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The North Atlantic population of the Roseate Tern (Sterna dougallii dougallii) is distributed across the northeastern coast of the United States and Canada, Europe, the Caribbean, and North Africa. In northeastern North America, the species was classified as Endangered in 1987 by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, and it is the focus of national recovery plans in both the United States and Canada. In Europe, the Roseate Tern is considered a species that requires special conservation measures under Annex I of the European Union Birds Directive, and an action plan for recovery was initiated in 1987. Roseate Terns in the Caribbean have been less well studied, but anecdotal data suggest that the species is also declining in that region. Using survey data collected over the last three decades, we report on the abundance and distribution of the largest local population of Roseate Terns in the Caribbean, which breeds within the dual-territory archipelago of the Virgin Islands (United States Virgin Islands [USVI] and British Virgin Islands [BVI]). Our results reveal that breeding sites were not consistently occupied in every survey year. However, Kalkun Cay, Shark Island, Saba Island, and Leduck Island in the USVI, and Cockroach Island, Green Cay, Cistern Point, and the Seal Dog Islands in the BVI were identified as key breeding sites. The total breeding population in the Virgin Islands fluctuated between 745 and 2,750 breeding pairs over the survey period, a population size that is globally import- ant for this species as a whole. We observed a gradual decline in the Virgin Islands breeding population. Conservation for this species should focus on a continued cross-territory survey effort, habitat enhancement at the most populated breeding sites, and research into the effects of broader climatic and oceanographic patterns on this breeding population. Keywords Roseate Tern, seabird surveys, site fidelity, Sterna dougallii, Virgin Islands Resumen Abundancia y distribución de Sterna dougallii en las Islas Vírgenes—La población del Atlántico Norte de Sterna dougallii dougallii está distribuida a lo largo de la costa noreste de los Estados Unidos y Canadá, Europa, el Caribe y el norte de África. En el noreste de América del Norte, la especie fue clasificada como Amenazada en 1987 por el Servicio de Pesca y Vida Silvestre de los Estados Unidos y es el foco de planes nacionales de recuperación tanto en los Estados Unidos como en Canadá. En Europa, esta especie se considera que requiere medidas especiales de conservación en virtud del Anexo I de la Directiva sobre aves de la Unión Europea, y en 1987 se inició un plan de acción para su recuperación. En el Caribe, Sterna dougallii ha sido menos estudiada, pero los datos anecdóticos sugieren que también está disminuyendo. Reportamos sobre la abundancia y distribución de la mayor población reproductora local de esta especie en el Caribe, que se reproduce dentro del archipiélago de dos territorios de las Islas Vírgenes (Islas Vírgenes estadounidenses [USVI] e Islas Vírgenes Británicas [BVI]), con el uso de los datos de muestreos recopilados en las últimas tres décadas. Nuestros resultados revelan que los sitios de cría no estuvieron ocupados de manera constante durante los años muestreados. Sin embargo, Kalkun Cay, Shark Island, Saba Island y Leduck Island en las USVI y Cockroach Island, Green Cay, Cistern Point y las Seal Dog Islands en las BVI fueron identificados como sitios de cría clave. La población reproductora total en las Islas Vírgenes fluctuó entre 745 y 2.750 parejas reproductoras durante el período de muestreo, un tamaño poblacional que es importante a nivel mundial para esta especie en su conjunto. En esta población reproductora observamos un declive gradual. La conservación de esta especie debe centrarse en un esfuerzo de muestreo continuado a lo largo del territorio, la mejora del hábitat en los sitios de cría más poblados e investigacion sobre los efectos de patrones climáticos y oceanográficos más amplios en esta población reproductora. Palabras clave fidelidad al sitio, Islas Vírgenes, muestreos de aves marinas, Sterna dougallii Résumé Abondance et répartition de la Sterne de Dougall (Sterna dougallii) aux Îles Vierges — L’aire de répartition de la population de Sterne de Dougall de l’Atlantique Nord (Sterna dougallii dougallii) s’étend sur la côte nord-est des États-Unis et du Canada, la Caraïbe, l’Europe et l’Afrique du Nord. Au nord-est de l’Amérique du Nord, l’espèce a été classée dans la catégorie Endanger en 1987 par le Fish and Wildlife Service des États-Unis et fait l’objet de plans de rétablissement nationaux aux États-Unis et au Canada. En Europe, elle est considérée comme une espèce nécessitant des mesures de conservation spéciales au titre de l’Annexe I de la Directive « Oiseaux » de l’Union européenne. Un plan d’action en faveur du rétablissement de l’espèce a été lancé en 1987. La Sterne de Dougall a été moins bien étudiée dans la Caraïbe, mais des données ponctuelles indiquent qu’elle est également en déclin dans cette région. À l’aide de données recueillies au cours des trois dernières décennies, nous décrivons l’abondance et la répartition de la plus grande population nicheuse locale de Sterne de Dougall de la Caraïbe, qui se reproduit sur les deux territoires de l’archipel des Îles Vierges (Îles Vierges américaines [USVI] et Îles Vierges britanniques [BVI]). Nos résultats révèlent que les sites de reproduction n’étaient pas occupés de manière constante chaque année pendant la période d’étude. Cependant, Kalkun Cay, Shark Island, Saba Island et Leduck Island dans les Îles Vierges américaines, ainsi que Cockroach Island, Green Cay, Cistern Point et Seal Dog Islands dans les Îles Vierges britanniques, ont été identifiées comme étant des sites de reproduction clés. La population nicheuse totale dans les Îles Vierges a varié au cours de la période d’étude entre 745 et 2750 couples nicheurs, une taille de population d’une importance mondiale pour cette espèce prise dans son ensemble. Nous avons observé un déclin progressif de la population nicheuse des Îles Vierges. La conservation de cette espèce devrait être axée sur des efforts continus de suivi sur les deux territoires, l’amélioration de l’habitat dans les sites de reproduction les plus peuplés, ainsi que des recherches sur les effets des tendances climatiques et océanographiques plus larges sur cette population nicheuse. Mots clés étude des oiseaux marins, fidélité au site, Îles Vierges, Sterna dougallii, Sterne de Dougall

