United States

**Abstract:**

Morphological identification of digested prey remains from a generalist forager can be a challenge, especially to species level. DNA techniques, whereby prey is sequenced and matched to large public nucleotide sequence databases, are increasingly being used to augment traditional morphological identification. To identify highly-digested prey items from Christmas (Chocolate) shearwater (Puffinus nativitatis) regurgitations from Kure Atoll, Hawaii, we used two DNA approaches that target the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) mitochondrial gene. First, we individually sequenced prey items from five regurgitations retrieved from birds tagged with time depth recorders in 2017, pairing dive behavior with diet. Second, we used &quot;metabarfcoding&quot; to bulk-process 92 water samples from regurgitations collected from 2009-2017 to get an overview of species presence in their contemporary diet. The prey items identified from tagged birds spanned a diverse range of taxa, including three reef-associated families, four pelagic-oceanic families, and a meso-pelagic family. The integration of diet and diving data provided insights into the vertical distribution of the prey, particularly regarding mesopelagic and nocturnal species. The metabarfcoding technique identified 94 unique taxa from 31 families of fish and squid. Overall, 81% percent of the families detected in the contemporary diet were previously documented in historical Chocolate shearwater diets from the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands dating back to the 1970s (Harrison et al. 1983). Rare species (occurring in 5% or less of the samples) constituted 70% of the species richness. Our results indicate that the COI region is successful in identifying a wide range of taxa from highly digested seabird regurgitations. Furthermore, the diet analysis highlights the prey diversity that supports critical seabird populations within the protected Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument.

**Authors:**

Ilana Nimz¹, Mark Renshaw¹, John Baczenas¹, Matthew Iacchei¹, K. David Hyrenbach¹, Cynthia Vanderlip²

¹Hawaii Pacific University, ²State of Hawaii, Department of Land and Natural Resources

3rd World Seabird Conference

MetaBARFcoding: DNA-barcoding of barf yields insights into seabird foraging ecology

## Welcome to NAACL 2022!
The Annual Meeting of the North American Chapter of the Association for Computational Linguistics (NAACL) is taking place July 10-15, 2022 as a hybrid event, in Seattle, WA and online. We are happy to welcome all of you to conference!  
<br><br>
The main conference program features oral presentations, in-person and virtual posters and demo sessions, a plenary session for our best paper presentations and awards, keynote presentations, a plenary panel on the place of linguistics and symbolic structures in NLP, and an Industrial Track panel on Careers in NLP.
<br><br>
Posters (including Findings of NAACL 2022) and demos are grouped by areas for both the in-person and the virtual sessions. For the virtual component, the talks will be on Zoom and the posters and the demos will be in GatherTown. The Student Research Workshop and will have an oral session and a poster session.
<br><br>
The program also features 6 Tutorials and 26 Workshops.
<br><br>
 We wish you a wonderful conference!
<br><br>
[The NAACL 2022 Organizing Committee](https://2022.naacl.org/committees/organization/)

NAACL 2022

2022 Annual Conference of the North American Chapter of the Association for Computational Linguistics

**Abstract:**

Morphological identification of digested prey remains from a generalist forager can be a challenge, especially to species level. DNA techniques, whereby prey is sequenced and matched to large public nucleotide sequence databases, are increasingly being used to augment traditional morphological identification. To identify highly-digested prey items from Christmas (Chocolate) shearwater (Puffinus nativitatis) regurgitations from Kure Atoll, Hawaii, we used two DNA approaches that target the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) mitochondrial gene. First, we individually sequenced prey items from five regurgitations retrieved from birds tagged with time depth recorders in 2017, pairing dive behavior with diet. Second, we used "metabarfcoding" to bulk-process 92 water samples from regurgitations collected from 2009-2017 to get an overview of species presence in their contemporary diet. The prey items identified from tagged birds spanned a diverse range of taxa, including three reef-associated families, four pelagic-oceanic families, and a meso-pelagic family. The integration of diet and diving data provided insights into the vertical distribution of the prey, particularly regarding mesopelagic and nocturnal species. The metabarfcoding technique identified 94 unique taxa from 31 families of fish and squid. Overall, 81% percent of the families detected in the contemporary diet were previously documented in historical Chocolate shearwater diets from the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands dating back to the 1970s (Harrison et al. 1983). Rare species (occurring in 5% or less of the samples) constituted 70% of the species richness. Our results indicate that the COI region is successful in identifying a wide range of taxa from highly digested seabird regurgitations. Furthermore, the diet analysis highlights the prey diversity that supports critical seabird populations within the protected Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument.

