
Marine Biology, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 171(8)
Published: July 13, 2024
Abstract Effective seabird conservation requires understanding their marine spatial ecology. Tracking can reveal details of foraging ecology and habitat use, as well the suitability protected areas for at-sea conservation, but results are often regionally specific. Here we characterised behaviour tropical breeding brown boobies Sula leucogaster in Chagos Archipelago, Western Indian Ocean, tested requirements. GPS tracking thirteen individuals from two colonies, located 142 km apart on same atoll (Great Bank), showed similar effort preferences despite differences season stage. Brown both tracked populations foraged close to colony along shelf edge, avoiding deep oceanic shallow waters Great Bank atoll, within Archipelago Marine Protected Area. Sea-level height anomaly sea surface temperature were important predictors at sites, although birds experienced distinct environmental conditions between colonies. These suggest that while have colony-specific areas, similarities drivers distribution inform predictions distributions other colonies archipelago, with benefits efforts.
Language: Английский