PACOMM. Programme d Acquisition de Connaissances sur les Oiseaux et les Mammifères Marins en France métropolitaine

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1 PACOMM Programme d Acquisition de Connaissances sur les Oiseaux et les Mammifères Marins en France métropolitaine A data collection programme on Seabirds and Marine Mammals in Mainland France Update: April 2012 This programme, which uses complementary technologies to monitor and learn about marine top predators, will serve to: Identify and characterize preferred habitats, Understand the place held by the population of species considered in the marine ecosystem, Identify conflicts of use with human-induced activities as well as positive interactions, Assess the impact of interactions identified and characterize disturbances to take appropriate management measures, Propose indicators for monitoring the conservation status of marine biodiversity. The data acquired under the various focuses will fuel common reflection for the designation of marine protected areas meeting the community goals of marine area conservation and development. This work will thus respond to Natura 2000 management requirements and contribute to the designation of offshore Natura 2000 zones in accordance with the demands of the European Commission. 1

2 Context and stakes Within the scope of our EC commitments regarding the Natura 2000 network in marine environments, the ministry of ecology has delegated the operational implementation of a knowledge programme concerning seabirds and marine mammals to the agency, in order to answer two questions: - What was the initial state of the ornithological and cetological resources and what is its state of conservation in Natura 2000 sites? - What new zones should be designated to supplement the network offshore? Chosen strategy Based on the work of a group of experts that brings together the French natural history museum (MNHN), the scientific referent concerning seabirds, the centre for research on marine mammals (CRMM/ULR), scientific referent concerning marine mammals, the Chizé centre for biological studies (CEBC-CNRS) and the centre for functional and evolutionary ecology (CEFE-CNRS), a programme of knowledge acquisition protocols has been drawn up. As a result, four initiatives focused on maritime front scale, whose protocols are adapted to provide solutions to the two issues initial assessment of already designated sites and designation of new sites offshore (within the limits of the capacities of the prospection means utilised) have now been programmed: - Dedicated aerial survey : 8 fly-over surveys within the French Metropolitan maritime domain extended to contiguous waters will bring an evaluation of marine megafauna distribution, as well as its space and time variability, - Observation on maritime platforms bring up an evaluation of the interanual variability and functional link between prey and predator, - Shearwaters telemetry tracking to understand population dynamics, - Acoustic observatory of harbour porpoise to monitor this really cryptic species in Channel and Atlantic Ocean. This programme is completed by a fifth action in the form of local project monitoring. Additional projects conducted locally are currently in the project or implementation stages (study of marine mammals in the waters of the Nord Pas de Calais and Picardie; study of bottlenose dolphins in the Normano-Breton Gulf; study of scoters in the Normano-Breton Gulf; study of European shags in Mor Braz; marine mammal studies in Pelagos, etc.). The PACOMM programme above all seeks to avoid all redundancy in data acquisition with national programmes, and to provide support to improve the complementarity and coherence of all public action on this theme. National projects complete this plan (the FAME project led by the LPO on the monitoring of Northern Gannets and Balearic shearwaters by sightings from the coast and by electronic equipment; the national survey on breeding seabirds conducted by the GISOM; or the analyses of the Réseau National d Echouage, the national beaching network). Once again, the PACOMM programme aims for consistency in and optimisation of public action. 2