**Authors:**

Ilana Nimz¹, Mark Renshaw¹, John Baczenas¹, Matthew Iacchei¹, K. David Hyrenbach¹, Cynthia Vanderlip²

¹Hawaii Pacific University, ²State of Hawaii, Department of Land and Natural Resources

technical paper

Welcome Seabirders!  

Welcome to Virtual World Seabird Conference 3 - vWSC3! Whether you are in your office or lab, at home, in a coffee shop or bar poaching some wifi, or at a remote field site or research vessel – we are very excited to welcome you to the third ever World Seabird Conference. 

We would like to thank ALL of you for being so patient as WSC3 was scheduled, postponed, rescheduled, revised to virtual, and scheduled again. Throughout all those iterations there was one message that remained perfectly clear – seabirders were eager to meet and share their science. If we could not meet in person then virtual it would have to be, but a 3rd WSC was something everyone wanted. That support and commitment helped the WSU Board of Directors and Member Societies sort through all of the challenges they faced to plan and hold this conference. 

The list of those that need to be thanked is long and, while we plan on recognizing many during the live closing plenary, it is important to do so here in writing as well. 

The Australasian Seabird Group was our Local Host for our plan to meet in Hobart, Tasmania. They invested substantial time and effort to find venues and plan events that we unfortunately were not able to visit. Nonetheless we appreciate their work on behalf of WSC3 and encourage all of you to thank them when you see their members in Gathertown or elsewhere during our virtual meeting. Their willingness to host created the initial excitement for WSC3 and without that our vWSC would not have been possible.

We also wish to thank the Science Program Committee, the Virtual Committee, and the Early Career Scientist Committee for their hard work planning the logistics, events, and schedule for vWSC3. These committees also had to deal with changing parameters and short timelines that made what is always a challenging task even more challenging. The Travel Awards Committee also invested time and effort in developing procedures for awarding travel funds that ultimately would not be implemented. 

Our ability to shift from an in-person to a virtual meeting, and to do so in a way that would be financially feasible, was due to the effective efforts of The International Fundraising Committee and to our financial sponsors. The IFC raised funds to support WSC3 and then, through the good relationships they built with sponsors, ensured we could re-envision how those funds could be used to support a virtual conference that would be affordable and high-quality.

We all owe the WSU Board of Directors and the Representatives of the Member Societies a great deal of thanks. They are the ones who manage the WSU and, for the past 18 months, have had to have a series of challenging meetings and conversations, have had to make a series of difficult choices, have had to do all of that while considering the short- and long-term health of WSU and the World Seabird Conferences, and did this while also managing their own challenges at their day jobs. We are grateful for their diligence, patience, foresight, and throughout all of the meetings, their collegiality. Also – a 6-year term is quite a commitment!

There would not be a WSC3 without a successful WSC1 and WSC2. Thanks go to the Pacific Seabird Group for their support of WSC1 in Victoria, Canada, and to the African Seabird Group for their support of WSC2 in Cape Town, South Africa. In each of these endeavors and for our current conference we were fortunate to work with a dependable and trustworthy partner in Podium Conferences. Michelle Smith and Marischal de Armond have become valued members of our team and have not only helped us plan conferences but have assisted and advised the WSU Chairs and Board on issues above and beyond conference planning. 

