United States

**Abstract:**

Seabirds are highly mobile animals, flying vast distances across open oceans on a single foraging trip or a long migration journey. Identifying the drivers of seabird movements, and the fitness consequences of variation in these movements, is key to understanding the mechanisms shaping their ecology and ultimately to predict how their distribution and populations may be affected by environmental change. Multi-colony studies are a powerful tool to identify large-scale ecological drivers of seabird movement, measure variation between populations and understand how these may affect population dynamics. I illustrate this claim with three examples of multi-colony studies I have recently been leading, from a small-scale comparison of two populations to an ocean-wide study, all of which have yielded important ecological findings. First, studying the spatial ecology and breeding behaviour of two seemingly similar populations of tropicbirds in the Indian Ocean reveals stark differences between the two locations, suggesting underlying differences in environmental conditions and highlighting the need for distinct conservation approaches. Second, a larger-scale comparison of the foraging ecology of four colonies of Atlantic puffins in the UK, Iceland and Norway with different population trends and breeding performance helps us to identify drivers of population declines. Finally, a species-wide study of thirteen puffin colonies across the North Atlantic unveils key ecological drivers of migration.

**Authors:**

Annette Fayet¹

¹University of Oxford

3rd World Seabird Conference

Drivers of seabird movements and their fitness consequences: insights from multi-colony tracking

Welcome Seabirders!  

Welcome to Virtual World Seabird Conference 3 - vWSC3! Whether you are in your office or lab, at home, in a coffee shop or bar poaching some wifi, or at a remote field site or research vessel – we are very excited to welcome you to the third ever World Seabird Conference. 

We would like to thank ALL of you for being so patient as WSC3 was scheduled, postponed, rescheduled, revised to virtual, and scheduled again. Throughout all those iterations there was one message that remained perfectly clear – seabirders were eager to meet and share their science. If we could not meet in person then virtual it would have to be, but a 3rd WSC was something everyone wanted. That support and commitment helped the WSU Board of Directors and Member Societies sort through all of the challenges they faced to plan and hold this conference. 

The list of those that need to be thanked is long and, while we plan on recognizing many during the live closing plenary, it is important to do so here in writing as well. 

The Australasian Seabird Group was our Local Host for our plan to meet in Hobart, Tasmania. They invested substantial time and effort to find venues and plan events that we unfortunately were not able to visit. Nonetheless we appreciate their work on behalf of WSC3 and encourage all of you to thank them when you see their members in Gathertown or elsewhere during our virtual meeting. Their willingness to host created the initial excitement for WSC3 and without that our vWSC would not have been possible.

We also wish to thank the Science Program Committee, the Virtual Committee, and the Early Career Scientist Committee for their hard work planning the logistics, events, and schedule for vWSC3. These committees also had to deal with changing parameters and short timelines that made what is always a challenging task even more challenging. The Travel Awards Committee also invested time and effort in developing procedures for awarding travel funds that ultimately would not be implemented. 

Our ability to shift from an in-person to a virtual meeting, and to do so in a way that would be financially feasible, was due to the effective efforts of The International Fundraising Committee and to our financial sponsors. The IFC raised funds to support WSC3 and then, through the good relationships they built with sponsors, ensured we could re-envision how those funds could be used to support a virtual conference that would be affordable and high-quality.

We all owe the WSU Board of Directors and the Representatives of the Member Societies a great deal of thanks. They are the ones who manage the WSU and, for the past 18 months, have had to have a series of challenging meetings and conversations, have had to make a series of difficult choices, have had to do all of that while considering the short- and long-term health of WSU and the World Seabird Conferences, and did this while also managing their own challenges at their day jobs. We are grateful for their diligence, patience, foresight, and throughout all of the meetings, their collegiality. Also – a 6-year term is quite a commitment!

