Linking space use, individual fitness, and population dynamics to quantify the conservation value of geographic areas

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Managing and conserving aquatic animals is challenging. Marine and freshwater animals migrate, change their distribution through time, and are difficult to monitor. The primary goal of my research group will be to develop tools to quantify the value of geographic areas for aquatic species. To do so, I will link movement data with body condition, stress levels, breeding success, and population size data. Determining the relationships between habitat utilization, reproductive condition, and population processes will allow my research group to identify habitats important to the survival of aquatic species, which is a crucial step towards conservation and management planning. Because the technology used to track the movement of aquatic animals presents technical challenges such as large measurement errors, a further focus of my research program will be to develop new statistical tools that can handle these challenges. While the methods I will develop will be applicable to many species in Canada and elsewhere, I will take a multi-species approach focused on three polar study systems from the Canadian Arctic and sub-Antarctic islands. First, I will use acoustic telemetry to identify the habitat use of native zebra trout and factors affecting the spread of introduced brown trout. Protecting the habitat of zebra trout and stopping the spread of the introduced species threatening them with extirpation are conservation priorities in the Falkland Islands. My work will directly contribute to the management of these species. Second, I will use satellite telemetry to identify the marine habitat use of gentoo penguins around the Falklands, where substantial fishing and oil development is occurring. Penguins are an iconic wildlife attraction in the Falklands, where tourism is the 2nd largest contributor to the economy. Understanding interactions of gentoos with industry, and how they affect reproductive performance, is crucial to management. Third, I will relate changes in the Canadian Arctic to variation in the distribution of narwhals and belugas. Climate change has led to declining sea ice, which promotes increased human activity (e.g. shipping, fishing, oil and gas). I will test the hypothesis that increased shipping and ice declines have changed the distribution of these species, information needed for the creation of a Marine Protected Area in Hudson Bay. The proposed research will create national and international collaborations with academic institutions, NGOs, and governmental agencies, and is designed to directly train 17 highly qualified personnel (2 postdocs, 4 PhD, 4 MSc, 7 BSc). My research will bring novel statistical tools to assess the importance of geographic areas to species. These tools will help answer ecological questions and will be designed to address important management and conservation issues for species with significant economic, ecological, and cultural importance.