Spatio-temporal processes drive fine-scale genetic structure in an otherwise panmictic seabird population.

When and where animals breed can shape the genetic structure and diversity of animal populations. The importance of drivers of genetic diversity is amplified in island populations that tend to have more delineated gene pools compared to continental populations. Studies of relatedness as a function of the spatial distribution of individuals have demonstrated the importance of spatial organisation for individual fitness with outcomes that are conditional on the overall genetic diversity of the population.

Correction to: A multiplex marker set for microsatellite typing and sexing of sooty terns Onychoprion fuscatus.

Following publication of the original article [1], one of the authors reported that his name was listed incorrectly, and that he would like his name to appear as S. James Reynolds instead of Silas James Reynolds. The latter format would confuse citations as all his previous publications are in the former format.

A multiplex marker set for microsatellite typing and sexing of sooty terns Onychoprion fuscatus.

Objectives: Seabirds have suffered dramatic population declines in recent decades with one such species being the sooty tern Onychoprion fuscatus. An urgent call to re-assess their conservation status has been made given that some populations, such as the one on Ascension Island, South Atlantic, have declined by over 80% in three generations. Little is known about their population genetics, which would aid conservation management through understanding ecological processes and vulnerability to environmental change.