L’océan Austral abrite encore des populations exceptionnelles de prédateurs marins (manchots, albatros, phoques…). Bien qu’activement étudiés, l’approche fonctionnelle des relations proies-prédateurs souffre encore d’un manque de connaissances chez les prédateurs marins. Etudier comment ces animaux utilisent les habitats est essentiel pour mieux comprendre leur écologie. Par ailleurs, dans une période où les écosystèmes sont soumis à d’importantes pressions d’origine anthropique (surpêche, pollutions, changement climatique), la connaissance de l’écologie d’une espèce est primordiale pour bien caractériser les aires à protéger. Le gorfou macaroni Eudyptes chrysoplophus est un oiseau marin pélagique et constitue l’espèce de manchot la plus abondante dans l’océan Austral (> 6 millions de couples). Au cours des 30 dernières années, les effectifs des populations de Géorgie du Sud et de l’île Marion ont fait face à une diminution drastique (> 30%). Actuellement, les populations de gorfou macaroni des Terres Australes et Antarctiques Françaises (archipel des îles Crozet et îles Kerguelen) abritent encore plus de 50% des effectifs mondiaux. Cependant, les comportements de recherche alimentaire de ces deux populations étaient jusqu’à présent encore mal connues. Au cours de cette thèse, nous avons étudié les stratégies de recherche alimentaire du gorfou macaroni, au cours de l’intégralité de son cycle de reproduction (incubation, élevage et crèche) de Kerguelen et Crozet, îles caractérisées par des environnements océanographiques contrastés. Les ajustements du comportement alimentaire face aux contraintes énergétiques liées à la reproduction et aux variations de la production biologique de leurs environnements ont été examinés en détail. Grace à des mesures biologiques d’origine télémétrique et/ou d’appareil embarqué (trajectoires, comportement de plongées) couplées à des données satellitaires (données environnementales), nous avons pu mettre en évidence l’existence : 1) d’un comportement de recherche alimentaire spécifique et de genre : sur les 2 sites étudiés, un ajustement similaire des déplacements, de l’effort d’approvisionnement, du régime alimentaire a été observé en réponse aux contraintes énergétiques imposées par la reproduction. En incubation, les deux sexes ciblent principalement les fronts océanographiques, les tourbillons et les zones filamentaires situées en eaux pélagiques au cours de longs trajets. En période d’élevage, les femelles s’approvisionnent plus près des côtes, majoritairement sur le plateau et au bord des talus afin de pouvoir alimenter régulièrement la progéniture. En crèche, les mâles ciblent à nouveau les structures frontales tandis que les femelles s’éloignent tout en restant inféodées aux talus. A l’aide de la littérature, nous avons pu observer que cette stratégie semble opérer à l’échelle de l’aire de répartition de l’espèce. 2) d’une plasticité phénotypique inattendue : l’approche comparative entre les îles Kerguelen et Crozet a permis d’étudier les points communs et les différences des stratégies d’approvisionnement entre les deux localités, liées aux conditions environnementales locales. Les deux populations semblent toutes deux très dépendantes des pics saisonniers de productivité primaire. En revanche, des variations d’éloignements à la colonie inter - site et intra – sexe plus importantes qu’attendues ont été observées mettant en évidence une flexibilité phénotypique insoupçonnée pour un prédateur marin pélagique. Cette étude est l’une des rares ayant couvert l’ensemble d’un cycle de reproduction chez les manchots. L’importante variabilité comportementale démontrée réitère le besoin impératif de prendre en compte l’intégralité d’un cycle pour mieux comprendre et définir les stratégies d’approvisionnement d’une espèce. / The Austral Ocean still hosts a great population of marine predators (i.e. penguins, albatross, and seals). Despite well studied, the functional approach investigating the relationship between prey and predators in the marine ecosystem is still poorly known. Knowledge on habitat selection and use of marine species is essential to better understand their ecology and behaviour. The knowledge about the ecology of key species is essential to characterise and identify the areas to protect and to predict the future of populations that may be affected by global changes. This is particularly true in an area where the natural ecosystems are more and more perturbed by anthropogenic activities (i.e. over-fishing, pollution, and climate change). The Macaroni penguin is the most abundant penguin species in the Austral Ocean (> 6 millions pairs). It is also the biggest consumer of secondary resources, in terms of biomass, in the world. Over the past 30 years the Macaroni penguin populations situated in South Georgia and Marion Island suffered of 30% population decline. At the moment, Kerguelen and Crozet Islands (French Southern Territories) still host more than 50% of their global population, however the foraging behaviour of this species is still poorly known. The objective of this research is to study the different foraging behaviour strategies of a pelagic seabird : the Macaroni penguin Eudyptes chrysoplophus during its whole breeding cycle (incubation, brood, crèche). The populations’object of study breed in different oceanographic conditions : the Kerguelen and Crozet archipelagos. The variation in foraging behaviour driven by energetic constraints, which is associated to the reproduction and to the biological production, has been studied in details. Telemetry data (i e. trajectories and diving behaviour) combined with environmental data obtained by remote sensing allowed determining that : 1) Foraging strategies of Macaroni penguin breeding in two different locations differ in terms of movement, foraging effort and foraging niche during their breeding cycle in response to reproduction constraints. In incubation, both sexes carried out long journeys and targeted large oceanographic structures such as fronts, eddy and transport fronts. During the brooding phase, the females foraged closer to the colony adjusting their foraging behaviour based on their offspring needs, targeting the shelf and the slope. When crèche started, males targeted large scale structures whereas females still foraged on the slope. At this time, a shift in the diet composition was observed. 2) The comparative approach between Kerguelen and Crozet allowed to highlighting differences in foraging strategies, in response to local environmental conditions. However, greater than expected variations in foraging areas were observed inter-site and inter-sex. These results have pointed out an unexpected phenotypic flexibility for a pelagic marine predator. This research investigated the entire breeding cycle of a penguin, a fact still rare in ecology. The observed degree of behavioural variability reiterates the imperative to take into account an entire cycle to better understand and define the foraging strategies of a species.

