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Understanding physical mechanisms underlying seabird foraging is fundamental to predict responses to coastal change. For instance, turbulence in thewater arising from natural or anthropogenic structures can affect foragingopportunities in tidal seas. Yet, identifying ecologically important localizedturbulence features (e.g. upwellings approximately 10–100 m) is limited byobservational scale, and this knowledge gap is magnified in volatile predators. Here, using a drone-based approach, we present the tracking of surface-foraging terns (143 trajectories belonging to three tern species) and dynamicturbulent surface flow features in synchrony. We thereby provide the earliestevidence that localized turbulence features can present physical foragingcues. Incorporating evolving vorticity and upwelling features within ahidden Markov model, we show that terns were more likely to activelyforage as the strength of the underlying vorticity feature increased, whileconspicuous upwellings ahead of the flight path presented a strong physicalcue to stay in transit behaviour. This clearly encapsulates the importance ofprevalent turbulence features as localized foraging cues. Our quantitativeapproach therefore offers the opportunity to unlock knowledge gaps inseabird sensory and foraging ecology on hitherto unobtainable scales.Finally, it lays the foundation to predict responses to coastal change toinform sustainable ocean development.

Several factors have been reported to structure the spatial and temporal patterns of sound scattering layers, including temperature, oxygen, salinity, light, and physical oceanographic conditions. In this study, we examined the spatiotemporal variability of acoustically detected sound scattering layers in the northern Gulf of Mexico to investigate the drivers of this variability, including mesoscale oceanographic features [e.g., Loop Current-origin water (LCOW), frontal boundaries, and Gulf Common Water]. Results indicate correlations in the vertical position and acoustic backscatter intensity of sound scattering layers with oceanographic conditions and light intensity. LCOW regions displayed consistent decreases, by a factor of two and four, in acoustic backscatter intensity in the upper 200 m relative to frontal boundaries and Gulf Common Water, respectively. Sound scattering layers had greater backscatter intensity at night in comparison to daytime (25x for frontal boundaries, 17x for LCOW, and 12x for Gulf Common Water). The importance of biotic (primary productivity) and abiotic (sea surface temperature, salinity) factors varied across oceanographic conditions and depth intervals, suggesting that the patterns in distribution and behavior of mesopelagic assemblages in low-latitude, oligotrophic ecosystems can be highly dynamic.

Albacore tuna (Thunnus alalunga) is an important target of tuna fisheries in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. The commercial catch of albacore is the highest globally among all temperate tuna species, contributing around 6% in weight to global tuna catches over the last decade. The accurate assessment and management of this heavily exploited resource requires a robust understanding of the species' biology and of the pattern of connectivity among oceanic regions, yet Indian Ocean albacore population dynamics remain poorly understood and its level of connectivity with the Atlantic Ocean population is uncertain. We analysed morphometrics and genetics of albacore (n = 1,874) in the southwest Indian (SWIO) and southeast Atlantic (SEAO) Oceans to investigate the connectivity and population structure. Furthermore, we examined the species' dispersal potential by modelling particle drift through major oceanographic features. Males appear larger than females, except in South African waters, yet the length-weight relationship only showed significant male-female difference in one region (east of Madagascar and Reunion waters). The present study produced a genetic differentiation between the southeast Atlantic and southwest Indian Oceans, supporting their demographic independence. The particle drift models suggested dispersal potential of early life stages from SWIO to SEAO and adult or sub-adult migration from SEAO to SWIO. This work was conducted in the framework of the GERMON project “N°759/DMSOI/2013” funded by the European Fisheries Funds EU FEP 2013-2015, IFREMER, and IRD

International audience; Many highly mobile species are known to use persistent pathways or corridors to move between habitat patches in which conditions are favorable for particular activities, such as breeding or foraging. In the marine realm, environmental variability can lead to the development of temporary periods of anomalous oceanographic conditions that can connect individuals to areas of habitat outside a population's usual range, or alternatively, restrict individuals from areas usually within their range, thus acting as ecological bridges or ecological barriers. These temporary features can result in novel or irregular trophic interactions and changes in population spatial dynamics, and, therefore, may have significant implications for management of marine ecosystems. Here, we provide evidence of ecological bridges and barriers in different ocean regions, drawing upon five case studies in which particular oceanographic conditions have facilitated or restricted the movements of individuals from highly migratory species. We discuss the potential population-level significance of ecological bridges and barriers, with respect to the life history characteristics of different species, and inter- and intra-population variability in habitat use. Finally, we summarize the persistence of bridge dynamics with time, our ability to monitor bridges and barriers in a changing climate, and implications for forecasting future climate mediated ecosystem change.

