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Author André Ancel, Robin Cristofari, Peter T. Fretwell, Phil N. Trathan, Barbara Wienecke, Matthieu Boureau, Jennifer Morinay, Stéphane Blanc, Yvon Le Maho, Céline Le Bohec
Title Emperors in Hiding: When Ice-Breakers and Satellites Complement Each Other in Antarctic Exploration Type Journal
Year 2014 Publication PLOS ONE Abbreviated Journal
Volume 9 Issue 6 Pages e100404
Keywords Animal sexual behavior Animal sociality Antarctica Birds Census Glaciers Penguins Tongue
Abstract Evaluating the demographic trends of marine top predators is critical to understanding the processes involved in the ongoing rapid changes in Antarctic ecosystems. However, the remoteness and logistical complexity of operating in Antarctica, especially during winter, make such an assessment difficult. Satellite imaging is increasingly recognised as a valuable method for remote animal population monitoring, yet its accuracy and reliability are still to be fully evaluated. We report here the first ground visit of an emperor penguin colony first discovered by satellite, but also the discovery of a second one not indicated by satellite survey at that time. Several successive remote surveys in this coastal region of East Antarctica, both before and after sudden local changes, had indeed only identified one colony. These two colonies (with a total of ca. 7,400 breeding pairs) are located near the Mertz Glacier in an area that underwent tremendous habitat change after the glacier tongue broke off in February 2010. Our findings therefore suggest that a satellite survey, although offering a major advance since it allows a global imaging of emperor penguin colonies, may miss certain colony locations when challenged by certain features of polar ecosystems, such as snow cover, evolving ice topology, and rapidly changing habitat. Moreover our survey shows that this large seabird has considerable potential for rapid adaptation to sudden habitat loss, as the colony detected in 2009 may have moved and settled on new breeding grounds. Overall, the ability of emperor penguin colonies to relocate following habitat modification underlines the continued need for a mix of remote sensing and field surveys (aerial photography and ground counts), especially in the less-frequented parts of Antarctica, to gain reliable knowledge about the population demography and dynamics of this flagship species of the Antarctic ecosystem.
Programme 137
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Language Summary Language Original Title
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
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ISSN 1932-6203 ISBN (down) 1932-6203 Medium
Area Expedition Conference
Notes Approved yes
Call Number Serial 6689
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Author Célia Bordier, Claire Saraux, Vincent A. Viblanc, Hélène Gachot-Neveu, Magali Beaugey, Yvon Le Maho, Céline Le Bohec
Title Inter-Annual Variability of Fledgling Sex Ratio in King Penguins Type Journal
Year 2014 Publication PLOS ONE Abbreviated Journal
Volume 9 Issue 12 Pages e114052
Keywords Animal sexual behavior Animal sociality Birds Foraging Ocean temperature Penguins Seasons Sex ratio
Abstract As the number of breeding pairs depends on the adult sex ratio in a monogamous species with biparental care, investigating sex-ratio variability in natural populations is essential to understand population dynamics. Using 10 years of data (2000–2009) in a seasonally monogamous seabird, the king penguin (Aptenodytes patagonicus), we investigated the annual sex ratio at fledging, and the potential environmental causes for its variation. Over more than 4000 birds, the annual sex ratio at fledging was highly variable (ranging from 44.4% to 58.3% of males), and on average slightly biased towards males (51.6%). Yearly variation in sex-ratio bias was neither related to density within the colony, nor to global or local oceanographic conditions known to affect both the productivity and accessibility of penguin foraging areas. However, rising sea surface temperature coincided with an increase in fledging sex-ratio variability. Fledging sex ratio was also correlated with difference in body condition between male and female fledglings. When more males were produced in a given year, their body condition was higher (and reciprocally), suggesting that parents might adopt a sex-biased allocation strategy depending on yearly environmental conditions and/or that the effect of environmental parameters on chick condition and survival may be sex-dependent. The initial bias in sex ratio observed at the juvenile stage tended to return to 1∶1 equilibrium upon first breeding attempts, as would be expected from Fisher’s classic theory of offspring sex-ratio variation.
