TY - JOUR
T1 - Effect of environmental variables on the number of births at California sea lion (Zalophus californianus) rookeries throughout the Gulf of California, Mexico
AU - Pelayo-González, Lili
AU - Hernández-Camacho, Claudia J.
AU - Aurioles-Gamboa, David
AU - Gallo-Reynoso, Juan P.
AU - Barba-Acuña, Isai D.
AU - Godínez-Reyes, Carlos
AU - Ramírez-Delgado, David
AU - Ávalos-Téllez, Rosalía
AU - Rubio-Rodríguez, Uriel
AU - Villalobos, Héctor
N1 - Funding Information:
We thank Dr Enriqueta Velarde and Dr Cecilia Soldatini for sharing their expertise on sea birds and small pelagic fisheries. We also thank Dr Eduardo Gonz?lez, Dr Martha Patricia Rosas and Alejandro Ramos, MS, for their helpful insights regarding the analysis of environmental variables. We also thank Dr Kristin Sullivan for editing the English text. This study was conducted under the following research permits approved by the Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources (Secretar?a de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales): 240996-213-03, DOO 750.-4172/97, DOO 750.-4443/98, NUM/SGPA/DGVS 04311, 04160, 05325, 03269, 03018/08, 02012/11, 01847/12, 02209/13 02402/14, 03999/15, 07208/16, 08817/17 and 08817/18. This research was supported by funding provided by the National Polytechnic Institute (Instituto Polit?cnico Nacional: SIP 20100911, SIP20110299, SIP 20120069, SIP 20130402, SIP 20140111, SIP 20150347, SIP 20160055, SIP 20170489, SIP 20180709, SIP 20195945, SIP 20200815), the National Committee on Science and Technology (Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnolog?a: no. 132415) and the National Commission on Protected Natural Areas (Comisi?n Nacional de ?reas Naturales Protegidas: PROMOBI 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015; PROMANP 2016; PROCER 2018; PROREST, 2019).
Funding Information:
We thank Dr Enriqueta Velarde and Dr Cecilia Soldatini for sharing their expertise on sea birds and small pelagic fisheries. We also thank Dr Eduardo González, Dr Martha Patricia Rosas and Alejandro Ramos, MS, for their helpful insights regarding the analysis of environmental variables. We also thank Dr Kristin Sullivan for editing the English text. This study was conducted under the following research permits approved by the Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources (Secretaría de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales): 240996‐213‐03, DOO 750.‐4172/97, DOO 750.‐4443/98, NUM/SGPA/DGVS 04311, 04160, 05325, 03269, 03018/08, 02012/11, 01847/12, 02209/13 02402/14, 03999/15, 07208/16, 08817/17 and 08817/18. This research was supported by funding provided by the National Polytechnic Institute (Instituto Politécnico Nacional: SIP 20100911, SIP20110299, SIP 20120069, SIP 20130402, SIP 20140111, SIP 20150347, SIP 20160055, SIP 20170489, SIP 20180709, SIP 20195945, SIP 20200815), the National Committee on Science and Technology (Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología: no. 132415) and the National Commission on Protected Natural Areas (Comisión Nacional de Áreas Naturales Protegidas: PROMOBI 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015; PROMANP 2016; PROCER 2018; PROREST, 2019).
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
PY - 2021/7
Y1 - 2021/7
N2 - The 13 California sea lion breeding colonies in the Gulf of California (GoC), Mexico are each characterized by different population growth trends, including a variable number of births. Despite being located in a highly productive marine area, both the species’ population and the number of births have declined significantly over the past few decades. The goal of this study was to assess the effects of certain environmental variables on the number of births at colonies in three regions (northern, central and southern) of the GoC (1995–2018). Data on diet, small pelagic fish catches by fisheries, the density of small pelagic fish schools, remotely sampled values of sea surface temperature and chlorophyll-a concentration and El Niño Southern Oscillation events were collected in order to evaluate whether these variables had an effect on the number of births using correlations and generalized linear models. No significant relationships were found between the environmental variables and the number of births. However, the number of births decreased when the sea surface temperature anomalies exceeded 1°C in the northern and central regions of the GoC. Although no significant relationships were found between the small pelagic fish catches and the number of births, positive trends were observed between sardine catches and the number of births during certain periods in the central region. A positive correlation between the density of small pelagic fish schools and the number of births suggests a possible relationship between prey availability and reproductive success in the central region. A Programme of Action for the Conservation of the Species should be promoted by the Federal Government and carried out in order to implement specific management actions. Specifically, surveillance efforts should increase, fishing gear conversion plans should be established and sea lion exclusion devices should be introduced, among other measures.
AB - The 13 California sea lion breeding colonies in the Gulf of California (GoC), Mexico are each characterized by different population growth trends, including a variable number of births. Despite being located in a highly productive marine area, both the species’ population and the number of births have declined significantly over the past few decades. The goal of this study was to assess the effects of certain environmental variables on the number of births at colonies in three regions (northern, central and southern) of the GoC (1995–2018). Data on diet, small pelagic fish catches by fisheries, the density of small pelagic fish schools, remotely sampled values of sea surface temperature and chlorophyll-a concentration and El Niño Southern Oscillation events were collected in order to evaluate whether these variables had an effect on the number of births using correlations and generalized linear models. No significant relationships were found between the environmental variables and the number of births. However, the number of births decreased when the sea surface temperature anomalies exceeded 1°C in the northern and central regions of the GoC. Although no significant relationships were found between the small pelagic fish catches and the number of births, positive trends were observed between sardine catches and the number of births during certain periods in the central region. A positive correlation between the density of small pelagic fish schools and the number of births suggests a possible relationship between prey availability and reproductive success in the central region. A Programme of Action for the Conservation of the Species should be promoted by the Federal Government and carried out in order to implement specific management actions. Specifically, surveillance efforts should increase, fishing gear conversion plans should be established and sea lion exclusion devices should be introduced, among other measures.
KW - climate change
KW - coastal
KW - ecological status
KW - fishing
KW - island
KW - mammals
KW - pollution
KW - red list
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85101459799&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1002/aqc.3545
DO - 10.1002/aqc.3545
M3 - Artículo
AN - SCOPUS:85101459799
SN - 1052-7613
VL - 31
SP - 1730
EP - 1748
JO - Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems
JF - Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems
IS - 7
ER -