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Herman RW, Clucas G, Younger J, Bates J, Robinson B, Reddy S, Stepanuk J, O'Brien K, Veeramah K, Lynch HJ. Whole genome sequencing reveals stepping-stone dispersal buffered against founder effects in a range expanding seabird. Mol Ecol 2024; 33:e17282. [PMID: 38299701 DOI: 10.1111/mec.17282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2023] [Revised: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 02/02/2024]
Abstract
Many species are shifting their ranges in response to climate-driven environmental changes, particularly in high-latitude regions. However, the patterns of dispersal and colonization during range shifting events are not always clear. Understanding how populations are connected through space and time can reveal how species navigate a changing environment. Here, we present a fine-scale population genomics study of gentoo penguins (Pygoscelis papua), a presumed site-faithful colonial nesting species that has increased in population size and expanded its range south along the Western Antarctic Peninsula. Using whole genome sequencing, we analysed 129 gentoo penguin individuals across 12 colonies located at or near the southern range edge. Through a detailed examination of fine-scale population structure, admixture, and population divergence, we inferred that gentoo penguins historically dispersed rapidly in a stepping-stone pattern from the South Shetland Islands leading to the colonization of Anvers Island, and then the adjacent mainland Western Antarctica Peninsula. Recent southward expansion along the Western Antarctic Peninsula also followed a stepping-stone dispersal pattern coupled with limited post-divergence gene flow from colonies on Anvers Island. Genetic diversity appeared to be maintained across colonies during the historical dispersal process, and range-edge populations are still growing. This suggests large numbers of migrants may provide a buffer against founder effects at the beginning of colonization events to maintain genetic diversity similar to that of the source populations before migration ceases post-divergence. These results coupled with a continued increase in effective population size since approximately 500-800 years ago distinguish gentoo penguins as a robust species that is highly adaptable and resilient to changing climate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachael W Herman
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, USA
| | - Gemma Clucas
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Jane Younger
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
| | - John Bates
- Negaunee Integrative Research Center, The Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Bryce Robinson
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Sushma Reddy
- Bell Museum of Natural History and Department of Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Biology, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA
| | - Julia Stepanuk
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, USA
| | - Katie O'Brien
- Milner Centre for Evolution, University of Bath, Bath, UK
| | - Krishna Veeramah
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, USA
| | - Heather J Lynch
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, USA
- Institute for Advanced Computational Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, USA
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Population trends of seabirds in Mexican Islands at the California Current System. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0258632. [PMID: 36206266 PMCID: PMC9543960 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0258632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2021] [Accepted: 09/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
The Baja California Pacific Islands (BCPI) is a seabird hotspot in the southern California Current System supporting 129 seabird breeding populations of 23 species and over one million birds annually. These islands had a history of environmental degradation because of invasive alien species, human disturbance, and contaminants that caused the extirpation of 27 seabird populations. Most of the invasive mammals have been eradicated and colonies have been restored with social attraction techniques. We have recorded the number of breeding pairs annually for most of the colonies since 2008. To assess population trends, we analyzed these data and show results for 19 seabird species on ten island groups. The maximum number of breeding pairs for each nesting season was used to estimate the population growth rate (λ) for each species at every island colony. We performed a moving block bootstrap analysis to assess whether seabird breeding populations are increasing or decreasing. San Benito, Natividad, and San Jerónimo are the top three islands in terms of abundance of breeding pairs. The most widespread species is Cassin’s Auklet (Ptychoramphus aleuticus) with 14 colonies. Thirty-one populations of 14 species are significantly increasing while eleven populations of seven species are decreasing. We did not find statistical significance for 19 populations, however, 15 have λ>1 which suggest they are growing. Twelve of the 18 species for which we estimated a regional population trend are significantly increasing, including seven surface-nesting species: Brandt’s Cormorant (Phalacrocorax penicillatus), Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis), Caspian Tern (Hydroprogne caspia), Double-crested Cormorant (P. auritus), Elegant Tern (Thalasseus elegans), Laysan Albatross (Phoebastria immutabilis) and Western Gull (Larus occidentalis), and five burrow-nesting species: Ainley’s (Hydrobates cheimomnestes), Ashy (H. homochroa) and Townsend’s (H. socorroensis) Storm-Petrels, and Craveri’s (Synthliboramphus craveri) and Guadalupe (S. hypoleucus) Murrelets. The BCPI support between 400,000 and 1.4 million breeding individuals annually. Our results suggest that these islands support healthy and growing populations of seabirds that have shown to be resilient to extreme environmental conditions such as the “Blob”, and that such resilience has been strengthen from conservation and restoration actions such as the eradication of invasive mammals, social attraction techniques and island biosecurity.
