Source: British Ecological Society
How adult
penguins fish and the body condition of their chicks are directly linked to
local fish abundance, and could potentially inform fishery management, a new
study has found.
The
researchers studied an endangered African penguin colony during a rare
three-year closure of commercial fisheries around Robben Island, South Africa,
and their findings are published today in the Journal of Applied Ecology.
Fishing
is often considered to be one of the biggest drivers of biodiversity loss in
the ocean. It is so widespread that we lack an understanding of the 'natural'
relationships between marine predators and their prey, and thus the extent to
which predators are disrupted by competition from fisheries.
This is a
critical knowledge gap since many marine predators such as penguins are
considered indicator species: a species whose success indicates the condition
of their habitat.
Dr Kate
Campbell, who led the research at the University of Cape Town as part of her
PhD project, said: "Understanding how African penguins forage to feed
their chicks in their variable marine environment can help us identify
conservation measures for these endangered populations."
"A
three-year commercial fisheries closure around Robben Island, South Africa
created a unique opportunity to study how African penguins directly respond to
natural changes in local abundance of their prey -- anchovies and
sardines," she added.
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