Programme 137
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Language Summary Language Original Title
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
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ISSN 1932-6203 ISBN (down) 1932-6203 Medium
Area Expedition Conference
Notes Approved yes
Call Number Serial 6693
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Author Robin Cristofari, Emiliano Trucchi, Jason D. Whittington, Stéphanie Vigetta, Hélène Gachot-Neveu, Nils Christian Stenseth, Yvon Le Maho, Céline Le Bohec
Title Spatial Heterogeneity as a Genetic Mixing Mechanism in Highly Philopatric Colonial Seabirds Type Journal
Year 2015 Publication PLOS ONE Abbreviated Journal
Volume 10 Issue 2 Pages e0117981
Keywords Animal sexual behavior Animal sociality Birds Inbreeding Penguins Population genetics Seabirds Spatial autocorrelation
Abstract How genetic diversity is maintained in philopatric colonial systems remains unclear, and understanding the dynamic balance of philopatry and dispersal at all spatial scales is essential to the study of the evolution of coloniality. In the King penguin, Aptenodytes patagonicus, return rates of post-fledging chicks to their natal sub-colony are remarkably high. Empirical studies have shown that adults return year after year to their previous breeding territories within a radius of a few meters. Yet, little reliable data are available on intra- and inter-colonial dispersal in this species. Here, we present the first fine-scale study of the genetic structure in a king penguin colony in the Crozet Archipelago. Samples were collected from individual chicks and analysed at 8 microsatellite loci. Precise geolocation data of hatching sites and selective pressures associated with habitat features were recorded for all sampling locations. We found that despite strong natal and breeding site fidelity, king penguins retain a high degree of panmixia and genetic diversity. Yet, genetic structure appears markedly heterogeneous across the colony, with higher-than-expected inbreeding levels, and local inbreeding and relatedness hotspots that overlap predicted higher-quality nesting locations. This points towards heterogeneous population structure at the sub-colony level, in which fine-scale environmental features drive local philopatric behaviour, while lower-quality patches may act as genetic mixing mechanisms at the colony level. These findings show how a lack of global genetic structuring can emerge from small-scale heterogeneity in ecological parameters, as opposed to the classical model of homogeneous dispersal. Our results also emphasize the importance of sampling design for estimation of population parameters in colonial seabirds, as at high spatial resolution, basic genetic features are shown to be location-dependent. Finally, this study stresses the importance of understanding intra-colonial dispersal and genetic mixing mechanisms in order to better estimate species-wide gene flows and population dynamics.
Programme 137
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Language Summary Language Original Title
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
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ISSN 1932-6203 ISBN (down) 1932-6203 Medium
Area Expedition Conference
Notes Approved yes
Call Number Serial 6695
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Author Françoise Amélineau, David Grémillet, Delphine Bonnet, Tangi Le Bot, Jérôme Fort
Title Where to Forage in the Absence of Sea Ice? Bathymetry As a Key Factor for an Arctic Seabird Type Journal
Year 2016 Publication PLOS ONE Abbreviated Journal
Volume 11 Issue 7 Pages e0157764
Keywords Birds Copepods Foraging Oceans Predation Sea ice Seabirds Zooplankton
Abstract The earth is warming at an alarming rate, especially in the Arctic, where a marked decline in sea ice cover may have far-ranging consequences for endemic species. Little auks, endemic Arctic seabirds, are key bioindicators as they forage in the marginal ice zone and feed preferentially on lipid-rich Arctic copepods and ice-associated amphipods sensitive to the consequences of global warming. We tested how little auks cope with an ice-free foraging environment during the breeding season. To this end, we took advantage of natural variation in sea ice concentration along the east coast of Greenland. We compared foraging and diving behaviour, chick diet and growth and adult body condition between two years, in the presence versus nearby absence of sea ice in the vicinity of their breeding site. Moreover, we sampled zooplankton at sea when sea ice was absent to evaluate prey location and little auk dietary preferences. Little auks foraged in the same areas both years, irrespective of sea ice presence/concentration, and targeted the shelf break and the continental shelf. We confirmed that breeding little auks showed a clear preference for larger copepod species to feed their chick, but caught smaller copepods and nearly no ice-associated amphipod when sea ice was absent. Nevertheless, these dietary changes had no impact on chick growth and adult body condition. Our findings demonstrate the importance of bathymetry for profitable little auk foraging, whatever the sea-ice conditions. Our investigations, along with recent studies, also confirm more flexibility than previously predicted for this key species in a warming Arctic.
