MEPS

Marine Ecology Progress Series

MEPS is a leading hybrid research journal on all aspects of marine, coastal and estuarine ecology. Priority is given to outstanding research that advances our ecological understanding.

Online: ISSN 1616-1599

Print: ISSN 0171-8630

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/meps

Impact Factor2.1 (JCR 2025 release)

Article Acceptance Rate52.2% (2024)

Average Time in Review216 days (2024)

Total Annual Downloads2.891.980 (2025)

Volume contents
Mar Ecol Prog Ser 599:253-266 (2018)

How the future climate may modulate the non-breeding distribution of a Vulnerable gadfly petrel

ABSTRACT: Understanding biodiversity distribution shifts caused by climate change is one of the top conservation concerns in modern biology. In this study, we entered 8 yr of geolocation tracking data of the single-island endemic and threatened Desertas petrel Pterodroma deserta into a species distribution model and quantified the species-habitat relationship and how its current wintering areas could change as a result of new climatic conditions. Our model found that the species’ range would increase 430.6 ± (SD) 57.8% in future scenarios compared to its current range, as long as the species is able to reach all of the new areas identified by the models. However, the suitability of current wintering areas in the Cape Verde Islands and on the US east coast would decrease 52.8 ± 4.4% as a consequence of the predicted windier conditions. The Desertas petrel has a small population size (160-180 pairs) and is considered ‘Vulnerable’ according to IUCN criteria, and individuals show high inter-annual site-fidelity to their wintering grounds. Our findings raise conservation concerns about the future of this species, which might heavily depend on the flexibility of adults and the capacity of future generations to disperse and use new wintering areas.

KEYWORDS

Lucas Krüger (Corresponding Author)

  • MARE - Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade de Coimbra, Departamento de Ciências da Vida, Rua da Matemática 49, 3004-517 Coimbra, Portugal
biokruger@gmail.com

Jorge M. Pereira (Co-author)

  • MARE - Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade de Coimbra, Departamento de Ciências da Vida, Rua da Matemática 49, 3004-517 Coimbra, Portugal

Iván Ramírez (Co-author)

  • BirdLife International, The David Attenborough Building, Pembroke Street, Cambridge CB2 3QZ, UK

Jaime A. Ramos (Co-author)

  • MARE - Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade de Coimbra, Departamento de Ciências da Vida, Rua da Matemática 49, 3004-517 Coimbra, Portugal

Vítor H. Paiva (Co-author)

  • MARE - Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade de Coimbra, Departamento de Ciências da Vida, Rua da Matemática 49, 3004-517 Coimbra, Portugal