Computational Ecology and Environmental Science, Microsoft Research, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
PLoS One. 2010 Feb 17;5(2):e9236. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0009236.
Determining the foraging movements of pelagic seabirds is fundamental for their conservation. However, the vulnerability and elusive lifestyles of these animals have made them notoriously difficult to study. Recent developments in satellite telemetry have enabled tracking of smaller seabirds during foraging excursions.
METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Here, we report the first successful precision tracking of a c. 700 g seabird, the vulnerable Black Petrel, Procellaria parkinsoni, foraging at sea during the breeding season, using miniature GPS-logging technology. Employing a combination of high-resolution fixes and low-power duty-cycles, we present data from nine individual foraging excursions tracked during the chick-rearing period in February 2006.
CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: We provide a snapshot of the species' foraging range and behaviour in relation to detailed underlying bathymetry off the coast of New Zealand, finding a significant relationship between foraging movements and regions of the shelf-break. We also highlight the potential of more sophisticated analyses to identify behavioural phenomena from position data alone.
确定远洋海鸟的觅食活动对其保护至关重要。然而，这些动物的脆弱性和难以捉摸的生活方式使它们成为极难研究的对象。卫星遥测技术的最新发展使得在觅食过程中可以追踪较小的海鸟。
方法/主要发现：在这里，我们报告了首次成功地对脆弱的黑眉信天翁 Procellaria parkinsoni 进行精确跟踪，这是一种约 700 克重的海鸟，在繁殖季节在海上觅食，使用微型 GPS 记录技术。我们结合使用高分辨率固定点和低功耗占空比，展示了 2006 年 2 月育雏期间跟踪的 9 次单独觅食活动的数据。
结论/意义：我们提供了该物种在新西兰沿海相关详细底层水深的觅食范围和行为的快照，发现觅食活动与陆架坡区域之间存在显著关系。我们还强调了更复杂的分析从位置数据中识别行为现象的潜力。