Tese(doutorado) - Universidade Federal do Rio Grande, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Oceanografia Biológica, Instituto de Oceanografia, 2010. / Submitted by Cristiane Gomides (cristiane_gomides@hotmail.com) on 2013-10-17T13:04:09Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Stefan Cruz Weigert.pdf: 7836131 bytes, checksum: 7123df61e1d6d620cadcbc3f856e5539 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Sabrina Andrade (sabrinabeatriz@ibest.com.br) on 2013-10-17T16:42:57Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 Stefan Cruz Weigert.pdf: 7836131 bytes, checksum: 7123df61e1d6d620cadcbc3f856e5539 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2013-10-17T16:42:57Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Stefan Cruz Weigert.pdf: 7836131 bytes, checksum: 7123df61e1d6d620cadcbc3f856e5539 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010 / Como típico ambiente marinho dominado por corrente de contorno oeste, a margem continental brasileira apresenta uma baixa produtividade biológica, especialmente no pelagial. Processos oceanográficos como frentes termais, vórtices e áreas de ressurgência determinam alterações nas características físico-químicas, através de processos de mistura e renovação de nutrientes. Tais feições oceanográficas podem aumentar a produtividade e concentrar biomassa. A metodologia hidroacústica é amplamente aplicada para prospectar, mapear e estimar a abundância de pequenos peixes pelágicos, bem como em estudos de ecologia das espécies, correlacionando as ocorrências de agregações biológicas a processos oceanográficos de enriquecimento. Dados satelitais da cor do oceano e de TSM têm sido frequentemente utilizados para mapear processos oceanográficos, especialmente por proporcionar uma visão sinóptica bidimensional dos oceanos a nível global, com alta resolução espacial e temporal dos dados. O presente estudo teve por objetivo principal correlacionar padrões de distribuição e abundância de organismos pelágicos a processos oceanográficos que operam em escalas da ordem de dezenas a centenas de milhas náuticas e de dias a meses, através da análise de dados hidroacústicos e ambientais coletados in situ, a partir de cinco cruzeiros de pesquisa realizados entre o Chuí e a costa do Ceará, e de dados satelitais. A análise dos dados de densidade acústica, associados às informações satelitais permitiu avaliar a relação entre processos de larga escala espaço temporal e o acúmulo de densidade biológica em uma ampla área da ZEE brasileira. A utilização de dados satelitais foi fundamental para observar processos oceanográficos em uma escala espacial mais ampla do que a dos dados coletados in situ, permitindo assim o acompanhamento da evolução de importantes processos oceanográficos, sobretudo na região SE-S. Foi possível traçar um comparativo em termos gerais entre as macrorregiões da costa (SE-S, Central e Nordeste) em termos de complexidade ambiental associada a processos oceanográficos, que é decrescente do sul do Brasil em direção a região nordeste. Na região SE-S a disponibilidade de dados em diferentes estações do ano permitiu avaliar respostas biológicas às diferentes condições ambientais observadas. No período de Inverno obteve-se correlação negativa entre densidade acústica e TSM para a área ao sul do Cabo de Santa Marta Grande e positiva para a área ao norte, indicando a atuação de dois sistemas antagônicos de larga escala espacial, ambos promovendo aumento da densidade biológica. Quando os mesmos dados foram analisados em conjunto não se observou correlação entre o acúmulo de organismos e a TSM, devido à anulação causada pelo antagonismo dos processos. O avanço da massa de água fria transportada de sul para norte no período de inverno promove um importante aporte de energia no extremo sul da área. A primavera/verão corresponde ao período com maior disponibilidade de biomassa na região SES, refletindo a alta produtividade do sistema neste período. Nas regiões Central e Nordeste, devido a homogeneidade e estabilidade em termos de processos oceanográficos não se observa correlação entre densidade acústica e dados satelitais. / As a typical marine environment dominated by western boundary currents, the Brazilian continental margin has low biological productivity, especially in the pelagic system. Oceanographic processes such as thermal fronts, eddies and upwelling areas determine changes in physicochemical characteristics, through processes of mixing and nutrient renovation. These oceanographic features may increase productivity and concentrate biomass. The hydroacoustic method is widely applied to the assessment, mapping and also to estimate the abundance of small pelagic fishes, as well as in ecology of many marine species, in order to correlate the occurrence of biological aggregations to oceanographic processes of enrichment. Satellite data of the ocean color and SST have been frequently used to map oceanographic processes, especially to obtain a two-dimensional synoptic view of the global ocean, with high spatial and temporal resolution. This study aimed to investigate patterns of abundanc and distribution of pelagic organisms and to correlate them to oceanographic processes which operate on scales of the order of tens to hundreds of nautical miles and days to months, through the analysis of hydroacoustic and environmental data collected in situ on five research cruises along the Brazilian coast, from Chui (RS) to the coast of Ceará (CE). The analysis of the acoustic densities associated with satellite information provided the basis to evaluate the relationship between large scale