The Austral Ocean still hosts a great population of marine predators (i.e. penguins, albatross, and seals). Despite well studied, the functional approach investigating the relationship between prey and predators in the marine ecosystem is still poorly known. Knowledge on habitat selection and use of marine species is essential to better understand their ecology and behaviour. The knowledge about the ecology of key species is essential to characterise and identify the areas to protect and to predict the future of populations that may be affected by global changes. This is particularly true in an area where the natural ecosystems are more and more perturbed by anthropogenic activities (i.e. over-fishing, pollution, and climate change).The Macaroni penguin is the most abundant penguin species in the Austral Ocean (> 6 millions pairs). It is also the biggest consumer of secondary resources, in terms of biomass, in the world. Over the past 30 years the Macaroni penguin populations situated in South Georgia and Marion Island suffered of 30% population decline. At the moment, Kerguelen and Crozet Islands (French Southern Territories) still host more than 50% of their global population, however the foraging behaviour of this species is still poorly known.The objective of this research is to study the different foraging behaviour strategies of a pelagic seabird: the Macaroni penguin Eudyptes chrysoplophus during its whole breeding cycle (incubation, brood, crèche). The populations’object of study breed in different oceanographic conditions: the Kerguelen and Crozet archipelagos.The variation in foraging behaviour driven by energetic constraints, which is associated to the reproduction and to the biological production, has been studied in details.Telemetry data (i e. trajectories and diving behaviour) combined with environmental data obtained by remote sensing allowed determining that:1) Foraging strategies of Macaroni penguin breeding in two different locations differ in terms of movement, foraging effort and foraging niche during their breeding cycle in response to reproduction constraints. In incubation, both sexes carried out long journeys and targeted large oceanographic structures such as fronts, eddy and transport fronts. During the brooding phase, the females foraged closer to the colony adjusting their foraging behaviour based on their offspring needs, targeting the shelf and the slope. When crèche started, males targeted large scale structures whereas females still foraged on the slope. At this time, a shift in the diet composition was observed.2) The comparative approach between Kerguelen and Crozet allowed to highlighting differences in foraging strategies, in response to local environmental conditions. However, greater than expected variations in foraging areas were observed inter-site and inter-sex. These results have pointed out an unexpected phenotypic flexibility for a pelagic marine predator..This research investigated the entire breeding cycle of a penguin, a fact still rare in ecology. The observed degree of behavioural variability reiterates the imperative to take into account an entire cycle to better understand and define the foraging strategies of a species.; L’océan Austral abrite encore des populations exceptionnelles de prédateurs marins (manchots, albatros, phoques…). Bien qu’activement étudiés, l’approche fonctionnelle des relations proies-prédateurs souffre encore d’un manque de connaissances chez les prédateurs marins. Etudier comment ces animaux utilisent les habitats est essentiel pour mieux comprendre leur écologie. Par ailleurs, dans une période où les écosystèmes sont soumis à d’importantes pressions d’origine anthropique (surpêche, pollutions, changement climatique), la connaissance de l’écologie d’une espèce est primordiale pour bien caractériser les aires à protéger.Le gorfou macaroni Eudyptes chrysoplophus est un oiseau marin pélagique et constitue l’espèce de manchot la plus abondante dans l’océan Austral (> 6 millions de couples). Au cours des 30 dernières années, les effectifs des populations de Géorgie du Sud et de l’île Marion ont fait face à une diminution drastique (> 30%). Actuellement, les populations de gorfou macaroni des Terres Australes et Antarctiques Françaises (archipel des îles Crozet et îles Kerguelen) abritent encore plus de 50% des effectifs mondiaux. Cependant, les comportements de recherche alimentaire de ces deux populations étaient jusqu’à présent encore mal connues.Au cours de cette thèse, nous avons étudié les stratégies de recherche alimentaire du gorfou macaroni, au cours de l’intégralité de son cycle de reproduction (incubation, élevage et crèche) de Kerguelen et Crozet, îles caractérisés par des environnements océanographiques contrastés. Les ajustements du comportement alimentaire face aux contraintes énergétiques liées à la reproduction et aux variations de la production biologique de leurs environnements ont été examinés en détail.Grace à des mesures biologiques