Conservation Letters (Sep 2021)
Multispecies tracking reveals a major seabird hotspot in the North Atlantic
- Tammy E. Davies,
- Ana P.B. Carneiro,
- Marguerite Tarzia,
- Ewan Wakefield,
- Janos C. Hennicke,
- Morten Frederiksen,
- Erpur Snær Hansen,
- Bruna Campos,
- Carolina Hazin,
- Ben Lascelles,
- Tycho Anker‐Nilssen,
- Hólmfríður Arnardóttir,
- Robert T. Barrett,
- Manuel Biscoito,
- Loïc Bollache,
- Thierry Boulinier,
- Paulo Catry,
- Filipe R. Ceia,
- Olivier Chastel,
- Signe Christensen‐Dalsgaard,
- Marta Cruz‐Flores,
- Jóhannis Danielsen,
- Francis Daunt,
- Euan Dunn,
- Carsten Egevang,
- Ana Isabel Fagundes,
- Annette L. Fayet,
- Jérôme Fort,
- Robert W. Furness,
- Olivier Gilg,
- Jacob González‐Solís,
- José Pedro Granadeiro,
- David Grémillet,
- Tim Guilford,
- Sveinn Are Hanssen,
- Michael P. Harris,
- April Hedd,
- Nicholas Per Huffeldt,
- Mark Jessopp,
- Yann Kolbeinsson,
- Johannes Krietsch,
- Johannes Lang,
- Jannie Fries Linnebjerg,
- Svein‐Håkon Lorentsen,
- Jeremy Madeiros,
- Ellen Magnusdottir,
- Mark L. Mallory,
- Laura McFarlane Tranquilla,
- Flemming R. Merkel,
- Teresa Militão,
- Børge Moe,
- William A. Montevecchi,
- Virginia Morera‐Pujol,
- Anders Mosbech,
- Verónica Neves,
- Mark A. Newell,
- Bergur Olsen,
- Vitor H. Paiva,
- Hans‐Ulrich Peter,
- Aevar Petersen,
- Richard A. Phillips,
- Iván Ramírez,
- Jaime A. Ramos,
- Raül Ramos,
- Robert A. Ronconi,
- Peter G. Ryan,
- Niels Martin Schmidt,
- Ingvar A. Sigurðsson,
- Benoît Sittler,
- Harald Steen,
- Iain J. Stenhouse,
- Hallvard Strøm,
- Geir H. R. Systad,
- Paul Thompson,
- Thorkell L. Thórarinsson,
- Rob S.A. vanBemmelen,
- Sarah Wanless,
- Francis Zino,
- Maria P. Dias
Affiliations
- Tammy E. Davies
- BirdLife International Cambridge U.K.
- Ana P.B. Carneiro
- BirdLife International Cambridge U.K.
- Marguerite Tarzia
- BirdLife International Cambridge U.K.
- Ewan Wakefield
- Institute of Biodiversity Animal Health and Comparative Medicine University of Glasgow Glasgow U.K.
- Janos C. Hennicke
- German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation Putbus Germany
- Morten Frederiksen
- Department of Bioscience Aarhus University Roskilde Denmark
- Erpur Snær Hansen
- South Iceland Nature Research Centre Vestmannaeyjar Icealnd
- Bruna Campos
- EuroNatur Foundation Radolfzell Germany
- Carolina Hazin
- BirdLife International Cambridge U.K.
- Ben Lascelles
- BirdLife International Cambridge U.K.
- Tycho Anker‐Nilssen
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research Trondheim Norway
- Hólmfríður Arnardóttir
- Fuglavernd / BirdLife in Iceland Reykjavík Iceland
- Robert T. Barrett
- Tromsø University Museum Tromsø Norway
- Manuel Biscoito
- Funchal Natural History Museum Funchal Portugal
- Loïc Bollache
- UMR 6249 Chrono‐environnement Université de Bourgogne Franche‐Comté Besançon France
- Thierry Boulinier
- Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive CNRS ‐ Université de Montpellier ‐ Université Paul‐Valéry Montpellier – EPHE Montpellier France
- Paulo Catry
- MARE ‐ Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre ISPA ‐ Instituto Universitário Lisbon Portugal
- Filipe R. Ceia
- University of Coimbra, MARE‐Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Dep. Life Sciences Coimbra Portugal
- Olivier Chastel
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC) UMR 7372 CNRS‐La Rochelle Université Villiers‐en‐bois France
- Signe Christensen‐Dalsgaard
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research Trondheim Norway
- Marta Cruz‐Flores
- Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio) and Dept. de Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals Universitat de Barcelona Barcelona Spain
- Jóhannis Danielsen
- Faroe Marine Research Institute Tórshavn Faroe Islands
- Francis Daunt
- UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology Penicuik U.K.
- Euan Dunn
- RSPB Sandy U.K.
- Carsten Egevang
- Greenland Institute of Natural Resources Nuuk Greenland
- Ana Isabel Fagundes
- Portuguese Society for the Study of Birds (SPEA) Lisboa Portugal
- Annette L. Fayet
- University of Oxford Oxford U.K.
- Jérôme Fort
- Littoral, Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs) UMR 7266 CNRS‐La Rochelle Université La Rochelle France
- Robert W. Furness
- Institute of Biodiversity Animal Health and Comparative Medicine University of Glasgow Glasgow U.K.
