Saint Paul Island Research Articles

At-sea behavioural ecology of the endangered MacGillivray’s prion from Saint Paul Island: combining tracking and stable isotopes

Seabirds play important roles as marine ecosystem sentinels. Studying their at-sea ecology is essential for understanding how environmental variability affects their populations. However, the at-sea ecology of small-sized temperate seabirds remains poorly studied. We explored the at-sea ecology of the Critically Endangered MacGillivray’s prion Pachyptila macgillivrayi breeding on the subtropical Saint Paul Island. Using global location sensor loggers and stable isotope analysis, we investigated movements, migratory strategies, at-sea activity and moulting period, and characterized the isotopic niche of tracked individuals. During incubation, MacGillivray’s prions remained in temperate waters north of the Subtropical Front, possibly feeding on prey caught in cold eddies. During the inter-breeding period, individuals wintered almost equally to the north and south of the Subtropical Front in 2 distinct sectors (Tasman Sea and Southwest Indian Ridge). Daily activity varied seasonally, and individuals overwintering in the Tasman Sea spent more time flying at night when moonlight intensity was high. Moulting occurred after the breeding period and lasted longer compared to other prion species. Isotopic data suggest a higher dietary proportion of low trophic-level prey for MacGillivray’s prions than for Antarctic and slender-billed prions, highlighting trophic segregation in relation to bill width. Our study provides new evidence to understand the suite of adaptations allowing the abundant prion species to coexist by feeding on prey of different sizes. Contrary to the majority of seabird species, MacGillivray’s prions from Saint Paul Island exhibited 2 migratory tactics with associated differences in at-sea activity, leading to questions about the origin of these differences.

Seabird population changes following mammal eradication at oceanic Saint-Paul Island, Indian Ocean

The eradication of invasive mammals on islands is important for protecting seabird populations and insular ecosystems. However, the impacts of such eradications are insufficiently known because monitoring of potentially beneficiary species is often sporadic and limited. We performed a survey of all seabird species on Saint-Paul Island, southern Indian Ocean, 20 years after successful eradication of invasive black rat (Rattus rattus) and European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus). Using complementary sampling designs including adaptive cluster sampling, stratified random sampling and entire sampling, we estimated population changes and colonization by new seabird species. A total of 13 seabird species were found breeding on Saint-Paul post-eradication compared to six before the eradication. Among the seven species that colonized the island, five (MacGillivray’s prion Pachyptila macgillivrayi, fairy prion P. turtur, white-bellied storm petrel Fregetta grallaria, Antarctic tern Sterna vittata, sooty tern Onychoprion fuscatus) had relictual populations breeding on a nearby islet, and one (brown skua Catharacta antarctica) was a new breeding species. We also found breeding subantarctic little shearwaters Puffinus elegans. For species that were breeding on the Saint Paul pre-eradication, the mean annual population growth rate was 1.030 ± 0.093 (SE). Species known to be vulnerable to rat predation (prions, great-winged petrel Pterodroma macroptera, flesh-footed shearwater Puffinus carneipes, subantarctic little shearwater, white-bellied storm petrel, Antarctic tern) had the highest population growth rates. Two decades after the eradication of invasive mammals on a remote oceanic island, seabird populations were high beneficiaries. These findings further highlight the importance of invasive mammal eradication on islands as a conservation tool. Results are encouraging for the planned eradication of invasive mammals from nearby Amsterdam Island, and suggest this will mainly benefit terns and small burrowing petrels.

Thelopsis challenges the generic circumscription in the Gyalectaceae and brings new insights to the taxonomy of Ramonia