The 2017 Atlantic storm season caused widespread damage to Caribbean nations including the British Virgin Islands. The winds and rainfall associated with Hurricanes Irma and Maria played their part in the destruction of infrastructure, livelihoods and the environment. With an increased interest in nature-based solutions to reduce flood risk, increasing the resilience of coastal communities and a focus on three of the most vulnerable communities in the Virgin Islands, we report on the use of flood risk vulnerability models based on remotely sensed satellite data and ecosystem services principles. Models were created with 4 primary aims to: (1) monitor the impact of storms and the recovery of mangroves, (2) assess the risk of flooding due to hurricane storm surges and extra-tropical storms (ground seas), (3) model opportunity areas for the restoration of red mangroves (Rhizophora mangle) and buttonwood (Conocarpus erectus) and (4) model and produce maps highlighting the predicted benefits that mangrove restoration will have on vulnerable coastal communities. Results highlight that between 75 and 94% of red mangroves in the three communities were negatively impacted by hurricanes in 2017. However, vulnerability models predict that even small-scale mangrove restoration initiatives can help to reduce the flood risk of homes and infrastructure up to 475 m inland. This work has provided the rationale for mangrove restoration in the Virgin Islands and presents an important tool for expansion across the wider Caribbean region that can be used to inform coastal restoration and resiliency building activities.

Tracking of seabirds has been used to identify foraging hotspots, migratory routes and to assess at-sea threats facing populations. One such threat is the potential negative interaction between sea...

