Browsing by Author "Pla, Marta Nadal"
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Results Per Page
Sort Options
- Following the fishing trail: Detecting fishing discards in seabirds through DNA metabarcodingPublication . Pla, Marta Nadal; González-Solís, Jacob; Castilho, RitaUpwelling regions along the northwest coast of Africa are known for their high productivity, which attracts both marine predators and intensive fishing activities. Understanding the impact of fishery discards on seabird populations is essential for effective conservation, as changes in fisheries management could significantly affect food availability for these species. This study investigates the dietary habits of Cape Verde shearwaters (Calonectris edwardsii) breeding in Cabo Verde, focusing on their reliance on fishery discards along the northwest coast of Africa. By using DNA metabarcoding on faeces combined with Global Positioning System tracking of seabirds and vessels, we analysed the diet of shearwaters across three breeding seasons (2018, 2019, and 2021) in relation to the association with the fishing activity. Results show that roughly 68% of their diet comprises fishery discards, with Actinopterygii accounting for 36.8% and arthropods 17% of the diet according to the RRA (relative read abundance). The presence/absence analysis highlighted a similar trend, with Actinopterygii (19.3%) and other Arthropoda (19.6%) being the most frequently detected taxa, indicating their consistent presence in the diet. Furthermore, discard consumption varied across breeding stages, with greater use during the incubation phase compared to the chick-rearing stage. No significant differences were found based on sex or type of vessel interaction. These findings highlight the potential vulnerability of Cape Verde shearwaters to changes in fisheries management in Western Africa and call for future studies to improve analytical methods, particularly in the application of DNA metabarcoding for dietary analysis.