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Population status and threats to Flesh-footed Shearwaters (Puffinus carneipes) in South and Western Australia
Citation
Lavers, JL, Population status and threats to Flesh-footed Shearwaters (Puffinus carneipes) in South and Western Australia, ICES Journal of Marine Science, 72, (2) pp. 316-327. ISSN 1054-3139 (2015) [Refereed Article]
Copyright Statement
Copyright 2014 International Council for the Exploration of the Sea. All rights reserved.
DOI: doi:10.1093/icesjms/fsu164
Abstract
Seabirds are considered reliable indicators of the marine environment due to their reliance on ocean-based resources and position
at the top of the marine foodweb. The status of the world's bird populations have deteriorated over the past 20 years with
seabirds declining faster than any other bird group. For some seabird species, a lack of data or synthesis of available data
limits our ability to detect changes in population trends and gain insight into the condition of the surrounding marine environment.
The Flesh-footed Shearwater (FFSH; Puffinus carneipes) exemplifies this with demographic and count data either absent or outdated for most breeding islands. Results of a survey
of 20 FFSH breeding islands in South and Western Australia during 2011–2014, and a synthesis of all available data indicate
the current global population is substantially smaller than previously thought, comprising no more than 74 000 breeding pairs.
While much of the reduction in numbers is due to outdated burrow counts which are shown to be a poor measure of population
size in this species, there is evidence of a decline in numbers on at least six islands that account for ∼40% of the world's
population. A review of novel and existing data on FFSH breeding habits (burrow occupancy and density), concurrent threats,
and population size in South and Western Australia are presented here along with priorities for management of this declining
marine predator.
Item Details
| Item Type: | Refereed Article |
|---|---|
| Keywords: | apex predator, population decline, invasive species, fisheries by-catch |
| Research Division: | Environmental Sciences |
| Research Group: | Environmental Science and Management |
| Research Field: | Conservation and Biodiversity |
| Objective Division: | Environment |
| Objective Group: | Flora, Fauna and Biodiversity |
| Objective Field: | Marine Flora, Fauna and Biodiversity |
| Author: | Lavers, JL (Dr Jennifer Lavers) |
| ID Code: | 99143 |
| Year Published: | 2015 (online first 2014) |
| Web of Science® Times Cited: | 4 |
| Deposited By: | IMAS Research and Education Centre |
| Deposited On: | 2015-03-16 |
| Last Modified: | 2017-10-31 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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