d’origine télémétrique et/ou d’appareil embarqué (trajectoires, comportement de plongées) couplées à des données satellitaires (données environnementales), nous avons pu mettre en évidence l’existence :1) d’un comportement de recherche alimentaire spécifique et de genre :Sur les 2 sites étudiés, un ajustement similaire des déplacements, de l’effort d’approvisionnement, du régime alimentaire a été observé en réponse aux contraintes énergétiques imposées par la reproduction. En incubation, les deux sexes ciblent principalement les fronts océanographiques, les tourbillons et les zones filamentaires situées en eaux pélagiques au cours de longs trajets. En période d’élevage, les femelles s’approvisionnent plus près des côtes, majoritairement sur le plateau et au bord des talus afin de pouvoir alimenter régulièrement la progéniture. En crèche, les mâles ciblent à nouveau les structures frontales tandis que les femelles restent inféodées aux talus. A ce stade, un changement de la composition du régime alimentaire a également été observé. A l’aide de la littérature, nous avons pu observer que cette stratégie semble opérer à l’échelle de l’aire de répartition de l’espèce.2) d’une plasticité phénotypique inattendue :L’approche comparative entre les îles Kerguelen et Crozet a permis de mettre en évidence une différence des stratégies d’approvisionnement entre les deux localités. Ceci nous a permis d’aborder le degré de profitabilité de chaque localité. Par ailleurs, des variations d’éloignements à la colonie inter - site et intra – sexe plus importantes qu’attendues ont été observées mettant en évidence une flexibilité phénotypique insoupçonnée pour un prédateur marin pélagique.Cette étude est l’une des rares ayant couvert l’ensemble d’un cycle de reproduction chez les manchots. L’importante variabilité comportementale démontrée réitère le besoin impératif de prendre en compte l’intégralité d’un cycle pour mieux comprendre et définir les stratégies d’approvisionnement d’une espèce.

The zooplanktivorous whale shark (Rhincodon typus), is the largest living chondrichthyan and a cosmopolitan species, living in tropical, warm and temperate waters. It is considered vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and is known for big aggregations in many parts of the world. These are associated with particular oceanographic features where primary productivity is thought to be high. For the first time, four whale shark feeding aggregations are documented in Golfo Dulce, Costa Rica, a tropical fjord-like embayment located in the south Pacific region of the country. Observations were made in January and August 2009, March 2012 and in January 2013, Estimated group structure and size remained constant over time with an equal proportion of adults and juveniles in the same area. These aggregations were observed on the north-western coast of Golfo Dulce’s inner basin, close to the Rincón and Tigre rivers. These two rivers are known to provide organic material which area important nutrients for the gulf zooplanktonic communities. During one of the observed feeding aggregations, copepods (Order: Calanoida) were seen in the water close to feeding individuals. Given the vulnerability of whale sharks, management decisions for Golfo Dulce need to include strategies to control tourism, boat circulation, commercial and sports fisheries and coastal development. El tiburón ballena (Rhincodon typus), es el condrictio viviente más grande del mundo, con una distribución cosmopolita, encontrándose tanto en mares tropicales como subtropicales. La Unión Mundial para la Conservación (IUCN) lo clasifico como vulnerable y con una tendencia poblacional en disminución, conocido por realizar grandes agregaciones alrededor del mundo, relacionadas a procesos oceanográficos que incrementan la productividad primaria del ambiente marino. Por primera vez, se reporta cuatro eventos de alimentación de tiburón ballena dentro de la cuenca interna de Golfo Dulce, un fiordo tropical ubicado en la costa del Pacífico Sur de Costa Rica. Los avistamientos fueron realizados en enero y agosto del 2009, marzo 2012 y enero del 2013, donde la estructura y tamaño de los grupos se mantuvo constante en el tiempo encontrándose una proporción similar de adultos y juveniles. Estas agregaciones fueron observadas en la costa occidental de Golfo Dulce en un área que abarcaba los 23km, cerca de los ríos Rincón y Tigre, siendo estos los responsables de una alta concentración de nutrientes que favorecen la presencia de comunidades planctónicas. Durante las agregaciones se observó la presencia de zooplancton en la columna de agua, copépodos (Orden: Calanoidea). Dada la vulnerabilidad del tiburón ballena, es de suma importancia la implementación de estrategias de manejo de las actividades antropogénicas que se desarrollan en el Golfo, como son las actividades turísticas, desarrollo costero, aumento del tráfico marítimo, y la pesca comercial y deportiva, que ponen en riesgo a esta especie bandera.

