Flesh-footed Shearwaters; photograph by Ian Hutton

Bianca Keys (Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, Tasmania, Australia) and colleagues have published in Environmental Science & Technology on a new detection method for nano- and ultrafine plastics using Flesh-footed and Short-tailed shearwaters as case studies.

 The paper’s abstract follows:

“Plastic ingestion has been documented in a plethora of taxa. However, there is a significant gap in the detection of nano- and ultrafine particles due to size limitations of commonly used techniques. Using two Australian seabird species as case studies, the flesh-footed shearwater (FFSH) Ardenna carneipes and short-tailed shearwater (STSH) A. tenuirostris, we tested a novel approach of flow cytometry to quantify ingested particles <70 μm in the fecal precursor (guano; colon and cloacal contents) of both species. This method provided the first baseline data set for these species for plastics in the 200 nm–70 μm particle size ranges and detected a mean of 553.50 ± 91.21 and 350.70 ± 52.08 plastics (count/mg fecal precursor, wet mass) in STSH and FFSH, respectively, whereas Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) provided accurate measurements of polymer compositions and quantities in the size range above 5.5 × 5.5 μm2. The abundance of nano- and ultrafine particles in the guano (count/mg) was not significantly different between species (p-value = 0.051), suggesting that foraging distribution or prey items, but not species, may contribute to the consumption of small plastics. In addition, there was no correlation between macroplastics in the stomach compared to the fecal precursor, indicating that small particles are likely bioaccumulating (e.g., through shedding and digestive fragmentation) and/or being directly ingested. Combining flow cytometry with FT-IR provides a powerful quantitative and qualitative analysis tool for detecting particles orders of magnitude smaller than that are currently explored with wider applications across taxa and marine environments.”

Reference:

Keys, B.C., Grant, M.L., Rodemann, R., Mylius, K.A., Pinfold, T.L., Rivers-Auty, J. & Lavers, J.L. 2022. New Methods for the Quantification of Ingested Nano- and Ultrafine Plastics in Seabirds. Environmental Science & Technology. DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c06973.

9 January 2023

Figure 2. Diversity of terrestrial ecosystem changes that have been documented to follow island introduction of invasive mammals. The ecosystem changes are linked to the ecology of the invasive mammal, and some of the stereotyped shifts are captured. (A) Pigs are a common invader across islands, often introduced deliberately by humans for food. (B) Rats and other rodents are often introduced accidentally, traveling aboard ships and colonizing islands worldwide. (C) Goats can be introduced to islands for their perceived value as livestock, but without management can lead to dramatic shifts to island ecosystems. Note that the effects of invasive mammals will vary based upon the natural history of the island and the exact species of invader.

The eradication of invasive pests from islands has far-reaching benefits beyond the immediate terrestrial ecosystem with seabirds identified as playing a key role as a “connector species” whose activities provide a crucial link between, and benefits to, terrestrial and marine ecosystems. 

The new perspective titled, "Harnessing island–ocean connections to maximize marine benefits of island conservation" by Stuart Sandin (Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, U.S.A) and colleagues has been published open access in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

The abstract follows:

“Islands support unique plants, animals, and human societies found nowhere else on the Earth. Local and global stressors threaten the persistence of island ecosystems, with invasive species being among the most damaging, yet solvable, stressors. While the threat of invasive terrestrial mammals on island flora and fauna is well recognized, recent studies have begun to illustrate their extended and destructive impacts on adjacent marine environments. Eradication of invasive mammals and restoration of native biota are promising tools to address both island and ocean management goals. The magnitude of the marine benefits of island restoration, however, is unlikely to be consistent across the globe. We propose a list of six environmental characteristics most likely to affect the strength of land–sea linkages: precipitation, elevation, vegetation cover, soil hydrology, oceanographic productivity, and wave energy. Global databases allow for the calculation of comparable metrics describing each environmental character across islands. Such metrics can be used today to evaluate relative potential for coupled land–sea conservation efforts and, with sustained investment in monitoring on land and sea, can be used in the future to refine science-based planning tools for integrated land–sea management. As conservation practitioners work to address the effects of climate change, ocean stressors, and biodiversity crises, it is essential that we maximize returns from our management investments. Linking efforts on land, including eradication of island invasive mammals, with marine restoration and protection should offer multiplied benefits to achieve concurrent global conservation goals.”

