The link between seabird traits and anthropogenic threats with implications for conservation

Richards, Cerridwen (2020) The link between seabird traits and anthropogenic threats with implications for conservation. Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

[English] PDF - Accepted Version Available under License - The author retains copyright ownership and moral rights in this thesis. Neither the thesis nor substantial extracts from it may be printed or otherwise reproduced without the author's permission. Download (12MB)

Abstract

Seabirds are heavily threatened by anthropogenic activities and their conservation status is deteriorating rapidly. Key goals for successful management and conservation are to identify vulnerable species, and to evaluate conservation gains. Here, I couple a comprehensive dataset of traits with International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List extinction risk categories, and threat data for all 341 seabird species. I reveal seabirds segregate in trait space based on threat status, and anthropogenic impacts are selectively removing large, long-lived, pelagic surface feeders with small habitat breadths (Chapter 2). Furthermore, I quantify species’ vulnerability to longline, trawl and purse seine bycatch, and find bycatch mitigation could successfully conserve species’ traits at a global scale (Chapter 3). My results suggest targeted conservation strategies must be implemented to ensure a functionally similar suite of seabirds will not be lost in the near future.

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