Geology topics

Paulo Catry

Publications and source records attributed to Paulo Catry.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

USGS2026

Highly mobile seabirds reveal areas of conservation importance across the Atlantic Ocean

Countries have committed to expanding the marine protected area (MPA) network to 30% of the world's ocean by 2030, more than tripling current coverage, and focusing on areas important for biodiversity. For such expansion to translate into effective conservation of marine biodiversity, it must rely on the best available knowledge. Here, we analyze tracking data on > 13,000 individuals (44 species, eight families) to map the distribution of highly mobile seabirds in the Atlantic Ocean and adjacent seas throughout the year. We identify regions important year-round or seasonally. The High Seas are as important as national waters for highly mobile seabirds but are even less protected. Current Atlantic MPAs hold < 14% of tracked species density, but their expansion to 30% of the ocean could protect up to two thirds. We share this new knowledge layer to support national and international efforts and policies to strategically expand the Atlantic MPA network.

Conservation Letters↗

USGS2026

Flying under the radar: The demographic importance of immatures in long-lived seabird populations

Demographic assessments are essential for effective biological conservation management, allowing early detection of population declines and timely allocation of resources to avoid possible crises. For species with slow life-history strategies like seabirds, only the breeding adults are monitored routinely. The dynamics of immatures, often unobservable from fledging to recruitment, are less well understood and typically not accounted for in conservation status assessments. Here, we quantify the importance of changes in the survival and abundance of immatures in shaping the past and forecasted dynamics of a long-lived marine top-predator. We use integrated population models (IPM) incorporating the dynamics of immatures, based on multi-decadal demographic monitoring of the black-browed albatross ( Thalassarche melanophris ) at three globally important breeding sites. The populations showed differences in breeding and survival rates, highlighting a degree of life history flexibility in response to the environment. Using a retrospective sensitivity analysis, we consistently identified immature survival as the key contributor to population growth rate. At all sites, even those with increasing or stable breeding populations, the total population has been declining, largely due to decreases in immature survival. Although not directly apparent from counts, this decline is already underway and is projected to emerge at the level of the breeding population over the coming three generations. This contrasts with a model focusing solely on counts of breeding adults, which mostly indicate an overall population increase. Collectively, our findings highlight that conservation assessments must account for the dynamics of subadult stages, or risk providing an inaccurate picture of population status.

Biological Conservation↗

USGS2023

Global assessment of marine plastic exposure for oceanic birds

Plastic pollution is distributed patchily around the world’s oceans. Likewise, marine organisms that are vulnerable to plastic ingestion or entanglement have uneven distributions. Understanding where wildlife encounters plastic is crucial for targeting research and mitigation. Oceanic seabirds, particularly petrels, frequently ingest plastic, are highly threatened, and cover vast distances during foraging and migration. However, the spatial overlap between petrels and plastics is poorly understood. Here we combine marine plastic density estimates with individual movement data for 7137 birds of 77 petrel species to estimate relative exposure risk. We identify high exposure risk areas in the Mediterranean and Black seas, and the northeast Pacific, northwest Pacific, South Atlantic and southwest Indian oceans. Plastic exposure risk varies greatly among species and populations, and between breeding and non-breeding seasons. Exposure risk is disproportionately high for Threatened species. Outside the Mediterranean and Black seas, exposure risk is highest in the high seas and Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) of the USA, Japan, and the UK. Birds generally had higher plastic exposure risk outside the EEZ of the country where they breed. We identify conservation and research priorities, and highlight that international collaboration is key to addressing the impacts of marine plastic on wide-ranging species.

Nature Communications↗

USGS2021

Global political responsibility for the conservation of albatrosses and large petrels

Migratory marine species cross political borders and enter the high seas, where the lack of an effective global management framework for biodiversity leaves them vulnerable to threats. Here, we combine 10,108 tracks from 5775 individual birds at 87 sites with data on breeding population sizes to estimate the relative year-round importance of national jurisdictions and high seas areas for 39 species of albatrosses and large petrels. Populations from every country made extensive use of the high seas, indicating the stake each country has in the management of biodiversity in international waters. We quantified the links among national populations of these threatened seabirds and the regional fisheries management organizations (RFMOs) which regulate fishing in the high seas. This work makes explicit the relative responsibilities that each country and RFMO has for the management of shared biodiversity, providing invaluable information for the conservation and management of migratory species in the marine realm.

Science Advances↗