temporal and spatial processes and the accumulation of biological density above a large area of the Brazilian EEZ. The use of satellite data was essential to observe oceanographic processes on a spatial scale larger than the environmental data collected in situ, allowing the observation of the development of major oceanographic processes, specially in the SE-S area. It was possible to draw, in general terms, a comparison among macro regions of the SE-S, Central and Northeast coasts in terms of the environmental complexity associated with the oceanographic processes, which decreases from the south of Brazil towards the northeast. The availability of data to the SE-S region, in three different seasons, allowed to investigate biological responses to different environmental patterns. In the winter it was calculated a negative correlation between acoustic density and SST for the area to the south of Cabo de Santa Marta Grande, and positive for the area to the north, indicating the occurrence of two antagonistic systems of large spatial scale, both associated with high biological density. When those data were analyzed together there was no correlation between the accumulation of organisms and SST, due to the effect caused by the antagonism of the processes. The progressive movement of cold water transported from the south towards the north during the winter promotes a significant amount of new energy in the south part of this region. Spring/summer time was the period with greater availability of biomass in the SE-S region, reflecting the high productivity of the system during this season. In the Central and Northeast zones, due to homogeneity and stability of the oceanographic processes it was not observed correlation between density and acoustic satellite data.

Understanding the movement behavior and foraging strategies of individuals across multiple spatial and temporal scales is essential not only for understanding the biological requirements of individuals but also for linking individual strategies to population level effects. Glacial fjords scattered throughout south-central and southeastern Alaska host some of the largest seasonal aggregations of harbor seals (Phoca vitulina richardii) in the world, and an estimated 15% of the harbor seal population in Alaska is found seasonally at these glacial ice sites. Over the last two decades, the number of harbor seals has declined at two of the primary glacial fjords, in Aialik Bay in south-central Alaska and in Glacier Bay in southeastern Alaska, thus raising concerns regarding the viability of seal populations in glacial fjord environments. From 2004-2009, the foraging ecology, diving behavior, and migration patterns of harbor seals from Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska were examined in relation to prey availability and oceanographic features in Glacier Bay and the surrounding regions of southeastern Alaska. Time-depth recorders, very high frequency transmitters, and satellite-linked transmitters were used to quantify the vertical and horizontal movement patterns of harbor seals in the marine environment. Specifically, (1) I characterized the diving behavior, foraging areas, and foraging strategies of female harbor seals from terrestrial and glacial ice sites relative to prey availability during the breeding season (May-June) in Glacier Bay, (2) I quantified the intra-population variation in at-sea post-breeding season (September-April) distribution and movement patterns of female harbor seals in relation to oceanographic features, (3) I quantified the post-breeding season migration patterns of female harbor seals relative to the boundaries of the marine protected area of Glacier Bay National Park, and (4) I characterized the use of the continental shelf region of the eastern Gulf of Alaska by female harbor seals from Glacier Bay, both as a foraging area and as a migratory corridor in relation to oceanographic features. During the breeding season, there was a substantial degree of intra-population variation in the diving behavior and foraging areas of juvenile and adult female seals from glacial ice and terrestrial sites in Glacier Bay. The presence of multiple diving strategies suggests that differences in the relative density and depth of prey fields in glacial ice and terrestrial habitats in addition to seal age and reproductive status may influence diving and foraging behavior of harbor seals. During the post-breeding season, juvenile and adult female harbor seals ranged extensively beyond the boundaries of the marine protected area of Glacier Bay National Park, throughout the northern inshore waters of southeastern Alaska and the continental shelf region of the eastern Gulf of Alaska between Cross Sound and Prince William Sound, Alaska (up to 900 kilometers away). Seals exhibited a relatively high degree of intra-population variation in their at-sea post-breeding season distribution patterns that may be a function of extrinsic factors such as oceanographic characteristics, which can influence prey availability as well as intrinsic factors including previous experience with foraging areas and seal condition and age. Use of the continental shelf region of the eastern Gulf of Alaska by harbor seals as a foraging area may be due to enhanced biological productivity which may be associated with ephemeral hydrographic and/or static bathymetric features. Despite extensive migrations of seals from Glacier Bay during the post-breeding season, there was a high degree of inter-annual site fidelity of seals to Glacier Bay the following breeding season after seals were captured. / Graduation date: 2012