Ph.D. defense : Sergi Pérez Jorge !!

Indiviudal dolphin with increasing marking level M1,M2 and M3 (photo: S. Pérez)

Sergi Pérez has successfully defended his Ph.D thesis on the ecology of the common bottlenose dolphin at the protected area Kisite-Mpunguti in Kenya. The thesis, supervised by Prof. D. Oro and Dr. M Louzao, has been presented the University of Cadiz (Spain).  You can read Sergi's work here.

Pérez, S. 2015. Ecologia del delfín Mular del Indo-Pacifico  en el área marina protegida de Kisite-Mpunguti, Kenia. Ph.D. Thesis, University of Cadiz, Spain.
 
Visca, Sergi!!!

The 2015 Introductory Course on CMRR analysis has ended: see you next year!

The 2015 Introductory Course on CMRR analysis has ended last friday. Thanks to all participants. We had the opportunity to learn about Oryx and Wolves, Cormorants, Bears, Butterflies, Small mammals, Woodcocks, about hunting, conservations and wind farms.  It has been the opportunity to address scientific questions and, on top of all, to meet nice people.  Thank you again.

Debating about GOF and AIC, of course (apologises for the missing persons, it is the only pic I have)

See you next year, last week of November, as always.

New Publication on Leatherback turtles

Tomillo, P., Saba, V. S., Lombard, C. D., Valiulis, J. M., Robinson, N. J., Paladino, F.V., Spotila, J. R., Fernández, C., Rivas, M.L., Tucek, J., Nel, R. nd Oro, D. 2015. Global analysis of the effect of local climate on the hatchling output of leatherback turtles. Scientific Report, DOI: 10.1038/srep16789

Photo from www.seeturtles.org

Summary: The most recent climate change projections show a global increase in temperatures along with precipitation changes throughout the 21st century. However, regional projections do not always match global projections and species with global distributions may exhibit varying regional susceptibility to climate change. Here we show the effect of local climatic conditions on the hatchling output of leatherback turtles (Dermochelys coriacea) at four nesting sites encompassing the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Oceans. We found a heterogeneous effect of climate. Hatchling output increased with long-term precipitation in areas with dry climatic conditions (Playa Grande, Pacific Ocean and Sandy Point, Caribbean Sea), but the effect varied in areas where precipitation was high (Pacuare, Caribbean Sea) and was not detected at the temperate site (Maputaland, Indian Ocean). High air temperature reduced hatchling output only at the area experiencing seasonal droughts (Playa Grande). Climatic projections showed a drastic increase in air temperature and a mild decrease in precipitation at all sites by 2100. The most unfavorable conditions were projected for Sandy Point where hatching success has already declined over time along with precipitation levels. The heterogeneous effect of climate may lead to local extinctions of leatherback turtles in some areas but survival in others by 2100.

New Book !!!!! Edited by R. Spotila and P. Santidrián Tomillo: The Leatherback Turtle - Biology and Conservation

New book out now!! 
The leatherback Turtle, Biology and Conservation. 
 Edited by J. R. Spotila and P. Santidrián Tomillo. Johns Hopkins University Press.

Weighing as much as 2,000 pounds and reaching lengths of over seven feet, leatherback turtles are the world’s largest reptile. These unusual sea turtles have a thick, pliable shell that helps them to withstand great depths—they can swim more than one thousand meters below the surface in search of food. And what food source sustains these goliaths? Their diet consists almost exclusively of jellyfish, a meal they crisscross the oceans to find.Leatherbacks have been declining in recent decades, and some predict they will be gone by the end of this century. Why? Because of two primary factors: human redevelopment of nesting beaches and commercial fishing. There are only twenty-nine index beaches in the world where these turtles nest, and there is immense pressure to develop most of them into homes or resorts. At the same time, longline and gill net fisheries continue to overwhelm waters frequented by leatherbacks.
In The Leatherback Turtle, James R. Spotila and Pilar Santidrián Tomillo bring together the world’s leading experts to produce a volume that reveals the biology of the leatherback while putting a spotlight on the conservation problems and solutions related to the species. The book leaves us with options: embark on the conservation strategy laid out within its pages and save one of nature’s most splendid creations, or watch yet another magnificent species disappear.

James R. Spotila is the L. Drew Betz Chair Professor of Environmental Science at Drexel University and director of the Center for Biodiversity and Conservation. The founding president of the International Sea Turtle Society and chairman of the board of The Leatherback Trust, he is the author of Sea Turtles: A Complete Guide to Their Biology, Behavior, and Conservation and Saving Sea Turtles: Extraordinary Stories from the Battle against Extinction.  

Pilar Santidrián Tomillo is a Marie Curie Fellow at the Mediterranean Institute for Advanced Studies and the research director of The Leatherback Trust.

 
(have a look inside here)
 

New publication on Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins - Kenya

Pérez-Jorge, S., Pereira, T., Corne, C., Wijtten, Z., Omar, M.,  Katello, J., Kinyua, M., Oro, D., amd Louzao, M. 2015.Can Static Habitat Protection Encompass Critical Areas for Highly Mobile Marine Top Predators? Insights from Coastal East Africa PloSOne DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0133265

