01-05 December 2025
INCOIS, Hyderabad, India.
| Abstract Submission No. | ABS-03-0100 |
| Title of Abstract | Seasonally Restricted Distribution of Wedge-tailed Shearwaters (Ardenna pacifica) within Sri Lanka⿿s Exclusive Economic Zone |
| Authors | K. A. Dinal S. Meecle*, Lahiru Walpita, AudreyJaeger, MathieuLeCorre, Sampath S. Seneviratne |
| Organisation | Department of Zoology & Environment Sci., University of Colombo |
| Address | 43/4, Sri Kalyani Gangarama Road, Colomno 15, Sri Lanka Colombo, Western, Sri Lanka Pincode: 01500 E-mail: dnlmeecle@gmail.com |
| Country | Sri Lanka |
| Presentation | Oral |
| Abstract | Sri Lanka⿿s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ; 77⿿85 °E, 2⿿11 °N) spans in ~500,000km2 in the Northern Indian Ocean is nearly eight times the country⿿s land area, remains poorly studied despite its rich seabird diversity. We used the Wedge⿿tailed Shearwater (Ardenna pacifica) a common non-breeding pelagic seabird in the region, to assess its use of the Sri Lankan EEZ as a wintering site within the tropical Indian Ocean. Occurrence data from GLS-tagged individuals (n = 7) deployed between 2007 and 2015 yielded 528 locations inside the EEZ, which were analysed here. Tags were fitted at five colonies spanning ~17° of latitude⿿from the Seychelles to Réunion and Round Island (⿿20⿿21° S)⿿an average straight-line distance of ~4,000 km (range 3,500⿿4,500 km) from Sri Lanka. All birds repeatedly entered the EEZ between April and August, with peak use in May⿿June, coinciding with the formation of the Sri Lankan Dome, triggered by wind curl associated with the onset of the southwest monsoon. This window aligns with austral autumn⿿winter for the southwest-Indian-Ocean breeding populations and coincides with the southwest-monsoon upwelling off Sri Lanka, indicating a persistent, seasonally restricted exploitation of the EEZ⿿s productivity pulse. These findings represent the first comprehensive mapping of a pelagic seabird habitat within Sri Lanka⿿s EEZ and underscore the critical importance of conservation planning in this sensitive marine environment. |
| Are you part of IIOE-2 endorsed project | no |
| Keywords | Indian Ocean, Marine Spatial Planning, Pelagic Seabirds, Wedge-tailed Shearwater, GLS Tagging, Sri Lankan Dome, Sri Lanka |
| For Awards | yes |
| Date Of Birth | 15-06-1997 |
| ECSN Registration Number | IIOE2-ECSN-0199 |