Claude Joiris (Laboratory for Polar Ecology, Saint Restitut, France) and Grant Humphries have published in the journal Advances in Polar Science on seabirds at sea in the Southern Ocean, finding concentrations at oceanic fronts.  The ACAP-listed Salvin’s Albatross Thalassarche salvini was one of the most abundant recorded out of 22 species at frontal zones.

The paper’s abstract follows:

“This article is part of our long-term study on the quantitative at-sea distribution of the marine “upper trophic levels”—seabirds and marine mammals—in polar ecosystems, aiming at quantifying the factors influencing their distribution as well as detecting possible spatial and temporal changes, with special attention to hydrography and to global climate changes. During an expedition of icebreaking RV Polarstern in February 2010, along the North–South transect between New Zealand and the Ross Gyre, off the Ross Sea, 3200 seabirds belonging to 22 identified pelagic species were recorded during 338 half-hour transect counts. Four major hotspots were identified. These were in Sub-tropical Water off New Zealand (up to 300 birds per count), and at the main Southern Ocean fronts: the Sub-Antarctic Front (up to 240 per count), the Antarctic Front (up to 150 per count) and the Polar Front (up to 200 per count), representing the vast majority of recorded seabirds. The most numerous species in the three frontal zones were: prions—mainly slender-billed Pachyptila belcheri—and Salvin’s albatross Thalassarche [cauta ] salvini. The eight more abundant species represented 2650 birds, i.e. more than 80% of the total. A random forest clustering method identified four groups of seabird species occupying similar oceanographic niches.”

Salvin's Albatross at sea, photograph by Aleks Terauds

Joiris, C.R. & Humphries, G.R.W. 2018.  Hotspots of seabirds and marine mammals between New Zealand and the Ross Gyre: importance of hydrographic features.  Advances in Polar Science 29: 254-261.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 03 January 2019

Ricardo De Paoli‐Iseppi (Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Australia) and colleagues have published in the journal Molecular Ecology Resources on ageing Short‐tailed Shearwaters Ardenna tenuirostris by analysing their blood.

The paper’s abstract follows:

“Age structure is a fundamental aspect of animal population biology. Age is strongly related to individual physiological condition, reproductive potential and mortality rate. Currently, there are no robust molecular methods for age estimation in birds. Instead, individuals must be ringed as chicks to establish known‐age populations, which is a labour intensive and expensive process. The estimation of chronological age using DNA methylation is emerging as a robust approach in mammals including humans, mice and some non‐model species. Here we quantified DNA methylation in whole blood samples from a total of 71 known‐age Short‐tailed shearwaters (Ardenna tenuirostris) using digital restriction enzyme analysis of methylation (DREAM). The DREAM method measures DNA methylation levels at thousands of CpG dinucleotides throughout the genome. We identified seven CpG sites with DNA methylation levels that correlated with age. A model based on these relationships estimated age with a mean difference of 2.8 years to known age, based on validation estimates from models created by repeated sampling of training and validation data subsets. Longitudinal observation of individuals re‐sampled over 1 or 2 years generally showed an increase in estimated age (6/7 cases). For the first time, we have shown that epigenetic changes with age can be detected in a wild bird. This approach should be of broad interest to researchers studying age biomarkers in non‐model species and will allow identification of markers that can be assessed using targeted techniques for accurate age estimation in large population studies.”

Short-tailed Shearwater, photograph by Kirk Zufelt

Reference:

De Paoli‐Iseppi, R., Deagle, B.E., Polanowski, A.M., McMahon, C.R., Dickinson, J.L., Hindell, M.A. & Jarman, S.N. 2018.  Age estimation in a long‐lived seabird (Ardenna tenuirostris) using DNA methylation‐based biomarkers.  Molecular Ecology Resources doi.org/10.1111/1755-0998.12981.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 02 January 2019

Marta Cerdà-Cuéllar (Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, Spain) and colleagues have published in the journal Science of the Total Environment on the likelihood of humans introducing bacterial infections to sub-Antarctic and Antarctic seabirds, including three ACAP-listed species.

Salmonella ser. Enteritidis was found in a Southern Giant Petrel Macronectes giganteus from Livingston Island, Antarctica. Campylobacter lari was found in a Southern Giant Petrel from Livingston Island and in two from sub-Antarctic Marion Island.  Findings suggest “a reverse zoonosis in Antarctica, whereby zoonotic enteric bacteria have been introduced by humans to Southern Ocean ecosystems”.  Sampled Northern Giant Petrels Macronectes halli and White-chinned Petrels Procellaria aequinoctialis were free of enteric bacteria.  The paper concludes: “At Gough and Marion Is., introduction likely occurred through personnel based at the South African scientific stations, despite strict biosecurity controls for more than two decades.  The introduction of these human-associated strains to these remote islands by migrating birds infected during migrating movements cannot be ruled out, but seems less plausible.”

