David Costantini (Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium) and colleagues have published in the journal Oecologia on whether oxidative damage has a physiological cost of reproduction in long-lived Wandering Albatrosses Diomedea exulans.

The paper’s abstract follows:

Reproduction is a demanding activity for animals, since they must produce, and in some cases protect and provision, their young.  It is often overlooked that demands of reproduction may also be exacerbated by exposure to contaminants.  In this study, we make use of an exceptional long-term dataset to perform a cross-sectional study on the long-lived wandering albatross (Diomedea exulans) in order to test the effects of reproduction, persistent organic pollutants [POPs: pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)], mercury, individual age (3–47 years), and sex on the levels of plasma oxidative damage and inflammation.  The results of our study support the hypothesis that oxidative damage may be a physiological cost of reproduction and that individuals carrying higher levels of organic or non-organic contaminants have higher oxidative damage.  Levels of the inflammatory protein haptoglobin were similar between breeding and non-breeding birds, with the exception of breeding males which had the lowest levels of haptoglobin.  Our data also show an effect of age and of organic contaminants on the plasma oxidative damage level, but not on plasma haptoglobin.  In addition, plasma oxidative damage level increased with red blood cell mercury concentration in females but not in males.  Hence, our study highlights that the harmful effects of contaminants may come through interaction with factors like life stage or gender, suggesting potential for high variation in susceptibility to contamination among individuals.

An old Wandering Albatross guards its chick

Reference:

Costantini, D., Meillère, A., Carravieri, A., Lecomte, V., Sorci, G., Faivre, B., Weimerskirch, H., Bustamante, P., Labadie, P., Budzinski, H. & Chastel, O. 2014.  Oxidative stress in relation to reproduction, contaminants, gender and age in a long‑lived seabird.  Oecologia.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 05 July 2014

Jean-Baptiste Thiebot (Centre d'Études Biologiques de Chizé, Villiers-en-bois, France) and colleagues publish in the Japanese journal Ornithological Science on whether Black Rats Rattus rattus affect Amsterdam Albatrosses Diomedea amsterdamensis.

The paper’s abstract follows:

“Introduced mammals may have deleterious effects on avifauna.  We investigated whether such species may be affecting the breeding success of the critically endangered Amsterdam Albatrosses Diomedea amsterdamensis on its remote breeding island.  Twelve camera-traps deployed near albatross nests during the chick brooding period in 2011 captured 25,000 pictures. Two of them showed Black Rats Rattus rattus, but without revealing evidence of any direct interaction between the two species.  Breeding success in 2011 was similar to that in previous years (60%).  Our survey suggests that introduced mammals may not currently represent a primary direct threat to this population, but they might amplify the risks of chick mortality in case of disease outbreaks.”

Amsterdam Albatross, photograph by Scott Shaffer

Reference:

Thiebot, J.-B., Barbraud, C., Delord, K., Marteau, C. & Weimerskirch, H. 2014.  Do introduced mammals chronically impact the breeding success of the world's rarest albatross?  Ornithological Science 13: 41-46.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 04 July 2014

Carlos Teixeira (Instituto Superior Técnico, Departamento de Engenharia Mecânica I, Área Científica de Ambiente e Energia, Lisbon, Portugal) and colleagues have published in the Journal of Sea Research on the growth pattern of the Wandering Albatross Diomedea exulans.

The paper’s abstract follows:

“The Wandering Albatross (Diomedea exulans) and other seabirds exhibit a growing pattern that includes a period of body mass decrease before fledging.  Several hypotheses have been suggested to explain it without success.  We hypothesized that: 1) chicks and adults have similar metabolic traits regulating assimilation, growth and maturation; 2) there is a difference in locomotion effort between chicks and adults, and 3) chicks are exposed to a decline in food availability before fledging.  This set of hypotheses allows for an energy surplus to be available and stored in reserve during the first months of development, explaining the mass recession that starts before fledging and the fact that adults keep a lower weight than fledglings, throughout the rest of their life span.  To test this set of hypotheses we applied the Dynamic Energy Budget (DEB) theory.  Using a small set of life-history traits and growth curves we parameterized the DEB standard model.  We confirmed this set of hypotheses and estimated the pattern of decline in food availability that explains mass recession. An assessment of the daily energy intake was also performed.  The implications related to that energy flux and diet composition are discussed based on current knowledge. The DEB model for the Wandering Albatross also provided estimates for the adult daily food ingested by adults (464.06 kJ kg^- 1d^- 1), fasting capacity (25 d), Field Metabolic Rate (4.29 W kg^- 1) and Resting Metabolic Rate (2.87 W kg^- 1).  These values are consistent with the averages obtained in the field, suggesting that DEB may be useful to provide good estimations on a broader scale.”

Wandering Albatross and chick, photograph by Genevieve Jones

Reference:

Teixeira, C.M.G.L., Sousa, T., Marques, G.M., Domingos, T. & Kooijman, S.A.L. 2014.  A new perspective on the growth pattern of the Wandering Albatross (Diomedea exulans) through DEB theory.  Journal of Sea Research  DOI: 10.1016/j.seares.2014.06.006.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 03 July 2014

The Scientific Council of the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) will hear a report from its By-catch Working Group this week in Bonn, Germany at its 18th Meeting.

Inter alia, the council will review an assessment report (UNEP/CMS/ScC18/Inf.10.15.1) of bycatch in gill net fisheries and consider the outcomes of a technical workshop held in Christchurch, New Zealand last year to identify new operational or technical measures for reducing the risk to seabirds from gill and trawl nets (click here).

Black-browed Albatrosses gather behind a fishing trawler, photograph by Graham Parker

Management of marine debris and a draft resolution on the subject will also be discussed (click here) as will a review on the impact of invasive alien species on species protected under the Convention on Migratory Species.  In the latter document the successful Macquarie Island Pest Eradication Project (MIPEP) is treated as a case study.  The review also refers to the ACAP Conservation Guidelines document for the eradication of introduced mammals from breeding sites of ACAP-listed seabirds (click here).

See earlier ACAP Latest News reports on CMS-related activities here.

With thanks to Barry Baker, CMS Councillor for By-Catch for information.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 02 July 2014