There would not be a WSC3 without a successful WSC1 and WSC2. Thanks go to the Pacific Seabird Group for their support of WSC1 in Victoria, Canada, and to the African Seabird Group for their support of WSC2 in Cape Town, South Africa. In each of these endeavors and for our current conference we were fortunate to work with a dependable and trustworthy partner in Podium Conferences. Michelle Smith and Marischal de Armond have become valued members of our team and have not only helped us plan conferences but have assisted and advised the WSU Chairs and Board on issues above and beyond conference planning. 

As we embark on our vWSC3 week we extend to all of you our thanks for showing up, for being patient, and most importantly for the work you do with seabirds. We are all part of a unique, global community that shares an interest, a fascination, and a passion for birds that make a living in our world’s oceans. We have advanced the science, conservation, and management of seabirds as well the ecosystems they inhabit. We are consistently impressed and motivated by the work you do. 

The WSU formed in 2010 because we saw the need for a global organization to address challenges at a global level. Over the past 11 years WSU has grown, adapted, and evolved to become the community that this week is making vWSC3 a reality. Enjoy the week, appreciate and support the friends and colleagues you have made in the community, and if you see us in a virtual hallway please stop and say hello! 

Thank you for the opportunity to serve all of you and the WSU over the past few years,

Nicholas Carlile, Interim Chair, WSU<br>
Patrick Jodice, 2nd Chair of the WSU<br><br>

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Join us for four days of science, networking and virtual engagement with delegates from around the world!

symposium

**Abstract:**

Tidal-stream environments are characterised as areas of water motion that are turbulent along coastlines which produce predictable high current velocities in excess of 1 ms-1. Due to site-specific topography and bathymetry these environments produce complex motions of fluid, resulting in distinct features (boils, eddies, jets and shear lines), that vary across small spatio-temporal scales (<10 m and <1 min). Seabirds utilise these features, with it being theorised that they create periods of increased food availability, and foraging efficiency, due to aggregating or disorientating prey species. Current literature indicates a need to examine these turbulent environments at a higher spatial and temporal resolution. This is to increase the accuracy of habitat characterisation, uncover new drivers of top predator usage, and in doing so help to better inform on the potential ecological impacts of tidal-energy developments. Drones offer the ability to collect cost-effective datasets, which are suitable for the capture of fine-scale interactions occurring between seabirds and habitat features. With the advancement of sensory instrumentation, and the development of image processing techniques, we can also increase both the frequency and accuracy of these data. Drone imagery, previously collected from the MeyGen tidal energy site in the Pentland Firth in Scotland, will be used. This was gathered alongside continuous vessel-based surveys which collected active acoustic and observer data. An examination of fine-scale seabird distribution and behaviour (flying, loafing and diving), against a range of defined feature characteristics and existing tidal variables, will be undertaken. The image processing methods used to detail drone-derived, ecologically relevant, seabird and hydrodynamic data will be presented. Preliminary findings with regards to fine-scale seabird distribution and behaviour will also be displayed.

**Authors:**

James Slingsby¹, Benjamin Williamson¹, Louise Kregting², Jason McIlvenny¹, Jared Wilson³, Julien Martin⁴, Beth Scott⁵

¹University of the Highlands and Islands, ²Queen's University Belfast, ³Scottish Government, ⁴University of Ottawa, ⁵University of Aberdeen

Exploring fine-scale seabird usage of tidal-stream environments - Using drones as an ecological survey tool

