Divorce Rates Better Predict Population-Level Reproductive Success in Little Penguins Than Foraging Behaviour or Environmental Factors.

ABSTRACT: Understanding the relative contributions of environmental, behavioural and social factors to reproductive success is crucial for predicting population dynamics of seabirds. However, these factors are often studied in isolation, limiting our ability to evaluate their combined influence. This study investigates how marine environmental variables, foraging behaviour and social factors (divorce), influence reproductive success in little penguins (Eudyptula minor) over 13 breeding seasons. By examining these factors together, we aimed to identify which is the most reliable predictor of population-level reproductive success. We found that divorce rate was the most consistent predictor of reproductive success, with lower annual rates of divorce preceding the breeding season associated with

SUBMITTER: Simpson MD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11724333 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature