Mr Alastair Baylis

Qualifications

PhD Adelaide University (2004 - 2008)

BSc (Honours) LaTrobe University (2003)

BSc University of Tasmania (1999 - 2001)

Research Interests

I am currently working for the Falkland Islands Government as a fisheries observer and fisheries biologist. During my PhD I was affiliated with the South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI) and Adelaide University school of Earth and Environmental Sciences.

My PhD research was on the foraging ecology of lactating New Zealand fur seals (Arctocephalus forsteri) in South Australia.

Specifically

• Habitat preference

• The separation of foraging areas between colonies

• Foraging site-fidelity

• Developing new ways to quantify New Zealand fur seal and Australian sea lion diet using fatty acid analysis

Some of the important findings of my study that relate to management include:

• The management requirements of New Zealand fur seals vary according to colony location (i.e. colony-specific foraging area) and the related ocean features used

• The Subtropical Front, which is located some 600-800km south of continental Australia, was critical foraging habitat for lactating New Zealand fur seals

• The long distances lactating females travel to forage implies they may be vulnerable to factors that influence the location/productivity of the Subtropical Front (climate change, climatic anomalies)  

• Understanding the processes that influence the location and biological productivity of the Subtropical Front south of Australia is imperative to the future management of this wide-ranging central place forager

I am also interested in the movement of New Zealand fur seal pups post-weaning. Prior to weaning most pups have travelled only short distances from their birth site (i.e. less than 10km). We know that females utilise coastal upwellings in summer (approx. 150 km away from the Cape Gantheaume colony) and the Subtropical Front in autumn and winter (approx. 800 km away from Cape Gantheaume). It is unknown if these habitats are also utilised by post-weaned pups.

With the help of WILDLIFE CONSERVATION FUND, I deployed Wildlife Computers SPLASH tags to find out where pups go after weaning and the ocean features they utilise.

Ultimately the aim of my research has been to define critical habitats and highlight management and conservation issues.

My supervisors were Dr. Brad Page (SARDI), Dr. Peter Nichols (CSIRO Marine research), Dr. Simon Goldsworthy (SARDI) and Dr. David Paton (Adelaide University).

Research Funding

Grants awarded:

Ecological society of Australia                         Holsworth Wildlife Fund

MA Ingram Trust                                            Nature Foundation SA

Project AWARE                                              Sea World Research and Rescue Foundation

Wildlife Conservation Fund                           

 

Publications

Page, B., McKenzie, J., McIntosh, R., Baylis, A., Morrissey, A., Calvert, N., Hasse, T., Berris, M., Dowie, D., Shaughnessy, P. and Goldsworthy, S. (2004). A summary of Australian sea lion and New Zealand fur seal entanglements in marine debris pre- and post-implementation of Australian Government fishery bycatch policies. Marine Pollution Bulletin 49: 33-42.

Baylis, A.M.M., Page, B., McKenzie, J., McIntosh, R., Goldsworthy, S. (2005) The ontogeny of diving in New Zealand fur seal pups. Canadian Journal of Zoology 83: 1149-1161.

Baylis, A.M.M., Page, B., Goldsworthy, S. (2008) Colony-specific foraging areas of lactating New Zealand fur seals. Marine Ecology Progress Series 361: 279-290.

Baylis, A.M.M., Page, B., Goldsworthy, S. (2008) Seasonal changes in upwelling activity effect the foraging locations of a wide-ranging central place forager, the New Zealand fur seal. Canadian Journal of Zoology 86: 774-779.

Baylis, A.M.M., Hamer, D.J., Nichols, P.D. (in press) Assessing the use of milk fatty acids to infer the diet of the Australian sea lion (Neophoca cinerea): A preliminary investigation from Olive Island, South Australia. Wildlife Research - accepted August 2008.

Baylis, A.M.M. and Nichols, P.D. (in press) Milk fatty acids predict the foraging location of a wide-ranging central place forager, the New Zealand fur seal: continental shelf vs. oceanic waters. (Marine Ecology Progress Series - accepted January 2009)

 

 

Entry last updated: Saturday, 24 Jan 2009