Consistent Offshore Artificial Light At Night Near The Last Breeding Colony Of A Critically Endangered Seabird

Artificial light at night (ALAN) is considered a major threat to biodiversity, yet impacts of offshore ALAN on seabirds remain poorly understood. Particularly understudied are deck strikes (collisions of seabirds with vessels due to ALAN-induced disorientation). To infer deck strike risks to the critically endangered Whenua Hou Diving-petrel (Pelecanoides whenuahouensis; WHDP), we estimated nightly vessel counts and associated probability of floodlight use in close proximity of their only breeding colony, number of WHDP commutes, duration of phenophases, and ultimately the cumulative exposure to floodlights using a Bayesian framework. The estimated nightly number of vessels was 0.76 (0.64-0.89), 31% (21%-38%) of which used floodlights. WHDPs were potentially exposed to 28.9 (19.7-39.7) floodlights per breeding period. There was no evidence for inter-annual variation in vessel counts, floodlight use, or WHDP activity, despite varying environmental conditions. WHDP activity, and therefore risk, was highest during courtship and post-guard. Yet, there was potential for deck strikes throughout the breeding period, which could impact WHDPs. We identify key research questions (likelihood of a deck strike occurring, survival of deck-struck birds, and post-release survival of deck-struck birds). In the meantime, small behavioral changes of vessel operators could be a successful approach to protecting seabirds from offshore ALAN. Tuhinga whakarapopoto Ko te rama tawhai ite po (ALAN) he mea whakamorearea i te rerenga rauropi, engari ko nga panga ote ALAN ki nga manu moana ki tai kaore ano kia ata whakamaramatia. Ko ngaahuatanga kaore ano kia ata tatari ko te tukinga karaho (ko te tutukinga o ngamanu moana e tahurihuri ana ki nga waka, na te ALAN). Ki te whakapae atu i temoreareatanga o te tukinga karaho ki te Kuaka Whenua Hou (Pelecanoideswhenuahouensis; WHDP) he manu e ngaro haere ana tona whare ora, i whakatau tatate tini o nga waka e tere i te po me te tuponotanga e hangai ana ki tewhakamahinga o te turama raharaha e patata ana ki purei kohanga anake o ratou,te maha o nga rerenga o nga WHDP, te roa o te tauwahi matai, a, i te otinga kuawhakamahia te anga 'Bayesian' ki te ine i nga panga tapeke o enei manu ki erarama. Ko te whakatau tata o te maha o nga waka i ia po ko te 0.76 (0.64-.089),31% (21%-38%) o enei i whakamahia nga turama rarharaha. I horakerake ai pea ngaWHDP kia 28.9 (19.7-39.7) nga wa i ia wa whakatipu. Kaore he taunakitanga i terereketanga o te maha o nga waka, te whakamahinga o te turama raharaha, te mahio te WHDP i waenga i nga tau, ahakoa he rereke nga ahuatanga o te taiao. Ko temahi a nga WHDP, waihoki ko te panga o te morearea ki a ratou hoki, kua pikiake i te wa o te whakaipoipo, a, mo muri hoki i ta ratou tutei hua. Ara tonu tepitomata ka tukia pea te karaho i te wa katoa o te wa whakatipu, ma reira e pakino ai ki nga WHDP.Ka tutohutia e matou nga patai rangahau matua (tetingatanga o te tukinga karaho, te oranga tonutanga ranei o te manu kua tukia kite karaho, me te oranga tonutanga o te manu kua whakamatutu, a, kua whakahokiaketia ki tona ao). Aianei, ma te paku panonihanga o nga whanonga hautu waka onga kaihautu waka ka tiaki pai nga manu moana i te ALAN ki tai.