Use of marine space by Black-browed albatrosses during the non-breeding season in the Southwest Atlantic continental shelf

SOFÍA COPELLO; JUAN PABLO SECO PON; MARCO FAVERO

ESTUARINE COASTAL AND SHELF SCIENCE

ACADEMIC PRESS LTD-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD

Lugar: Amsterdam; Año: 2013 vol. 123 p. 34 - 38

0272-7714

Marine birds, like albatrosses and large petrels, have shown a profound deterioration of their conservation statuses in recent years. The Black-browed albatross is the most abundant and threatened albatross species in the Southwest Atlantic continental shelf. Declines in their breeding population have been largely attributed to the impact of incidental mortality in fisheries. Data on the at-sea distribution of breeding birds exists for the South Atlantic, but scarce information is available during their wintering period. Here, we investigate the at-sea distribution of these species during the non-breeding season. Eleven adults were tracked by means of satellite telemetry (PTTs) during 2011 and 2012.  Distribution of Black-browed albatross was mostly restricted to waters within the continental shelf of Argentina, Uruguay and southern Brazil. Two important marine areas, comprising ca. 90% of the core area (50% utilization distribution) were identified. One was located from the mouth of Rio de la Plata and waters to the East and another in El Rincón estuary and waters to the South. Tracked birds were distributed over nine oceanographic regimes defined for the Southwest Atlantic continental shelf. Adult birds spent between 5-34% of their time at sea in marine fronts of high productivity such as Rio de la Plata, Patos, Shelfbreak and Mixed front. The identified core areas for the species in the Southwest Atlantic Ocean should be considered of high priority at the time of implementing conservation measures to mitigate incidental mortality in fisheries among other threats seabirds might be facing.