The British Antarctic Survey reports that Mount Curry on volcanic Zavodovski Island has been erupting since March this year (click here).

Mount Curry erupting on Zavodovski Island in June 2016, photograph by David Virgo 

Zavodovski is the most northerly of the South Sandwich Islands, an uninhabited archipelago of islands in the Maritime Antarctic.  It supports millions of breeding penguins as well as a small population of Southern Giant Petrels Macronectes giganteus, most recently assessed at 64 pairs breeding on the flat ash plains at the northern end of the island near Reek Point in January 2011 (click here).

“Satellite images have confirmed that between one third and one half of the island has so far been covered in ash.  This is the first time that Zavodovski Island has been witnessed erupting, although there is evidence that it erupted in the 1970s, possibly in the 1980s and as late as 2012.  Two scientific expeditions are scheduled to visit the region from later this year and will try to assess the impact of the eruption.”  News of the situation with the island’s Southern Giant Petrels may then become available.

A Southern Giant Petrel breeding in the South Sandwich Islands, photograph by Andy Black

Reference:

Lynch, H.J., White, R., Naveen, R., Black, A., Meixler, M.S. & Fagan, W.F. 2016.  In stark contrast to widespread declines along the Scotia Arc, a survey of the South Sandwich Islands finds a robust seabird community.  Polar Biology doi:10.​1007/​s00300-015-1886-6.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 08 July 2016

At the Ninth Meeting of ACAP’s Advisory Committee (AC9) held in La Serena, Chile in May this year it was agreed to host a Pterodroma Workshop at the time of the Tenth Meeting of the Advisory Committee, due to be held in New Zealand next year around late August / early September.  The workshop will consider the conservation status of gadfly petrels in the genus Pterodroma along with other small burrowing petrel species (e.g. in the genera Aphodroma, Bulweria and Pseudobulweria).

Critically Endangered Galapagos Petrel Pterodroma phaeopygia, photograph by Eric Vandwerrf

The following text is taken from the AC9 report from the section on Listing of New Species (pp. 18-19):

“The Committee recognised many species of the genus Pterodroma face significant threats to their conservation, and some of these are already identified by the Agreement as species of concern (AC3 Doc 18, MoP5 Doc 21 and SBWG7 Doc 25).  There are also other small burrowing petrels that share a number of the same conservation characteristics as Pterodroma species.  The Committee noted there are ongoing discussions internationally about appropriate modalities for the conservation of these species including under the Agreement, CMS [Convention on Migratory Species] and in BirdLife International’s ‘Pterodroma Interest Group’, and at least eight Parties to the Agreement have breeding populations of Pterodroma species.

The Committee decided that there was merit in convening a one-day workshop involving interested Parties to the Agreement, and inviting others with an interest in the conservation of these species.  The workshop would be held in association with the Tenth Meeting of the Advisory Committee and its Working Groups in 2017.

The workshop’s objective is to advance understanding about best approaches for international cooperation in the conservation of Pterodroma and other small burrowing petrel species.  The workshop would:

1. share information about current understanding of conservation threats to Pterodroma and other small burrowing petrel species, whether on land, at-sea, or generalised in nature;

2. consider whether and to what extent international cooperation would assist in addressing these threats;

3. as relevant, consider modalities for international cooperation; and

4. prepare a report and recommendations for consideration at the Sixth Session of the Meeting of the Parties to the Agreement in 2018.

The Committee agreed that the Secretariat should take appropriate steps to advertise the scope, timing and venue for the workshop.  A small contact group including Australia, Brazil, Ecuador, New Zealand and UK would assist in the preparations for this workshop.”

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 07 July 2016

“An adult Light-mantled Albatross [Phoebetria palpebrata] was found in 29 April 2014 … at Vilatur beach … municipality of Saquarema, Rio de Janeiro.  The bird found was quite weak, possibly dehydrated, and unable to take flight.  This paper is one of the few documented records of Light-mantled Albatross in Brazil, noting that more records should be published in scientific journals to understand more the distribution and dispersion pattern of this species.”

Light-mantled Sooty Albatrosses, photograph by Aleks Terauds

Reference:

Corrêa, G.V.V. & Pereira, G.A. 2016.  Documented record of the Light-mantled Albatross Phoebetria palpebrata (Foster, 1785) from southeastern Brazil.  Brazilian Journal of Biology 76: 808-809.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 06 July 2016

Susan Rehorek (Department of Biology, Slippery Rock University, Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania, USA) and colleagues have published in the Journal of Morphology on the morphology of developing eggs of the Laysan albatross Phoebastria immutabilis.

The paper’s abstract follows:

“Bird incubation is subdivided into two phases: differentiation (embryonic phase) and growth (fetal phase).  Most birds have a relatively short incubation period (20–30 days) with the phase transition occurring midway through the incubation period.  The Laysan albatross (Phoebastris [sic] immutabilis) is a large pelagic bird with a long incubation period.  The purpose of this study was to document the differentiation phase with the aim of ascertaining the impact of a lengthened incubation on embryonic development.  Eighty-two previously collected albatross embryos were examined, measured, and staged.  The albatross was found to develop more slowly than smaller birds, with a rate similar to other long-incubating birds.   Legs and wings grow at similar rates but exhibit variation in growth among their anatomical components. While the albatross embryos shared some morphological stages with chickens, they were more similar to ducks and pelicans.  Special features of the albatross not shared with the Gallianserae (chickens and ducks) included an alligator-like curved tail, narial tubes, and a cloacal bulge.  Further examination of other larger pelagic birds with long incubation periods are needed to determine the uniqueness of the Laysan albatross embryonic development.  Although much embryonic phase growth was documented in the postnatal period, little is known about the later, fetal phase in Laysan albatross.  Future studies should involve examination of later (post day 32) fetuses.”

Laysan Albatross egg, photograph by Pacific Rim Conservation

Reference:

Rehorek, S.J., Smith, T.D. & Beeching, S.C. 2016.  Early development and differentiation of the Laysan albatross (Phoebastria immutabilis (Rothschild, 1893): Procellariiformes).  Journal of Morphology DOI: 10.1002/jmor.20572.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 05 July 2016