DOCSLIB.ORG

Birds of Enderby Island, Auckland Islands, New Zealand Subantarctic

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Birds of Enderby Island, Auckland Islands, New Zealand Subantarctic 4 Birds of Enderby Island, Auckland Islands, New Zealand subantarctic REBECCA K. FRENCH* RODNEY B. RUSS Charles Perkins Centre, School of Life and Strannik Ocean Voyages, PO Box 9172, Environmental Sciences and Sydney Medical School, Christchurch 8011, New Zealand The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia GRAEME A. TAYLOR COLIN M. MISKELLY Department of Conservation, PO Box 10420, Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, Wellington 6011, New Zealand PO Box 467, Wellington 6140, New Zealand ALAN J.D. TENNYSON CHRIS G. MULLER Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, Wildbase, School of Veterinary Science, PO Box 467, Wellington 6140, New Zealand Massey University, Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand ABSTRACT: Enderby Island is a much-visited small island in the New Zealand subantarctic, and is an important area for birdlife. However, despite this, the bird community of Enderby Island has never been systematically described. We summarise bird records on Enderby Island from 1840 to 2018. Using these data we describe the bird community with an emphasis on resident species, and compare the frequency of sightings before and after eradication of invasive mammals in 1993. We also investigate trends in bird sightings from 1992 to 2018. There was a significant increase in the sightings of some species, including tui (Prosthemadera novaeseelandiae) and silvereye (Zosterops lateralis), and a significant decrease in others, including white-fronted tern (Sterna striata). Some species, such as New Zealand falcon (Falco novaeseelandiae) and Auckland Island snipe (Coenocorypha aucklandica aucklandica), have recovered successfully following dramatic historical declines. We hypothesise that these trends in sightings are driven by changes in human exploitation, the introduction and subsequent eradication of browsing mammals and mice, changes in the abundance and structure of the invertebrate community, and changes in vegetation cover. However, we believe that trends in sighting rates of southern royal albatross (Diomedea epomophora) may be an artefact of changes in visitor behaviour following the construction of a boardwalk, rather than changes in the species’ abundance. French, R.K.; Miskelly, C.M.; Muller, C.G.; Russ, R.B.; Taylor, G.A.; Tennyson, A.J.D. 2020. Birds of Enderby Island, Auckland Islands, New Zealand subantarctic. Notornis 67(1): 189–212. KEYWORDS: Auckland Islands, Enderby Island, subantarctic, New Zealand, population ecology, biogeography Received 24 May 2019; accepted 22 June 2019 *Correspondence: [email protected] Introduction thick scrub. The centre of the island consists primarily of low herbs and cushion plants, Enderby Island (50°30’S, 166°17’E) is part of the interspersed with small gullies of scrub. The Auckland Island archipelago, and is situated to northern and western sides of the island are the north-east of the main Auckland Island, in the much more exposed to weather and ocean New Zealand subantarctic. The island is relatively spray, and are primarily covered in tussock (Poa small (695 ha), comprising approximately 1% of litorosa). Close to the northern cliffs, only salt- and the total land area of the Auckland islands (R.H. wind-tolerant plants such as Bulbinella rossii and Taylor 1971; Torr 2002). It has a fairly flat topog- Anisotome latifolia appear to be able to grow. To raphy and low elevation, rising only 45 m above the south there is a large bay with a sandy beach sea level. This is much lower than Auckland Island (Sandy Bay), and above the beach a sward area (with a maximum elevation of 659 m), and Adams with short lawn-like vegetation. This is thought Island (705 m). Due to its position and low eleva- to be the result of human-induced fire and of tion, the climate also differs from that of the other browsing by introduced mammals (R.H. Taylor Auckland Islands, with less rainfall and higher 1971; Torr 2002). Pigs were released in 1807 and average temperatures (de Lisle 1965; Higham 1991). 