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4 Aerial surveys SAMM (Suivi Aérien de la Mégafaune Pélagique) Project «Aerial surveys for observation of seabirds and marine mammals within the maritime domain of mainland France and its adjacent waters» Public call for tenders 2011-AAMP-22 Convention with ULR/CRMM and CEBC-CNRS (referent: Emeline Pettex/CRMM) Objectives of the aerial surveys The census by aerial observation of pelagic megafauna, particularly seabirds and marine mammals, within the French Metropolitan maritime domain (French Exclusive Economic Zone and Mediterranean Ecological Protection Zone) extended to contiguous waters aims to produce an overview of the spatial distribution and the abundance of seabirds and marine mammals, turtles, skates, sharks and large fish visible on the surface in Metropolitan waters. Human activities (fishing, marine traffic, waste) are also inventoried. This data will be correlated with the animal sightings recorded in order to assess the potential impact of human-induced activities on the conservation of marine habitats. Using modelling techniques, preferred habitats associated with high animal densities or great biological diversity will be identified. The programme covers two consecutive years and two different seasons (winter and summer) and takes into account seasonal and interannual environmental variability. This variability is particularly significant in the marine domain and generates major spatio-temporal variations in the distribution of organisms. The data acquired during this campaign will fuel common reflection for the designation of marine protected areas meeting the community goals of marine area conservation and development. This project is particularly important as it is the first to simultaneously cover the three metropolitan seaboards. Why an aerial platform? The aerial method offers the advantage of covering an extensive surface area in a short amount of time, at a lower cost than a boat-based campaign. Aerial observation provides an instant picture of the distribution of animals on an appropriate geographic scale. This method also has its limits, as it is not possible to precisely monitor all species by aerial observation, given the risks of confusion that can arise between certain similar and/or small species. With the aircraft flying at almost 170km/h, at an altitude of approximately 180 metres, sightings are often fleeting and specific determination is not always possible. However, these constraints do not defeat the overall objective of improving knowledge on the distribution and abundance of major families of marine predators. For certain species, where there is little risk of confusion, it will be possible to obtain specific results. This is the case for example with the fin whale and the porpoise for cetaceans or the Northern gannet for birds. One of the three Britten-Norman planes used to realise the aerial census 4

5 Characteristics of the surveys Time scheme Four campaigns of three months will take place during winter 2011/2012 (HIV11), summer 2012 (ETE12), winter 2012/2013 (HIV12) and summer 2013 (ETE13),with 2 passages covering the study zone on each campaign. Geographical scope The study zone correspond to the mainland French EEZ extended to its adjacent waters for mainly ecological reasons pertaining to understanding of systems that provide the best answers with regard to the distribution of the target species. Totalizing km², three sectors have been defined: Channel, Atlantic, and Mediterranean. Within each sectors a layering has been established in accordance with the main bathymetrical categories or distance to the coastline: - the coastal layer which stretches from the coast to a limit of approximately 12 nautical miles, has been defined to adjust protocol to answer need of knowledge on Natura2000 site, - the shelf or neritic layer, up to the -200 m fathom line, including the continental shelf segments in the Mediterranean such as the Gulf of Lion and the Tyrrhenian Sea, - the slope layer which corresponds to the continental slope, situated approximately between the -200 and m fathom lines, including the canyons, - the oceanic layer which includes the waters located beyond the -2,000 m fathom line. Spatial effort The spatial effort has, on the one hand, been defined in accordance with the biological characteristics of the populations observed and the desired rate of encounters, as well as, on the other hand, in consideration of the expected knowledge acquisition objectives. As a result, this effort has been deemed to be a priority on the coastal layer, since it covers the majority of Natura 2000 sites. Representation of predicted design (transects: CRMM-CEBC) Flight characteristics The flying altitude required for sightings is 600 feet (180m) at a speed of 90 knots (170km/h). The weather conditions needed to correctly perform the overflights are governed by the sea state: at the most, it must be slight sea ( degree 3 on the Douglas scale ), i.e. in principle a wind speed below or equal to Beaufort 4. For the four campaigns, it is expected to conduct a total volume of approximately 1450 hours of observation flights. Taking into consideration the flying range of the aircraft made available and the estimated transits, the total flying time per campaign should amount 1750 hours of flying time. 5

