Escaping the oligotrophic gyre? The year-round movements, foraging behaviour and habitat preferences of Murphy’s petrels

Murphy's petrels, breeding on Henderson Island, exhibit unprecedented foraging ranges among seabirds, traveling over 4800 km during incubation to escape the nutrient-poor South Pacific Gyre. This study reveals their year-round movements and habitat preferences using geolocators, showing they migrate seasonally to the Subarctic Gyre in the North Pacific for more productive waters. Unlike many seabirds, Murphy's petrels do not show strong preferences for oceanographic or topographic features, instead favoring deep, unproductive waters. Their high activity levels, particularly during incubation, suggest a reliance on mesopelagic prey that undergo diel vertical migration. Conservation efforts should prioritize eliminating invasive threats at breeding sites while recognizing the challenges of protecting such wide-ranging species.

Clay, T., Phillips, R., Manica, A., Jackson, H., & Brooke, M. (2017). Escaping the oligotrophic gyre? The year-round movements, foraging behaviour and habitat preferences of Murphy’s petrels. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 579, 139–155. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps12244