Abstract:

Petroleum pollution is a problem for seabirds along the Southwest Atlantic coast. Twenty-five groups from Salvador, Brazil (12º58´S) to San Antonio Oeste, Argentina (40º43´S) survey or rehabilitate sick or oiled seabirds. Four groups, one each in Brazil and Uruguay, and two in Argentina, kept counts of birds found alive and in need of rehabilitation. An average of 63.7% of the seabirds found were Magellanic penguins (Spheniscus magellanicus), with 3869 reported since 1987. Mainly adult penguins were found in Argentina (1605 of 2102 penguins of known age class) and Uruguay (158 of 197). Juveniles were most common in Brazil (234 of 325). Oil fouling was the most frequent cause of injury or sickness. The number of oiled penguins reported in their wintering range has greatly increased since the early 1990s and is strongly correlated with petroleum exports from Argentina. Our results show that chronic petroleum pollution is a problem for wildlife from Southern Brazil through Northern Argentina, and regulations and enforcement are failing to protect living resources.

Author affiliation: Garcia Borboroglu, Jorge Pablo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Nacional Patagónico; Argentina. Wildlife Conservation Society; Estados Unidos

Author affiliation: Boersma, P. Dee. Wildlife Conservation Society; Estados Unidos. University of Washington; Estados Unidos

Author affiliation: Ruoppolo, Valeria. International Fund for Animal Welfare; Brasil

Author affiliation: Reyes, Laura. Secretaría de Turismo del Chubut; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia; Argentina

Author affiliation: Rebstock, Ginger A.. University of Washington; Estados Unidos

Author affiliation: Griot, Karen. Fundación Mar del Plata Aquarium; Argentina

Author affiliation: Rodrigues Heredia, Sergio. Fundación Mundo Marino; Argentina

Author affiliation: Adornes Corrado, Andrea. Fundaçao Universidade Federal do Rio Grande. Museu Oceanográfico.; Argentina

Author affiliation: Pinho da Silva, Rodolfo. International Fund for Animal Welfare; Brasil

Abstract:

Conservation of migratory species requires an understanding of their migration path and pattern. We used band returns and satellite tracking to characterize the seasonal migration of Magellanic penguins breeding in southern Argentina, with the purpose of identifying an effective conservation approach for this species. Band returns show these penguins migrate annually to the coastal waters of northern Argentina, Uruguay, and southern Brazil, an average one-way distance of approximately 2000 km, and a modal distance of 2300–2400 km. Satellite data indicate that the penguins follow a migration corridor within 250 km of shore. Mean migration distance varied among years. Juveniles migrated farther on average than older birds, although migration distance of different age classes overlapped substantially. Mortality rates during migration were higher among younger birds, and juvenile mortality rate during migration was inversely correlated with cohort survival, indicating that mortality during migration is an important determinant of population recruitment. A minimum of 13% of the migration-period mortality we recorded resulted from fisheries bycatch and oil pollution. Because of the penguin’s mode of travel (swimming at or near the surface), the large spatial extent of its migration, and the intensity of human use of the area, effective conservation through conventional coastal marine reserves is unlikely. Marine zoning is an alternative that could provide the spatial scale and flexibility necessary to accommodate both penguin migration and human activities. As the waters traversed by Magellanic penguins are among the most threatened in Latin America, zoning for protection of this wide-ranging and charismatic species can also protect regional biodiversity.

Author affiliation: Stokes, David L.. University of Washington Bothell; Estados Unidos

Author affiliation: Boersma, P. Dee. University of Washington; Estados Unidos

Author affiliation: Lopez de Casenave, Javier Nestor. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina

Author affiliation: Garcia Borboroglu, Jorge Pablo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Nacional Patagónico; Argentina

Abstract:

Cumulative human impacts across the world’s oceans are considerable. We therefore examined a single model taxonomic group, the penguins (Spheniscidae), to explore how marine species and communities might be at risk of decline or extinction in the southern hemisphere. We sought to determine the most important threats to penguins and to suggest means to mitigate these threats. Our review has relevance to other taxonomic groups in the southern hemisphere and in northern latitudes, where human impacts are greater. Our review was based on an expert assessment and literature review of all 18 penguin species; 49 scientists contributed to the process. For each penguin species, we considered their range and distribution, population trends, and main anthropogenic threats over the past approximately 250 years. These threats were harvesting adults for oil, skin, and feathers and as bait for crab and rock lobster fisheries; harvesting of eggs; terrestrial habitat degradation; marine pollution; fisheries bycatch and resource competition; environmental variability and climate change; and toxic algal poisoning and disease. Habitat loss, pollution, and fishing, all factors humans can readily mitigate, remain the primary threats for penguin species. Their future resilience to further climate change impacts will almost certainly depend on addressing current threats to existing habitat degradation on land and at sea. We suggest protection of breeding habitat, linked to the designation of appropriately scaled marine reserves, including in the High Seas, will be critical for the future conservation of penguins. However, large-scale conservation zones are not always practical or politically feasible and other ecosystem-based management methods that include spatial zoning, bycatch mitigation, and robust harvest control must be developed to maintain marine biodiversity and ensure that ecosystem functioning is maintained across a variety of scales.

Los impactos humanos acumulativos a lo largo de los océanos del planeta son considerables. Por eso examinamos un solo modelo de grupo taxonómico, los pingüinos (Sphenischidae), para explorar cómo las especies y las comunidades marinas pueden estar en riesgo de disminuir o de extinguirse en el hemisferio sur. Buscamos determinar la amenaza más importante para los pingüinos y sugerir métodos para mitigar estas amenazas. Nuestra revisión tiene relevancia para otros grupos taxonómicos en el hemisferio sur y en las latitudes norteñas, donde los impactos humanos son mayores. Nuestra revisión se basó en una evaluación experta y una revisión de literaratura de las 18 especies de pingüinos; 49 científicos contribuyeron al proceso. Para cada especie de pingüino, consideramos su rango y distribución, tendencias poblacionales y las principales amenazas antropogénicas en aproximadamente los últimos 250 años. Estas amenazas fueron la captura de adultos para obtener aceite, piel y plumas y el uso como carnada para la pesca de cangrejos y langostas: la recolección de huevos; la degradación del hábitat terrestre; la contaminación marina; la pesca accesoria y la competencia por recursos; la variabilidad ambiental y el cambio climático; y el envenenamiento por algas tóxicas y enfermedades. La pérdida de hábitat, la contaminación y la pesca, todos factores que los humanos pueden mitigar, siguen siendo las amenazas principales para las especies de pingüinos. Su resiliencia futura a más impactos por cambio climático dependerá certeramente de que nos enfoquemos en las amenazas actuales a la degradación de hábitats existentes en tierra y en el mar. Sugerimos que la protección de hábitats de reproducción, en conjunto con la designación de reservas marinas de escala apropiada, incluyendo alta mar, será crítica para la conservación futura de los pingüinos. Sin embargo, las zonas de conservación a gran escala no son siempre prácticas o políticamente viables, y otros métodos de manejo basados en ecosistemas que incluyen la zonificación espacial, la mitigación de captura accesoria, y el control fuerte de captura deben desarrollarse para mantener la biodiversidad marina y asegurar que el funcionamiento de los ecosistemas se mantenga a lo largo de una variedad de escalas.

Author affiliation: Trathan, Phil N.. British Antartic Survey; Reino Unido

Author affiliation: Garcia Borboroglu, Jorge Pablo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Nacional Patagónico; Argentina

Author affiliation: Boersma, P. Dee. University of Washington; Estados Unidos

Author affiliation: Bost, Charles André. Centre d´Etudes Biologiques de Chizé; Francia

Author affiliation: Crawford, Robert J. M.. Department of Environmental Affairs; Sudáfrica

Author affiliation: Crossin, Glenn T.. Dalhousie University Halifax; Canadá

Author affiliation: Cuthbert, Richard. Royal Society for the Protection of Birds; Reino Unido

Author affiliation: Dann, Peter. Phillip Island Nature Parks; Australia

Author affiliation: Davis, Lloyd Spencer. University Of Otago; Nueva Zelanda

Author affiliation: de la Puente, Santiago. Universidad Cayetano Heredia; Perú

Author affiliation: Ellenberg, Ursula. University Of Otago; Nueva Zelanda

Author affiliation: Lynch, Heather J.. Stony Brook University; Estados Unidos

Author affiliation: Mattern, Thomas. University Of Otago; Nueva Zelanda

Author affiliation: Pütz, Klemens. Antarctic Research Trust; Alemania

Author affiliation: Seddon, Philip J.. University Of Otago; Nueva Zelanda

Author affiliation: Trivelpiece, Wayne. Southwest Fisheries Science Center; Estados Unidos

Author affiliation: Wienecke, Bárbara. Australian Antarctic Division; Australia