- Olivier Gilg
- UMR 6249 Chrono‐environnement Université de Bourgogne Franche‐Comté Besançon France
- Jacob González‐Solís
- Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio) and Dept. de Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals Universitat de Barcelona Barcelona Spain
- José Pedro Granadeiro
- CESAM‐Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa Lisboa Portugal
- David Grémillet
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC) UMR 7372 CNRS‐La Rochelle Université Villiers‐en‐bois France
- Tim Guilford
- University of Oxford Oxford U.K.
- Sveinn Are Hanssen
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research Trondheim Norway
- Michael P. Harris
- UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology Penicuik U.K.
- April Hedd
- Wildlife Research Division Environment and Climate Change Mount Pearl NL Canada
- Nicholas Per Huffeldt
- Department of Bioscience Aarhus University Roskilde Denmark
- Mark Jessopp
- School of Biological, Earth & Environmental Sciences, Environmental Research Institute University College Cork Ireland
- Yann Kolbeinsson
- Northeast Iceland Nature Research Centre Húsavík Iceland
- Johannes Krietsch
- Friedrich Schiller University, Institute of Ecology and Evolution Jena Germany
- Johannes Lang
- Justus‐Liebig‐University Giessen, Clinic for Birds, Reptiles, Amphibians and Fish Working Group for Wildlife Research Giessen Germany
- Jannie Fries Linnebjerg
- Department of Bioscience Aarhus University Roskilde Denmark
- Svein‐Håkon Lorentsen
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research Trondheim Norway
- Jeremy Madeiros
- Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Government of Bermuda Paget Bermuda
- Ellen Magnusdottir
- Háskóli Íslands University of Iceland Reykjavik Iceland
- Mark L. Mallory
- Biology, Acadia University Wolfville NS Canada
- Laura McFarlane Tranquilla
- Birds Canada Sackville NB Canada
- Flemming R. Merkel
- Department of Bioscience Aarhus University Roskilde Denmark
- Teresa Militão
- Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio) and Dept. de Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals Universitat de Barcelona Barcelona Spain
- Børge Moe
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research Trondheim Norway
- William A. Montevecchi
- Psychology Department, Memorial University of Newfoundland St. John's NL Canada
- Virginia Morera‐Pujol
- Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio) and Dept. de Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals Universitat de Barcelona Barcelona Spain
- Anders Mosbech
- Department of Bioscience Aarhus University Roskilde Denmark
- Verónica Neves
- MARE – Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, IMAR & Okeanos Horta Portugal
- Mark A. Newell
- UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology Penicuik U.K.
- Bergur Olsen
- Faroe Marine Research Institute Tórshavn Faroe Islands
- Vitor H. Paiva
- University of Coimbra, MARE‐Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Dep. Life Sciences Coimbra Portugal
- Hans‐Ulrich Peter
- Friedrich Schiller University, Institute of Ecology and Evolution Jena Germany
- Aevar Petersen
- Independent researcher Reykjavik Iceland
- Richard A. Phillips
- British Antarctic Survey Cambridge U.K.
- Iván Ramírez
- BirdLife International Cambridge U.K.
- Jaime A. Ramos
- University of Coimbra, MARE‐Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Dep. Life Sciences Coimbra Portugal
- Raül Ramos
- Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio) and Dept. de Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals Universitat de Barcelona Barcelona Spain
- Robert A. Ronconi
- Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment and Climate Change Canada Dartmouth NS Canada
- Peter G. Ryan
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology Rondebosch South Africa
- Niels Martin Schmidt
- Department of Bioscience Aarhus University Roskilde Denmark
- Ingvar A. Sigurðsson
- Icelandic Institute of Natural History Garðabær Iceland
- Benoît Sittler
- University of Freiburg Freiburg Germany
- Harald Steen
- Norwegian Polar Institute Tromsø Norway
- Iain J. Stenhouse
- Biodiversity Research Institute Portland Maine USA
- Hallvard Strøm
- Norwegian Polar Institute Tromsø Norway
- Geir H. R. Systad
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research Trondheim Norway
- Paul Thompson
- Lighthouse Field Station, School of Biological Sciences University of Aberdeen Cromarty U.K.
- Thorkell L. Thórarinsson
- Northeast Iceland Nature Research Centre Húsavík Iceland
- Rob S.A. vanBemmelen
- Bureau Waardenburg Culemborg The Netherlands
- Sarah Wanless
- UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology Penicuik U.K.
- Francis Zino
- Freira Conservation Project Funchal Portugal
- Maria P. Dias
- BirdLife International Cambridge U.K.
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1111/conl.12824
- Journal volume & issue
-
Vol. 14,
no. 5
pp. n/a – n/a
Abstract
Abstract The conservation of migratory marine species, including pelagic seabirds, is challenging because their movements span vast distances frequently beyond national jurisdictions. Here, we aim to identify important aggregations of seabirds in the North Atlantic to inform ongoing regional conservation efforts. Using tracking, phenology, and population data, we mapped the abundance and diversity of 21 seabird species. This revealed a major hotspot associated with a discrete area of the subpolar frontal zone, used annually by 2.9–5 million seabirds from ≥56 colonies in the Atlantic: the first time this magnitude of seabird concentrations has been documented in the high seas. The hotspot is temporally stable and amenable to site‐based conservation and is under consideration as a marine protected area by the OSPAR Commission. Protection could help mitigate current and future threats facing species in the area. Overall, our approach provides an exemplar data‐driven pathway for future conservation efforts on the high seas.
Keywords
