Since 2012, the Waterbirds and Sea Turtles Turtles Lab. develops in Trindade Island the project “Distribution, richness, abundance and habitat use by cetaceans and seabirds between the Brazilian coast and the Trindade and Martin Vaz archipelago in relation to physiographic and oceanographic parameters”. This project is funded by CNPq and is developed in partnership with national institutions (UERJ and UFPR), and logistic support from Brazilian Navy-SECIRM. One key aim is identify the wintering areas of the Trindade Petrel (Pterodroma arminjoniana), species classified as vulnerable by IUCN, and critically threatened by Brazilian Environment Ministry. The Trindade Petrel is a pelagic species that breeds only at Trindade Island in South Atlantic and Round Island in Indian Ocean. Geolocators were attached to petrels, a tag that allows the identification of routes and areas used during wintering period. Preliminary results demonstrate that every years after breeding, Trindade Petrels travel to a oceanic region in North Atlantic, where they stay during the wintering period, before returning to the island and start the breeding again, as shown in maps. The study and its results were noticed in the national open TV program “Globo Repórter”, last April 8th, with Phd candidate Gustavo da Rosa Leal explain his study. The link with the full program is available at http://g1.globo.com/globo-reporter/edicoes/2016/04/01.html#!v/4928531.

Routes and wintering areas of Trindade petrels tracked with geolocators by FURG team.