Skip to content
Home » Projects

Projects

Migration patterns and population connectivity of the black skimmer in South America: a continental approach

The South American subspecies of black skimmer, Rynchops niger intercedens, is an important neotropical bird, widely distributed from Venezuela to the southeastern coast of Argentina. Population information for this subspecies is scarce and restricted to local distribution sites, making their conservation status difficult to determine. In Argentina, anecdotal information on breeding grounds suggest small colonies of R. niger intercedens next to rivers, contrasting with the high numbers registered on non-breeding grounds on the southeastern coast of Argentina (up to 10,000 non-breeders in Mar Chiquita Coastal Lagoon). This observed contrast in bird abundances raises the question of the existence of a non-breeding mixture of birds from breeding colonies distributed throughout the main South American hydrological basins. In this study researchers analyzed the genetic differences between skimmers’ populations from Brazil and Argentina, sampling individuals at breeding sites in Brazil and Argentina, and the large non-breeding site at Mar Chiquita (Argentina). Read Project SummaryMigration patterns and population connectivity of the black skimmer in South America: a continental approach

Protection of white-tailed tropicbirds and Audubon’s shearwaters in the Bahamas: Addressing the effects of rats, avian predators, and lack of nest sites

Cavity nesting seabirds in the Bahamas and other tropical archipelagos have declined sharply since humans arrived. Although biologists have attempted to find and protect the remaining populations, even on uninhabited and formally protected islands scientists have recently documented large declines in local populations of Audubon’s shearwaters (Puffinus lherminieri lherminieri) and white-tailed tropicbirds (Phaethon lepturus catesbyii). Halting the declines of these… Read Project SummaryProtection of white-tailed tropicbirds and Audubon’s shearwaters in the Bahamas: Addressing the effects of rats, avian predators, and lack of nest sites

Pelagic ecology of diving seabirds: Determination of their movements and behavior by means of high resolution remote sensing devices

The Patagonian shelf constitutes and important reproductive and foraging habitat for several seabird species. Imperial cormorants (Phalacrocorax atriceps) are important top predators of the Patagonian Shelf ecosystem and face significant threats such as the incidental mortality in fishing nets and other operational interactions. Many of the solutions to these problems require accurate knowledge of their behavior and at-sea distribution. Research… Read Project SummaryPelagic ecology of diving seabirds: Determination of their movements and behavior by means of high resolution remote sensing devices

Sustainability of the Juan Fernández lobster fishery (Chile)

Benthic resources are harvested by small scale fisheries along most coastal regions of the world. These fisheries are often unregulated or have vertical management advice, whose plans are commonly molded after conventional prescriptions, originally conceived for industrial fisheries. At the same time, effective management practices established by tradition go unnoticed by fishery management and scientist. The spiny lobster (Jasus frontalis)… Read Project SummarySustainability of the Juan Fernández lobster fishery (Chile)