6 The sequence of a campaign To carry out all the sample plans of each campaign within the limit of the weather and ecological constraints, there will be three teams in winter and two in summer. Each team has a plane with a pilot made available by the company Pixair Survey. Each team is independent to carry out flights in the area allocated to it. A team consists of one mission leader provided by the CRMM and three or four observers hired by Sinay, i.e. a total of 11 observers and 3 mission leaders in winter and 10 observers and 2 mission leaders in summer. The teams are mobile but are nonetheless attached to a main base which will be the point of departure for most flights: i.e. respectively Caen (14)/Morlaix (29), Rochefort (17), and Marignane (13). For the sampling of the most distant areas, secondary bases will be used (Brest, Ajaccio). The weather conditions may also require having two teams in a given area where the observation conditions are favourable. All decisions concerning the teams movements will be made by the mission leaders and the programme s scientific coordinator. The aircraft used, which are Britten Norman 2 twin-engine craft suited to low-speed maritime overflight, have been fitted with viewports enabling vertical observation beneath the plane. The observers positioned on either side of the aircraft observe, through the viewports, over a 500-metre-wide strip on each side of the plane. They are equipped with an inclinometer to read the angle of the cetaceans in relation to the aircraft trajectory. This angle then provides the distance of the sightings from the plane: this is an essential parameter for the modelling that will give the abundances of these animals. For birds, the observers specify whether the sighting is within or outside the 200-metre strip. The observation conditions impact the observers sighting capacity. Any change in conditions (sea state, turbidity of water, transparency or glare) is thus recorded. The navigator captures the data announced by the observers directly in the on-board computer. Likewise, different items of information are collected over the entire observation period. The route is continuously recorded using a satellite navigation system connected to the on-board computer and several data are recorded for each sighting (time, position, species, distance from the aircraft, number of individuals, age, behaviour, etc.). The observers dialogue is recorded so that data input can subsequently be corrected because, in high density areas, the navigator may not be able to capture all the information directly. This is particularly the case when flying over a fishing boat followed by a cohort of birds, or when several groups of dolphins and other megafauna are sighted over a short distance. Lastly, to achieve optimal concentration during the observation, the teams rotate on a regular basis between the various positions throughout the flight. The work done is recorded in a database. After each flight, the data collected is checked and validated and any missing data is added on the basis of the audio recordings. Illustration of the work of the observers inside the plane 6

7 The 1 st campaign: : SAMM Hiv Following classroom training and practice flights with the CRMM in October 2011, each team travelled to its base around 15 November 2011 to begin the operational campaign. Team Chefs Observers Planes Pilots Bases Manche Eric Stéphan Thomas Barreau, Marc Duvilla, Morgane Perri, Sandrine Serre G-AWNT Mathieu André Caen Atlantique Emmanuelle Alexis Chevallier, Marie Julien Huyghues G-SEIL Levesque Pelle, Olivier Dian des Etages Rochefort Méditerranée Léa David Alessio Maglio, Vincent Pierre- G-XAXA Bretille, Ariane Blanchard Emmanuel Costa Marignane Despite difficult weather, a few logistics, equipment and human complications, the first winter campaign was completed on 15 February thanks to the motivation of everyone involved in this large-scale project. Almost 46,800km of transects were covered to collect the data, representing around 70 days of flying, of which 280 hours of observation. Analyses are under way, but here are the very first maps representing the sightings made: WORKING PAPER Sightings of marine mammals (all species combined). Please note: this is raw data, the sampling pressure is variable according to the strata (for instance, it is two times lower on the Atlantic Ocean stratum than on the Atlantic slope and shelf strata), so these maps must not be interpreted as they stand. 7

8 WORKING PAPER WORKING PAPER Sightings of seabirds (all species combined). Please note: this is raw data, the sampling pressure is variable according to the strata (for instance, it is two times lower on the Atlantic Ocean stratum than on the Atlantic slope and shelf strata), so these maps must not be interpreted as they stand. 8

9 WORKING PAPER WORKING PAPER Sightings of Northern Gannets Please note: this is raw data, the sampling pressure is variable according to the strata (for instance, it is two times lower on the Atlantic Ocean stratum than on the Atlantic slope and shelf strata), so these maps must not be interpreted as they stand. 9

10 Observation campaign on maritime platforms Projects «fishery campaigns of IFREMER» Convention with ULR/CRMM (referent: Emeline Pettex/CRMM) Observers are positioned on the oceanographic ships of the Ifremer during fishery campaigns (Pelgas, Evhoe, IBTS, Pelmed) and record the distribution of top marine predators along the entire route. WORKING PAPER Pelgas 2011: Distribution of seabirds (left), human activities and large waste (right) recorded during exploration (CRMM report) WORKIN PAPER Evhoe 2011: Distribution of seabirds (left), human activities and large waste (right) recorded during exploration (CRMM-LPO report) Projects on other means at sea Projects to position observers on other means at sea (marine boat, commercial boat...) are under study. 10