1867, rabbits in 1865, and cattle in 1894, and mice Southern rātā (Metrosideros umbellata) forest were accidentally introduced probably before covers the southern and eastern sides of the 1840 (R.H. Taylor 1971; Russell et al. 2020 – Chapter island (Fig. 1). Closer to the interior are areas of 6 in this book). These species were all eradicated 190 FIGURE 1. Map of Enderby Island showing sites mentioned in text in white. Vegetation types are in black. South-west Point is also known as Rapoka Point, North-east Cliffs as Fur Seal Cliffs, and South-east Point as Pebble Point. The Department of Conservation hut (near Sandy Bay) is marked with a hut symbol, and the boardwalk with a dotted line. Adapted from image provided by Dave Houston. Birds of Enderby Island in 1993, with the exception of pigs, which had (Phocarctos hookeri) researchers have occupied already died out (Torr 2002; Russell et al. 2020 – the island almost annually over the summer Chapter 6). months. During this period, the researchers mon- Enderby Island is considered an important itored southern royal albatross (Diomedea epomo- breeding area for several species and subspe- phora) nest numbers (Childerhouse et al. 2003; cies endemic to the Auckland Islands, including Baker et al. 2020 – Chapter 10 in this book) and the Auckland Island shag (Leucocarbo colensoi), undertook yellow-eyed penguin beach counts Auckland Island snipe (Coenocorypha auck- (Chilvers 2014; Muller et al. 2020 – Chapter 9), landica aucklandica), Auckland Island teal (Anas as well as making other sporadic wildlife obser- aucklandica), Auckland Island banded dotterel vations. Enderby Island has also been a key site (Charadrius bicinctus exilis), and Auckland Island for ecotourism in the New Zealand subantarctic. tomtit (Petroica macrocephala marrineri) (BirdLife Heritage Expeditions (an ecotourism company International 2019). It is also a key breeding site that has visited the island every year since 1992) for the yellow-eyed penguin (Megadyptes antipo- compiles a list of bird records from every trip, des) (Muller et al. 2020 – Chapter 9 in this book). which we use in this article to assess recent The entire Auckland Islands archipelago is desig- trends in bird sightings. nated as an Endemic Bird Area (EBA) and world The ecology of Enderby Island has been affected heritage site (BirdLife International 2019), and is by human activities, including the burning of managed as a nature reserve by the New Zealand vegetation and the release of mammalian pests Department of Conservation. (R.H. Taylor 1971). By 1875 there were at least 100 Enderby Island has a rich history of human pigs on Enderby Island (R.H. Taylor 1971). After 127 visitation (Miskelly & Taylor 2020 – Chapter 1 years on Enderby Island, rabbits had an estimated in this book). Māori occupied the island before population size of 5,000–6,000 immediately prior European discovery (Anderson 2005), but the to eradication (Torr 2002; Russell et al. 2020 – island was uninhabited when it was first dis- Chapter 6). These introduced mammals had a 191 covered by Europeans in 1806 (R.H Taylor 1971; large effect on the ecology of the island, confining Miskelly & Taylor 2020 – Chapter 1). Scientific vulnerable plants such as Stilbocarpa polaris and exploration of the Port Ross area began with Anisotome latifolia to cliff edges, and replacing visits of ships from the United States, France, tussock areas (which were almost eliminated) and the United Kingdom in 1840, and a German with cropped sward (Challies 1975; R.H. Taylor 1975; expedition to observe the transit of Venus in Torr 2002; Russell et al. 2020 – Chapter 6). The lack 1874 (Fraser 1986; Jones 2009). Much new infor- of vegetation cover is likely to have made species mation was gathered almost 70 years later, when such as the Auckland Island snipe more vulnerable military personnel (equipped with small boats) to avian predators, including subantarctic skua were posted at nearby Ranui Cove during the (Catharacta antarctica lonnbergi) and New Zealand Second World War ‘Cape Expedition’ (Miskelly falcon (Falco novaeseelandiae) (Torr 2002). & Taylor 2020 – Chapter 1). Personnel included Mice were thought to have a large impact on experienced ornithologists, who produced for the invertebrates, which are an important part of the first time a description of the bird community on diet of native birds such as the snipe and tomtit Enderby Island (Turbott 2002). (Torr 2002). Following the war, there were several scientif- Despite the island’s ecological importance, long ic expeditions in the 1950s through to the 1980s, history of visitation, and invasive mammal eradi- including Dominion Museum and Department of cation, the bird community of Enderby Island has Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR) expe- never been described in detail. In this study, we ditions in 1954, 1962-63, and 1966 led by Robert describe the bird communities on Enderby Island Falla, a 1972-73 expedition led by Brian Bell, and using records from 1840 to 2018, with an emphasis a broad ornithological survey in 1988 by Graeme on resident species. We