Spatial scales of marine conservation management for breeding seabirds

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