Reference:

Sandin, S.A., Becker, P.A., Becker, C. et al. 2022.  Harnessing island–ocean connections to maximize marine benefits of island conservation, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Vol. 119, No. 51. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2122354119. 

06 January 2023

Kath Walker (left) and Graeme Elliott with a male Antipodean Albatross on Antipodes Island

ACAP’s congratulations go to Kath Walker of New Zealand’s Department of Conservation on being appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to wildlife conservation in the New Year Honours List 2023 by King Charles III.

"She and her partner [Graeme Elliott] have monitored the health of albatross populations in the subantarctic annually since 1991, much of it in their own time. Through this, Dr Walker and her partner discovered both Gibson’s and Antipodean albatross populations were in a critical condition and have worked to alert others and to find solutions” (click here).

The New Zealand Order of Merit was instituted by Royal Warrant dated 30 May 1996.  The Order is awarded to those “who in any field of endeavour, have rendered meritorious service to the Crown and the nation or who have become distinguished by their eminence, talents, contributions, or other merits”.

Kath Walker (left) and Graeme Elliott with their World Albatross Day 2020 banner behind an adult non-breeding male Antipodean Albatross - who walked into the frame (click here)

Read Kath Walker’s photo essay on the globally Endangered and Nationally Critical Antipodean Albatross Diomedea antipodensis written for the ACAP website.

Kath Walker is not the only person who has worked to connserve ACAP-listed albatrosses and petrels in New Zealand to be so honoured.  Retired helicopter pilot Peter Garden ONZM received the same award in 2016 for his leading role in rodent eradications on seabird islands around the world  (click here). In March last year, Kerry-Jayne Wilson MNZM, who had worked to conserve ACAP-listed Westland Petrels Procellaria westlandica, passed away. The year before she had written the ACAP Photo Essay for the globally Endangered and nationally Naturally Uncommon species.

Access publications by Kath Walker and Graeme Elliott on Antipodean Albatrosses and other news posts featuring them from here.

John Cooper, Emeritus Information Officer, Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels, 05 January 2023, updated 06 January 2023

Hawaii-based group, Pacific Rim Conservation, has published a chapter in a new book on conservation decision making. The book, “Transforming Conservation: A Practical Guide to Evidence and Decision Making”,analyses current decision making processes and offers new strategies and approaches to conservation management.

Pacific Rim Conservation, who are known for their work creating new habitat for seabirds in recompense for habitat loss through sea-level rise in the US Tropical Pacific, worked alongside 75 co-authors on chapter 11, “Creating a Culture of Evidence Use” which incorporates the organisation as a case study (alongside others) on its evidence-based practices. 

An excerpt from the chapter reads, 

“Evidence is a prerequisite for effective conservation decisions, yet its use is not ubiquitous. This can lead to wasted resources and inadequate conservation decisions. Creating a culture of evidence use within the conservation and environmental management communities is key to transforming conservation. At present, there are a range of ways in which organisations can change so that evidence use becomes routinely adopted as part of institutional processes. Auditing existing use is a useful first stage followed by creating an evidence-use plan. A wide range of possible actions should encourage evidence use and ensure the availability of resources needed. Seven case studies show how very different organisations, from funders to businesses to conservation organisations, have reworked their processes so that evidence has become fundamental to their effective practice.”

“Transforming Conservation: A Practical Guide to Evidence and Decision Making” was edited by William J. Sutherland (Miriam Rothschild Chair in Conservation Biology, Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge) and is available open access through Open Book Publishers.

Reference: 

Sutherland, W.J.(Ed.). 2022. Transforming Conservation: A Practical Guide to Evidence and Decision Making. Open Access Books. ISBN 978-1-80064-856-2. https://doi.org/10.11647/OBP.0321

4 January 2023