compare the frequency of Taylor (Wodzicki & Taylor 1955; Bell 1963; Falla sightings before and after the invasive mammal 1975a; G.A. Taylor 1988; Miskelly & Taylor 2020 eradications in 1993, and investigate trends in bird – Chapter 1). Since 1975, New Zealand sea lion sightings from 1992 to 2018. Lost Gold: ornithology of the subantarctic Auckland Islands Materials and methods grouped into time periods with a similar number of lists for comparison (Table 1). A database of bird sightings on Enderby Island 2. We studied recent trends in bird sightings using was collated. A detailed description of the colla- the data collected by Heritage Expeditions from tion methods and sources of information (includ- 1992 to 2018. For each year, the number of times ing abbreviations for observers) can be found a bird species was noted as present was divided in Miskelly et al. (2020 – Chapter 2 in this book, by the total number of voyages conducted and see Supplementary materials http://notornis.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Torr, 2002. Eradication of Rabbits and Mice from Subantarctic Enderby and Rose Islands. in Turning
    Eradication of rabbits and mice from subantarctic Enderby and Rose Islands N. Torr Department of Conservation, P.O. Box 29, Te Anau, New Zealand. Current address: 64 Mokonui Street, Te Anau, New Zealand. E-mail: [email protected] Abstract In 1993 rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus cuniculus) were eradicated from Enderby (700ha) and Rose (80ha) islands in the New Zealand subantarctic Auckland Island group. This was achieved by a widespread poison campaign followed by an intensive second phase which included hunting with a dog, spotlighting and trapping. During the poison campaign a helicopter was used to apply a cereal pelleted bait incorporating the anticoagulant toxin brodifacoum to both islands. Mice (Mus musculus), which were present on Enderby, disappeared during the poison campaign and appear to have been eradicated during this phase. The potential impacts to non-target species were assessed prior to the operation. Although the poisoning had a notable short-term impact on skua (Stercorarius skua lonnburgi) numbers there has been no obvious long-term impact on any non-target species. Rabbits and mice were the last of several introduced mammal species to be removed from Enderby and Rose. Without them the unique ecological values of these islands have a chance to recover. Keywords Eradication; rabbits, Oryctolagus cuniculus cuniculus; mice, Mus musculus; Auckland Islands; Enderby Island. INTRODUCTION Plan for these islands, to eradicate all alien animals as soon as is feasible (Penniket et al. 1987). Goats were eradi- The Auckland Islands are an uninhabited subantarctic cated from Auckland Island between 1989 and 1991 (A. group lying 460 km south of New Zealand, at approxi- Cox pers.
    [Show full text]
  • Year Away by D.O.W
    Year Away Coastwatching in the South Pacific: Disappointment Island from the western cliffs of Auckland Island (from: Coastwatchers by D.O.W. Hall, War History Branch, Department of Internal Affairs, Wellington, 1951). Year Away Wartime Coastwatching on the Auckland Islands, 1944 Graham Turbott The cover incorporates observer charts for ships and aircraft used by the coastwatchers (from the author’s files); photo and outline map are from Coastwatchers by D.O.W. Hall, War History Branch, Department of Internal Affairs, Wellington, 1951. These memoirs were published with the financial support of the Department of Conservation, Science & Research Unit (Manager Social, Historic and Technical: Paul Dingwall). Editing and illustration research was done by Janet Hughes; the layout was by Jeremy Rolfe; Chris Edkins designed the cover and the map. Graeme Taylor alerted the publisher to the manuscript and, with Paul Dingwall, provided factual updates. Production by DOC Science Publishing was managed by Jaap Jasperse and printing co-ordinated by Sue Wilkins. Publication was approved by the Manager, Science & Research Unit, Science Technology and Information Services, Department of Conservation, Wellington. © September 2002, Department of Conservation ISBN 0-478-22268-8 National Library of New Zealand Cataloguing-in-Publication Data Turbott, E. G. (Evan Graham) Year away : wartime coastwatching on the Auckland Islands, 1944 / Graham Turbott. ISBN 0-478-22268-8 1. Turbott, E. G. (Evan Graham) 2. New Zealand Sub-Antarctic Expedition 1941-1945. 3. Coastal surveillance—New Zealand—Auckland Islands— History. 4. Military surveillance—New Zealand—Auckland Islands— History. 5. Natural history—New Zealand—Auckland Islands. 6. Auckland Islands (N.Z.)—Surveys.
