Atlas of top predators from French Southern Territories in the Southern Indian Ocean
Atlas de distribution des prédateurs supérieurs des Terres Australes et Antarctiques Françaises dans l'océan Indien
Résumé
This Atlas of top predators from the French Southern Territories
in the Southern Indian Ocean is a
summary of information on the use of the southern Indian Ocean by 22 seabirds and seals species:
king penguin, gentoo penguin, Adelie penguin, eastern rockhopper penguin, northern rockhopper
penguin, macaroni penguin, Amsterdam albatross, wandering albatross, black-browed albatross,
Indian yellow-nosed albatross, light-mantled albatross, sooty albatross, southern giant petrel,
northern giant petrel, southern fulmar, Cape petrel, snow petrel, white-chinned petrel, grey petrel,
brown skua, southern elephant seal and Antarctic fur seal.
The distribution map of each species was obtained by the use of tracking methods that allow
identifying important areas in the southern Indian Ocean. The determination of zones of high species
richness suggests several important areas for top predators. First the breeding colonies and
surrounding zones: Amsterdam and Saint Paul Islands, Marion and Prince Edward islands and the Del
Cano Rise, Crozet Islands, Kerguelen Plateau and East Antarctica (Adlie Land sector). Second, the
upwelling-current zones: Benguela and Agulhas Currents Systems and third several the oceanic zones:
the Southwest Indian Ridge (East Bouvetya and the North Subtropical Front), the Mid-Indian Ridge
(North of Kerguelen and the Eastern Indian Ocean, the Southeast Indian Ridge (Great Australian Bight
and Tasmania, Ob and Lena Banks, and East Antarctica (Prydz Bay - Queen Maud Land sectors, Adlie
Land sector).
The analysis of distribution indicates that some pelagic species have a much wider foraging range
outside the breeding season than during the breeding season (some disperse over very large areas,
i.e. wandering albatross). This highlights the urgent need to strengthen collaborations, namely
between conservation and management organisms such as CCAMLR and the fisheries organisations
(RFMOs), to ensure the protection of these species and the conservation of the ecosystem that will
also be beneficial for many other species.
In conclusion, although this inventory of areas of key importance is preliminary because of the lack
of data on several keystone species such as burrowing petrels which could not be studied in this
work, the results presented here show an unprecedented improvement in the identification of
priority areas within the Southern Indian Ocean, which should be the primary targets of site-based
conservation efforts in the near future. The Southern Indian Ocean is not pristine. The most serious
threats are linked to industrial fishing activities, including fishery discards, bycatch of seabirds and
marine mammals, as well as, in a lesser extent, degradation of marine environments through global
and local pollution. On land, alien introductions and diseases are now the main threats. Despite
much improvement in the conservation measures taken by several fisheries, especially in the
southern part of the Indian Ocean, fisheries continue to exert an important negative influence on
several seabirds, especially on the high seas. However climate change is now increasingly considered
to have a negative impact on seabirds at some Antarctic and sub-Antarctic localities.
The long-term monitoring programs on seabirds and seals are funded by the French Polar Institute
Paul-Emile Victor (IPEV: programs n 109 ORNITHOECO: Oiseaux et mammifres marins sentinelles
des changements globaux dans locan Austral, resp. H Weimerskirch; and n394 OISEAUX
PLONGEURS: Stratgie nergtique des prdateurs marins et variabilit physique et trophique de
locan Austral: tude en mer, resp : C-A Bost).
The Atlas work was supported by the French Southern Territories (TAAF), the French Marine
Protected Areas Agency through the program of bio-regionalisation en vue de ltablissement dun
rseau daires marines protges dans locan Austral, les Kerguelen, Crozet, mer Dumont dUrville.
This Atlas of top predators from the French Southern Territories
in the Southern Indian Ocean is a
summary of information on the use of the southern Indian Ocean by 22 seabirds and seals species:
king penguin, gentoo penguin, Adlie penguin, eastern rockhopper penguin, northern rockhopper
penguin, macaroni penguin, Amsterdam albatross, wandering albatross, black-browed albatross,
Indian yellow-nosed albatross, light-mantled albatross, sooty albatross, southern giant petrel,
northern giant petrel, southern fulmar, Cape petrel, snow petrel, white-chinned petrel, grey petrel,
brown skua, southern elephant seal and Antarctic fur seal.
The distribution map of each species was obtained by the use of tracking methods that allow
identifying important areas in the southern Indian Ocean. The determination of zones of high species
richness suggests several important areas for top predators. First the breeding colonies and
surrounding zones: Amsterdam and Saint Paul Islands, Marion and Prince Edward islands and the Del
Cano Rise, Crozet Islands, Kerguelen Plateau and East Antarctica (Adlie Land sector). Second, the
upwelling-current zones: Benguela and Agulhas Currents Systems and third several the oceanic zones:
the Southwest Indian Ridge (East Bouvetya and the North Subtropical Front), the Mid-Indian Ridge
(North of Kerguelen and the Eastern Indian Ocean, the Southeast Indian Ridge (Great Australian Bight
and Tasmania, Ob and Lena Banks, and East Antarctica (Prydz Bay - Queen Maud Land sectors, Adlie
Land sector).
The analysis of distribution indicates that some pelagic species have a much wider foraging range
outside the breeding season than during the breeding season (some disperse over very large areas,
i.e. wandering albatross). This highlights the urgent need to strengthen collaborations, namely
between conservation and management organisms such as CCAMLR and the fisheries organisations
(RFMOs), to ensure the protection of these species and the conservation of the ecosystem that will
also be beneficial for many other species.
In conclusion, although this inventory of areas of key importance is preliminary because of the lack
of data on several keystone species such as burrowing petrels which could not be studied in this
work, the results presented here show an unprecedented improvement in the identification of
priority areas within the Southern Indian Ocean, which should be the primary targets of site-based
conservation efforts in the near future. The Southern Indian Ocean is not pristine. The most serious
threats are linked to industrial fishing activities, including fishery discards, bycatch of seabirds and
marine mammals, as well as, in a lesser extent, degradation of marine environments through global
and local pollution. On land, alien introductions and diseases are now the main threats. Despite
much improvement in the conservation measures taken by several fisheries, especially in the
southern part of the Indian Ocean, fisheries continue to exert an important negative influence on
several seabirds, especially on the high seas. However climate change is now increasingly considered
to have a negative impact on seabirds at some Antarctic and sub-Antarctic localities.
The long-term monitoring programs on seabirds and seals are funded by the French Polar Institute
Paul-Emile Victor (IPEV: programs n 109 ORNITHOECO: Oiseaux et mammifres marins sentinelles
des changements globaux dans locan Austral, resp. H Weimerskirch; and n394 OISEAUX
PLONGEURS: Stratgie nergtique des prdateurs marins et variabilit physique et trophique de
locan Austral: tude en mer, resp : C-A Bost).
The Atlas work was supported by the French Southern Territories (TAAF), the French Marine
Protected Areas Agency through the program of bio-rgionalisation en vue de ltablissement dun
rseau daires marines protges dans locan Austral, les Kerguelen, Crozet, mer Dumont dUrville.
Domaines
Biodiversité et Ecologie
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