Resumen El tiburón ballena (Rhincodon typus), es el condrictio viviente más grande del mundo, con una distribución cosmopolita, encontrándose tanto en mares tropicales como subtropicales. La Unión Mundial para la Conservación (IUCN) lo clasifico como vulnerable y con una tendencia poblacional en disminución, conocido por realizar grandes agregaciones alrededor del mundo, relacionadas a procesos oceanográficos que incrementan la productividad primaria del ambiente marino. Por primera vez, se reporta cuatro eventos de alimentación de tiburón ballena dentro de la cuenca interna de Golfo Dulce, un fiordo tropical ubicado en la costa del Pacífico Sur de Costa Rica. Los avistamientos fueron realizados en enero y agosto del 2009, marzo 2012 y enero del 2013, donde la estructura y tamaño de los grupos se mantuvo constante en el tiempo encontrándose una proporción similar de adultos y juveniles. Estas agregaciones fueron observadas en la costa occidental de Golfo Dulce en un área que abarcaba los 23km, cerca de los ríos Rincón y Tigre, siendo estos los responsables de una alta concentración de nutrientes que favorecen la presencia de comunidades planctónicas. Durante las agregaciones se observó la presencia de zooplancton en la columna de agua, copépodos (Orden: Calanoidea). Dada la vulnerabilidad del tiburón ballena, es de suma importancia la implementación de estrategias de manejo de las actividades antropogénicas que se desarrollan en el Golfo, como son las actividades turísticas, desarrollo costero, aumento del tráfico marítimo, y la pesca comercial y deportiva, que ponen en riesgo a esta especie bandera. Abstract The zooplanktivorous whale shark (Rhincodon typus), is the largest living chondrichthyan and a cosmopolitan species, living in tropical, warm and temperate waters. It is considered vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and is known for big aggregations in many parts of the world. These are associated with particular oceanographic features where primary productivity is thought to be high. For the first time, four whale shark feeding aggregations are documented in Golfo Dulce, Costa Rica, a tropical fjord-like embayment located in the south Pacific region of the country. Observations were made in January and August 2009, March 2012 and in January 2013, Estimated group structure and size remained constant over time with an equal proportion of adults and juveniles in the same area. These aggregations were observed on the north-western coast of Golfo Dulce’s inner basin, close to the Rincón and Tigre rivers. These two rivers are known to provide organic material which area important nutrients for the gulf zooplanktonic communities. During one of the observed feeding aggregations, copepods (Order: Calanoida) were seen in the water close to feeding individuals. Given the vulnerability of whale sharks, management decisions for Golfo Dulce need to include strategies to control tourism, boat circulation, commercial and sports fisheries and coastal development. Rev. Biol. Trop. 63 (Suppl. 1): 299-306. Epub 2015 April 01.

