News

Ecology, breeding biology and conservation status of the South Georgian Diving Petrels (Pelecanoides georgicus) on Codfish Island (Whenua Hou), New Zealand

 Johannes H. Fischer, School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington

 The South Georgian Diving Petrel (Pelecanoides georgicus;SGDP hereafter) is a burrow-breeding Procellariiformes with a circumpolar distribution across the southern oceans and is currently considered “Least Concern” by the IUCN. In New Zealand, however, the SGDP has declined steeply due to a combination of predation by introduced species and habitat destruction. Subsequently the species became extinct on the South Island, Stewart Island, Auckland Islands and Chatham Islands. The only remaining New Zealand breeding population persists in the dunes of the Sealers Bay, Codfish Island (Whenua Hou), with a population size of 150 adults at most. Therefore, the species is considered “Threatened - Nationally Critical” by the New Zealand Threat Classification System. As this highly-threatened population is the only New Zealand Procellariiformes that specializes in breeding in coastal dunes, the Coastal Restoration Trust of New Zealand supported my research project aimed at better understanding the threats and population trends of the SGDP on Codfish Island. The proposed aims of this study were:

• Continued assessment of nest site characteristics critical to the SGDP on Codfish Island
• Assessment of population dynamics and trends of the SGDP on Codfish Island
• Assessment of the breeding biology of the SGDP on Codfish Island

Analysis of explanatory variables that potentially affect nest site selection in SGDPs on Codfish Island using a theoretic information criterion (AIC_C) showed that their nesting habitat are mobile, steep, north-eastern (seaward) facing dunes no further than 20 m from the sea. In addition, the interactions between the distance to the sea and physical aspects of the dunes, as well as the interaction between plant cover and the physical aspects of the dunes proved important. Surprisingly nest site selection by SGDPs is not dictated by the presence of invasive plant species (as opposed to the indications given by preliminary results), nor by the presence of conspecifics, Common Diving Petrels (P. urinatrix; CDP), or Sooty Shearwaters (Puffinus griseus). However, four burrows showing changes in occupancy suggest that CDPs may directly compete for burrow sites with SGDPs. More importantly, the preferred nesting habitat thus renders this Nationally Critical species extremely vulnerable to effects from stochastic events (e.g., storms and storm surges) during the breeding season. These results have been written up as a formal publication.

During the 2015/2016 breeding season, 60 SGDPs were banded and these individually recognizable birds presented a unique opportunity to assess population dynamics of this species. Therefore, continued banding and recapture efforts have become a priority during the 2016/2017 breeding season. During the first field trip of the 2016/2017 breeding season (late September to early October 2016), an additional 47 SGDPs were banded. Furthermore, 31 SGDPs were recaptured (21 from 2015/2016 breeding season, 3 from 2008/2009, 4 from 2004/2005 and 1 from 2003/2004). This data will form a solid foundation for a detailed study aimed at understanding the population dynamics and trends in the SGDP. Banding and recapture efforts will continue in upcoming field trips and breeding seasons to further compile the data.

The third aim, the assessment of the breeding biology of the SGDP on Codfish Island, is crucial to enable the continued existence of this species. Unfortunately, it was not possible to deploy the required study equipment (study burrows) during the first field trip due to logistical and bureaucratic constraints. Preliminary data on the breeding biology were collected during the first field trip (by assessing body condition of birds in the hand) and these data suggest prospecting to start in September, while incubation appears to start in the first week of October. Future attempts to place study burrows are currently being considered, as well as a study trial to assess the effects of study burrows on brood-chamber conditions (e.g., temperature and humidity).

In conclusion, the smooth progress of the analysis of the nest site selection of the SGDP on Codfish Island will enable more fine-tuned conservation strategies in the future. The first SGDP field trip of the 2016/2017 breeding season was a remarkable success in terms of capture-mark-recapture efforts. In addition, future field trips may enable the study of the breeding biology of this Nationally Critical species. I am thus very grateful for the support received from the Coastal Restoration Trust of New Zealand to further our understanding of a species in such desperate need of conservation management.

Some of you will remember Friederike Gesing, who came and spoke at our conference in Whitianga. She has now published her NZ research. Here is the subtitle and an introduction to her book. For more information or to obtain it, please check out this link.

An Ethnography of Coastal Protection 

Working with nature – and not against it – is a global trend in coastal management. This ethnography of coastal protection follows the increasingly popular approach of “soft” protection to the Aotearoa New Zealand coast. Friederike Gesing analyses a political controversy over hard and soft protection measures, and introduces a growing community of practice involved in projects of working with nature. Dune restoration volunteers, coastal management experts, surfer-scientists, and Maori conservationists are engaged in projects ranging from do-it-yourself erosion control, to the reconstruction of native nature, and soft engineering “in concert with natural processes”. With soft protection, Gesing argues, we can witness a new sociotechnical imaginary in the making.

