The Blue Penguin (Eudyptula minor) is assumed to be declining over much of its range, largely due to introduced predators. Anecdotal evidence suggests that one of the areas of declining population is the West Coast of the South Island. The purpose of this study was to determine the reasons for the assumed decline of blue penguins in South Westland. This was done by studying breeding ecology at several blue penguin colonies to assess the importance of breeding success and adult mortality on the penguin population. Three blue penguin colonies in South Westland, at Five Mile and Three Mile beaches south of Okarito, and at the Wanganui River mouth near Harihari, were monitored throughout the 2008/09 breeding season. During each burrow visit the number of eggs and chicks were recorded as well as the date of laying, hatching or fledging. Five colonies of blue penguin were also monitored in Buller over the same breeding season in a study conducted by the West Coast Blue Penguin Trust, a community trust based on the West Coast. The results of both studies were compared to determine the effect of predator control on breeding parameters, such as breeding success. Of 137 eggs laid in South Westland, 108 chicks survived until fledging, giving an overall breeding success of 78.8%. In Buller, 64 chicks survived to fledging from 101 eggs laid, resulting in an overall breeding success of 63.4%. Breeding success was significantly higher at penguin colonies in South Westland, compared to the Buller colonies. There was no evidence that predator control had an effect on breeding success in South Westland or Buller. The mean number of chicks fledged per pair that produced eggs was 1.55 in South Westland and 1.16 in Buller. The overall proportion of occupied breeding burrows compared to the total number of suitable burrows at the South Westland sites was 73.8% (n = 103). At the Buller sites, only 60.3 % (n = 151) of the total number of burrows was occupied. Road kills are a major threat to blue penguins in Buller due to the proximity of colonies to the state highway. Fortunately, incidences of road death in South Westland are rare and due to the distance from roads, do not pose a significant threat to South Westland blue penguins. Further study of blue penguin colonies in South Westland is needed to learn more about annual variation in breeding productivity and to determine if breeding success is consistently high over an extended time period. If this is the case, then the cause of blue penguin decline on the West Coast is unlikely to be due to problems with breeding as the breeding success during this study is one of the highest recorded for blue penguins. Although there was no apparent effect of predator control on breeding productivity during this study there is evidence from other locations that predators, in particular stoats, have contributed to the decline of blue penguin populations. More research into the impact of predators on penguins over a longer period of time is needed on the West Coast before a change is made to how predators are managed.

La recherche des facteurs de longévité gagne en intérêt dans le contexte actuel du vieillissement de la population. De la littérature portant sur la longévité et la mortalité aux grands âges, un constat émerge : bien que les déterminants associés à la survie humaine soient multiples, l'environnement familial aurait un rôle déterminant sur la mortalité et sur l'atteinte des âges avancés. Dès lors, l'objectif de cette thèse est d'évaluer les déterminants de la survie exceptionnelle et d'examiner le rôle des aspects familiaux, en début de vie et à l'âge adulte, dans les différentiels de durée de vie. Plus spécifiquement, elle vise à : (1) examiner la similarité des âges au décès entre frères, soeurs et conjoints afin d'apprécier l'ampleur de la composante familiale de la longévité; (2) explorer, d'un point de vue intrafamilial, les conséquences à long terme sur la survie des variables non partagées issues de la petite enfance tels l'âge maternel à la reproduction, le rang de naissance et la saison de naissance; et (3) s'interroger sur le rôle protecteur ou délétère de l’environnement et du milieu familial d'origine dans l’enfance sur l'atteinte des grands âges et dans quelle mesure le statut socioéconomique parvient à médiatiser la relation. Cette analyse s'appuie sur le jumelage des recensements canadiens et des actes de décès de l’état civil québécois et emploie des données québécoises du 20e siècle issues de deux échantillons distincts : un échantillon aléatoire représentatif de la population provenant du recensement canadien de 1901 ainsi qu’un échantillon de frères et soeurs de centenaires québécois appartenant à la même cohorte. Les résultats, présentés sous forme d'articles scientifiques, ont montré, en outre, que les frères et soeurs de centenaires vivent plus longtemps que les individus appartenant aux mêmes cohortes de naissance, reflétant la contribution d'une robustesse commune, mais également celle de l'environnement partagé