Inter-colony variation in predation, mercury burden and adult survival in a declining seabird.

Migratory species with disjunct and localized breeding distributions, including many colonial marine birds, pose challenges for management and conservation as their dynamics are shaped by both broad oceanographic changes and specific factors affecting individual breeding colonies. We compare six colonies of the declining Leach's storm-petrel, Hydrobates leucorhous, across their core range in Atlantic Canada using standard capture-mark-recapture methods to estimate annual survival of individually marked populations of breeding adults. Over the period analysed (5-20 years per colony; 2003-2022), mean annual survival varied among colonies (0.

Quantifying inter-annual variability on the space-use of parental Northern Gannets (Morus bassanus) in pursuit of different prey types.

Spatial planning for marine areas of multi-species conservation concern requires in-depth assessment of the distribution of predators and their prey. Northern Gannets Morus bassanus are generalist predators that predate several different forage fishes depending on their availability. In the western North Atlantic, gannets employ different dive tactics while in pursuit of different prey types, performing deep, prolonged U-shaped dives when foraging on capelin (Mallotus villosus), and rapid, shallow, V-shaped dives when foraging on larger pelagic fishes.

Marine pollution in fledged Leach's storm-petrels (Hydrobates leucorhous) from Baccalieu Island, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.

The Leach's storm-petrel (Hydrobates leucorhous) is one of the most abundant and widely distributed marine birds in the North Atlantic but is under global population decline, possibly linked to marine pollution. We determined levels of ingested plastic and hepatic total mercury (THg) in recently fledged juveniles that stranded in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, and assessed the relationship to body condition, size and diet. Plastic prevalence was high (87.

Correlates of Waterbody Characteristics and the Occurrence or Diversity of Larval Amphibians in Central Ontario, Canada.

Watershed acidification and poor water quality can deleteriously affect amphibian populations. Between 1990 and 2008, we sampled 333 small, permanent (inundated year round) waterbodies that drain forested areas in the Algoma, Muskoka and Sudbury regions of central Ontario, Canada to determine whether water chemistry parameters, fish presence, and waterbody area and depth predict amphibian presence or diversity. Amphibians were present in some low-pH waterbodies, contrasting earlier studies, and generally water chemistry was not a strong indicator of amphibian presence or diversity in central Ontario.

Activity budget and ranging patterns of Colobus vellerosus in forest fragments in central Ghana.

The forest fragments surrounding the 192-ha Boabeng-Fiema Monkey Sanctuary (BFMS) in central Ghana contain small populations of Colobus vellerosus. Data were collected on activity budget, ranging patterns and habitat use of 3 groups living in these small fragments in August-November 2003, and compared to 3 BFMS groups. Fragment groups spent less time moving and more time resting than BFMS groups.

Comparison of habitat quality and diet of Colobus vellerosus in forest fragments in Ghana.

The forest fragments surrounding the Boabeng-Fiema Monkey Sanctuary (BFMS) in central Ghana shelter small populations of Colobus vellerosus. Little is known about these populations or the ability of the fragments to support them, despite the fact that these fragments represent potentially important habitat for the colobus in this region. We compared the diet of three groups of C.

Population size and density of Colobus vellerosus at the Boabeng-Fiema Monkey Sanctuary and surrounding forest fragments in Ghana.

The Boabeng-Fiema Monkey Sanctuary (BFMS) is inhabited by a growing population of Ursine colobus (Colobus vellerosus), a species that is listed as vulnerable. Smaller, degraded forest fragments that surround the BFMS also contain C. vellerosus and may provide an important habitat for the monkeys.