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The demography and ecology of the European shagPhalacrocorax aristotelis in Mor Braz, France

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2013

Matthieu Fortin ,
Charles-André Bost ,
Philippe Maes  and
Christophe Barbraud
Matthieu Fortin*
Affiliation:
Bretagne vivante, SEPNB, Réserve naturelle des marais de Séné, route de Brouël, 56860 Séné, France
Charles-André Bost
Affiliation:
CNRS, Centre d’études biologiques de Chizé, UPR 1934, 79360 Villiers en Bois, France
Philippe Maes
Affiliation:
Université de Bretagne Sud, Institut de Géoarchitecture, EA 2219, BP 573, 56017 Vannes, France
Christophe Barbraud
Affiliation:
CNRS, Centre d’études biologiques de Chizé, UPR 1934, 79360 Villiers en Bois, France
*
aCorresponding author:matthieu.fortin@bretagne-vivante.org
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Abstract

An integrated research program was initiated to evaluate if the European shagPhalacrocorax aristotelis can be used as a robust indicator of themarine environment in Mor Braz, Brittany, France. This program focuses on aspects of theecology of the shag including its abundance, demography, diet and at-sea distributionmeasured at three breeding colonies. The annual population growth rate was estimated at1.01 for the period 1987–2009. The number of breeding pairs (mean: 565) was highlyvariable from year to year. Part of this interannual variation was explained by variationsin sea surface temperature and sea surface height in winter and spring: the number ofbreeding pairs was negatively related to sea surface temperature and sea surface height.First year, second year and adult survival probabilities were 0.44, 0.76 and 0.81,respectively. Juvenile survival rate varied between colonies, despite the short distancesseparating these islets. Average productivity was one young fledged per nest, but itvaried between years and islets. Density of individuals at sea varied between 1.40ind.km-2 during the breeding season and 3.08 ind.km-2 after thebreeding season had ended. Individuals foraged up to 7 km from the nest and performed onaverage 2.7 foraging trips per day. The average number of dives deeper than 5 m variedfrom 126 to 400 per day. Mean diving depth, dive duration and time spent at bottom were 13m, 28 s, and 19 s respectively. Regurgitated pellets were collected regularly. Four fishfamilies (Gadidae, Gobiidae, Atherinidae and Labridae) represented more than 65% of thepreys throughout the year, a percentage reaching more than 95% of the prey from May toOctober. The other fish in the diet were Cottidae, Ammodytidae, and Clupeidae. The diet ofthe European shag consisted of benthic fish throughout the year, and also included pelagicfish more frequently between June and October. The synchronous variations of productivitybetween colonies suggest that some common environmental factors affect this demographicparameter at the regional scale. Thus, the European shag has a good potential for being areliable ecological indicator of the state of this marine environment. Finally, improvedknowledge on the foraging ecology of shags will be useful in the process of designingMarine Protected Areas in the Mor Braz to help ensure sustainable management of marineresources and biodiversity conservation.

Keywords

SeabirdsBreeding pairsPopulation densityDietWildlife surveysBay of BiscayAtlantic Ocean
Type
Research Article
Information
Aquatic Living Resources , Volume 26 , Issue 2 , April 2013 , pp. 179 - 185
Copyright
© EDP Sciences, IFREMER, IRD 2013

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