durant la petite enfance. Ces analyses ont également témoigné d'un avantage de survie des conjoints des centenaires, soulignant l'importance d'un même environnement à l'âge adulte (1er article). De plus, nos travaux ont mis de l'avant la contribution aux inégalités de longévité des variables biodémographiques issues de l'environnement non partagé telles que l'âge maternel à la reproduction, le rang de naissance et la saison de naissance, qui agissent et interagissent entre elles pour créer des vulnérabilités et influer sur l'atteinte des âges exceptionnels (2e article). Enfin, une approche longitudinale a permis de souligner la contribution du milieu social d'origine sur la longévité, alors que les individus issus d’un milieu socioéconomique défavorisé pour l'époque (milieu urbain, père ouvrier) vivent moins longtemps que ceux ayant vécu dans un environnement socioéconomique favorable (milieu rural, fermier), résultat d'une potentielle accumulation des avantages liée à la reproduction du statut social ou d'une programmation précoce des trajectoires de santé. L’influence est toutefois moindre pour les femmes et pour les frères de centenaires et s'exprime, dans ce cas, en partie par l'effet de la profession à l'âge adulte (3e article). / A growing body of literature has documented the multiple and complex factors and pathways through which longevity and mortality in old age may be shaped. It appears indeed that surviving to a very old age is modulated by a familial component, whether it arises from environmental or genetic confounds. The scientific debate on longevity and its determinants has put considerable interest in studying the centenarians and the role of shared early life conditions have been addressed extensively in the literature, but those two elements have rarely been mixed together. The main objective of my research thesis is to discuss some of the key factors involved in aging and longevity with a focus on the role of family determinants and shared frailty. More specifically, it aims to (1) highlight the central importance of family on exceptional longevity by examining similarity in age at death among siblings and between spouses; (2) examine whether there is a persisting effect of maternal age and birth order on exceptional survival when both variables are considered and adjusted for season of birth; and (3) investigate whether early life factors, such as the socioeconomic background, shape the course of aging and longevity and whether this association is mediated by the socioeconomic status in adulthood. Our analysis rest upon family-based samples of siblings of centenarians and controls born in Québec at the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century which compile information from the Canadian Census and Quebec vital statistics registers. The results, in the form of scientific articles, have shown that siblings of centenarians lived longer compared to members of their birth cohort suggesting the existence of a genetic component to longevity. However, there is also a survival benefit for spouses of centenarians compared to the general population which implies that longevity is also modulated by the shared environment in adulthood (1st article). Furthermore, the within-family analysis has shown that elements of the unshared early life environment, such as maternal age at reproduction, birth order and season of birth, not only have an independent impact on exceptional survival but also interact with one another to create vulnerabilities for later-life mortality (2nd article). Finally, the use of a longitudinal framework engaging both biodemographic and socioeconomic factors emphasize the contribution of early life conditions in longevity inequalities both directly and indirectly through adult profession. The influence of socioeconomic conditions in childhood were stronger for men of the general population compared to brothers of centenarians and early life origin showed almost no effect for women (3rd article).

The presented diploma thesis deals with the comparison of mortality structure by age and includes 194 member countries of the World Health Organization. The aim of the thesis is to confront mortality development in these countries with the help of individual mortality characteristics. At the beginning of this thesis are defined demographic terms and indicators, data sources and calculation methodology. The databases of the World Health Organization and the World Bank were used as the main source of data and all countries were divided into six world regions. The second chapter is devoted to selected types of mortality, namely neonatal and infant, under-five mortality, maternal mortality and adult mortality. After that, the work focuses on life expectancy of 0 and 60 years of age divided per sex. The last chapter is devoted to the optimum retirement age in selected countries. Conclusion connects of the all above well, and we can find there comprehensive information about difference of mortality practically all over the world.