Abstract
The study of juvenile migration behaviour of seabird species has been limited so far by the inability to track their movements during long time periods. Foraging and flying skills of young individuals are assumed to be inferior to those of adults, making them more vulnerable during long-distance migrations. In addition to natural oceanographic effects and intrinsic conditions, incidental seabird harvest by human fisheries is one of the main causes of worldwide seabird population declines, and it has been hypothesized that juveniles are particularly vulnerable to bycatch during their first weeks at sea after leaving the nest. We used solar-powered satellite tags to track the at-sea movements of adults and juveniles of Scopoli's shearwater (Calonectris diomedea) after the autumn departure from their breeding colony in Chafarinas Islands (southwestern Mediterranean Sea). Eighty per cent of juvenile tags stopped transmitting during the first week at sea, within 50 km of their natal colony, in an area with one of the highest concentrations of fishing activities in the Mediterranean Sea. All adult birds tagged and only 20% of juveniles migrated into the Atlantic and southwards along the coast of West Africa. The two age groups showed different habitat preferences, with juveniles travelling farther from the coast, in windier and less productive waters than adults. We conclude that Scopoli's shearwater juveniles are particularly vulnerable to mortality events, and we highlight that fisheries, along with differential age-related behaviour skills between adults and juveniles, are likely causes of this mortality. Overall, our study highlights the importance of conducting tracking studies during the first stages of juvenile migration.
Highlights
Seabirds are impacted by breeding habitat destruction, invasive terrestrial species feeding on adults and juveniles, and by interactions with fisheries [1,2]
This small archipelago holds 800 breeding pairs of Scopoli’s shearwaters in a highly productive zone supporting a high volume of fisheries [12], mostly artisanal or illegal and not tracked through the Automatic Identification System (AIS) or Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) for monitoring fishing vessels activities
One of the main results is the unexpected loss of communication with 80% of shearwater juveniles within a few days after leaving the nest
Summary
Seabirds are impacted by breeding habitat destruction, invasive terrestrial species feeding on adults and juveniles, and by interactions with fisheries [1,2]. Fisheries affect seabird populations indirectly through competition for marine prey [3], and directly through incidental mortality on fishing gear [4]. Many of these incidental captures remain undetected, especially in illegal, unreported and unregulated fisheries [5] operating in remote areas visited by seabirds during their feeding and migratory journeys. Notwithstanding this paucity of data, several studies have converged in highlighting seabird bycatch as an important factor in many population declines [6]. The first months of independence are challenging for their survival [10]
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