As we embark on our vWSC3 week we extend to all of you our thanks for showing up, for being patient, and most importantly for the work you do with seabirds. We are all part of a unique, global community that shares an interest, a fascination, and a passion for birds that make a living in our world’s oceans. We have advanced the science, conservation, and management of seabirds as well the ecosystems they inhabit. We are consistently impressed and motivated by the work you do. 

The WSU formed in 2010 because we saw the need for a global organization to address challenges at a global level. Over the past 11 years WSU has grown, adapted, and evolved to become the community that this week is making vWSC3 a reality. Enjoy the week, appreciate and support the friends and colleagues you have made in the community, and if you see us in a virtual hallway please stop and say hello! 

Thank you for the opportunity to serve all of you and the WSU over the past few years,

Nicholas Carlile, Interim Chair, WSU<br>
Patrick Jodice, 2nd Chair of the WSU<br><br>

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rCc-s9eu6og" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

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Join us for four days of science, networking and virtual engagement with delegates from around the world!

**Abstract:**

As a hotspot of seabird diversity, the Hauraki Gulf in Northern Aotearoa New Zealand is spoilt for choice when looking at seabirds as indicators of change in the marine environment. However, little research has been done on some of the most ubiquitous species that forage within the Gulf and have the greatest potential for tracking change in the nearshore marine environment. This research addresses this lack of data by linking environmental variables and energetic inputs with the physiology, movement, and breeding success of common Procellariiform species within the region. Part of the initial phase of this project has involved following the northernmost population of Fairy prions (Pachyptila turtur) on the Poor Knights Islands throughout the year, including the first insight into their migration movements, the nature of their foraging during the breeding season and physiological adjustments to ensure breeding success. By repeating this study over three years and investigating the interplay of environmental conditions and physiology, we plan to unravel the relationships between the breeding success of these birds and fluctuations in the marine environment. Results from the first two seasons will be presented.

**Authors:**

Edin Whitehead¹, Chris Gaskin², Brendon Dunphy¹

¹University of Auckland, ²Northern New Zealand Seabird Trust

Sentinels: The potential for seabirds to monitor marine change in the Hauraki Gulf, New Zealand

**Abstract:**

By their very nature and definition, parasites are often considered harmful or detrimental to their hosts. However, parasites that do not cause disease have the potential to be beneficial to hosts, especially by improving host immune function. This phenomena, termed immune system priming, increases the specificity and functionality of immune response as a result of immunological experience during early life. To explore the potential for immune system priming in a colonial seabird, crested tern chicks Thalasseus bergii were sampled before, during and after hatching to determine the exact period that the immune system begins production of white blood cells. This functionality was significantly earlier than a non-colonial bird, the red jungle fowl, indicating that colonial living may result in life-long improved immune function. Candidates for immune system priming were surveyed at two sites resulting in louse species as the favoured candidates. The potential for other ecto-parasites (ticks, fleas) to function as immune system primers and the need for targeted research and conservation of co-evolved ecto-parasites is discussed.

**Authors:**

Maggie Watson¹

¹Charles Sturt University

Seabirds and ectoparasites: the benefits of hosting parasites for colonial species

