Foraging habitat suitability of black‐browed albatrosses Thalassarche melanophris wintering in the South‐west Atlantic Ocean: Acknowledging age class to improve conservation management

PAZ, JESICA ANDREA; SECO PON, JUAN PABLO; KRÜGER, LUCAS; FAVERO, MARCO; COPELLO, SOFÍA

AQUATIC CONSERVATION-MARINE AND FRESHWATER ECOSYSTEMS

JOHN WILEY & SONS LTD

Año: 2024

1052-7613

1. Seabirds, particularly albatrosses, are among the most threatened birds as a resultof their continuous exposure to anthropic pressures including interaction withcommercial fisheries, climate change and pollution. Several studies that havefocused on the spatial distribution of foraging seabirds have identified a certainlevel of segregation between age classes.2. The black-browed albatross Thalassarche melanophris is the most abundantalbatross species in the South-west Atlantic Ocean and the main pelagic seabirdinteracting with a range of fishing fleets. There is a considerable lack ofknowledge about the biology of immature individuals and on habitat suitability ofthe species during non-breeding season (winter).3. The aim of this study was to assess the foraging habitat suitability of the blackbrowedalbatross in the South-west Atlantic during the austral winter, analysingdifferences between adults and immatures individuals.4. Habitat suitability models were based on foraging locations recorded by15 satellite transmitters deployed on six adults and nine immature individualsbetween 2011 and 2015. Remotely sensed oceanographic data were used tocharacterize suitable foraging habitat for the albatrosses.5. Differences were found in foraging habitat suitability by age class, with adultselecting areas located in deeper waters over the continental shelf break as wellas in neritic zones under cooler water temperatures, whereas immatureindividuals foraged chiefly off coastal waters having more moderate temperatures.6. Knowing habitat suitability and segregation patterns within-species is key for theconservation of critical marine habitats given that, by only considering one ageclass, other important habitats would be neglected and not considered inconservation efforts to mitigate threats such as incidental mortality. It isimportant to include all age classes when studying patterns of associations withthreats, such as fishing activity as a proxy of risk of bycatch, and for thedevelopment of Marine Protected Areas.