**Abstract:**

Seabirds have increasingly encountered offshore wind farms (OWFs) in European waters in the past 10 years, resulting in potential conflicts with offshore foraging areas. During the breeding season, seabirds are restricted in their choice of foraging habitats and are under increased pressure to find enough prey to raise their offspring. However, information on the individual reactions of seabirds towards operating OWFs during the breeding season is largely lacking. Three OWFs located 23-35 km north of the island of Helgoland in the southern North Sea are operating since 2015. We studied their effects on locally breeding northern gannets, black-legged kittiwakes and common guillemots using GPS tracking between 2015 and 2017. GPS tags were deployed on 63 breeding individuals for 0.1-13.9 weeks. Most gannets and guillemots predominantly avoided OWFs. A point process modelling approach revealed a significantly reduced resource selection inside the OWFs compared to the surroundings for both species. OWF avoidance by guillemots was even stronger when turbine blades were rotating. Only few gannets frequently entered OWFs when foraging or commuting. Flight altitudes of gannets inside the OWFs were close to the rotor-blade zone, especially for individuals predominantly avoiding the OWFs and during commuting. Kittiwakes mainly avoided OWFs close to the colony but sometimes entered OWFs which were located in further distance to the colony. These results provide a detailed description of seabirds' reactions to OWFs during the breeding season, and one of the first comprehensive analyses of OWF effects on these species based on telemetry data. The documented effects need to be considered during the planning processes for future OWFs, especially for locations close to large seabird breeding colonies.

**Authors:**

Verena Peschko¹, Nele Markones¹, Bettina Mendel¹, Moritz Mercker², Stefan Garthe¹

¹University of Kiel, ²BIONUM

Telemetry reveals strong impacts of offshore wind farms on common guillemots and northern gannets and differing reactions of black-legged kittiwakes during the breeding season

**Abstract:**

Tidal streams are a developing source of renewable energy and an important foraging habitat for several species of seabird. The north of Scotland is host to the world's first array of tidal stream turbines, constructed within the Inner Sound of the Pentland Firth. Inshore diving seabirds such as black guillemots Cepphus grylle are known to associate with tidal currents and dive to depths at which tidal turbines will operate. Black guillemots were therefore highlighted as vulnerable to foraging habitat alterations caused by turbine deployment and are at potential risk to collision with turbine blades. However, the extent to which these devices will affect black guillemots is unknown due to a lack of more detailed knowledge regarding their foraging ecology. This study addresses this knowledge gap by using GPS tracking technology to identify spatial and temporal aspects of foraging behaviour and habitat use. Thirteen adult black guillemots were GPS tracked during the 2016 and 2017 breeding seasons from Stroma, Caithness, an island of interest due to its close proximity to the MeyGen tidal lease area within the Inner Sound. Individuals displayed clear preference for specific foraging locations, associating strongly outside or within tidal streams. The foraging behaviour of individuals using the tidal stream was found to be associated with a narrow range of tidal velocities and depths. Foraging locations are potentially related to hydrodynamic features forming within these conditions, which are thought to aggregate prey. The MeyGen lease area generally contained faster tidal velocities and deeper depths than those associated with foraging, leading to minimal direct overlap. This research highlights the characteristics of tidal streams with which black guillemots associate. Such knowledge is vital when predicting the impact of tidal turbine installations on marine wildlife through environmental or habitat alteration.

**Authors:**

Daniel Johnston¹, Robert Furness², Alexandra Robbins³, Glen Tyler¹, Elizabeth Masden⁴

¹British Trust for Ornithology, ²MacArthur Green Ltd, ³Scottish Natural Heritage, ⁴Environmental Research Institute

Investigating the foraging habitat of black guillemots in relation to tidal stream turbines

**Abstract:**

Marine renewables, including tidal energy devices, are increasingly being deployed across the world to mitigate climate change. However, there are concerns that marine wildlife will experience negative interactions with such devices, for instance through collisions or displacement. The UK holds ca. 50% of Europe's tidal energy resource and contains numerous tidal development sites yet is also home to internationally important seabird populations. In the face of over-fishing and climate change, additional pressure from stressors such as tidal turbines could be devastating. Therefore, to ensure sustainable deployment of tidal energy devices, there is a need to quantify any adverse effects on seabirds. Before effects can be assessed, suitable methods to do so need to be identified. We therefore developed a conceptual framework to aid in the choice of survey method(s) to gather data on seabird behaviour relevant to interactions with tidal energy devices. Following a literature review of available methods in the context of this framework we identified, amongst others, an opportunity for enhanced use of bird-borne biologging and telemetry (bio-tracking) data, as well as the need for research into close-range overlap and behaviour around turbines and the environmental variables underlying seabird use of tidal stream environments. Subsequently, we developed an analysis workflow for the use of bird-borne bio-tracking data in assessing spatial overlap with marine renewables and applied it to European shags (Phalacrocorax aristotelis) and tidal turbines in the Pentland Firth, Scotland. We found that at the current scale of tidal site leasing in the UK overlap was minimal (0.14%), however at the scale of future/planned development areas, overlap was very high (99.4%). Research into the importance of tidal velocity and bathymetry to use of tidal stream environments by diving seabirds will further clarify potential effects from tidal energy devices.