    [Show full text]
  • Enderby Island Cattle: What Breed Are They Derived From?
    Proc. Assoc. Advmt. Anim. Breed. Genet. Vol 14 ENDERBY ISLAND CATTLE: WHAT BREED ARE THEY DERIVED FROM? D.L. Hyndman1, R.P. Littlejohn1, J.L. Williams2 and A.M. Crawford3 1AgResearch, Invermay Agricultural Centre, Private Bag 50034, Mosgiel, New Zealand. 2Roslin Institute, Midlothian, Edinburgh, EH25 9PS, Scotland. 3AgResearch, Molecular Biology Unit, Biochemistry Dept. University of Otago, Box 56, Dunedin, New Zealand. SUMMARY In the summer of 1993 the last cattle were removed from sub-antarctic Enderby Island where they had remained isolated since at least 1896. We have examined the DNA from 9 of the last surviving animals to determine which of the modern breeds they are most closely related to. The genotypes of each individual were determined at 20 different loci and the data submitted to the Genetic Diversity Database at Roslin Institute, Scotland. (http://www.ri.bbsrc.ac.uk/cdiv_www/homepage.htm). Allele frequency distributions were compared with those of a variety of British breeds and the Danish Shorthorn. Of the breeds examined the Jersey was the most closely related to the Enderby Island cattle. Keywords: Microsatellite, Allele frequency, Bos taurus, Enderby Island, Auckland Islands. INTRODUCTION Enderby Island is a small island (800 ha) that is part of the Auckland Islands. These are isolated sub- Antarctic islands lying in the “furious fifties” approximately 400 km south of the New Zealand mainland. Early attempts at settlement in the 1840’s and early 1850’s failed but did include the release of cattle, sheep, goats, dogs, pigs, rabbits and, unintentionally, mice at this time. (Taylor 1971). Although settlement was abandoned by the English owned Southern Whale Fishery Company in 1852, a Maori settlement begun in 1842 remained for a further 4 years until they left the island in 1856.
    [Show full text]
  • The Grafton Wreck and Epigwaitt Hut Site, Auckland Islands Heritage Assessment
    HERITAGE ASSESSMENT SERIES 1 The Grafton wreck and Epigwaitt hut site, Auckland Islands Heritage assessment Peter Petchey Peer review statement Assessment prepared by Peter Petchey, Southern Archaeology Ltd, Dunedin Date: 2014 Assessment reviewed by Neville Ritchie, Department of Conservation. Date: 18/12/2014 Cover: The hull of the Grafton, Carnley Harbour, Auckland Islands, 2003. Photo: Henk Haazen. The Heritage Assessment Series presents research funded by the New Zealand Department of Conservation (DOC). A heritage assessment is the key document used by DOC to identify the heritage values and significance of a place and, in turn, determine its management. Heritage assessments are prepared, and peer-reviewed, by heritage specialists. As they have been commissioned on an individual basis, there will be some variation in the structure of the reports that appear in the series. This report is available from the departmental website in pdf form. Titles are listed in our catalogue on the website, refer www.doc.govt.nz under Publications, then Series Unless otherwise stated, all images contained within this report remain the property of the owners and must not be reproduced in other material without their permission. © Copyright July 2016, New Zealand Department of Conservation ISSN 2463–6304 (web PDF) ISBN 978–0–478–15082–7 (web PDF) This report was prepared for publication by the Publishing Team; editing by Amanda Todd and layout by Lynette Clelland. Publication was approved by the Director, Recreation, Tourism and Heritage Unit, Department of Conservation, Wellington, New Zealand. Published by Publishing Team, Department of Conservation, PO Box 10420, The Terrace, Wellington 6143, New Zealand.