A grid of 28 stations on the continental shelf and slope region west of Ireland, which included the Porcupine Bank and the Porcupine Sea Bight, was sampled for net phytoplankton in the summer (June and July) of 1995. Armoured dinoflagellates were recorded on both a relative abundance and presence/absence basis. Results showed good agreement with the physical circulation of the region, based on an analysis of seasonal current meter data from the upper 500 m of the water column. The distributions of some dinoflagellate species, known to have either a mainly oceanic or warm temperate distribution, indicated the existence of two separate slope currents in the region, one along the Irish Shelf with a source in the Bay of Biscay, and the other along the western slope of the Porcupine Bank fed by the North Atlantic Current waters. The data presented here support the idea that, in summer at least, the slope current west of Ireland is not entirely coherent in the upper layers of the water column.

Tese(doutorado) - Universidade Federal do Rio Grande, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Oceanografia Biológica, Instituto de Oceanografia, 2010. Como típico ambiente marinho dominado por corrente de contorno oeste, a margem continental brasileira apresenta uma baixa produtividade biológica, especialmente no pelagial. Processos oceanográficos como frentes termais, vórtices e áreas de ressurgência determinam alterações nas características físico-químicas, através de processos de mistura e renovação de nutrientes. Tais feições oceanográficas podem aumentar a produtividade e concentrar biomassa. A metodologia hidroacústica é amplamente aplicada para prospectar, mapear e estimar a abundância de pequenos peixes pelágicos, bem como em estudos de ecologia das espécies, correlacionando as ocorrências de agregações biológicas a processos oceanográficos de enriquecimento. Dados satelitais da cor do oceano e de TSM têm sido frequentemente utilizados para mapear processos oceanográficos, especialmente por proporcionar uma visão sinóptica bidimensional dos oceanos a nível global, com alta resolução espacial e temporal dos dados. O presente estudo teve por objetivo principal correlacionar padrões de distribuição e abundância de organismos pelágicos a processos oceanográficos que operam em escalas da ordem de dezenas a centenas de milhas náuticas e de dias a meses, através da análise de dados hidroacústicos e ambientais coletados in situ, a partir de cinco cruzeiros de pesquisa realizados entre o Chuí e a costa do Ceará, e de dados satelitais. A análise dos dados de densidade acústica, associados às informações satelitais permitiu avaliar a relação entre processos de larga escala espaço temporal e o acúmulo de densidade biológica em uma ampla área da ZEE brasileira. A utilização de dados satelitais foi fundamental para observar processos oceanográficos em uma escala espacial mais ampla do que a dos dados coletados in situ, permitindo assim o acompanhamento da evolução de importantes processos oceanográficos, sobretudo na região SE-S. Foi possível traçar um comparativo em termos gerais entre as macrorregiões da costa (SE-S, Central e Nordeste) em termos de complexidade ambiental associada a processos oceanográficos, que é decrescente do sul do Brasil em direção a região nordeste. Na região SE-S a disponibilidade de dados em diferentes estações do ano permitiu avaliar respostas biológicas às diferentes condições ambientais observadas. No período de Inverno obteve-se correlação negativa entre densidade acústica e TSM para a área ao sul do Cabo de Santa Marta Grande e positiva para a área ao norte, indicando a atuação de dois sistemas antagônicos de larga escala espacial, ambos promovendo aumento da densidade biológica. Quando os mesmos dados foram analisados em conjunto não se observou correlação entre o acúmulo de organismos e a TSM, devido à anulação causada pelo antagonismo dos processos. O avanço da massa de água fria transportada de sul para norte no período de inverno promove um importante aporte de energia no extremo sul da área. A primavera/verão corresponde ao período com maior disponibilidade de biomassa na região SES, refletindo a alta produtividade do sistema neste período. Nas regiões Central e Nordeste, devido a homogeneidade e estabilidade em termos de processos oceanográficos não se observa correlação entre densidade acústica e dados satelitais. As a typical marine environment dominated by western boundary currents, the Brazilian continental margin has low biological productivity, especially in the pelagic system. Oceanographic processes such as thermal fronts, eddies and upwelling areas determine changes in physicochemical characteristics, through processes of mixing and nutrient renovation. These oceanographic features may increase productivity and concentrate biomass. The hydroacoustic method is widely applied to the assessment, mapping and also to estimate the abundance of small pelagic fishes, as well as in ecology of many marine species, in order to correlate the occurrence of biological aggregations to oceanographic processes of enrichment. Satellite data of the ocean