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title: "Stress physiology of Wandering Albatrosses gets studied"
---

# Stress physiology of Wandering Albatrosses gets studied

David Costantini ([Department of Biology, University of Antwerp](https://www.uantwerpen.be/en/faculties/faculty-of-science/departments/biology/research/researchgroups/), Wilrijk, Belgium) and colleagues have published in the online and open-access journal [*PloS One*](http://www.plosone.org/) on the stress physiology of Wandering Albatrosses *Diomedea exulans* of known breeding history.

 One of the major challenges in ecological research is the elucidation of physiological mechanisms that underlie the demographic traits of wild animals.  We have assessed whether a marker of plasma oxidative stress (TBARS) and plasma haptoglobin (protein of the acute inflammatory phase response) measured at time t predict five demographic parameters (survival rate, return rate to the breeding colony, breeding probability, hatching and fledging success) in sexually mature wandering albatrosses over the next four years (*Diomedea exulans*) using a five-year individual-based dataset.  Non-breeder males, but not females, having higher TBARS at time t had reduced future breeding probabilities; haptoglobin was not related to breeding probability.  Neither TBARS nor haptoglobin predicted future hatching or fledging success.  Haptoglobin had a marginally positive effect on female survival rate, while TBARS had a marginally negative effect on return rate.  Our findings do not support the role for oxidative stress as a constraint of future reproductive success in the albatross.  However, our data point to a potential mechanism underlying some aspects of reproductive senescence and survival.  Our results also highlight that the study of the consequences of oxidative stress should consider the life-cycle stage of an individual and its reproductive history.

 ![](https://acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/W/Wandering/Wandering albatross display by Rowan Treblico.jpg) 

 Displaying Wandering Albatrosses, photograph by Rowan Treblico

 **Reference:**

 Costantini, D., Goutte, A., Barbraud, C., Faivre, B., Sorci, G., Weimerskirch, H., Delord, K. & Chastel, O.  2015.  Demographic responses to oxidative stress and inflammation in the Wandering Albatross (*Diomedea exulans*). [*PloS One* DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0133967](http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0133967).

 *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 02 September 2015*