    [Show full text]
  • Forgotten Islands of the South Pacific with Heritage Expeditions
    FORGOTTEN ISLANDS OF THE SOUTH PACIFIC WITH HERITAGE EXPEDITIONS You won’t find them mentioned in a travel brochure on your high street; you won’t find them in most guidebooks, you probably don’t know anyone that has ever been there and they don’t even appear on some maps of the New Zealand’s South Pacific – these are the ‘forgotten islands’. Despite their low profile, they are among the most remarkable wildlife reserves in the Southern Ocean, designated UNESCO World Heritage sites and afforded the highest protection of any nature reserves in New Zealand. Remote, uninhabited and on no regular shipping route, access is further restricted by a strict Management Plan which limits the number of people allowed ashore each year. Departing the Port of Bluff, Invercargill, the first of these islands we visit are The Snares. No landings are permitted because the islands are honey-combed with seabird burrows. Of particular what can be achieved in restoring islands. Over the years interest are the Snares Crested Penguin, Snares Island Tomtit sheep, cattle, cats and finally rats have all been eradicated with and Fernbird – all of which are endemic. We should see them all the island rapidly recovering. The great English botanist Sir as we enjoy the dramatic coastline and tree daisy forest from Joseph Hooker, a friend of Charles Darwin, visited Campbell our Zodiac cruise. In the Auckland Islands, the largest of the Island in the 1840s and described the flowering fields of island groups, we will have the chance to spend the day ashore megaherbs as “second to none outside of the tropics”.
    [Show full text]
  • Entomology of the Aucklands and Other Islands South of New Zealand: Introduction1
    Pacific Insects Monograph 27: 1-45 10 November 1971 ENTOMOLOGY OF THE AUCKLANDS AND OTHER ISLANDS SOUTH OF NEW ZEALAND: INTRODUCTION1 By J. L. Gressitt2 and K. A. J. Wise3 Abstract: The Aucklands, Bounty, Snares and Antipodes are Southern Cold Temperate (or Low Subantarctic) islands south of New Zealand and north of Campbell I and Macquarie I. The Auckland group is the largest of all these islands south of New Zealand, and has by far the largest fauna. The Snares, Bounty and Antipodes, though farther north, are quite small islands with limited fauna. These islands have vegetation dominated by tussock grass, bogs with sedges and cryptogams, and shrubs at lower altitudes and in some cases forests of Metrosideros or Olearia near the shores, usually in more protected environments. Bounty Is have almost no vegetation. These islands are breeding places for many sea birds and for hair seals and fur seals. The insect fauna of the Aucklands numbers several hundred species representing most major orders of insects and other land arthropods. This is the introductory article to the first volume treating the land arthropod fauna of the Auckland, Snares, Bounty and Antipodes Islands. The Auckland Islands (SOHO' S; 166° E) form the largest island group south of New Zealand and Australia. Among other southern cold temperate and subantarctic islands they are only exceeded in area by the Falkland Is, South Georgia, Kerguelen and Tierra del Fuego. In altitude they are lower than South Georgia, Tierra del Fuego, Tristan da Cunha, Gough, Marion, Kerguelen, Crozets and Heard, and very slightly lower than the Falklands.
    [Show full text]
  • The New Zealand Off-Shore Islands
    The New Zealand Off-shore Islands G. A. KNOX Zoology Department, University of Canterbury Introduction New Zealand is an island archipelago and has been so throughout the greater part of its geological history. It stretches over 22 degrees of latitude or some 1,540 miles from the subtropical Kermadec Islands in the north to the subantarctic Campbell Island in the south (Fig. 1). Within this regions there are some 500 islands excluding the three main islands and innumerable nonvegetated stacks (Bell, 1963). They include island areas varying from stacks covering less than an acre to large islands such as Chatham Island (238,000 acres) and the main Auckland Island (128,000 acres). They also vary considerably in topography, vegetation, and climate. Many of these islands are of unique scientific value being representative of ecosystems not found elsewhere and containing endemic species of plants and animals of considerable scientific importance. Some have suffered irreparable damage through the activities of man and the mammals he has introduced. Others fortunately have hitherto, wholly, or in part, escaped man-made changes. For these, and for the conservation of the irreplaceable endemic or rare species for which they are a last refuge New Zealand has a special responsibility. On some islands the removal of introduced mammals by officers of the Wildlife Branch, Department of Internal Affairs, has demonstrated that under certain conditions rehabilitation is possible. In this review, nature conservation as it applies to the New Zealand islands is outlined, the conservation status of the various islands is assessed, an account is given of the present level of scientific research on the subantarctic islands and the future requirements for conservation in the New Zealand isiands is considered.