AbstractThe genus Thelopsis was classified in the family Stictidaceae but its systematic position has never been investigated by molecular methods. In order to determine its family placement and to test its monophyly, fungal DNA of recent collections of Thelopsis specimens was sequenced. Phylogenetic analyses using nuLSU, RPB2 and mtSSU sequences reveal that members of Thelopsis form a monophyletic group within the genus Gyalecta as currently accepted. The placement of Thelopsis, including the generic type T. rubella, within the genus Gyalecta challenges the generic circumscription of this group because Thelopsis is well recognized by the combination of morphological characters: perithecioid ascomata, well-developed periphysoids, polysporous asci and small, few-septate ellipsoid-oblong ascospores. The sterile sorediate Opegrapha corticola is also placed in the Gyalectaceae as sister species to Thelopsis byssoidea + T. rubella. Ascomata of O. corticola are illustrated for the first time and support its placement in the genus Thelopsis. The hypothesis that O. corticola might represent the sorediate fertile morph of T. rubella is not confirmed because the species is phylogenetically and morphologically distinct. Thelopsis is recovered as polyphyletic, with T. melathelia being placed as sister species to Ramonia. The new combinations Thelopsis corticola (Coppins & P. James) Sanderson & Ertz comb. nov. and Ramonia melathelia (Nyl.) Ertz comb. nov. are introduced and a new species of Gyalecta, G. amsterdamensis Ertz, is described from Amsterdam and Saint-Paul Islands, characterized by a sterile thallus with discrete soralia. Petractis luetkemuelleri and P. nodispora are accommodated in the new genus Neopetractis, differing from the generic type (P. clausa) by having a different phylogenetic position and a different photobiont. Francisrosea bicolor Ertz & Sanderson gen. & sp. nov. is described for a sterile sorediate lichen somewhat similar to Opegrapha corticola but having an isolated phylogenetic position as sister to a clade including Gyalidea praetermissa and the genera Neopetractis and Ramonia. Gyalecta farlowii, G. nidarosiensis and G. carneola are placed in a molecular phylogeny for the first time. The taxonomic significance of morphological characters in Gyalectaceae is discussed.

Population trends of penguins in the French Southern Territories

Penguins are important top consumers in marine food webs and are one of the most threatened bird families, especially by climate change and food web alterations by marine fisheries. Yet, long-term population trends are lacking or are uncertain for many populations. Seven species of penguins breeding at the French Southern Territories in the southern Indian Ocean on the Crozet, Kerguelen, Saint-Paul–Amsterdam archipelagos and in Terre Adelie/Adelie Land, Antarctica are monitored regularly. This monitoring started in the early 1950s and most populations have been surveyed during the past four years, allowing assessments of population trends. King penguins increased at nearly all breeding sites within the Crozet and Kerguelen archipelagos. Emperor penguins have decreased at Terre Adelie/Adelie Land, with a partial recovery of the colony during the 2010s. Gentoo penguin populations at Crozet and Kerguelen are highly variable but stable. Adelie penguins have been increasing in Terre Adelie/Adelie Land. The trends in eastern rockhopper penguins vary between colonies and archipelagos. Northern rockhopper penguins have continuously decreased in numbers at Amsterdam Island, but appear to have increased at the nearby Saint-Paul Island. Macaroni penguins have first increased and then stabilized since the 2000s at Kerguelen and are stable at the Crozet Islands. Overall, most penguin populations breeding in the French Southern Territories increased or were stable over the past 30–60 years, with the exception of the northern rockhopper penguin, king and gentoo penguins on Crozet and the emperor penguin. The ecological reasons for these trends are poorly understood and require further investigation.

Genetic divergence between colonies of Flesh-footed Shearwater Ardenna carneipes exhibiting different foraging strategies

Increasing evidence suggests foraging segregation as a key mechanism promoting genetic divergence within seabird species. However, testing for a relationship between population genetic structure and foraging movements among seabird colonies can be challenging. Telemetry studies suggest that Flesh-footed Shearwater Ardenna carneipes that breed at Lord Howe Island or New Zealand, versus southwestern Australia or Saint-Paul Island in the Indian Ocean, migrate to different regions (North Pacific Ocean and northern Indian Ocean, respectively) during the non-breeding season, which may inhibit gene flow among colonies. In this study, we sequenced a 858-base pair mitochondrial region and seven nuclear DNA fragments (352–654 bp) for 148 individuals to test genetic differentiation among colonies of Flesh-footed Shearwaters. Strong genetic divergence was detected between Pacific colonies relative to those further West. Molecular analysis of fisheries’ bycatch individuals sampled in the Sea of Japan indicated that individuals from both western and eastern colonies were migrating through this area, and hence the apparent segregation of the non-breeding distribution based on telemetry is invalid and cannot contribute to the population genetic structure among colonies. The genetic divergence among colonies is better explained by philopatry and evidence of differences in foraging strategies during the breeding season, as supported by the observed genetic divergence between Lord Howe Island and New Zealand colonies. We suggest molecular analysis of fisheries’ bycatch individuals as a rigorous method to identify foraging segregation, and we recommend the eastern and western A. carneipes colonies be regarded as different Management Units.