11 Shearwaters telemetry tracking Project: marine habitats of shearwaters in Metropolitan France: tag and isotopic analysis approach Convention with CEFE-CNRS (referent: Clara Péron/CEFE) Motivations Shearwaters nesting in Metropolitan France (Cory s shearwater, Yelkouan shearwater and Manx shearwater) are all classified as vulnerable in France and are listed in Appendix II of the Bern Convention relative to the conservation of wildlife and the natural environment in Europe. This status confirms that the three species considered are highly reactive to variability of the pelagic ecosystem to which they belong and are therefore good bio-indicators of this environment s state of health. Yet, knowledge of the marine ecology of these seabirds is greatly lacking, which is why the project marine habitats of shearwaters in Metropolitan France: tag and isotopic analysis approach was launched. The project implementation is based on major technological progress, particularly in terms of miniaturisation, but also on new methods of statistic modelling. Long considered to be a minor complement to direct counting methods (sightings), the telemetry approach is now a major tool in the conservation of seabirds at sea. Complementary to direct sightings, it is vital for a good analysis of the spatio-temporal distribution of species. Goals The results of the marine habitat of shearwaters in Metropolitan France study, combined with data from the other components of the PACOMM programme, will make it possible to describe the spatio-temporal dynamics of shearwaters marine habitats, to model the habitats according to static and dynamic oceanographic variables and to identify the feeding and wintering areas and the migration corridor of the various populations of shearwaters. In terms of management, the results will be used to work on questions of functionality to improve the efficiency of the MPA network and to define appropriate bioindicators. Technical plan The roadmap of this action plan was developed in close conjunction with the managers of the protected natural spaces concerned by the study. The managers indeed supported this project as it is an opportunity to fill gaps identified in the marine ecology of shearwaters nesting on the islands of Metropolitan France. Area RN de l archipel de Riou PM des îles du Frioul PN de Port-Cros Cap Corse Giraglia RN Bonifacio RN des Sept-Îles Managers CEN PACA CEN PACA PN de Port-Cros suivi par CEN Corse OEC LPO Sept-Iles 11

12 Out of the various colonies studied, birds were tagged to monitor their displacements in the feeding areas at sea during the reproduction period (GPS, coupled with dive recorders and Argos tags) or during their winter journey (geolocators and Argos tags). Argos tags, which provide locations practically in real-time via satellite relay are currently the only means of studying, with sufficient precision, the distribution at sea of individuals that do not need to return to land to reproduce, such as immature individuals, non-reproducing adults or juveniles. There is little knowledge about the movements at sea of these categories and age groups which form a large and sensitive part of the population. It is also important to integrate their distribution areas into the definition of protection zones to confirm the importance of certain marine habitats or to identify new ones. The 2011 season The first data from the 2011 season suggest results never before obtained Sites Espèce Pop. tot (couples) Nb GPS récupéré/posés % Pop. Nb PTT posé Nb GLS posés % pop Port Cros P. yelkouan / reproducteur en échec Porquerolles C. diomedea / Frioul C. diomedea / juvéniles Riou C. diomedea / immatures/ 9 juvéniles / reproducteurs Lavezzu C. diomedea / immatures Giraglia C. diomedea / Total 141/ Results of equipment on Yelkouan and Cory s shearwaters during the 2011 season and calendar 12

13 WORKING PAPER Comparison of feeding trips made by the various populations of Cory s shearwaters on the French Mediterranean islands, while feeding offspring (CEFE-CNRS report) WORKING PAPER Journeys made by immature Cory s shearwaters fitted with Argos tags out of the Riou colony (islands of Marseille) in September 2011 (CEFE-CNRS report) We followed juvenile Cory s shearwaters during their first journey at sea and immature individuals (less than 5 years old) which scout the colonies during the reproduction season before migrating to their wintering zones in autumn. This data enabled us to monitor the birds migration departure towards the African coasts and to highlight the importance of the Balearic sea, off the shores of Spain, where many individuals make a stop. This is valuable information in obtaining a comprehensive view of the threats weighing on populations of seabirds nesting in Metropolitan France. 13