    [Show full text]
  • Southern Royal Albatross at Enderby Island — Analysis of Aerial Photographs
    Environmental Consultants Pty Ltd __________________________________________________________________ Southern royal albatross at Enderby Island — analysis of aerial photographs Final Report Report prepared for Department of Conservation G. Barry Baker and Katrina Jensz June 2013 Southern royal albatross at Enderby Island — analysis of aerial photographs 1. Introduction The southern royal albatross ( Diomedea epomophora ) is an endemic New Zealand seabird species that breeds on sub-Antarctic islands. Most birds (99%) breed on Campbell Island with a small number of birds breeding on the Auckland Island group, including Enderby and Adams Is (ACAP 2009). The species is a biennial breeder and is currently assessed as Vulnerable to extinction. Historically all colonies were impacted to some extent by human exploitation, agriculture and introduced mammals, but the major threat is now considered to be fisheries bycatch in longline and trawl fishing operations (ACAP 2009). The global population is estimated to number 8,300-8,700 annual breeding pairs on Campbell Island (Moore et al. 2012), with a further 60 pairs breeding each year on Enderby Island. Recent counts on Enderby Island in 2002-2008 have fluctuated from 52 to 66 nests annually (L. Chilvers unpublished data, in ACAP 2009).There are no recent data on the number of pairs breeding on Adams and Auckland Island but in the early 1990s there were 15 and five pairs, respectively. The main population of southern royal albatrosses on Campbell Island is thought to have recovered following a major reduction due to human settlement and introduced mammals and to have stabilised between 1995 and 2004-08 (Moore et al. 2012). On Enderby Island, where royal albatrosses were extirpated by human exploitation by about 1868 (Taylor 1971), the population has steadily increased after re- colonising the island in the 1940s (Childerhouse 2003, ACAP 2009).
    [Show full text]
  • Siren Call of the GENERAL GRANT: Shipwreck and Gold Fever with a Maine-Built Ship
    Siren Call of the GENERAL GRANT: Shipwreck and Gold Fever with a Maine-Built Ship Charles H. Lagerbom The Maine-built ship GENERAL GRANT sank in the Auckland Islands in the southern ocean in 1866 carrying passengers and cargo, including a shipment of gold. After the terrible shipwreck, a handful of survivors lived to tell the story. The story continues today with treasure hunters still searching for the elusive ship and its storied gold payload after 150 years. ______________________________________________________________________ The state of Maine, easternmost of the United States, has had an historic and colorful career with its shipbuilding. Many of these rugged vessels that rolled off stocks in Maine shipyards went on to work in, travel to, pass through or become lost in the more difficult and treacherous waters of the planet, those in the far southern or far northern waters. One such story is the General Grant and her last voyage. The General Grant was a ship built for heavy work and hard sailing. She lasted less than two years, ending up horrifically smashed onto the rocks of an isolated speck of island in the storm-riddled southern ocean. She would have been soon forgotten as just another unlucky ship lost in treacherous waters were in not for the continued suggestion, usually whispered, that she carried a load of gold when wrecked. That siren song of possible treasure thus changes the dynamic, enhances her story, captures the imagination and quickens one’s pulse. The fate of the General Grant and her possible treasure ranks as one of the more compelling stories of Maine-built ships connected with polar waters.
    [Show full text]
  • Enderby Island Cattle
    Enderby Island Cattle: A Breeding Strategy for Genetic Conservation Laura Backus May 2006 Laura Backus was an exchange student from Colorado State University for two semesters at Lincoln University, where she studied biology and animal science. She wrote this paper for a 300-level Animal Breeding and Genetics class. Laura can be contacted at [email protected] This version of the paper has been slightly modified and reformatted to facilitate electronic transmission. I. Introduction Cloning, embryo transfer, and conservation genetics are phrases that have come to symbolise the potential for reproduction in endangered species and breeds today. Modern technology supplies unprecedented tools for influencing the way that animals reproduce, and it is now possible to control even minute details in the production of both domestic and wild species. In terms of endangered wild and domestic populations, these technologies seem to very nearly give humans a chance to take back their mistakes: when there’s been too much inbreeding, when the habitat has been destroyed, when only a few individuals are left, these advances become the absolution by which humanity can restore a population. In reality, the technologies of the future are simultaneously a source of successes and frustrations today. The trials associated with reviving the Enderby Island Cattle breed are symbolic of the progress that reproductive science has made, but also highlight the limitations and the degree to which luck still plays a role in conservation breeding. When, in 1998, the last surviving Enderby Island cow, Lady, was cloned using adult somatic cell nuclear transfer, it was a resounding success in the scientific community: Dolly the sheep had been cloned the same way just a year before, and Lady was the first animal ever cloned to save an endangered population.