Climate Adaptation Methodology for Protected Areas (CAMPA) - Coastal and Marine

WWF International has published a manual on this topic, funded by The European Union. Here is the executive summary:

“Climate change poses serious threats to many coastal and marine systems, including those being managed as
protected areas. Yet people responsible for the management of coastal and marine protected areas (CMPAs) do not have to wait and see their sites deteriorate, but can take active steps to minimise the detrimental impacts of climate change. Because many coastal areas are heavily settled by human communities, such actions need to be taken in close cooperation with people living inside or near to the CMPA, which often include fishing communities and tourism operators.

The following manual describes an approach – Climate Adaptation Methodology for Protected Areas (CAMPA): Coastal and Marine – for developing climate adaptation measures in CMPAs. It combines ecosystem and community-based approaches to adaptation and uses a participatory approach that aims to build consensus
amongst stakeholders on the actions necessary to address the current and potential impacts of climate change. The methodology is described in detail and three case studies summarise lessons learned from its field-testing in six CMPAs in Colombia, Madagascar and the Philippines. It utilises a series of worksheets to simplify the process of completion and can be applied either in a detailed, data-driven process that will take some time or a shorter, quicker but less rigorous assessment to help make basic decisions about management.

An introductory section provides some background and key concepts. The CAMPA begins by defining the objectives and scope of any approach, then identifies ecological, ecosystem service and socio-economic targets and explains how to collate information on baseline conditions.

The main vulnerability assessment then starts by identifying possible climate and oceanographic manifestations (i.e. weather and climate events) in the area of the CMPA, along with non-climate influences, and develops scenarios looking at likely changes as a result of these various threats. A vulnerability analysis is then carried
out: the manual lists various alternative methods and provides a simple assessment approach developed specifically for the CAMPA. Results from whatever vulnerability assessment system is used then undergo validation and prioritisation in a workshop involving a range of stakeholders. The end result will be the identification of potential impacts, categorised by type, plus a long list of possible adaptation actions to address these impacts. The proposals are compared against a checklist of adaptation actions to test for gaps and are further assessed in a second stakeholder workshop, which considers the benefits, opportunities, risks and costs of each from environmental, social and economic perspectives. The workshop aims to develop a priority list of actions for climate adaptation in the protected area. Advice is given on running a workshop and drawing up and checking the resulting adaptation plan. A final section provides guidance on implementation, monitoring and evaluation and adaptive management.

Case studies describe application of CAMPA in the Gorgona and Sanquianga National Protected Areas in Colombia; Nosy Hara and Ambodivahibe Marine Protected Areas in northern Madagascar and two small protected areas in the Island Garden City of Samal in the Philippines.”

For the full 164p manual please go here.

Coastal dunes are one of the most degraded natural habitats in New Zealand.

Rising sea levels, increased flooding and sand problems in places such as Punakaiki and Foxton are fuelling discussions on what needs to be done. Read this article online.

A group of people got together for a pingao workshop at Lincoln on Saturday 11 June.

The workshop was part of a larger project, the aim of which is to build an ongoing, collaborative, knowledge-sharing network of iwi, weavers, scientists, social scientists and conservationists interested in the biology, ecology, conservation, restoration and traditional use of New Zealand taonga plant species. It is a collaboration between two Māori Organisations (Te Taumutu Rūnanga and Ngāti Hinewaka) and two universities (Lincoln University and Victoria University of Wellington).

Please check out their revamped website: https://pingao.wordpress.com/. Here you can find a full description of the project, the main people involved, a summary of the workshop (as well as those held in 2014), and resources such as the posters that were displayed at the workshop. They are also starting a blog under the “News” section where they will post regular updates of what they’re up to with the research side of things. If you use twitter you can also follow @buckleyhannah and @StaceyBryan3 for updates on the project.

Many people asked about how to get copies of the Coastal Restoration Trust information booklets. These are available through the following website: http://www.scionresearch.com/general/publications/reports/coastal-dunes. There is similar information available on our Coastal Restoration Trust Websites. Specifically check out these articles that are part of our handbook for dune restoration:

7.3 Pingao - Ecology
7.4 Pingao - Establishment
7.5 Sustainability for Weaving

Please note it is really important that any pīngao you are planning to plant are ecosourced. That is, the seed must come from the area that you want to plant in. This is so essential for maintaining the high degree of genetic diversity among pīngao populations. Keep in mind that plants from other parts of New Zealand may not grow as well in a different place and if they interbreed with the existing populations, this may also affect their health. If you are interested in restoring your local pīngao population, please get in touch with your local Council or Coastal Restoration Trust representative, because they can advise you on how to do this best.