Sea level at Saint Paul Island, southern Indian Ocean, from 1874 to the present

A data archeology exercise was carried out on sea level observations recorded during the transit of Venus across the Sun observed in 1874 from Saint Paul Island (38°41′S, 77°31 E) in the southern Indian Ocean. Historical (1874) and recent (1994–2009) sea level observations were assembled into a consistent time series. A thorough check of the data and its precise geodetic connection to the same datum was only possible thanks to the recent installation of new technologies (GPS buoy and radar water level sensor) and leveling campaigns. The estimated rate of relative sea level change, spanning the last 135 years at Saint Paul Island, was not significantly different from zero (−0.1 ± 0.3 mm yr−1), a value which could be reconciled with estimates of global average sea level rise for the 20th century assuming the DORIS vertical velocity estimate at Amsterdam Island (100 km distant) could be applied to correct for the land motion at the tide gauge. Considering the scarcity of long‐term sea level data in the Southern Hemisphere, the exercise provides an invaluable additional observational constraint for further investigations of the spatial variability of sea level change, once vertical land rates can be determined.

Morphological and genetic evidence that Octopus vulgaris Cuvier, 1797 inhabits Amsterdam and Saint Paul Islands (southern Indian Ocean)

AbstractGuerra, Á., Roura, Á., González, Á. F., Pascual, S., Cherel, Y., and Pérez-Losada, M. 2010. Morphological and genetic evidence that Octopus vulgaris Cuvier, 1797 inhabits Amsterdam and Saint Paul Islands (southern Indian Ocean). – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 67: 1401–1407. The coastal octopus at Saint Paul and Amsterdam Islands is Octopus vulgaris Cuvier 1797. Meristic and morphological characters, along with phylogenetic analysis of COI and COIII DNA sequences, were used to identify 11 animals collected in 2000 or 2001. The range of the species is therefore expanded to include the oceanic islands of the central southern Indian Ocean. The trees also depicted the genus Octopus as polyphyletic and O. vulgaris sense Cuvier or sensu stricto as monophyletic.

Historic decline in primary productivity in western Gulf of Alaska and eastern Bering Sea: isotopic analysis of northern fur seal teeth

The cause(s) for the declines in marine mammal populations in the North Pacific and Bering Sea over the past 30 yr are unknown, despite progress in understanding the present ecology of this system. Explanations that attribute the declines to long-term decreases in marine productivity and/or short-term shifts in oceanographic conditions have been offered, but few studies have explored the issue from an explicitly historical perspective. Here we present a high-resolution, 52 yr time series of δ 13 C and δ 15 N values for teeth of juvenile male northern fur seal Callorhinus ursinus collected from a single colony on Saint Paul Island, Alaska in the eastern Bering Sea. Mean annual δ 13 C declined by ~1.1‰ from 1948 to 2000, while long-term mean annual δ 15 N did not significantly change. The relatively small but significant long-term decrease in δ 13 C most likely reflects anthro- pogenically-driven changes in surface ocean carbon reservoirs and not a decline in primary produc- tivity in the North Pacific and Bering Sea system. To assess short-term shifts in the time series, we de- trended the δ 13 C data; the δ 15 N time series did not require a correction. The corrected δ 13 C and uncorrected δ 15 N values showed low amplitude oscillations with a frequency of ~20 to 25 yr that are roughly in phase through time. The relative timing of these oscillations suggest they may be driven by shifts in the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO); however, the frequency of cycles in our time series is approximately half as long as the frequency of the PDO. Finally, mean δ 13 C and δ 15 N values sug- gest that juvenile males modify their migration patterns by Age 3 (GL3, the third year of growth). Specifically, they remain in high-latitude waters year-round (southern Bering Sea and/or western Gulf of Alaska).