Programme 388
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Language Summary Language Original Title
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
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ISSN 1932-6203 ISBN (down) 1932-6203 Medium
Area Expedition Conference
Notes Approved yes
Call Number Serial 6919
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Author Sophie Marie Dupont, Christophe Barbraud, Olivier Chastel, Karine Delord, Stéphanie Ruault, Henri Weimerskirch, Frédéric Angelier
Title Young parents produce offspring with short telomeres: A study in a long-lived bird, the Black-browed Albatross (Thalassarche melanophrys) Type Journal
Year 2018 Publication PLOS ONE Abbreviated Journal
Volume 13 Issue 3 Pages e0193526
Keywords Animal sexual behavior Birds Feathers Foraging Physiological parameters Telomeres Vertebrates Wildlife
Abstract In wild vertebrates, young parents are less likely to successfully rear offspring relative to older ones because of lower parental skills (‘the constraint hypothesis’), lower parental investment (‘the restraint hypothesis’) or because of a progressive disappearance of lower-quality individuals at young ages (‘the selection hypothesis’). Because it is practically difficult to follow an offspring during its entire life, most studies have only focused on the ability of individuals to breed or produce young, while neglecting the ability of such young to subsequently survive and reproduce. Several proxies of individual quality can be useful to assess the ability of young to survive and recruit into the population. Among them, telomere length measurement appears especially promising because telomere length has been linked to longevity and fitness in captive and wild animals. By sampling 51 chicks reared by known-aged parents, we specifically tested whether parental age was correlated to offspring telomere length and body condition in a long-lived bird species, the Black-browed Albatross (Thalassarche melanophrys). Young Black-browed albatrosses produced chicks with shorter telomere relative to those raised by older ones. Short offspring telomeres could result from poor developmental conditions or heritability of telomere length. Moreover, young parents also had chicks of lower body condition when compared with older parents, although this effect was significant in female offspring only. Overall, our study demonstrates that parental age is correlated to two proxies of offspring fitness (body condition and telomere length), suggesting therefore that older individuals provide better parental cares to their offspring because of increased parental investment (restraint hypothesis), better foraging/parental skills (constraint hypothesis) or because only high-quality individuals reach older ages (selection hypothesis).
Programme 109
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Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Summary Language Original Title
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 1932-6203 ISBN (down) 1932-6203 Medium
Area Expedition Conference
Notes Approved yes
Call Number Serial 7118
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Author Audrey Jaeger, Camille Lebarbenchon, Vincent Bourret, Matthieu Bastien, Erwan Lagadec, Jean-Baptiste Thiebot, Thierry Boulinier, Karine Delord, Christophe Barbraud, Cédric Marteau, Koussay Dellagi, Pablo Tortosa, Henri Weimerskirch
Title Avian cholera outbreaks threaten seabird species on Amsterdam Island Type Journal
Year 2018 Publication PLOS ONE Abbreviated Journal
Volume 13 Issue 5 Pages e0197291
Keywords Birds Bone marrow Cholera Islands Pasteurella multocida Penguins Seabirds Sequence databases
Abstract Infectious diseases may be particularly critical for the conservation of endangered species. A striking example is the recurrent outbreaks that have been occurring in seabirds on Amsterdam Island for the past 30 years, threatening populations of three Endangered seabird species and of the endemic, Critically Endangered Amsterdam albatross Diomedea amsterdamensis. The bacteria Pasteurella multocida (avian cholera causative agent), and to a lesser extent Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae (erysipelas causative agent), were both suspected to be responsible for these epidemics. Despite this critical situation, demographic trends were not available for these threatened populations, and the occurrence and characterization of potential causative agents of epizootics remain poorly known. The aims of the current study were to (i) provide an update of population trends for four threatened seabird species monitored on Amsterdam Island, (ii) assess the occurrence of P. multocida, and E. rhusiopathiae in live birds from five species, (iii) search for other infectious agents in these samples and, (iv) isolate and genotype the causative agent(s) of epizooties from dead birds. Our study shows that the demographic situation has worsened substantially in three seabird species during the past decade, with extremely low reproductive success and declining populations for Indian yellow-nosed albatrosses Thalassarche carteri, sooty albatrosses Phoebetria fusca, and northern rockhopper penguins Eudyptes moseleyi. Pasteurella multocida or E. rhusiopathiae were detected by PCR in live birds of all five investigated species, while results were negative for eight additional infectious agents. A single strain of P. multocida was repeatedly cultured from dead birds, while no E. rhusiopathiae could be isolated. These results highlight the significance of P. multocida in this particular eco-epidemiological system as the main agent responsible for epizootics. The study stresses the urgent need to implement mitigation measures to alter the course of avian cholera outbreaks threatening the persistence of seabird populations on Amsterdam Island.
