ORCID Profile
0000-0002-3024-7659
Current Organisations
Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé
,
Deakin University
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Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 13-09-2021
DOI: 10.1371/JOURNAL.PONE.0250916
Abstract: Seabirds play a vital role in marine ecosystems and the long-term study of their responses to environmental variations can be used to monitor the effects of climate change on marine fauna. However, slight differences in similar seabird species result in a range of responses which complicates our understanding of the effects of environmental changes to marine ecosystems. The present study investigated inter-annual differences in the breeding biology (breeding phenology, chick growth rates and breeding success) and environmental conditions (seasonal sea surface temperatures) of important foraging areas in two sympatric small Procellariiform species, the fairy prion ( Pachyptila turtur ) and the common ing petrel ( Pelecanoides urinatrix ), over four reproductive seasons (2017–2020) in Bass Strait, south-eastern Australia. Marine heatwaves occurred during the years of 2018/19 and 2019/20 and coincided with years of delayed laying dates, slower chick growth and reduced breeding success, in both species. While fairy prions maintained a relatively high breeding success and broadly constant breeding phenology, common ing petrels delayed the start of the breeding season by up to 50 days and experienced dramatic collapses in breeding success in years of high marine heat wave occurrence. The difference in foraging ecology and physiological capacity (largely in the production of stomach oils and fasting abilities of adults and chicks) between both species are likely to influence the variability and phenology in the observed breeding seasons.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-2016
DOI: 10.1016/J.SCITOTENV.2015.11.114
Abstract: Trace elements (n=14) and persistent organic pollutants (POPs, n=30) were measured in blood, liver, kidney, muscle and feathers of 10 Antarctic prions (Pachyptila desolata) from Kerguelen Islands, southern Indian Ocean, in order to assess their concentrations, tissue distribution, and inter-tissue and inter-contaminant relationships. Liver, kidney and feathers presented the highest burdens of arsenic, cadmium and mercury, respectively. Concentrations of cadmium, copper, iron, and zinc correlated in liver and muscle, suggesting that uptake and pathways of metabolism and storage were similar for these elements. The major POPs were 4,4'-DDE, mirex, PCB-153 and PCB-138. The concentrations and tissue distribution patterns of environmental contaminants were overall in accordance with previous results in other seabirds. Conversely, some Antarctic prions showed surprisingly high concentrations of BDE-209. This compound has been rarely observed in seabirds before, and its presence in Antarctic prions could be due to the species feeding habits or to the ingestion of plastic debris. Overall, the study shows that relatively lower trophic level seabirds (zooplankton-eaters) breeding in the remote southern Indian Ocean are exposed to a wide range of environmental contaminants, in particular cadmium, selenium and some emerging-POPs, which merits further toxicological investigations.
Publisher: PeerJ
Date: 11-03-2020
DOI: 10.7717/PEERJ.8700
Abstract: The foraging niches of seabirds are driven by a variety of factors, including competition for prey that promotes ergence in trophic niches. Bass Strait, south-eastern Australia, is a key region for seabirds, with little penguins Eudyptula minor , short-tailed shearwaters Ardenna tenuirostris , fairy prions Pachyptila turtur and common ing-petrels Pelecanoides urinatrix being particularly abundant in the region. The trophic niches of these species were investigated using isotopic values in whole blood and by identifying prey remains in stomach contents. The four species occupied different isotopic niches that varied among years, seasons and regions. Little penguins consumed mainly fish whereas the three procellariforms primarily consumed coastal krill Nyctiphanes australis . The dietary similarities between the procellariforms suggest that food resources are segregated in other ways, with interspecific differences in isotope niches possibly reflecting differential consumption of key prey, ergent foraging locations and depth, and differences in breeding phenology. Because oceanographic changes predicted to occur due to climate change may result in reduced coastal krill availability, adversely affecting these seabird predators, further information on foraging zones and feeding behaviour of small procellariform species is needed to elucidate more fully the segregation of foraging niches, the capacity of seabirds to adapt to climate change and the potential for interspecific competition in the region.
