Page 40 - Research & Innovation Report 2020

SCIENCE

Largest ever southern ocean

seabird and marine mammal

tracking data project

The largest research project ever undertaken by multiple nations using tracking data of
seabirds and mammals over the entire Southern Ocean, calls for conservation areas to be
established urgently.

The abstract of a paper published in the journal Nature on 18 background: “For many years we have been deploying tracking
March 2020 titled “Tracking of marine predators to protect instruments on seabirds and marine mammals – small, easily
Southern Ocean ecosystems”, reads: removable GPS or satellite transmitters that we attach either with
waterproof tape to birds’ feathers, or with epoxy glue or darts on
The integration of more than 4000 tracks from 17 bird seals and cetaceans. For this large international study, we only
and mammal species reveals AESs [Areas of Ecological incorporated tracking data from species that have a distribution
Significance] around sub-Antarctic islands in the Atlantic across the whole Southern Ocean region, such as the wandering
and Indian Oceans and over the Antarctic continental albatrosses, macaroni penguins and southern elephant seals.”
shelf. Fishing pressure is disproportionately concentrated
inside AESs, and climate change over the next century is “We have been studying the at-sea distribution of these marine
predicted to impose pressure on these areas, particularly predators as they are highly efficient at locating areas of high
around the Antarctic continent. At present, 7.1% of the productivity and rich in food for their survival. These areas are what
ocean south of 40°S is under formal protection. we call Areas of Ecological Significance. They are productive from
the bottom of the food chain to the top, with nutrient enrichment
One of the co-authors, Professor Pierre Pistorius, head of Mandela that stimulates phytoplankton growth activity, which leads to
University’s Marine Apex Predator Research Unit, gives the zooplankton biomass that moves up the food chain.”

Photo: Chris Oosthuizen

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