14 Acoustic observatory for harbour porpoise Pilot project for an acoustic observatory to monitor porpoises along the French coasts Convention with ULR/CRMM (referent: Flore Samaran/CRMM) Context and Motivations Passive acoustic monitoring is an increasingly widespread technique used to study the presence of cetaceans particularly when the species are discreet or when the density of presence is low. The Harbour porpoise produces characteristic echolocation clicks that are short (0.1 ms) and of very high frequency (between 100 and 150kHz). By recording these clicks, the presence of one or more porpoises in a given listening area can easily be identified. This type of monitoring offers the advantage of being operational in all weather conditions, 24 hours a day and 365 days a year. The CPOD (Chelonia Ldt) is currently the best instrument for passive acoustic monitoring of porpoises. This instrument, and particularly its previous version (the TPOD), has been in widespread use for about a decade in Europe and America for acoustic monitoring of porpoises within the framework of conservation issues, Natura 2000 zone designation and impact studies for renewable energy farm projects. The CPOD can record the presence of a porpoise within a radius of 300m with a detection rate of 100% if the animal is within a radius of less than 100m. Static passive acoustic monitoring thus provides information about the geographic and seasonal distribution of acoustically active animals present in the zone but it does not, for the time being, allow the absolute abundance of animals to be estimated. Carry out A summary report, drafted in 2011, on the basis of existing literature and a study of prior experiences in setting up acoustic observatories carried out by Northern European countries (particularly in the Baltic sea) showed the advantage of this type of approach and allowed two implementation scenarios to be defined: The first scenario consists of systematic, homogeneous and regular sampling covering all the coasts of France without targeting specific zones. It identifies, confirms and specifies by seasonal patterns the presence of porpoises all around France. The second, more flexible, scenario involves sampling by areas defined on the basis of current knowledge of the distribution of the Harbour porpoise and according to the Natura 2000 zones proposed. The effort is not consistent along the French coasts but it allows patterns of presence and the relative density of animals per area to be defined. Observatory conception according to scenario 1 (left) and scenario 2 (right) 14

15 However, the theoretical study of the observatory s feasibility brought to light numerous technical and logistics factors that need solving for optimal project implementation. There are many such factors (anchorage resistance and access to sites depending on weather and oceanographic conditions, possible conflicts with fishing activities, correct laboratory data analyses) and they may potentially determine the choice of scenario adopted. To date, no acoustic observatory of this kind and on such a large scale has been developed in France. Consequently, the findings of the first report led to the development of a pilot project on a national scale. Pilot phase This pilot phase consists in deploying a small set of instruments in contrasting areas for a whole year. The objectives of the pilot project can be divided up according to three focuses: - The first focus is on the field realities of the action and will aim to test various anchorage systems and assess the logistics means required. In this first part, we will be able to define the most realistic, full-scale configuration of the observatory and draw up a methodology guide on the appropriate field protocol (technical and logistics). - The second focus concerns the laboratory analysis of the data collected by the instruments. The set of data collected by the pilot project will be used to assess the quality of data gathered, the required analyses and then the possible type of results and the related biological interpretations. It will also provide the first results on the seasonal presence of Harbour porpoises in the selected sites. A methodology guide on the appropriate protocol for laboratory data analysis will also be prepared. - The third and final focus of this pilot phase aims to set up a communication campaign about the action and to establish cooperation with sea users and local organizations which will be involved in rolling out operations on a wider scale. To carry out this pilot phase, a dozen or so instruments will be deployed in several sites that have contrasting conditions and problems (high density of porpoises, problems of incidental catches, logistics already in place, extreme conditions and fishing areas). The sites contemplated are: the site of the Parc National Marin d Iroise (PNMI), an offshore site at the western entrance to the English Channel (EMO), a costal site opposite Arcachon Bay (Arc) and lastly the site of the western bay of the Seine River (BSO) or the northern part of the Normano-Breton Gulf (NGNM). The choice of the location of each instrument, the design of the anchorages and the deployment will be done in cooperation with the marine parks, local organizations (PNMI, Oceanopolis, GECC, OCEAMM, etc.) and sea users (diving clubs, local and regional fisheries committees, etc.). This first major action is vital and it will allow the observatory s efficiency to be tested in real conditions while concretely assessing the various logistics and technical problems that could arise, so as to choose and adapt the dimensions of the most adequate system for good deployment feasibility and appropriate acoustic observatory maintenance. The acoustic data collected (from June 2012 to June 2013) and analysed will fuel knowledge of the species in the test sites. 15

16 Contact and information Aurore STERCKEMAN Alain PIBOT Agence des aires marines protégées 16 quai de la Douane BP Brest cedex 2 Tél : Fax :