Important At-Sea Areas of Colonial Breeding Marine Predators on the Southern Patagonian Shelf.

摘要: The Patagonian Shelf Large Marine Ecosystem supports high levels of biodiversity and endemism is one the most productive marine ecosystems in world. Despite important role predators play structuring ecosystems, areas diversity where multiple congregate remains poorly known on Shelf. Here, we used biotelemetry biologging tags to track movements six seabird species three pinniped breeding at Falkland Islands. Using Generalized Additive Models, then modelled these animals’ use space as functions dynamic static environmental indices that described their habitat. Based models, mapped predicted distribution animals from both sampled unsampled colonies thereby identified were likely overlap sea. Maximum foraging trip distance ranged 79 1,325 km. However, 1,891 trips by 686 restricted shelf slope, which highlighted a preference for habitats. Of seven candidate explanatory covariates predict distribution, colony was retained models all negatively affected probability occurrence. Predicted among highest around Islands Burdwood Bank. area consistent with are also habitat migrating distant locations. Our findings provide comprehensive multi-species predictions some largest predator populations Shelf, will contribute future spatial planning initiatives. Crucially, our highlight spatially explicit conservation measures benefit species, while threats impact species.