Natasha Vokhshoori (Ocean Sciences Department, University of California, Santa Cruz, California , USA) and colleagues have published open access in the journal Marine Ecology Progress Serieson an analysis of bones of (the now globally Vulnerable) Short-tailed Albatrosses Phoebastria albatrus found in archaeological digs.

The paper’s abstract follows:

“The short-tailed albatross Phoebastria albatrus was nearly driven to extinction in the early 20th century, but is one of the most common seabirds found in coastal archaeological sites in Japan, the Aleutian Islands, and the Channel Islands off southern California. Today, this species nests on only 2 islands off southern Japan and spends the majority of its time foraging in waters west of the Aleutians. We used carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis of bulk tissue (bone collagen) and its constituent amino acids from modern samples of all 3 North Pacific albatross species as well as ancient short-tailed albatross to show that ancient short-tailed albatross foraged east of the Aleutian Islands more frequently than their modern counterparts. Isotope mixing models correctly assigned each species to its known foraging habitats, validating our approach on ancient short-tailed albatross. Mixing models also showed that ancient short-tailed albatross from both western and eastern North Pacific archaeological sites spent more time in the California Current than their modern congeners. However, ancient albatross remains from archaeological sites off southern California are isotopically distinct from those found in sites from the western North Pacific, suggesting this species previously had a more complex population structure. We found that modern short-tailed albatross occupy a higher trophic level than their ancient counterparts, which may be due to their consumption of bait and offal from longline fisheries. As extant short-tailed albatross recover from historical over-exploitation, the reconstruction of their historical ecology helps in identifying likely areas for foraging and possible breeding range expansion.”

Adult Short-tailed Albatross on Torishima, photograph by Hiroshi Hasegawa

Reference:

Vokhshoori, N.L., McCarthy, M.D., Collins, P.W., Etnier, M.A., Rick, T., Eda, M., Beck, J. & Newsome, S.D. 2019.  Broader foraging range of ancient short-tailed albatross populations into California coastal waters based on bulk tissue and amino acid isotope analysis.  Marine Ecology Progress Series 610: 1-13.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 08 March 2019

Audrey Cartraud (Université de la Réunion, UMR ENTROPIE, Saint-Denis, Reunion Island, France) and colleagues have published in the Marine Pollution Bulletin on ingestion of plastic by seabirds in the western Indian Ocean, including globally Endangered Barau’s Petrels Pterodroma baraui and Tropical Puffinus bailloni (Least Concern) as well as Wedge-tailed Shearwaters Ardenna pacifica  (Least Concern).

The paper’s abstract follows;

“We investigated seabird plastic ingestion in the western Indian Ocean by analyzing the stomach contents of 222 individuals belonging to nine seabird species (including two endangered species endemics to Reunion Island). The most affected species were tropical shearwaters (79%) and Barau's petrels (59%). The average number of plastic particles per containated bird was higher in Barau's petrels (6.10 ± 1.29) than in tropical shearwaters (3.84 ± 0.59). All other studied species also showed plastic presence in their stomach contents. The mass of plastic particles was significantly higher both in juvenile's Barau's petrels and tropical shearwaters than in adults. These results demonstrate the foraging areas of seabirds of the western Indian Ocean have a high level of plastic pollution. In Reunion Island, hundreds of tropical shearwaters and Barau's petrels are attracted by urban lights and die each year. We suggest taking advantage of this situation by using these species as long-term indicators of plastic marine pollution in the region.”

Tropical Shearwaters

Wedge-tailed Shearwater, photograph by Alan Burger

Reference:

Cartraud, A.E., Le Corre, M., Turquet, J. & Tourmetz, J. 2019.  Plastic ingestion in seabirds of the western Indian Ocean.  Marine Pollution Bulletin 140: 308-314.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 07 March 2019

The Government of Chile announced earlier in the year the creation of a new 144 390-km² Marine Protected Area (MPA), to be known as the Diego Ramírez-Drake Passage Marine Park (Parque Marino Diego Ramírez y Paso Drake).  Located in the Magallanes Region, it is the southernmost park in South America.

The Diego Ramírez-Drake Passage Marine Park

The government decree grants legal protection to the submerged continental escarpment that drops into the Drake Passage off the southern coast of Chile, as well as to the Sars Seamount (Monte submarino Sars).  The marine park also includes the sub-Antarctic Diego Ramírez Islands (archipiélago Diego Ramírez), which support globally significant breeding populations of ACAP-listed Black-browed Thalassarche melanophris (Least Concern) and globally Endangered Grey-headed T. chrysostoma Albatrosses (click here).  Southern Giant Petrels (Least Concern) have also been reported breeding in the Diego Ramírez group.

Grey-headed Albatrosses on the Diego Ramírez, photograph by Graham Robertson

The Diego Ramírez-Drake Passage Marine Park is Chile’s 25th MPA.  Read about other Chilean MPAs that support breeding populations of ACAP-listed seabirds here.

Read more here and here.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 06 March 2019

Two Black-footed Albatrosses Phoebastria nigripes are being seen regularly within the Kaena Point Natural Area Reserve on the Hawaiian island of Kauai, according to a Facebook posting by the NGO Pacific Rim Conservation which monitors breeding Laysan Albatrosses P. immutabilis within the reserve.

Forming a pair? Two Black-footed Albatrosses interact in the Kaena Point Natural Area Reserve, photograph from Pacific Rim Conservation

One bird has been seen in the predator-proof fenced reserve since early January (banded purple V541) and was joined by a second Black-footed Albatross in mid-February. The two birds have been seen undertaking courtship dances regularly.  A few Black-footed decoys have been present for some years and the occasional bird has been seen on site since at least 2013.

Because the majority of Black-footed Albatrosses breeds on low-lying atolls, the establishment of a breeding colony at Kaena Point, protected from predicted sea level rise by its altitude, would add to the efforts being made to establish another colony on Oahu, by hand-rearing translocated Back-footed Albatross chicks in the James Campbell Wildlife Refuge (click here). This project, also operated by Pacific Rim Conservation, is now in its third year (click here).

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 04 March 2019