Knowing the spatial scales at which effective management can be implemented is fundamental for conservation planning. This is especially important for mobile species, which can be exposed to threats across large areas, but the space use requirements of different species can vary to an extent that might render some management approaches inefficient. Here the space use patterns of seabirds were examined to provide guidance on whether conservation management approaches should be tailored for taxonomic groups with different movement characteristics. Seabird tracking data were synthesised from 5419 adult breeding individuals of 52 species in ten families that were collected in the Atlantic Ocean basin between 1998 and 2017. Two key aspects of spatial distribution were quantified, namely how far seabirds ranged from their colony, and to what extent individuals from the same colony used the same areas at sea. There was evidence for substantial differences in patterns of space-use among the ten studied seabird families, indicating that several alternative conservation management approaches are needed. Several species exhibited large foraging ranges and little aggregation at sea, indicating that area-based conservation solutions would have to be extremely large to adequately protect such species. The results highlight that short-ranging and aggregating species such as cormorants, auks, some penguins, and gulls would benefit from conservation approaches at relatively small spatial scales during their breeding season. However, improved regulation of fisheries, bycatch, pollution and other threats over large spatial scales will be needed for wide-ranging and dispersed species such as albatrosses, petrels, storm petrels and frigatebirds. Fil: Oppel, Steffen. Royal Society For The Protection Of Birds; Fil: Bolton, Mark. Royal Society For The Protection Of Birds; Fil: Carneiro, Ana P.B.. Birdlife International; Fil: Dias, Maria P.. Birdlife International; Fil: Green, Jonathan A.. University of Liverpool; Reino Unido Fil: Masello, Juan F.. Justus Liebig University Giessen; Fil: Phillips, Richard A.. British Antarctic Survey; Fil: Owen, Ellie. Royal Society For The Protection Of Birds; Fil: Quillfeldt, Petra. Justus Liebig University Giessen; Fil: Beard, Annalea. Environmental And Natural Resources Directorate; Fil: Bertrand, Sophie. Universidad Federal Rural Pernambuco; Brasil. Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique. Institut de Recherche pour le Développement; Francia Fil: Blackburn, Jez. British Trust For Ornithology; Fil: Boersma, P. Dee. University Of Washington, Seattle; Fil: Borges, Alder. Projecto Vitó; Fil: Broderick, Annette C.. University of Exeter; Reino Unido Fil: Catry, Paulo. Ispa - Instituto Universitário; Portugal Fil: Cleasby, Ian. Royal Society For The Protection Of Birds; Fil: Clingham, Elizabeth. Environmental And Natural Resources Directorate; Fil: Creuwels, Jeroen. Naturalis Biodiversity Center; Fil: Crofts, Sarah. Falklands Conservation; Fil: Cuthbert, Richard J.. Royal Society For The Protection Of Birds; Fil: Dallmeijer, Hanneke. Veda Consultancy; Fil: Davies, Delia. University Of Cape Town; Fil: Davies, Rachel. Marinelife; Fil: Dilley, Ben J.. University Of Cape Town; Fil: Dinis, Herculano Andrade. Parque Natural Do Fogo; Fil: Dossa, Justine. Birdlife International; Fil: Dunn, Michael J.. British Antarctic Survey; Fil: Efe, Marcio A.. Universidade Federal de Alagoas; Brasil Fil: Fayet, Annette L.. University of Oxford; Reino Unido Fil: Figueiredo, Leila. Universidade Federal de Alagoas; Brasil Fil: Frederico, Adelcides Pereira. Projecto Vitó; Fil: Gjerdrum, Carina. Environment Canada; Canadá Fil: Godley, Brendan J.. University of Exeter; Reino Unido Fil: Granadeiro, José Pedro. Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa; Portugal Fil: Guilford, Tim. University of Oxford; Reino Unido Fil: Hamer, Keith C.. University Of Leeds; Fil: Hazin, Carolina. Birdlife International; Fil: Hedd, April. Environment Canada; Canadá Fil: Henry, Leeann. Environmental And Natural Resources Directorate; Fil: Hernández-Montero, Marcos. Projeto Biodiversidade; Fil: Hinke, Jefferson. Noaa Fisheries Service; Fil: Kokubun, Nobuo. National Institute Of Polar Research; Fil: Leat, Eliza. Ascension Island Government; Fil: Tranquilla, Laura McFarlane. Royal Society For The Protection Of Birds; . Environmental And Natural Resources Directorate; Fil: Metzger, Benjamin. Birdlife Malta; Malta Fil: Militão, Teresa. Universidad de Barcelona; España Fil: Montrond, Gilson. Projecto Vitó; Fil: Mullié, Wim. Veda Consultancy; Fil: Padget, Oliver. University of Oxford; Reino Unido Fil: Pearmain, Elizabeth J.. Birdlife International; Fil: Pollet, Ingrid L.. Bird Studies Canada; Canadá Fil: Pütz, Klemens. Antarctic Research Trust; Fil: Quintana, Flavio Roberto. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Centro Nacional Patagónico. Instituto de Biología de Organismos Marinos; Argentina Fil: Ratcliffe, Norman. British Antarctic Survey; Fil: Ronconi, Robert A.. Environment Canada; Canadá Fil: Ryan, Peter G.. University Of Cape Town; Fil: Saldanha, Sarah. Universidad de Barcelona; España Fil: Shoji, Akiko. University of Oxford; Reino Unido Fil: Sim, Jolene. Ascension Island Government; Fil: Small, Cleo. Royal Society For The Protection Of Birds; Fil: Soanes, Louise. University of Liverpool; Reino Unido Fil: Takahashi, Akinori. National Institute Of Polar Research; Fil: Trathan, Phil. British Antarctic Survey; Fil: Trivelpiece, Wayne. Noaa Fisheries Service; Fil: Veen, Jan. Veda Consultancy; Fil: Wakefield, Ewan. University of Glasgow; Reino Unido Fil: Weber, Nicola. University of Exeter; Reino Unido. Ascension Island Government; Fil: Weber, Sam. Ascension Island Government; . University of Exeter; Reino Unido Fil: Zango, Laura. Universidad de Barcelona; España Fil: González-Solís, Jacob. Universidad de Barcelona; España Fil: Croxall, John. Birdlife International

