Dataset Information

Genetic assignment of fisheries bycatch reveals disproportionate mortality among Alaska Northern Fulmar breeding colonies.

ABSTRACT: Global fisheries kill millions of seabirds annually through bycatch, but little is known about population-level impacts, particularly in species that form metapopulations. U.S. North Pacific groundfish fisheries catch thousands of Northern Fulmars (Fulmarus glacialis rodgersii) each year, making fulmars the most frequently caught seabird in federally managed U.S. fisheries. Here, we used genetic stock identification to assign 1,536 fulmars sampled as bycatch to one of four Alaska breeding colonies and quantified the similarity of bycatch locations at sea among colonies. We found disproportionately high bycatch from the Pribilof Islands (6% of metapopulation, 23% of bycatch), and disproportionately low bycatch from Chagulak Island (34% of metapopulation, 14% of bycatch). Overlap between fisheries and colony-specific foraging areas diverge more during the summer breeding season, leading to greater differences in bycatch susceptibility. Contemporary and historical gene flow likely contributes to low genetic differentiation among colonies (F_ST = 0.003-0.01), yet these values may not represent present connectivity. Our findings illustrate how genetic stock identification can link at-sea threats to colonies and inform management to reduce bycatch from impacted colonies.

SUBMITTER: Baetscher DS

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8965376 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Genetic assignment of fisheries bycatch reveals disproportionate mortality among Alaska Northern Fulmar breeding colonies.

Baetscher Diana S DS Beck Jessie J Anderson Eric C EC Ruegg Kristen K Ramey Andrew M AM Hatch Scott S Nevins Hannah H Fitzgerald Shannon M SM Carlos Garza John J

Evolutionary applications 20220304 3

Global fisheries kill millions of seabirds annually through bycatch, but little is known about population-level impacts, particularly in species that form metapopulations. U.S. North Pacific groundfish fisheries catch thousands of Northern Fulmars (<i>Fulmarus glacialis rodgersii</i>) each year, making fulmars the most frequently caught seabird in federally managed U.S. fisheries. Here, we used genetic stock identification to assign 1,536 fulmars sampled as bycatch to one of four Alaska breeding ...[more]

PMID: 35386403

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Project description:Abstract Epidemiological data across the United States of America illustrate health disparities in COVID-19 infection, hospitalization, and mortality by race/ethnicity. However, limited information is available from prospective observational studies in hospitalized patients, particularly for American Indian or Alaska Native (AI/AN) populations. Here, we present risk factors associated with severe COVID-19 and mortality in patients (4/2020–12/2021, n = 475) at the University of New Mexico Hospital. Data were collected on patient demographics, infection duration, laboratory measures, comorbidities, treatment(s), major clinical events, and in-hospital mortality. Severe disease was defined by COVID-related intensive care unit requirements and/or death. The cohort was stratified by self-reported race/ethnicity: AI/AN (30.7%), Hispanic (47.0%), non-Hispanic White (NHW, 18.5%), and Other (4.0%, not included in statistical comparisons). Despite similar timing of infection and comparable comorbidities, admission characteristics for AI/AN patients included younger age (P = 0.02), higher invasive mechanical ventilation requirements (P = 0.0001), and laboratory values indicative of more severe disease. Throughout hospitalization, the AI/AN group also experienced elevated invasive mechanical ventilation (P < 0.0001), shock (P = 0.01), encephalopathy (P = 0.02), and severe COVID-19 (P = 0.0002), consistent with longer hospitalization (P < 0.0001). Self-reported AI/AN race/ethnicity emerged as the highest risk factor for severe COVID-19 (OR = 3.19; 95% CI = 1.70–6.01; P = 0.0003) and was a predictor of in-hospital mortality (OR = 2.35; 95% CI = 1.12–4.92; P = 0.02). Results from this study highlight the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on hospitalized AI/AN patients, who experienced more severe illness and associated mortality, compared to Hispanic and NHW patients, even when accounting for symptom onset and comorbid conditions. These findings underscore the need for interventions and resources to address health disparities in the COVID-19 pandemic.

Project description:BackgroundAlthough bycatch of industrial-scale fisheries can cause declines in migratory megafauna including seabirds, marine mammals, and sea turtles, the impacts of small-scale fisheries have been largely overlooked. Small-scale fisheries occur in coastal waters worldwide, employing over 99% of the world's 51 million fishers. New telemetry data reveal that migratory megafauna frequent coastal habitats well within the range of small-scale fisheries, potentially producing high bycatch. These fisheries occur primarily in developing nations, and their documentation and management are limited or non-existent, precluding evaluation of their impacts on non-target megafauna.Principal findings/methodology30 North Pacific loggerhead turtles that we satellite-tracked from 1996-2005 ranged oceanwide, but juveniles spent 70% of their time at a high use area coincident with small-scale fisheries in Baja California Sur, Mexico (BCS). We assessed loggerhead bycatch mortality in this area by partnering with local fishers to 1) observe two small-scale fleets that operated closest to the high use area and 2) through shoreline surveys for discarded carcasses. Minimum annual bycatch mortality in just these two fleets at the high use area exceeded 1000 loggerheads year(-1), rivaling that of oceanwide industrial-scale fisheries, and threatening the persistence of this critically endangered population. As a result of fisher participation in this study and a bycatch awareness campaign, a consortium of local fishers and other citizens are working to eliminate their bycatch and to establish a national loggerhead refuge.Conclusions/significanceBecause of the overlap of ubiquitous small-scale fisheries with newly documented high-use areas in coastal waters worldwide, our case study suggests that small-scale fisheries may be among the greatest current threats to non-target megafauna. Future research is urgently needed to quantify small-scale fisheries bycatch worldwide. Localizing coastal high use areas and mitigating bycatch in partnership with small-scale fishers may provide a crucial solution toward ensuring the persistence of vulnerable megafauna.

Dataset Information

Genetic assignment of fisheries bycatch reveals disproportionate mortality among Alaska Northern Fulmar breeding colonies.

Publications

Genetic assignment of fisheries bycatch reveals disproportionate mortality among Alaska Northern Fulmar breeding colonies.

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