Programme 109,1151
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Corporate Author Thesis Bachelor's thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Summary Language Original Title
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 1932-6203 ISBN (down) 1932-6203 Medium
Area Expedition Conference
Notes Approved yes
Call Number Serial 7120
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Author Tiphaine Jeanniard-du-Dot, Andrew W. Trites, John P. Y. Arnould, Christophe Guinet
Title Reproductive success is energetically linked to foraging efficiency in Antarctic fur seals Type Journal
Year 2017 Publication PLOS ONE Abbreviated Journal
Volume 12 Issue 4 Pages e0174001
Keywords Accelerometers Antarctica Bioenergetics Foraging Predation Reproductive success Seals Trophic interactions
Abstract The efficiency with which individuals extract energy from their environment defines their survival and reproductive success, and thus their selective contribution to the population. Individuals that forage more efficiently (i.e., when energy gained exceeds energy expended) are likely to be more successful at raising viable offspring than individuals that forage less efficiently. Our goal was to test this prediction in large long-lived mammals under free-ranging conditions. To do so, we equipped 20 lactating Antarctic fur seals (Arctocephalus gazella) breeding on Kerguelen Island in the Southern Ocean with tags that recorded GPS locations, depth and tri-axial acceleration to determine at-sea behaviours and detailed time-activity budgets during their foraging trips. We also simultaneously measured energy spent at sea using the doubly-labeled water (DLW) method, and estimated the energy acquired while foraging from 1) type and energy content of prey species present in scat remains, and 2) numbers of prey capture attempts determined from head acceleration. Finally, we followed the growth of 36 pups from birth until weaning (of which 20 were the offspring of our 20 tracked mothers), and used the relative differences in body mass of pups at weaning as an index of first year survival and thus the reproductive success of their mothers. Our results show that females with greater foraging efficiencies produced relatively bigger pups at weaning. These mothers achieved greater foraging efficiency by extracting more energy per minute of diving rather than by reducing energy expenditure. This strategy also resulted in the females spending less time diving and less time overall at sea, which allowed them to deliver higher quality milk to their pups, or allowed their pups to suckle more frequently, or both. The linkage we demonstrate between reproductive success and the quality of individuals as foragers provides an individual-based quantitative framework to investigate how changes in the availability and accessibility of prey can affect fitness of animals.
Programme 109
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Language Summary Language Original Title
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ISSN 1932-6203 ISBN (down) 1932-6203 Medium
Area Expedition Conference
Notes Approved yes
Call Number Serial 7161
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Author Lauriane Massardier-Galatà, Jennifer Morinay, Frédéric Bailleul, Eric Wajnberg, Christophe Guinet, Patrick Coquillard
Title Breeding success of a marine central place forager in the context of climate change: A modeling approach Type Journal
Year 2017 Publication PLOS ONE Abbreviated Journal
Volume 12 Issue 3 Pages e0173797
Keywords Animal sexual behavior Bioenergetics Climate change Death rates Foraging Islands Predation Seals
Abstract In response to climate warming, a southward shift in productive frontal systems serving as the main foraging sites for many top predator species is likely to occur in Subantarctic areas. Central place foragers, such as seabirds and pinnipeds, are thus likely to cope with an increase in the distance between foraging locations and their land-based breeding colonies. Understanding how central place foragers should modify their foraging behavior in response to changes in prey accessibility appears crucial. A spatially explicit individual-based simulation model (Marine Central Place Forager Simulator (MarCPFS)), including bio-energetic components, was built to evaluate effects of possible changes in prey resources accessibility on individual performances and breeding success. The study was calibrated on a particular example: the Antarctic fur seal (Arctocephalus gazella), which alternates between oceanic areas in which females feed and the land-based colony in which they suckle their young over a 120 days rearing period. Our model shows the importance of the distance covered to feed and prey aggregation which appeared to be key factors to which animals are highly sensitive. Memorization and learning abilities also appear to be essential breeding success traits. Females were found to be most successful for intermediate levels of prey aggregation and short distance to the resource, resulting in optimal female body length. Increased distance to resources due to climate warming should hinder pups’ growth and survival while female body length should increase.
