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.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/meps14874
copiedSex-, year-, and colony-specific at-sea movements of Australasian gannets Morus serrator during the non-breeding period
ABSTRACT:
Animals typically reproduce at the time of year when environmental conditions and food availability are optimal. These may decline after the reproductive period; consequently, individuals that are no longer constrained by central-place foraging for offspring provisioning may leave the breeding area. For marine species, obtaining direct information about at-sea movements and distribution during the non-breeding period can be challenging, causing a lack of knowledge for this important part of the annual cycle. In the face of a changing environment, obtaining such information is essential for predicting potential consequences on population trajectories. Here we used light level geolocators to investigate the non-breeding movements, and intrinsic factors influencing them, of Australasian gannets Morus serrator from 2 colonies in northern Bass Strait, south-eastern Australia, in 2 consecutive years. Tracking data revealed that, while some gannets remained within their breeding season foraging range during the non-breeding period (n = 15), many individuals travelled widely along the southern Australia continental shelf, from Cape Leeuwin in the west to the eastern seaboard of the continent (n = 84). The continental shelf areas of western Tasmania and Bass Strait were the most frequented. Most individuals exhibited nomadic behaviour, with no overall pattern or synchronicity in their movements. Data suggested differences between sexes and years in the at-sea movements of individuals, potentially due to differences in foraging strategies and environmental conditions, respectively. However, the collection of long-term data and higher-resolution tracking data is required to investigate potential consequences on the species in a changing environment.
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Thomas Cansse (Corresponding Author)
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Burwood, VIC 3125, Australia
- Terrestrial Ecology Unit, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
Aurore Counilh (Co-author)
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Burwood, VIC 3125, Australia
- Terrestrial Ecology Unit, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
Mark Hindell (Co-author)
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS 7000, Australia
Marlenne Rodríguez-Malagón (Co-author)
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Burwood, VIC 3125, Australia
John Arnould (Co-author)
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Burwood, VIC 3125, Australia
Handling Editor:
Kyle Elliott, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Québec, Canada
Reviewers:
D. Pelletier and 2 anonymous referees
Acknowledgements:
This study was supported, in part, by funds from the Holsworth Wildlife Research Endowment and BirdLife Australia. We gratefully acknowledge the generous support of the Victorian Marine Science Consortium (especially Roderick Watson, Elizabeth McGrath, and Yvonne Gilbert), Parks Victoria, and the Point Danger Committee of Management (Ewen Lovell and Phillip King) for facilitating the field activities required for this study. We also thank the numerous volunteers who participated in fieldwork activities for their tireless assistance.