Subscribe free to our newsletters via your




GPS NEWS
Gannet sat nav reveals impact of fishing vessels
by Staff Writers
Exeter UK (SPX) Jun 03, 2014


An adult gannet is shown with its chick. The researchers also discovered that individual gannets can adjust their behavior depending on whether the vessel is actively fishing or not, and also based on the type of fishing gear carried. Image courtesy Alyn Walsh.

Fishing vessels have a far bigger ecological footprint than previously thought, according to research which tracked the movement and behaviour of seabirds using GPS devices.

A team of scientists led by the University of Exeter discovered that northern gannets change their behaviour in response to the presence of large vessels such as trawlers, suggesting each boat can significantly influence the distribution and foraging patterns of these and other marine predators.

Northern gannets (Morus bassanus) are known to feed on discards from fishing vessels as well as diving for fish, and their population has been steadily increasing for decades. Studies have confirmed their use of fisheries waste by showing that the birds are eating fish that have come from far deeper than they are able to dive.

Scientists at the Centre for Ecology and Conservation at the University of Exeter's Penryn Campus in Cornwall and the Coastal and Marine Centre at University College Cork analysed GPS tracking data from 74 gannets from six breeding colonies around Ireland, and combined these with similar GPS tracking data from fishing vessels.

The information gathered revealed that gannet behaviour is influenced by fishing vessels at distances of up to 11km - the first estimate of the distance at which vessels start to affect these birds' behaviour.

Dr Thomas Bodey of the University of Exeter, who led the study, said: "Our work suggests each fishing vessel has a substantial footprint, with the behaviour of seabirds affected within a 22km diameter circle surrounding it, much larger than we expected."

By studying bird-boat interactions, the team also discovered that individual gannets can adjust their behaviour depending on whether the vessel is actively fishing or not, and also based on the type of fishing gear carried.

Dr Mark Jessopp of the Coastal and Marine Centre at University College Cork, a co-author of the work, added: "The fact that birds responded differently to boats depending on whether they were fishing or not, and the type of gear they were carrying, indicates just how finely attuned these animals are to the opportunities humans can provide".

The findings, published in the journal Current Biology, help to understand the spatial influence of fisheries, which is critical to marine planning and policy - including shipping, offshore development, bycatch and fisheries themselves.

Co-author Professor Stuart Bearhop, also of the University of Exeter's Centre for Ecology and Conservation, said: "We know that seabirds are facing many impacts within the marine environment, and we have tended to think that interactions with fishing boats were a localised phenomenon. Our work indicates that the scale of impact on these top predator's behaviour is much broader."

Gannets are the UK's largest seabird, foraging up to 500 km from their colonies. They forage almost exclusively during daylight hours, with birds resting on the sea surface at night. They are visual foragers with no external nostrils and relatively small olfactory bulbs.

All fishing boats greater than 15 m in length must carry a GPS transmitter as part of the European Union Vessel Monitoring System.

'Seabird movement reveals the ecological footprint of fishing vessels' is published in the latest edition of Current Biology.

.


Related Links
University of Exeter
GPS Applications, Technology and Suppliers






Comment on this article via your Facebook, Yahoo, AOL, Hotmail login.

Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle








GPS NEWS
Chinese army regulates sat nav use
Beijing (XNA) May 30, 2014
The Chinese army on Thursday issued regulations covering how satellite navigation systems are applied in combat. The new rule issued by the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) General Staff Headquarters will take effect on June 1, the PLA said in a statement. The regulation stipulates procedures for sourcing satellite navigation systems as well as their safety management and how they sh ... read more


GPS NEWS
Italy navy picks up 3,000 boat migrants in 24 hours

The 'Sherlock Holmes' of Himalayan mountaineering

Students suffer in Philippine typhoon zone as schools open

Japan starts building underground ice wall at Fukushima

GPS NEWS
Gannet sat nav reveals impact of fishing vessels

GPS sites in Russia can't be used now for 'military purposes'

Chinese army regulates sat nav use

Beidou to help safeguard fishermen on high seas

GPS NEWS
Humans traded muscle for smarts as they evolved

Journey of Discovery Starts toward Understanding and Treating Networks of the Brain

Intertwined evolution of human brain and brawn

Virtual dam on after-hours emails tackles burnout

GPS NEWS
On the front lines of the war against poaching

Spider venom may save the bees: study

'Extinct' bat found in Papua New Guinea

Feral cats behind extinction of unique Aussie mammals: study

GPS NEWS
Scientists find compound to fight virus behind SARS, MERS

After 8,000 cholera deaths, Haiti faces new epidemic

Oman reports 3 swine flu deaths

Sierra Leone confirms first case of Ebola as epidemic spreads

GPS NEWS
H.K. rallies for Tiananmen 25th anniversary as Beijing clamps down

Eyewitness: Tiananmen, the night dreams became nightmares

Taiwan urges China to face up to history of Tiananmen

From 'Fat Years' to reality for Chinese author Chan Koonchung

GPS NEWS
Kidnapped Chinese, Filippino rescued in Malaysia

Chinese worker kidnapped in Malaysia's Borneo island

Vietnam says 7 killed in shooting on China border

Kidnappers demand $11 mln for Chinese tourist

GPS NEWS
China manufacturing up in May: government

Tiny elite huge proletariat: UK middle class to disappear in 30 years

Sales tax hike dents Japanese economy

China house prices post first fall in 23 months: survey




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2014 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. Privacy Statement All images and articles appearing on Space Media Network have been edited or digitally altered in some way. Any requests to remove copyright material will be acted upon in a timely and appropriate manner. Any attempt to extort money from Space Media Network will be ignored and reported to Australian Law Enforcement Agencies as a potential case of financial fraud involving the use of a telephonic carriage device or postal service.