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Oro D, Bécares J, Bartumeus F, Arcos JM. High frequency of prospecting for informed dispersal and colonisation in a social species at large spatial scale. Oecologia 2021; 197:395-409. [PMID: 34550445 PMCID: PMC8505276 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-021-05040-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2021] [Accepted: 09/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Animals explore and prospect space searching for resources and individuals may disperse, targeting suitable patches to increase fitness. Nevertheless, dispersal is costly because it implies leaving the patch where the individual has gathered information and reduced uncertainty. In social species, information gathered during the prospection process for deciding whether and where to disperse is not only personal but also public, i.e. conspecific density and breeding performance. In empty patches, public information is not available and dispersal for colonisation would be more challenging. Here we study the prospecting in a metapopulation of colonial Audouin's gulls using PTT platform terminal transmitters tagging for up to 4 years and GPS tagging during the incubation period. A large percentage of birds (65%) prospected occupied patches; strikingly, 62% of prospectors also visited empty patches that were colonised in later years. Frequency and intensity of prospecting were higher for failed breeders, who dispersed more than successful breeders. Prospecting and dispersal also occurred mostly to neighbouring patches where population density was higher. GPSs revealed that many breeders (59%) prospected while actively incubating, which suggests that they gathered information before knowing the fate of their reproduction. Prospecting may be enhanced in species adapted to breed in ephemeral habitats, such as Audouin's gulls. Interestingly, none of the tracked individuals colonised an empty patch despite having prospected over a period of up to three consecutive years. Lack of public information in empty patches may drive extended prospecting, long time delays in colonisation and non-linear transient phenomena in metapopulation dynamics and species range expansion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Oro
- Centre d'Estudis Avançats de Blanes-CEAB (CSIC), Acces Cala Sant Francesc 14, 17300, Blanes, Spain.
| | - Juan Bécares
- SEO/BirdLife-Marine Programe, Delegació de Catalunya, 08026, Barcelona, Spain.,CORY'S-Investigación y Conservación de la Biodiversidad, 08016, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Frederic Bartumeus
- Centre d'Estudis Avançats de Blanes-CEAB (CSIC), Acces Cala Sant Francesc 14, 17300, Blanes, Spain
| | - José Manuel Arcos
- SEO/BirdLife-Marine Programe, Delegació de Catalunya, 08026, Barcelona, Spain
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Astarloa A, Glennie R, Chust G, García‐Baron I, Boyra G, Martínez U, Rubio A, Louzao M. Niche segregation mechanisms in marine apex predators inhabiting dynamic environments. DIVERS DISTRIB 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.13229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Amaia Astarloa
- AZTI Marine Research Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA) Pasaia Spain
| | - Richard Glennie
- University of St Andrews Centre for Research into Ecological and Environmental Modelling St Andrews Fife UK
| | - Guillem Chust
- AZTI Marine Research Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA) Pasaia Spain
| | - Isabel García‐Baron
- AZTI Marine Research Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA) Pasaia Spain
| | - Guillermo Boyra
- AZTI Marine Research Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA) Pasaia Spain
| | - Udane Martínez
- AZTI Marine Research Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA) Pasaia Spain
| | - Anna Rubio
- AZTI Marine Research Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA) Pasaia Spain
| | - Maite Louzao
- AZTI Marine Research Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA) Pasaia Spain
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A juvenile Tristan albatross (Diomedea dabbenena) on land at the Crozet Islands. Polar Biol 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s00300-020-02786-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
AbstractAlbatrosses and other seabirds are generally highly philopatric, returning to natal colonies when they achieve breeding age. This is not universal, however, and cases of extraordinary vagrancy are rare. The Tristan Albatross (Diomedea dabbenena) breeds on Gough Island in the South Atlantic Ocean, with a small population on Inaccessible Island, Tristan da Cunha, ca 380 km away. In 2015, we observed an adult male albatross in Gonydale, Gough Island, which had been ringed on Ile de la Possession, Crozet Islands in 2009 when it was assumed to be an immature Wandering Albatross (D. exulans). We sequenced 1109 bp of the cytochrome b mitochondrial gene from this bird, and confirmed it to be a Tristan Albatross, meaning its presence on Crozet 6 years previous, and nearly 5000 km away, was a case of prospecting behaviour in a heterospecific colony. Given the challenges in identifying immatureDiomedeaalbatrosses, such dispersal events may be more common than thought previously.