**Abstract:**

Accumulating evidence suggest that infectious diseases represent a significant threat to seabird populations. Characterizing the reservoir community of pathogenic infectious agents is key to identify, and potentially limit, pathogen re-emergence and spread. Due to their foraging behaviours, terrestrial predating and/or scavenging species have the potential to play critical roles in epidemiological dynamics by introducing, maintaining pathogens and/or enhancing their circulation within and among seabird colonies. On Amsterdam Island (Southern Indian Ocean), avian cholera, caused by Pasteurella multocida bacteria, has been causing recurrent die-offs of albatross and penguin nestlings since the 1980's, threatening the viability of these populations. We investigated the potential role of native brown skuas Stercorarius antarcticus and introduced rodents (Rattus norvegicus and Mus musculus) in avian cholera outbreaks by combining classical epidemiological tools with population and foraging ecology approaches. At the height of the avian cholera epizootics, both rodents and skuas carried P. multocida. Movement tracking of skuas revealed that they do not defend individual foraging territories, and that a given individual could visit several seabird colonies within a day, creating opportunities for pathogen spread at the island scale. In contrast, rodents may contribute to pathogen spread at a smaller, within-colony, scale. During winter, when most seabirds have migrated at sea, rodents still carried P. multocida bacteria, suggesting that they may play a critical role in the inter-annual maintenance of the bacteria. Based on these empirical results, we discuss the potential management strategies that could be designed to limit pathogen re-emergence and spread in seabird communities. Overall, this study highlight the benefit of broadening field investigations beyond classical epidemiological data and beyond the obviously affected species in order to better understand epidemiological processes in seabird communities and implement efficient surveillance and management measures.

**Authors:**

Amandine Gamble¹, Augustin Clessin², Baudouin Des Monstiers³, Lorien Boujot³, Romain Bazire², Romain Dedet⁴, Marine Bely², Erwan Lagadec³, Jean-Baptise Thiebot³, Audrey Jaeger³, Camille Lebarbenchon⁵, Pablo Tortosa⁵, Eric Thibault⁶, Christophe Barbraud⁷, Karine Delord⁷, Henri Weimerskirch⁷, Jérémy Tornos⁸, Romain Garnier⁹, Hubert Gantelet⁶, Nicolas Keck⁴, Thierry Boulinier¹⁰

¹University of California Los Angeles, ²Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive, ³Réserve Naturelle Nationale des Terres Australes Françaises, ⁴Laboratoire Départemental Vétérinaire de l'Hérault, ⁵Université de la Réunion, ⁶Ceva Biovac, ⁷Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, CNRS, ⁸Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive, Ceva Biovac, ⁹Georgetown University, ¹⁰Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive, CNRS

Investigating native and introduced predators involvement in pathogen maintenance and spread within and among endangered seabird colonies

**Abstract:**

As most first-time human parents realize, there is significant learning involved in successfully rearing offspring. The experience of each individual parent and their experience as a pair can be important predictors of success. This study seeks to investigate the mechanisms that affect reproductive success by combining physiological measurements with behavioral data and reproductive histories to disentangle the interactions between these effects and address the role physiology plays in mediating the relationship between experience and success. We measured levels of two hormones that we propose are important mediators of this relationship: prolactin, which modulates parental behavior, and corticosterone, a stress hormone in birds. These hormones were measured in known age Cassin's auklets Ptychoramphus aleuticus with known reproductive histories and paired with nest attendance data to understand the proximate drivers of the mate familiarity effect.

**Authors:**

Amy Miles¹, Chris Tyson¹, Joshua Hull¹, Thomas Hahn¹, Pete Warzybok²

¹University of California Davis, ²Point Blue Conservation Science

Mechanisms of Increased Breeding Success with Pair Experience in Cassin's Auklet

**Abstract:**

Montague Island (MI), located off the south coast of New South Wales (NSW), Australia (36° 15' S, 150° 14' E) is an important breeding site for a number of seabird species. Following the eradication of feral animals from the island, two individuals of the threatened Gould's Petrel (Pterodroma leucoptera leucoptera) were found unexpectedly in 2012. This species previously bred only on Cabbage Tree Island (CTI) and in smaller numbers on nearby Boondelbah Island off the north coast of NSW. The number of breeding pairs of Gould's Petrels on MI increased to 39 in 2018-19 and as of March 2021, more than 70 nests have been recorded as being active. Establishment was possibly assisted by a sound attraction system installed in September 2014. Available habitat on MI, a largely treeless island dominated by low, dense vegetation, differs substantially from that of the main breeding areas on CTI (rock scree in palm forest gullies). Almost a third of nests on MI are created by tunnelling into the bases of clumping Basket grass (Lomandra longifolia) and Blue Tussock-grass (Poa poiformis). This is the first recorded instance of this non-burrowing species creating habitat for itself. These results indicate that even seemingly specialised seabirds can adapt their habitat use upon colonisation of new islands and breed in atypical habitat. Gould's Petrels breeding on CTI are known to forage to the east and south of Tasmania and westwards into the Great Australian Bight. As MI lies ~450 km closer to these foraging grounds, breeding on MI could be advantageous for harmonising incubation shifts and chick provisioning. This may already be reflected in breeding success on MI exceeding that of CTI in recent seasons. The establishment of this lower latitude breeding site may also facilitate the adaptive response of the species to climate change. These findings reinforce the importance of island restoration to allow for establishment of new seabird colonies, particularly for threatened species with highly restricted distributions.