Programme 109
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ISSN 1932-6203 ISBN (down) 1932-6203 Medium
Area Expedition Conference
Notes Approved yes
Call Number Serial 7170
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Author Johannes H. Fischer, Igor Debski, Colin M. Miskelly, Charles A. Bost, Aymeric Fromant, Alan J. D. Tennyson, Jake Tessler, Rosalind Cole, Johanna H. Hiscock, Graeme A. Taylor, Heiko U. Wittmer
Title Analyses of phenotypic differentiations among South Georgian Diving Petrel (Pelecanoides georgicus) populations reveal an undescribed and highly endangered species from New Zealand Type Journal
Year 2018 Publication PLOS ONE Abbreviated Journal
Volume 13 Issue 6 Pages e0197766
Keywords Biometrics Birds Ears Islands New Zealand Principal component analysis Species delimitation Taxonomy
Abstract Unresolved 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.
Programme 394
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ISSN 1932-6203 ISBN (down) 1932-6203 Medium
Area Expedition Conference
Notes Approved yes
Call Number Serial 7192
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Author Aurélie Goutte, Yves Cherel, Marie-Noëlle Houssais, Vincent Klein, Catherine Ozouf-Costaz, Mireille Raccurt, Camille Robineau, Guillaume Massé
Title Diatom-Specific Highly Branched Isoprenoids as Biomarkers in Antarctic Consumers Type Journal
Year 2013 Publication PLOS ONE Abbreviated Journal
Volume 8 Issue 2 Pages e56504
Keywords Antarctica Biomarkers Islands Penguins Petrels Sea ice Seabirds Stomach
Abstract The structure, functioning and dynamics of polar marine ecosystems are strongly influenced by the extent of sea ice. Ice algae and pelagic phytoplankton represent the primary sources of nutrition for higher trophic-level organisms in seasonally ice-covered areas, but their relative contributions to polar marine consumers remain largely unexplored. Here, we investigated the potential of diatom-specific lipid markers and highly branched isoprenoids (HBIs) for estimating the importance of these two carbon pools in an Antarctic pelagic ecosystem. Using GC-MS analysis, we studied HBI biomarkers in key marine species over three years in Adélie Land, Antarctica: euphausiids (ice krill Euphausia crystallorophias and Antarctic krill E. superba), fish (bald notothens Pagothenia borchgrevinki and Antarctic silverfish Pleuragramma antarcticum) and seabirds (Adélie penguins Pygoscelis adeliae, snow petrels Pagodroma nivea and cape petrels Daption capense). This study provides the first evidence of the incorporation of HBI lipids in Antarctic pelagic consumers. Specifically, a di-unsaturated HBI (diene) of sea ice origin was more abundant in ice-associated species than in pelagic species, whereas a tri-unsaturated HBI (triene) of phytoplanktonic origin was more abundant in pelagic species than in ice-associated species. Moreover, the relative abundances of diene and triene in seabird tissues and eggs were higher during a year of good sea ice conditions than in a year of poor ice conditions. In turn, the higher contribution of ice algal derived organic matter to the diet of seabirds was related to earlier breeding and higher breeding success. HBI biomarkers are a promising tool for estimating the contribution of organic matter derived from ice algae in pelagic consumers from Antarctica.
Programme 131
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Language Summary Language Original Title
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
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ISSN 1932-6203 ISBN (down) 1932-6203 Medium
Area Expedition Conference
Notes Approved yes
Call Number Serial 7215
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