**Authors:**

Natalie Isaksson¹, Benjamin Williamson¹, Jonathan Houghton², Jared Wilson³, Elizabeth Masden¹

¹University of the Highlands and Islands, ²Queen's University Belfast, ³Marine Scotland Science

Seabird use of tidal stream environments and potential interactions with tidal energy devices

**Abstract:**

Assessing avian collision risk is a key part of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process for offshore wind farms. Whilst a number of collision risk models are available, these all typically combine an estimate of the probability of a bird which passes through a turbine's rotor sweep colliding with a blade and the number of birds passing through this collision risk window in any given time period (as estimated from pre-construction data). As the size and extent of offshore wind farms increase as part of attempts to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050, accurately assessing collision risk in order to minimise any negative environmental impacts becomes a pressing concern. However, the simplistic assumptions made by these models in relation to the flight behaviour of the species concerned - speed, height and direction - have raised questions about how realistic predictions from these models are. A lack of validation of existing models further calls into question whether these are able to accurately assess collision risk. Tracking data are increasingly being used to investigate potential impacts of wind farms and offer the potential to more accurately describe the behaviour of birds within any given site. These data demonstrate how seabird behaviour varies spatially, highlighting that the summarised information used by many existing models may not accurately reflect spatial and temporal variation in collision risk. Using multi-year tracking data, we modelled the speed, flight height and distribution of lesser black-backed gulls in relation to operational offshore wind farms. We combined these data with real time estimates of turbine rotational speed and the height of the turbine rotor above sea-level in order to estimate collision risk over the course of a breeding season. We further discuss how combining tracking data with ongoing camera-radar studies of collision risk at operational wind farms offers the potential to validate estimates of collision risk and reduce uncertainty in the EIA process.

**Authors:**

Aonghais Cook¹, Chris Thaxter², Jennifer Border², Philipp Boersch-Supan², Elizabeth Humphreys³, Elizabeth Masden⁴, Niall Burton²

¹Dr, ²British Trust for Ornithology, ³British Trust for Ornithology Scotland, ⁴University of Highlands and Islands Environmental Research Institute

Using GPS tracking data to assess collision risk in an operational wind farm

**Abstract:**

Every August, Hutton's shearwaters (Puffinus huttoni) return from their Australian wintering grounds to breed in the Seaward Kaikoura mountains and on the Kaikoura Peninsula (Te Rae O Atiu). We investigated foraging locations, trip duration, diving behaviour and distance travelled by Hutton's shearwaters from 2014-2018 in the Kaikōura Peninsula colony using 3 approaches: 1) linking isotope analysis of monthly plankton samples from coastal locations with isotope signals from feathers from adults during the breeding season; 2) dive depths from recorders (TDRs) deployed on adult birds during the incubation and chick-rearing periods; and 3) global positioning system (GPS) trackers deployed on adult shearwaters during the chick-rearing period. Comparison of stable isotopic compositions (δ¹³C and δ15N) of potential prey samples with feathers collected from adults showed high levels of variation (δ¹³C from -14.79 to -19.40; δ15N 8.09 to 17.43) suggesting that shearwaters were feeding on a broad range of prey and that the birds were either foraging further offshore or feeding on items not sampled during near-shore plankton tows. This is consistent with recovered foraging tracks from GPS trackers, which show all individuals travelled 125-365 km south-southeast of the breeding colony and "dining out" at more distant locations than previously thought. TDRs indicated that although most dives were within 7.1 m, some birds dived up to depths of 35 m. This provides information on the Hutton's shearwater diving behaviour and their ability to adjust to different foraging depths. Our results have provided key data on the foraging and diving behaviour and diet of this threatened species. Until now, conservation efforts have mostly targeted the terrestrial environments used by Hutton's shearwaters, including predator control and restoration of breeding colonies. Identifying where birds forage, and their prey will help ensure the marine environments used by Hutton's shearwaters are as equally protected.