Population-level estimates of species' distributions can reveal fundamental ecological processes and facilitate conservation. However, these may be difficult to obtain for mobile species, especially colonial central-place foragers (CCPFs; e.g., bats, corvids, social insects), because it is often impractical to determine the provenance of individuals observed beyond breeding sites. Moreover, some CCPFs, especially in the marine realm (e.g., pinnipeds, turtles, and seabirds) are difficult to observe because they range tens to ten thousands of kilometers from their colonies. It is hypothesized that the distribution of CCPFs depends largely on habitat availability and intraspecific competition. Modeling these effects may therefore allow distributions to be estimated from samples of individual spatial usage. Such data can be obtained for an increasing number of species using tracking technology. However, techniques for estimating population-level distributions using the telemetry data are poorly developed. This is of concern because many marine CCPFs, such as seabirds, are threatened by anthropogenic activities. Here, we aim to estimate the distribution at sea of four seabird species, foraging from approximately 5,500 breeding sites in Britain and Ireland. To do so, we GPS-tracked a sample of 230 European Shags Phalacrocorax aristotelis, 464 Black-legged Kittiwakes Rissa tridactyla, 178 Common Murres Uria aalge, and 281 Razorbills Alca torda from 13, 20, 12, and 14 colonies, respectively. Using Poisson point process habitat use models, we show that distribution at sea is dependent on (1) density-dependent competition among sympatric conspecifics (all species) and parapatric conspecifics (Kittiwakes and Murres); (2) habitat accessibility and coastal geometry, such that birds travel further from colonies with limited access to the sea; and (3) regional habitat availability. Using these models, we predict space use by birds from unobserved colonies and thereby map the distribution at sea of each species at both the colony and regional level. Space use by all four species' British breeding populations is concentrated in the coastal waters of Scotland, highlighting the need for robust conservation measures in this area. The techniques we present are applicable to any CCPF.