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Hastings KK, Rehberg MJ, O’corry-Crowe GM, Pendleton GW, Jemison LA, Gelatt TS. Demographic consequences and characteristics of recent population mixing and colonization in Steller sea lions, Eumetopias jubatus. J Mammal 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyz192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus) are composed of two genetically distinct metapopulations (an increasing “eastern” and a reduced and endangered “western” population, or stock for management purposes in U.S. waters) that are only recently mixing at new rookeries in northern Southeast Alaska, east of the current stock boundary. We used mark-recapture models and 18 years of resighting data of over 3,500 individuals marked at the new rookeries and at neighboring long-established rookeries in both populations to examine morphology, survival, and movement patterns of pups born at new rookeries based on whether they had mitochondrial DNA haplotypes from the western or eastern population (mtW or mtE); examine survival effects of dispersal to the Eastern Stock region for animals born in the Western Stock region; and estimate minimum proportions of animals with western genetic material in regions within Southeast Alaska. Pups born at new rookeries with mtW had similar mass, but reduced body condition and first-year survival (approximately −10%) compared to pups with mtE. mtE pups ranged more widely than mtW pups, including more to the sheltered waters of Southeast Alaska’s Inside Passage. Fitness benefits for western-born females that dispersed to Southeast Alaska were observed as higher female survival (+0.127, +0.099, and +0.032 at ages 1, 2, and 3+) and higher survival of their female offspring to breeding age (+0.15) compared to females that remained west of the boundary. We estimated that a minimum of 38% and 13% of animals in the North Outer Coast–Glacier Bay and Lynn Canal–Frederick Sound regions in Southeast Alaska, respectively, carry genetic information unique to the western population. Despite fitness benefits to western females that dispersed east, asymmetric dispersal costs or other genetic or maternal effects may limit the growth of the western genetic lineage at the new rookeries, and these factors require further study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly K Hastings
- Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Division of Wildlife Conservation, Anchorage, AK, USA
| | - Michael J Rehberg
- Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Division of Wildlife Conservation, Anchorage, AK, USA
| | | | - Grey W Pendleton
- Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Division of Wildlife Conservation, Anchorage, AK, USA
| | - Lauri A Jemison
- Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Division of Wildlife Conservation, Anchorage, AK, USA
| | - Thomas S Gelatt
- National Marine Fisheries Service, Marine Mammal Laboratory, Alaska Fisheries Science Center, NOAA Fisheries, Seattle, WA, USA
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Zidat T, Dell’Ariccia G, Gabirot M, Sourrouille P, Buatois B, Celerier A, Bonadonna F, Crochet PA. Reproductive isolation maintains distinct genotypes, phenotypes and chemical signatures in mixed colonies of the two European Calonectris shearwaters (Procellariiformes: Procellariidae). Zool J Linn Soc 2017. [DOI: 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlx002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
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Ponchon A, Iliszko L, Grémillet D, Tveraa T, Boulinier T. Intense prospecting movements of failed breeders nesting in an unsuccessful breeding subcolony. Anim Behav 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2016.12.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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Spendelow JA, Monticelli D, Nichols JD, Hines JE, Nisbet ICT, Cormons G, Hays H, Hatch JJ, Mostello CS. Roseate
T
ern breeding dispersal and fidelity: responses to two newly restored colony sites. Ecosphere 2016. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.1510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | - David Monticelli
- Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre Departamento de Ciências da Vida Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia Universidade de Coimbra 3004‐517 Coimbra Portugal
| | - James D. Nichols
- USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center Laurel Maryland 20708 USA
| | - James E. Hines
- USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center Laurel Maryland 20708 USA
| | - Ian C. T. Nisbet
- I.C.T. Nisbet & Company 150 Alder Lane North Falmouth Massachusetts 02556 USA
| | | | - Helen Hays
- Great Gull Island Project American Museum of Natural History Central Park West at 79th Street New York New York 10024 USA
| | - Jeremy J. Hatch
- Department of Biology University of Massachusetts Boston Massachusetts 02125 USA
| | - Carolyn S. Mostello
- Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife Westborough Massachusetts 01591 USA
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