    [Show full text]
  • Archifacts March 1988-1
    ARCHIFACT S Bulletin of the Archives and Records Association of New Zealand 1988/1 ARAN Z March 1988 LQJ Crew of the "Grafton" attempting to make a fire. From F Ε Raynal, Wrecked on a reef. article in this issue by Ken Scadden on the Auckland Islands CONTENTS EDITORIAL: CCAC: Help or humbug? 1 THE AUCKLAND ISLANDS, 1806-1910 : RESEARCH IN PROGRESS Ken Scadden 2 VICTORINE ROGERS : AN ESSAY FOR THE DICTIONARY OF NEW ZEALAND BIOGRAPHY Mary Reid 15 ARCHIVAL SOURCES FOR NEW ZEALAND'S MEDICAL HISTORY Frank Rogers 19 RESOURCES, INSTITUTIONS AND ECONOMIC CHANGE : CENTRAL OTAGO, 1861-1921 Terry Hearn 25 THE SAUNDERS REPORT Brad Patterson 34 1988 ANNUAL CONFERENCE 37 ANALECTA WELLINGTON BRANCH REPORT Mark H.S. Stevens 38 New Archivist of the USA; the President and the President's men; Certification debate, USA; The enemy is us; Drake's expenses claimed; Privacy action on the horizon; Archives' rat- infested home; Archives battle to save irreplaceable film history; Increased funding to NZ Film Archive; Deeds fees jump; National Archives news; Conservation at BNZ Archives; Index to G.R. Macdonald Dictionary. 38 DICTIONARY OF NEW ZEALAND BIOGRAPHY, 1870-C.1920: MORE WOMEN NEEDED 42 BOOK REVIEW Ann Pederson (ed. in chief) Keeping archives (David Colquhoun) 43 MASSEY UNIVERSITY LIBRARY'S DAIRY RECORDS COLLECTION : ACCESSIONS, 1983-88 4 5 ACCESSIONS 4 6 A Architects is the official bulletin of the Archives and Records Association of New Zealand Incorporated. It continues the bulletin of the same title, previously published by the Archives Committee of the New Zealand Library Association, 9 issues of which appeared between April 1974 and October 1976.
    [Show full text]
  • Observations of Seabirds on the Auckland Islands and Campbell Island During the Australasian Antarctic Expedition 2013-14
    Observations of seabirds on the Auckland Islands and Campbell Island during the Australasian Antarctic Expedition 2013-14. KERRY-JAYNE WILSON1, ALICE BARTHEL2, MATHEW LIPSON2, CHRISTOPHER FOGWILL3 & CHRIS TURNEY3 1West Coast Penguin Trust, P.O. Box 70, Charleston 7865, New Zealand. 2 Climate Change Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, NSW 2052, Australia 3PANGEA Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, NSW 2052, Australia Key words, sub-Antarctic Islands, seabirds, climate change, population monitoring Subantarctic skua on a nest Ewing Island. 1 ABSTRACT The Australasian Antarctic Expedition 2013-14 presented an opportunity to add to existing knowledge on the distribution and abundance of seabirds on the Auckland Islands and Campbell Island. Here we report observations of cliff nesting species on Enderby Island (Auckland Islands). The distribution of burrow breeding petrels is poorly documented, especially so at the Auckland Islands where petrels were surveyed on Ewing, Masked and Figure of Eight Islands. Ewing Island is of particular interest as seabird abundance and diversity has apparently declined with the spread of an introduced tree daisy. As climate is projected to become more variable and sea conditions change, inshore foraging, sub-Antarctic birds such as penguins, shags and terns are likely to be affected. We review the data on shag and Antarctic tern numbers on the islands visited and recommend colonies for regular monitoring. INTRODUCTION Two recent workshops, the first on research priorities for New Zealand breeding petrels and albatrosses (Wilson & Croxall 2012) and the second for seabirds in general (Wilson & Waugh 2013) have highlighted the urgent need for information on the breeding distributions and abundance of seabirds in the New Zealand region.
    [Show full text]