**Authors:**

Yuna Kim¹, Emily Mowat², Nicholas Carlile³

¹Dr Kim's Conservation Solutions, ²BirdLife Australia, ³Department of Planning, Industry and Environment

A threatened seabird demonstrates adaptation to a novel habitat type following self-colonisation of a pest-free island

**Abstract:**

Townsend´s Shearwater (Puffinus auricularis, TOSH) is a species endemic to the Revillagigedo Archipelago in the Tropical Eastern Pacific. TOSH is one of the most endangered seabird species in North America listed as critically endangered with less than 100 breeding pairs. TOSH population has declined due to natural and anthropogenic processes such as volcanic eruptions and the introduction of alien invasive species. This work details the activities and results of a joint effort between national and international institutions for the monitoring and active restoration for the conservation of this species. In 2015, we started an intensive monitoring program to locate the latest nesting colonies and to determine its population status, using techniques such as auditory surveys, bioacoustics, detection dogs, trail cameras, and GPS devices. In 2017, we began an active restoration program using social attraction techniques (artificial burrows and sound systems). Through bioacoustics and auditory surveys, around 3,316 ha of breeding habitat have been surveyed on Socorro and Clarión islands. More than 40 recording sites with the presence of TOSH calls and 23 active burrows have been found on Socorro. Also, eight burrows were found on Clarión, representing the first nesting records for the island after 29 years. Burrow monitoring has shown that there is high variability in reproduction success despite 100% of breeding pairs attendance every year and new potential threats have been identified. In 2019, the nesting of the first pair of shearwaters was recorded in an artificial burrow and until now two chicks fledged successfully. Moreover, GPS fixes showed a maximum feeding range of 33 km from the nest site. Recent non-native mammal eradications have considerably improved habitat on Socorro and allowed the recolonization of Clarion. Nevertheless, the results suggest that despite mammal eradications, new active restoration techniques would be needed to enhance TOSH population recovery.

**Authors:**

Fernando Solis Carlos¹, Antonio Ortiz Alcaraz¹, Yuliana Bedolla Guzman¹, Federico Mendez Sanchez¹, Luciana Luna Mendoza¹, Evaristo Rojas Mayoral¹

¹Grupo de Ecologia y Conservacion de Islas, A.C.

Townsend's Shearwater (Puffinus auricularis), outcomes and new insights of the monitoring and conservation program of a critically endangered species

**Abstract:**

The seabird bycatch rate has increased in the last decades due to the constant pressure on the resources, coupled with poor sustainable management, the rapid development of fisheries technologies and the lack of regulatory accompaniment. Incidental mortality in fisheries is one of the top threats to seabirds globally, making this group of birds the most endangered worldwide. Various technical contributions have been made to reduce incidental mortality. However, the fact that the problem continues, shows the need to delve into other factors, such as the social dimension and the importance of approaching it from other fields of knowledge. The objectives of the study were: 1) to compile the current regulations associated, directly or indirectly, with seabirds and their conservation, both at a national and international scale and 2) to analyze through word clouds technique the most representative terms present in the regulations. A total of eight national laws and ten international treaties were compiled. The frequency of occurrence of words at the national scale was: national, enforcement, authority, fishing, federal, environmental, council and fishing. Regarding international treaties, the most frequent words were: convention, authority, conformity, zone, sea, measures, law and ships. The fact that words such as fauna, biodiversity, conservation or birds are not among the most commonly used terms in treaties and laws on the subject, highlights the approaches of these documents and the paradigms that underpin them. On the other hand, there is a marked presence of words such as authority, fishing and ships. By comparing the content of both bodies of documentation, as a preliminary result, it is observed a predominance of words associated with geopolitical issues and fishing as an economic activity rather than a comprehensive approach of cross-border fisheries management focused, as well, on the conservation of marine mega fauna.