**Authors:**

Della Bennet¹, Travis Horton², Sharyn Goldstien³, Lindsay Rowe⁴, James Briskie²

¹Wildland Consultants Ltd, ²University of Canterbury, ³DPI Fisheries, ⁴Retired

Long distance dining in the Hutton's shearwater (Puffinus huttoni)

**Abstract:**

For four decades VHF radio tracking has offered a much deeper insight into avifauna than binoculars and a notebook can offer. Since the turn of the century, new technologies have reduced in size and power consumption to the extent that they are becoming suitable for use on progressively smaller species. Tracking highly-migratory or dispersing seabird species becomes a reality where it was difficult-to-impossible using beeper radio tracking. Improved location accuracy and reduced power consumption allow much finer spatial and temporal scale studies to be conducted. For small migratory seabird species, the Motus Wildlife Tracking System provides an international collaborative research network that uses a coordinated array of automated logging radio-receivers to track the movement and behaviour of small flying organisms. Geolocators and Store on Board GPS provide a solution for small migratory seabirds that can be recaptured after a long-term study. For bigger migratory seabirds, GPS with remote download and PTT Satellite tags can provide a solution. However, the challenge of a wider range of options can make the selection of the most appropriate technology difficult. In this talk we look at the different technologies and discuss how they can be used for seabirds no matter what their size is.

**Authors:**

Catalina Amaya-Perilla¹, Sean Walls²

¹Lotek NZ, ²Lotek UK

Tracking seabirds: What technology is out there and what can we do with it

**Abstract:**

Geolocator tracking of adult flesh-footed shearwaters from breeding colonies in Australia and New Zealand has shown that these adults travel northwards to either the coast of Japan or India (in the case of Western Australia populations) during their non-breeding period. However, there are numerous year-round sightings of flesh-footed shearwaters off the coast of North America; could this be where fledglings go? To gain more understanding of the at-sea movements and distribution of juvenile flesh-footed shearwaters, ten Geotrak Solar satellite tracking devices were deployed on fledglings from Ohinau Island on the Coromandel Peninsula, New Zealand. All ten fledged from the island, but one device never transmitted, and another only transmitted for a few 100 km before stopping. The remaining eight fledglings headed immediately northwards into the Pacific within 10 days of leaving Ohinau Island before slowing down and beginning to forage north of Fiji or east around Samoa and Tokelau. Once in this area, all devices stopped transmitting. Given all of the devices had good battery levels when they last transmitted, it is possible that all these flesh-footed shearwater juveniles were accidentally caught in commercial fisheries in this known high-intensity fishing region. However, despite the very secure attachment method, we cannot rule out that the fledglings did not just simply pull the devices off as the adults are prone to do, although this would be unusual as all the birds would have had to decide to do this at the same time and in the same at-sea region. This work shows the need for continued tracking of all age classes of flesh-footed shearwaters to further determine their distribution and behaviour at sea and importantly, the risk to this species from fishing.