Population Changes and Demography of the Northern Rockhopper Penguin on Amsterdam and Saint Paul Islands

Population Changes and Demography of the Northern Rockhopper Penguin on Amsterdam and Saint Paul Islands

Presence and First Breeding Attempts of Southern Gannets Morus capensis and M. senator at Saint Paul Island, Southern Indian Ocean

Presence and First Breeding Attempts of Southern Gannets <i>Morus capensis</i> and <i>M. senator</i> at Saint Paul Island, Southern Indian Ocean

PCB congeners in the marine biota of Saint Paul and Amsterdam Islands, southern Indian Ocean

PCB congeners in the marine biota of Saint Paul and Amsterdam Islands, southern Indian Ocean

ChemInform Abstract: Leiopathic Acid, a Novel Optically Active Hydroxydocosapentaenoic Acid, and Related Compounds, from the Black Coral Leiopathes sp. of Saint Paul Island (S. Indian Ocean).

AbstractThe antipatharian title species is shown to contain a relatively high amount of leiopathic acid (Ia).

Leiopathic Acid, a Novel Optically Active Hydroxydocosapentaenoic Acid, and related compounds, from the black coral Leiopathes sp. of Saint Paul Island (S. Indian Ocean)

AbstractThe antipatharian Leiopathes sp., collected around Saint Paul Island, is shown here to contain, in relatively high amounts, the novel fatty acid leiopathic acid ( = (+)‐(10R,7Z,11E,13Z,16Z,19Z)‐10‐hydroxy‐7,11,13,16,19‐docosapentaenoic acid; (+)‐1), besides (+)‐(8R,5Z,9E,11Z,14Z,17Z)‐8‐hydroxy‐5,9,11,14,17‐icosapentaenoic acid ((+)‐11) and (+)‐(8R,5Z,9E,11Z,14Z,)‐8‐hydroxy‐05,9,11,14‐icosatetraenoic acid ((+)‐16) and their ethyl ester (+)‐2, (+)‐12, and (+)‐17.

Sur la pr�sence de thol�iites � l'�le Saint-Paul (Oc�an Indien)

The basalts and dolerites from Saint-Paul island, located on the east section of the Indian ridge, are reinvestigated. New chemical rock analysis show that they are caracterized by high Fe, low Mg, and various Al contents; they belong to quartz tholeiites and olivine tholeiites of Yoder and Tilley's classification. Two clinopyroxene analysis allow to confirm this tholeiitic relationship. Compared with abyssal tholeiites, those of Saint-Paul are dissimilar in respect to Al2O3/CaO and FeO/MgO ratios, Sr and Rb contents (231–308 ppm and 6 to 29 ppm respectively) and 87 Sr/86 Sr values (0,7041–0,7065). Bearing in mind the structural position of the island, this differences are discussed in light of experimental data. Saint-Paul's basalts and dolerites are products a magma fractionated according to a Fernner trend and probably issued from deeper part of the upper mantle than abyssal tholeiites.

Bering Land Bridge: Evidence of Spruce in Late-Wisconsin Times

A 14-meter core from a crater lake on Saint Paul Island in the Pribilofs has been examined by pollen analysis. Radiocarbon dating indicates that the core spans more than 10,000 years and probably more than 18,000 years. A sprutce-pollen maximum about 10,000 years ago suggests that spruce advanced to the flanks of the southern coast of the Bering land bridge toward the close of the land-bridge period. The forests of Alaska and Siberia did not merge, however, and the environment of the southern coast of the land bridge remained cold.

British Preparations for the Approaching Transit of Venus

IN nearly all those countries of Europe in which Astronomy is nationally cultivated, preparations are being made for thorough observation of the first of the coming Transits of Venus, which will occur on December 8, 1874. In Russia, whose territory presents many favourable points for observation of the phenomenon, a committee, organised by Professor Struve, has had under consideration during the past two years the establishment of a chain of observers at positions 100 miles apart along the region comprised between Kamschatka and the Black Sea. The principal astronomers of Germany have held two conferences, each of several days' duration, which have resulted in a decision to furnish four stations for heliometric observation of the planet during its transit: one of these will be in Japan or China, and the others probably at Mauritius, Kerguelen's and Auckland Islands; and three of these, with the addition of a fourth station in Persia, between Mascate and Teheran, will be equipped for photographic observations also. A French commission on the subject sat before the war, and reported to the Bureau des Longitudes that it was desirable for their government to provide for observing stations at Saint Paul's Islands, and Amsterdam, Yokohama, Tahiti, Noumea, Mascate, and Suez. Since the close of the war the subject has been reverted to, and lately the Academy of Sciences applied to the Government for the requisite funds; but these could not be granted till next year, the budget for 1872 having been disposed of.