m) removing the confounding effect of body size. We found that the intersexual differences in habitat use existed before the divergence in body size. Also, we found that the amount of energy gained was the same in all of the major habitats. This suggests that the use of shelf habitats by males is innate, and a trade-off between the need to access the large benthic prey available on shelf waters, against the higher risk of predation there. Intrasexual differences in habitat use are another trade-off; although there are fewer predators on the Antarctic shelf, it is subject to considerable interannual fluctuations in sea-ice extent. In contrast, the Kerguelen Plateau presents more consistent foraging opportunities, but contains higher levels of predation. Habitat partitioning in this highly dimorphic species is therefore the result of complex interplay of life history strategies, environmental conditions and predation pressure.
Keywords: Antarctic Shelf foraging and diving behavior Kerguelen Plateau mid-year haul out predation risk Southern Ocean
Programme: 109,1201
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Viblanc Va, Stier A, Bize P, Schull Q, Criscuolo F, Groscolas R, Robin Jp. (2021). The ecophysiology of king penguins : responses to a fluctuating environment. Bachelor's thesis, , .
Abstract: Penguins are sea...birds. These highly evolved marine predators thrive in the oceanic habitat. Yet, they are conflicted – confronted to the duality of a life spent partly at sea, partly on-land. This life style has them subject to a number of very different ecological pressures. The ECONERGY polar project (IPEV #119) seeks to understand how king penguin cope with the constraints they face while living on-land, and the underlying physiological adaptations that allow them to do so. This includes studies dealing with fasting, parasites, predators, aggressive neighbors, climate and human disturbance. I will present some of the advances our project has made over the past decades, and where we will proceed in the years to come with a new project. We aim to understand bird stress from an integrative perspective, building a long-term observatory of penguin physiological responses to a changing world, and determining how breeding performances on land and foraging performances at sea are related.
Programme: 119
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. (2021). Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances Are Positively Associated with Thyroid Hormones in an Arctic Seabird (Vol. 40).
Keywords: Avian toxicity Ecotoxicology Endocrine-disrupting compounds Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance Thyroid hormones
Programme: 330
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. (2021). 10 years of Polar Stratospheric Clouds lidar measurements at the French antarctic station Dumont d'Urville.
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