**Authors:**

Patrick Crowe¹, Dan Burgin¹, Graeme Taylor², Igor Debski², Elizabeth Bell¹

¹Wildlife Management International Ltd, ²Department of Conservation

Ohinau Island to the Pacific and beyond - tracking flesh-footed shearwater fledglings

**Abstract:**

Understanding where seabirds travel and the behaviours they exhibit while on foraging trips is an important step in understanding their at-sea habitat requirements. Investigating movements of individuals from specific breeding colonies has become easier with the advent of tracking devices that can be mounted directly on individual birds. Foraging areas are often of most interest for conservation management, and one of the first steps to identifying important foraging habitat is to differentiate foraging behaviour from the record of movement captured by tracking devices. The Ancient Murrelet (Synthliboramphus antiquus) is a seabird species of conservation interest in Canada, due to the high proportion of the global population nesting in a relatively concentrated area of the British Columbia coast. In 2018 and 2019 we collected GPS tracks from Ancient Murrelets nesting on two colonies within the Haida Gwaii archipelago. We calculated trip metrics such as foraging range, total trip length, and trip duration. We successfully used hidden Markov models to classify movement exhibited by murrelets into three behaviour states (foraging, resting, and transit). We found that immersion data from GPS tags were essential for differentiating slow-moving behaviours. Logistic regression models suggested that depth, seafloor slope, tidal speed, and distance from the colony were negatively associated with foraging probability, while foraging intensity was greater in deeper areas. The combination of individual movement analysis and habitat analysis provides an important first step to identifying priority at-sea habitats, including critical breeding-season foraging areas, for murrelets in the waters around Haida Gwaii. Results will be used by the Canadian Government in support of the Ocean Protection Plan and successful management of this species under the Species at Risk Act.

**Authors:**

Vivian Pattison¹, Laurie Wilson¹, Patrick O'Hara¹, Christopher Bone², Laura Cowen²

¹Environment and Climate Change Canada, ²University of Victoria

Using hidden Markov models to identify Ancient Murrelet foraging behaviour and habitat during the breeding season

**Abstract:**

The Northern Humboldt Current System is highly productive, but unpredictable. Endemic seabirds in this region evolved under changing conditions by exhibiting flexible breeding and feeding strategies. In this study, we tested how the foraging behavior of guanay cormorants (Phalacrocorax bougainvillii) in Punta San Juan, Peru, changes under four indices of availability of anchovy or "quality" of the year. In 2019, a deeper 15 °C isotherm, warmer waters and a low body condition of the birds were observed. In 2017 the birds had a better body condition than in 2019 and 2020, presenting colder waters and an intermediate depth of the isotherm of 15 °C between 2019 and 2020. For this reason, 2017, 2019 and 2020 were characterized as years "good", "poor" and "intermediate", respectively. GPS-TDR loggers were placed on forty, forty and fifty chick rearing birds in 2017 (good), 2019 (poor) and 2020 (intermediate), respectively. In poor and intermediate years, the Guanayes made significantly longer trips, duration and distance from the colony than in good years (total distance traveled = 75.9 and 82.3 vs 47.7 km, trip duration = 3.7 and 3.9 vs 2.8 h, ranging range = 24.1 and 27.1 vs 16.5 km). Also in poor and intermediate years, the Guanayes did significantly higher number of diving bouts and number of dives per trip than in good years (N° diving bouts/trip = 2.45 and 2.05 vs. 1.7, N° dives/trip = 117.13 and 127.1 vs. 72.12). Greater foraging areas were also recorded in poor and intermediate years than in good years (2,092 and 2,488 vs. 1,133 km2). However, the Guanayes dived deeper and longer in good and poor years compared to intermediate years (Maximum dive depth = 12.4 and 11.4 vs. 8 m, Dive duration = 29.2 and 26.6 vs. 21 s). This study shows that under different environmental conditions the feeding behavior of the guanay cormorant is flexible, making more effort to find its food in warm conditions. Higher foraging effort is likely related to deeper and more dispersed schools of anchovy.

**Authors:**

Diego Gonzales-DelCarpio¹, Carlos Zavalaga¹, Rosana Paredes², Lyanne Ampuero-Merino³

¹Unidad de Investigación de Ecosistemas Marinos - Grupo Aves Marinas, ²Department Fisheries and Wildlife - Oregon State University, ³Programa Punta San Juan

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Next from 3rd World Seabird Conference

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