Abstract: Along the East African coast, marine top predators are facing an increasing number of anthropogenic threats which requires the implementation of effective and urgent conservation measures to protect essential habitats. Understanding the role that habitat features play on the marine top predator’ distribution and abundance is a crucial step to evaluate the suitability of an existing Marine Protected Area (MPA), originally designated for the protection of coral reefs. We developed species distribution models (SDM) on the IUCN data deficient Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops aduncus) in southern Kenya. We followed a comprehensive ecological modelling approach to study the environmental factors influencing the occurrence and abundance of dolphins while developing SDMs. Through the combination of ensemble prediction maps, we defined recurrent, occasional and unfavourable habitats for the species. Our results showed the influence of dynamic and static predictors on the dolphins’ spatial ecology: dolphins may select shallow areas (5-30 m), close to the reefs (< 500 m) and oceanic fronts (< 10 km) and adjacent to the 100m isobath (< 5 km).We also predicted a significantly higher occurrence and abundance of dolphins within the MPA. Recurrent and occasional habitats were identified on large percentages on the existing MPA (47% and 57% using presence-absence and abundance models respectively). However, the MPA does not adequately encompass all occasional and recurrent areas and within this context, we propose to extend the MPA to incorporate all of them which are likely key habitats for the highly mobile species. The results from this study provide two key conservation and management tools: (i) an integrative habitat modelling approach to predict key marine habitats, and (ii) the first study evaluating the effectiveness of an existing MPA for marine mammals in the Western Indian Ocean.

Kenya Marine Mammal Network

GEP on AIR!

Alejandro Martinez-Abrain speaks of the New Paradigm of Conservation Biology at "Balears fa Ciència", here (at min.15)

New publication on Egyptian vulture!

Sanz-Aguilar A, Sánchez-Zapata JA, Carrete M, Benítez JR, Ávila E, Arenas R & Donázar JA. 2015. Action on multiple fronts, illegal poisoning and wind farm planning, is required to reverse the decline of the Egyptian vulture in Southern Spain. Biological Conservation  187:10-18.

Abstract: Large body-sized avian scavengers, including the Egyptian vulture (Neophron percnopterus), are globally threatened due to human-related mortality so guidelines quantifying the efficacy of different management approaches are urgently needed. We used 14 years of territory and individual-based data on a small and geographically isolated Spanish population to estimate survival, recruitment and breeding success. We then forecasted their population viability under current vital rates and under management scenarios that mitigated the main sources of non-natural mortality at breeding grounds (fatalities from wind farms and illegal poisoning).

Photo: A. Atienza

Mean breeding success was 0.68 (SD=0.17) under current conditions. Annual probabilities of survival were 0.72 (SE=0.06) for fledglings and 2 yr old non-breeders, 0.73 (SE=0.04) for non-breeders older than 2 yrs old and 0.93 (SE=0.04) for breeders. Probabilities of recruitment were 0 for birds aged 1 to 4, 0.10 (SE=0.06) for birds aged 5 and 0.19 (SE=0.09) for older birds. Population viability analyses estimated an annual decline of 3-4% of the breeding population under current conditions. Our results indicate that only by combining different management actions in the breeding area, especially by removing the most important causes of human-related mortality (poisoning and collisions on wind farms), will the population grow and persist in the long term. Reinforcement with captive breeding may also have positive effects but only in combination with the reduction in causes of non-natural mortality. These results, although obtained for a focal species, may be applicable to other endangered populations of long-lived avian scavengers inhabiting southern Europe.

Seabirdstagram in action!

Seabirdstagram, the recently created free mobile App tool to facilitate the transfer of information on by-catch events, starts giving the first images of seabirds at sea!!

Find below the first image received and the location of the event.

And the map...

Many thanks to the fisherman who used the app!!!

Collaboration between researchers and fishermen surely will be a major step towards a better knowledge and Conservation of the Seas.

New Publication

Sergio,F., Schmitz, O. J., Krebs, C.J., Holt, R.D., Heithaus, M. R., Wirsing, A. J., Ripple, W. J., Ritchie, E., Ainley, D., Oro, D., Jhala, Y.,Hiraldo, F. and Korpimmäki, E. 2014 .Towards a cohesive, holistic view of top predation: a definition, synthesis and perspective Oikos, DOI: 10.1111/oik.01468

Research on the ecology of top predators – upper trophic level consumers that are relatively free from predation once they reach adult size – has provided regular contributions to general ecology and is a rapidly expanding and increasingly experimental, multidisciplinary and technological endeavour. Yet, an exponentially expanding literature coupled with rapid disintegration into specialized, disconnected subfields for study (e.g. vertebrate predators versus invertebrate predators, community ecology versus biological control etc.) increasingly means that we are losing a coherent, integrated understating of the role and importance of these species in ecosystems. This process of canalization is likely to hinder sharing of scientific discovery and continued progress, especially as there is a growing need to understand the generality of the top–down forcing, as demonstrated for some members of this group. Here, we propose ways to facilitate synthesis by promoting changes in mentality and awareness among specialists through increased debate and collaboration, conceptual reviews and a series of exemplary case studies. The strategy will rely on the collective contribution by all scientists in the field and will strive to consolidate and formalise top-order predation as a holistic, cohesive, cross-taxonomical field of research studying the ecology, evolution and behaviour of apex predators and their capability to exert top–down forcing on lower trophic levels. (Photo: F. Sergio)

The ecological detective in video

I had the opportunity recently to give a talk at the Universities of Vigo, Santiago and Coruña with the excuse of the presentation of my popular science book "El detective ecológico: reflexiones sobre historia natural". Despite the title of the book my reflections are on ecology, evolution and conservation biology although directly inspired by the observation of the natural world in the field. I did not cover exactly the content of the book in my talks, not to upset would be readers, but I talked about some of my main interests and concerns in these three big fields. You may listen and watch the entire conference if you please under the following:

LINK TO THE TALK

LINK TO QUESTIONS FROM THE PUBLIC

The video was recorded at the University of Vigo and I thank Xose Holgado for his good work with this. I am also thankful to Dr. Alberto Velando for organizing the talk.

(Alejandro Martínez-Abraín, PhD)