color and SST have been frequently used to map oceanographic processes, especially to obtain a two-dimensional synoptic view of the global ocean, with high spatial and temporal resolution. This study aimed to investigate patterns of abundanc and distribution of pelagic organisms and to correlate them to oceanographic processes which operate on scales of the order of tens to hundreds of nautical miles and days to months, through the analysis of hydroacoustic and environmental data collected in situ on five research cruises along the Brazilian coast, from Chui (RS) to the coast of Ceará (CE). The analysis of the acoustic densities associated with satellite information provided the basis to evaluate the relationship between large scale temporal and spatial processes and the accumulation of biological density above a large area of the Brazilian EEZ. The use of satellite data was essential to observe oceanographic processes on a spatial scale larger than the environmental data collected in situ, allowing the observation of the development of major oceanographic processes, specially in the SE-S area. It was possible to draw, in general terms, a comparison among macro regions of the SE-S, Central and Northeast coasts in terms of the environmental complexity associated with the oceanographic processes, which decreases from the south of Brazil towards the northeast. The availability of data to the SE-S region, in three different seasons, allowed to investigate biological responses to different environmental patterns. In the winter it was calculated a negative correlation between acoustic density and SST for the area to the south of Cabo de Santa Marta Grande, and positive for the area to the north, indicating the occurrence of two antagonistic systems of large spatial scale, both associated with high biological density. When those data were analyzed together there was no correlation between the accumulation of organisms and SST, due to the effect caused by the antagonism of the processes. The progressive movement of cold water transported from the south towards the north during the winter promotes a significant amount of new energy in the south part of this region. Spring/summer time was the period with greater availability of biomass in the SE-S region, reflecting the high productivity of the system during this season. In the Central and Northeast zones, due to homogeneity and stability of the oceanographic processes it was not observed correlation between density and acoustic satellite data.

A review of the distribution of phytoplankton in coastal, shelf and estuarine waters around Ireland was undertaken to consolidate our understanding of the ecology of these organisms in the region. In broad terms, the review has highlighted the relative importance of vertical water column stability and horizontal transport processes in influencing the abundance and composition of phytoplankton. In coastal waters, the seasonal stabilization and de-stabilization of the water column accounts for most of the natural variation in both phytoplankton species composition and biomass. Much of the remaining natural variability can be explained by the interaction of phytoplankton with a number of oceanographic features and processes such as the presence of tidal and thermohaline fronts, wind and topographically associated coastal upwelling, advection landward of offshore water masses and the flow of coastal and oceanic currents. In estuarine waters, the scenario is somewhat reversed, and although seasonality is important in broad terms, the structure of phytoplankton populations is determined more by local factors operating over much smaller time-scales in the order of days and weeks. The interplay of these factors, such as the periodic rise and fall of the tide and episodic changes in river flow, creates a broad range of conditions that result in greater variation in phytoplankton biomass, while at the same time selecting for a reduced number of species that are adapted to survive in this highly changeable environment.

International audience; Despite increasing evidence that marine predators associate with mesoscale eddies, how these marine features influence foraging movements is still unclear. This study investigates the relationship of at-sea movements of king penguins to mesoscale eddies using oceanographic remote sensing and movement data from43individual trips over 4 years. Simultaneous satellite measurements provided information on gradients of sea surface temperature and currents associated with eddies determined from altimetry. Penguins tended to swim rapidly with currents as they traveled towards foraging zones. Swimming speed indicative of foraging occurred within mesoscale fronts and strong currents associated with eddies at the Polar Front. These results demonstrate the importance of mesoscale eddies in directing foraging efforts to allow predators to rapidly get to rich areas where high concentrations of prey are likely to be encountered.When returning to the colony to relieve the incubating partner or to feed the chick, the birds followed a direct and rapid path, seemingly ignoring currents.