1. In recent years, marine predator and seabird tracking studies have become ever more popular. However, they are often conducted without first considering how many individuals should be tracked and for how long they should be tracked in order to make reliable predictions of a population’s home-range area. 2. Home-range area analysis of two seabird-tracking data sets was used to define the area of active use (where birds spent 100% of their time) and the core foraging area (where birds spent 50% of their time). Analysis was conducted on the first foraging trip undertaken by the birds and then the first two, three and four foraging trips combined. Appropriate asymptotic models were applied to the data, and the calculated home-range areas were plotted as a function of an increasing number of individuals and trips included in the sample. Data were extrapolated from these models to predict the area of active use and the core foraging area of the colonies sampled. 3. Significant variability was found in the home-range area predictions made by analysis of the first foraging trip and the first four foraging trips combined. For shags, the first foraging trip predicted a 56% smaller area of active use when compared to the predictions made by combining the first four foraging trips. For kittiwakes, a 43% smaller area was predicted when comparing the first foraging trip with the four combined trips. 4. The number of individuals that would be required to predict the home range area of the colony depends greatly on the number of trips included in the analysis. This analysis predicted that 39 (confidence interval 29–73) shags and 83 (CI: 109–161) kittiwakes would be required to predict 95% of the area of active use when the first four foraging trips are included in the sample compared with 135 (CI 96–156) shags and 248 (164–484) kittiwakes when only the first trip is included in the analysis. 5. Synthesis and applications. Seabird and marine mammal tracking studies are increasingly being used to aid the designation of marine conservation zones and to predict important foraging areas. We suggest that many studies may be underestimating the size of these foraging areas and that better estimates could be made by considering both the duration and number of data logger deployments. Researchers intending to draw conclusions from tracking data should conduct a similar analysis of their data as used in this study to determine the reliability of their home-range area predictions.

With recent EU directives requiring that Europe must achieve 20% of its energy from renewable sources by 2020 the development of offshore wind, tidal and wave technologies is gaining momentum, increasing pressure on our already vulnerable marine systems and organisms. All EU countries are required to have Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) guidelines in place for such developments and whilst tracking studies of marine predators have been recommended to aid EIAs, they are as yet not a requirement. This study tracked Northern Gannets breeding on Les Etacs, a stack immediately offshore Alderney, Channel Islands, to determine their use of both local and international waters and examine the consistency between an individual's foraging trips. The 15 Northern Gannets that made at least two foraging trips foraged in three different territorial waters and their combined home-range area overlapped with nine potential offshore marine renewable energy developments. Repeatability between the first and second foraging trips made by an individual was apparent when considering the direction travelled and the maximum distance travelled from the colony, but not when considering the percentage overlap in core foraging areas, trip duration, or the total trip distance suggesting individuals did not appear to be dependent on specific foraging areas. Our findings highlight the need to consider all important seabird colonies which forage in the range of potential offshore developments and to use tracking technology to determine which colonies may be affected by such developments and the colony's dependence on these areas. Tracking studies of birds from important seabird colonies should form an integral part of the EIA process for marine renewable developments.

The at-sea distribution of seabirds primarily depends on the distance from their breeding colony, and the abundance, distribution and predictability of their prey, which are subject to strong spatial and temporal variation. Many seabirds have developed flexible foraging strategies to deal with this variation, such as increasing their foraging effort or switching to more predictable, less energy dense, prey, in poor conditions. These responses may vary both within and between individuals, and understanding this variability is vital to predict the population-level impacts of spatially explicit environmental disturbances, such as offshore windfarms. We conducted a multi-year tracking study in order to investigate the inter-annual variation in the foraging behaviour and location of a population of northern gannets breeding on Alderney in the English Channel. To do so, we investigated the link between individual-level behaviour and population-level behaviour. We found that a sample of gannets tracked in 2015 had longer trip durations, travelled further from the colony and had larger core foraging areas and home range areas than gannets tracked in previous years. This inter-annual variation may be associated with oceanographic conditions indexed by the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). Our findings suggest that this inter-annual variation was driven by individuals visiting larger areas in all of their trips rather than individuals diversifying to visit more, distinct areas. These findings suggest that, for gannets at least, if prey becomes less abundant or more widely distributed, more individuals may be required to forage further from the colony, thus increasing their likelihood of encountering pressures from spatially explicit anthropogenic disturbances.

Capsule Yellow Wagtails successfully raised two consecutive broods in landscapes dominated by autumn-sown crops and did not require spring crops or fallow plots for later nesting. Aims To assess whether arable landscapes dominated by winter cropping provide habitats that allow Yellow Wagtails to raise two successful broods. To assess the utility of spring cultivated agri-environment fallow plots as a nesting and foraging habitat for Yellow Wagtails. Methods Nesting success and foraging behaviour of Yellow Wagtails was monitored on lowland arable farmland dominated by winter cropping during two successive breeding seasons. Results Yellow Wagtails successfully raised first and second broods mainly in winter cereals, with later nests being more successful. Some nests were initiated in bean fields where egg-stage failure rates were high, probably as a consequence of depredation. Fallow plots were not used for nesting but, along with other areas of sparse vegetation, were regularly used for foraging. Conclusio...