Publisher: The Royal Society
Date: 05-2022
DOI: 10.1098/RSOS.220134
Abstract: Effective conservation assessments require detailed information of species' ecological niches during the whole annual cycle. For seabirds, this implies investigating the at-sea distribution and foraging behaviour during both the breeding and non-breeding periods. However, until recently, collecting information about small species has been precluded by the excessive size of the required devices. This lack of knowledge is exacerbated in the case of polytypic genera with species sharing very similar appearance and behaviour, such as the super-abundant prions ( Pachyptila spp.). The present study investigates the year-round at-sea distribution and foraging ecology of the fairy prion ( Pachyptila turtur ) in southeastern Australia. Miniaturized GPS loggers during the breeding season and geolocators (GLS) during the non-breeding period were used over 4 consecutive years (2017–2021), with results that highlight the importance of the continental shelf-edge waters for fairy prions throughout the year. In addition, contrary to previous assumptions, the GLS data revealed an unsuspected post-breeding migration to the waters south of Australia, during which in iduals probably undergo a rapid moult of flight feathers. Understanding the at-sea distribution and ecology of prions during the whole annual cycle will be fundamental to their conservation as it can reveal species- or population-specific threats that have been overlooked because of their status as abundant species.
Publisher: The Royal Society
Date: 11-2020
DOI: 10.1098/RSOS.200670
Abstract: The non-breeding period plays a major role in seabird survival and population dynamics. However, our understanding of the migratory behaviour, moulting and feeding strategies of non-breeding seabirds is still very limited, especially for small-sized species. The present study investigated the post-breeding behaviour of three distant populations (Kerguelen Archipelago, southeastern Australia, New Zealand) of the common ing petrel (CDP) ( Pelecanoides urinatrix ), an abundant, widely distributed zooplanktivorous seabird breeding throughout the southern Atlantic, Indian and Pacific oceans. The timing, geographical destination and activity pattern of birds were quantified through geolocator deployments during the post-breeding migration, while moult pattern of body feathers was investigated using stable isotope analysis. Despite the high energetic cost of flapping flight, all the in iduals quickly travelled long distances (greater than approx. 2500 km) after the end of the breeding season, targeting oceanic frontal systems. The three populations, however, clearly erged spatially (migration pathways and destinations), and temporally (timing and duration) in their post-breeding movements, as well as in their period of moult. Philopatry to distantly separated breeding grounds, different breeding phenologies and distinct post-breeding destinations suggest that the CDP populations have a high potential for isolation, and hence, speciation. These results contribute to improving knowledge of ecological ergence and evolution between populations, and inform the challenges of conserving migratory species.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2021
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 23-05-2022
DOI: 10.1007/S00442-022-05181-0
Abstract: Niche theory predicts that to reduce competition for the same resource, sympatric ecologically similar species should exploit ergent niches and segregate in one or more dimensions. Seasonal variations in environmental conditions and energy requirements can influence the mechanisms and the degree of niche segregation. However, studies have overlooked the multi-dimensional aspect of niche segregation over the whole annual cycle, and key facets of species co-existence still remain ambiguous. The present study provides insights into the niche use and partitioning of two morphologically and ecologically similar seabirds, the common (CDP, Pelecanoides urinatrix ) and the South Georgian ing petrel (SGDP, Pelecanoides georgicus ). Using phenology, at-sea distribution, ing behavior and isotopic data (during the incubation, chick-rearing and non-breeding periods), we show that the degree of partitioning was highly stage-dependent. During the breeding season, the greater niche segregation during chick-rearing than incubation supported the hypothesis that resource partitioning increases during energetically demanding periods. During the post breeding period, while species-specific latitudinal differences were expected (species specific water mass preference), CDP and SGDP also migrated in ergent directions. This segregation in migration area may not be only a response to the selective pressure arising from competition avoidance between sympatric species, but instead, could reflect past evolutionary ergence. Such stage-dependent and context-dependent niche segregation demonstrates the importance of integrative approaches combining techniques from different fields, throughout the entire annual cycle, to better understand the co-existence of ecologically similar species. This is particularly relevant in order to fully understand the short and long-term effects of ongoing environmental changes on species distributions and communities. This work demonstrates the need of integrative multi-dimensional approaches combining concepts and techniques from different fields to understand the mechanism and causal factors of niche segregation.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 19-03-2020
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 29-01-2014
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2022
DOI: 10.1071/WR22136
No related grants have been discovered for Aymeric Fromant.