**Authors:**

Agustina Iwan¹, Sofía Copello¹, Soledad Arqueros², Laura Zulaica³

¹Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras (UNMDP, CONICET), ²Instituto de Investigaciones Gino Germani (FSOC-UBA, CONICET), ³Instituto del Hábitat y del Ambiente (FAUD-UNMDP, CONICET)

Seabird bycatch in Argentina: a text mining analysis of the national and international regulations tools

**Abstract:**

Many industrial activities impose a threat on biodiversity, and it is unclear to what extent environmental regulations can reduce the threat of such activities. Bycatch in industrial fisheries is one of the greatest sources of mortality for seabirds, but a threat for which effective mitigation exists. Here we quantify whether the introduction of a new regulation that required the use of bird scaring lines reduced seabird mortality in two of the most hazardous fisheries in the South Atlantic. The Namibian hake demersal trawl and longline fisheries, estimated to be killing 20,000-30,000 birds/year, have been required to use bird-scaring lines since 2015. We used data from BirdLife International's Albatross Task Force and the Namibian Fisheries Observer Agency to quantify changes in seabird mortality in these fisheries before and after the introduction of these regulations. Our estimated bycatch rates in the longline fleet were 0.468 birds/1000 hooks (95% confidence interval 0.067-1.450) before regulations and 0.004 birds/1000 hooks (0.001-0.013) following their introduction, a 98.4% reduction. Our estimate suggests that 215 (1-751) seabirds were killed across this fleet in 2018 compared to 22,222 (3187-68,786) in 2009. In the trawl fleet, observers recorded seabird mortality resulting from interactions with trawl cables. The average rate of heavy interactions was 1.09 interactions/h (0.81-1.39) before the regulation came into effect, and 0.49 interactions/h (0.23-0.84) since then. Extrapolations based on the number of observed fatal interactions suggest 1452 (0-3865) birds were killed by this fleet in 2017 compared to 7030 (0-16,374) in 2009. The lower mortality reduction in the trawl fleet is likely due to incomplete implementation of regulations and highlights the importance of adequate enforcement for effective bycatch mitigation. Overall, we demonstrate that regulations that mandate that well-tested safeguards are used during industrial operations can have enormous benefits for the conservation of threatened species.

**Authors:**

Nina Da Rocha¹, Rory Crawford¹, Steffen Oppel¹, Stephanie Prince¹, Samantha Matjila², Titus Shaanika², Clemens Naomab², Oliver Yates³, John Patterson², Kaspar Shimooshili⁴, Ernest Frans⁵, Suama Kashava⁵

¹Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, ²Namibia Nature Foundation, ³CEFAS, ⁴University of Namibia, ⁵Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources

Reduction in seabird mortality in Namibian fisheries following the introduction of bycatch regulation