Acoustic playback methods have been widely used to survey burrow-nesting petrels but playback stimuli typically yield low response rates. Digitally manipulated recordings of the calls of the European Storm Petrel were created with the aim of producing an acoustic “super-stimulus” which could be used to elicit a higher response rate to improve population census methods. However, the manipulated recordings elicited a lower response than those that were unmanipulated. We also compared two methods for estimating population size of European Storm Petrels based on playback responses and found that the du Feu method is more widely applicable and precise than the standard method widely used in the UK and Ireland.

As apex predators in marine ecosystems, seabirds may primarily experience climate change impacts indirectly, via changes to their food webs. Observed seabird population declines have been linked to climate-driven oceanographic and food web changes. However, relationships have often been derived from relatively few colonies and consider only sea surface temperature (SST), so important drivers, and spatial variation in drivers, could remain undetected. Further, explicit climate change projections have rarely been made, so longer-term risks remain unclear. Here, we use tracking data to estimate foraging areas for eleven black-legged kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla) colonies in the UK and Ireland, thus reducing reliance on single colonies and allowing calculation of colony-specific oceanographic conditions. We use mixed models to consider how SST, the potential energy anomaly (indicating density stratification strength) and the timing of seasonal stratification influence kittiwake productivity. Across all colonies, higher breeding success was associated with weaker stratification before breeding and lower SSTs during the breeding season. Eight colonies with sufficient data were modelled individually: higher productivity was associated with later stratification at three colonies, weaker stratification at two, and lower SSTs at one, whilst two colonies showed no significant relationships. Hence, key drivers of productivity varied among colonies. Climate change projections, made using fitted models, indicated that breeding success could decline by 21 – 43% between 1961-90 and 2070-99. Climate change therefore poses a longer-term threat to kittiwakes, but as this will be mediated via availability of key prey species, other marine apex predators could also face similar threats.

This Is the Place Bats, bees, seals, and many seabirds practice central-place foraging, leaving a central home site, such as a hive or a rookery, to forage in a specific territory. Such species also share the challenge of competing for local resources with individuals from separate colonies. Using satellite tags, Wakefield et al. (p. 68 , published online 6 June; see the Perspective by Weimerskirch ) followed over 180 northern gannets to determine potential drivers of foraging territory division. Boundaries among colonial territories arose as a result of competition with individuals from other territories. Individuals from the same colony appeared to share information about foraging sites, presumably contributing to the establishment and maintenance of specific, long-term colonial territories.

The Caribbean Island of Anguilla in the north-eastern Lesser Antilles is home to one of the last populations of the Critically Endangered Lesser Antillean iguanaIguana delicatissima. This population is highly threatened primarily because of hybridisation with non-nativeIguana iguana. This study assesses the degree of hybridisation between Anguilla’sIguanaspecies firstly using morphological characteristics and then genetic analysis to validate the genetic integrity of morphologically identifiedI. delicatissima. We also examined the genetic diversity of Anguilla’sI. delicatissimapopulation, and that of a population on the nearby island of Îlet Fourchue, St Barthélemy. Forty-five iguanas were captured in Anguilla and 10 in St Barthélemy, and sequences from 3 nuclear and 1 mtDNA genes were obtained for each. Of the 45 iguanas captured in Anguilla, 22 were morphologically identified asI. delicatissima, 12 asI. iguanaand the remainder were identified as hybrids. Morphological assignments were all confirmed by genetic analyses except for oneI. iguanaand one hybrid individual. These two individuals appeared likely to have originated following ancestral hybridisation events several generations ago. A significant paucity of genetic diversity was found within Anguillan and St BarthélemyI. delicatissimapopulations, with a single haplotype being identified for each of the three nuclear genes and the mtDNA sequence. This study highlights the urgency for immediate action to conserve Anguilla’s remnantI. delicatissimapopulation. Protection from hybridisation will require translocation toI. iguana-free offshore cays, with supplementary individuals being sourced from neighbouring islands to enhance the genetic diversity of the population.