The paper’s abstract follows:

“Reports of enteric bacteria in Antarctic wildlife have suggested its spread from people to seabirds and seals, but evidence is scarce and fragmentary.  We investigated the occurrence of zoonotic enteric bacteria in seabirds across the Antarctic and subantarctic region; for comparison purposes, in addition to seabirds, poultry in a subantarctic island was also sampled. Three findings suggest reverse zoonosis from humans to seabirds: the detection of a zoonotic Salmonella serovar (ser. Enteritidis) and Campylobacter species (e.g. C. jejuni), typical of human infections; the resistance of C. lari isolates to ciprofloxacin and enrofloxacin, antibiotics commonly used in human and veterinary medicine; and most importantly, the presence of C. jejuni genotypes mostly found in humans and domestic animals but rarely or never found in wild birds so far.  We also show further spread of zoonotic agents among Antarctic wildlife is facilitated by substantial connectivity among populations of opportunistic seabirds, notably skuas (Stercorarius).”

Read more here.

With thanks to Peter Ryan.

Reference:

Cerdà-Cuéllar, M., Moré, E., Ayats, T., Aguilera, M., Muñoz-González, S., Antilles, N., Ryan, P.G. & González-Solís, J. 2019.  Do humans spread zoonotic enteric bacteria in Antarctica?  Science of the Total Environment 654: 190-196.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 01 January 2019

Postscript:  ACAP’s Information Officer made a total of 49 visits to Gough and Marion Islands over the period 1978 – 2014.  On two occasions he and others residing at the island stations suffered from “foodborne diarrhoeal illness” serious enough to require on-site medication, once at Gough, once at Marion.  The Marion episode was traced to chicken served for lunch.  In his opinion, the illness in both occasions was due to inadequate hygiene.  During these occasions largely untreated human wastes, grey water and food scraps (other than meat bones and egg shells) were dumped into the sea on a daily basis as regular practice at both islands.  Giant petrels and Sub-Antarctic Skuas Stercorarius antarctica were regularly in attendance when kitchen wastes were disposed of.  Food for thought!

It's the last day of the year and so time for some thank-yous.

ACAP Latest News has continued its policy of posting one news item each weekday during 2018, a total of 261.  Subjects have ranged widely, but all are centred on some aspect of the biology and conservation of procellariform seabirds, especially of the 31 species of albatrosses and petrels listed within the Agreement.

2018’s postings can be searched by keyword.  For example, the Critically Endangered Tristan Albatross Diomedea dabbenena, endemic to the UK’s Tristan da Cunha islands in the South Atlantic, garners 13 hits for the year.  All the news items posted to ALN going back around a decade – well over 3000 of them - are key-word searchable: there are no less than 245 that mention the Tristan Albatross.

A Tristan Albatross stands over its egg on Inaccessible Island in February 2011, photograph by Lourens Malan

All ALN items are posted to ACAP’s Facebook page, currently with 3787 friends.  The Facebook page also carries selected postings on non-ACAP listed procellariiform seabirds, including gadfly petrels, shearwaters, diving petrels and storm petrels, as well as on conservation news of the listed birds' breeding localities.

Keeping up regular postings is only possible with the willing help of correspondents who alert ACAP of news, including of scientific publications in the peer-reviewed literature and of reports produced by Party governments and NGOs, as well as supply photographs.  Grateful thanks are extended to all such correspondents.  Especial thanks must go to the following who have regularly supplied information or helped in other material ways during the course of 2018:

Barry Baker, Latitude 42 Environmental Consultants, Australia; Susan Mvungi, Niven Library, University of Cape Town, South Africa; Ria Olivier, Antarctic Legacy of South Africa, Stellenbosch University; Hob Osterlund, Kaua’i Albatross Network, Hawaii, USA; and Richard Phillips, British Antarctic Survey.

On a more personal note I thank past and present members of the ACAP Secretariat for their continued support during 2018 in my role as honorary Information Officer for the Agreement: Christine Bogle, Executive Secretary; Marco Favero, past Executive Secretary and Wiesława Misiak, Science Officer.

See you all next year!

ACAP’s Information Officer also rides a bike!

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 31 December 2018