**Abstract:**

Environmental impacts of marine or coastal debris are evident at the global scale. There is ample evidence indicating severe impacts of debris resulting from fishing operations in coastal economies, as well as marine megafauna, including seabirds through entanglement with and ingestion of debris. The later became evident in the northern coasts of Argentina, particularly affected by poorly planned urbanization and the consequent habitat degradation affecting wildlife. Further, recent literature has shown detrimental effects of fishery debris on seabirds, resulting in severe injuries and mortality in a range of species. Our interdisciplinary project seeks to improve the health of coastal areas in northern Argentina, focusing in Mar Chiquita coastal lagoon, an Important Bird and Biodiversity Area subject to an intensive use as recreational resort. We implemented a research and conservation program focused in understanding the nature and characteristics of stranded debris in coastal areas, and contributing towards its reduction through the implementation of an outreach and awareness transdisciplinary programme. We surveyed the perceptions of anglers and tour operators on their recreational activity and the potential effect of the by-products generated by this activity on the environment. Using the information obtained and with all stakeholders involved, a trial was conducted installing debris collectors in key areas of the estuary, accompanied by outreach posters and brochures. These collectors were monitored on a weekly basis during six months. A total of 212 kg of fishing-related debris (e.g. monofilament lines holding some 416 hooks, plastic containers with bait remains) and another 100 kilograms of debris related to recreational activities were classified and quantified. Currently, we are on the second stage of the project, monitoring the collectors and the behavior in this recreational activity, confident that this transdisciplinary approach to conservation is the one needed to drive significant changes in the way humans use coastal areas.

**Authors:**

GERMAN GARCIA¹, ARIADNA GOROSTEGUI VALENTI², MAXIMILIANO HERNANDEZ¹, FRANCISCO ZUMPANO¹, MELINA CASTANO¹, VICTORIA CABRAL³, MARCO FAVERO¹, JUAN PABLO SECO PON¹

¹Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras (UNMdP-CONICET), ²Facultad de Humanidades, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, ³Instituto del Hábitat y del Ambiente, IHAM-FAUD, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata

Interaction between seabirds and recreational fisheries: a new transdisciplinary conservation program for the responsible disposal of fishing debris in Argentina

**Abstract:**

Recovering critically endangered populations poses a challenge to conservationists, especially when breeding sites are restricted to remote areas and birds depend on specific conditions. Trindade is a volcanic island arising over 1100 km east of Brazil mainland and is the only remaining breeding site for Fregata minor nicolli and F. trinitatis, both critically endangered. Severe population decline is due to the dependence on trees for nesting, which were destroyed by goats over the 19th and 20th. Frigatebirds were still nesting on remains of trees of Trindade in 1916 and 1925, but appear to have been gone by 1950; they were certainly absent from the main island by 1975-1976. For the past 30 years, less than 20 pairs have been recorded on a small islet off the southern point of the island, nesting on the ground. On the main island of Trindade, however, presence of native land crabs (Johngarthia lagostoma), and the invasive and abundant house mice (Mus musculus) make ground nesting probably not feasible. Brazilian Navy snipers eradicated goats by 2005, with nearly immediate recovery of some components of the native vegetation, but trees are still not available. Thus, Brazilian researchers set up a conservation project (RETER-Trindade), which erected until now ten artificial nests and roosting perches with three decoys in areas most suitable for frigatebirds. Monitoring of the artificial nests occurs with camera traps and expeditions to the area. Since November 2018, six field expeditions were accomplished to this remote site, it was censused an overall of four Fregata trinitatis and ten F. minor nicolli (2019). Extinction of these populations would imply in loss of global biological diversity, also loss of genes that could increase the evolutionary potential of Pacific and Indian Ocean conspecific populations. To try everything in our hands to save those Trindade frigatebirds represent an iconic attempt to fight against the loss of seabird species in the world.

**Authors:**

Patricia Serafini¹, Gustavo Leal², Guilherme Nunes³, Marcio Efe⁴, Ricardo Krul⁵, Andre Elias-Paiva⁶, Ruy Alves⁷, Nilber Silva⁷, Fabricio Escarlate-Tavares¹, Fabio Oliveira⁸, Gabriela Oliveira², Leandro Bugoni²

¹ICMBio, ²FURG, ³UFRGS, ⁴UFAL, ⁵Tríade, ⁶UnB, ⁷MNRJ, ⁸UFMG

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