Assessing inter-annual variability in Antipodean albatross distribution

Antipodean albatross breed on Antipodes Islands, to the south of New Zealand. They travel from there across the southern Pacific Ocean. The albatrosses have been tracked using tags that record their location. In this study, the tracking data were analysed. Males and females, and birds of different ages, tend to use different areas. Females travel more to the west, to the Tasman Sea, while males go further south. Young birds and breeding birds stay closer to New Zealand than non-breeding adults. The study found three places the birds consistently use a lot - the ocean east of New Zealand, the Tasman Sea between Australia and New Zealand, and an area off the coast of Chile in South America. By comparing the overlap between the distribution of the albatrosses and fishing activity, places were identified where albatrosses could accidentally get caught on fishing lines. This research could be used to help understand how fishing is impacting Antipodean albatross.

Also presented as ACAP Joint SBWG12/PaCSWG8 Doc 05 & WCPFC-SC20-2024/EB-IP-28.