Survey of seabirds received by the Santos Municipal Aquarium from 2013 to 2016 Laura Simões Andrade, Juliana Plácido Guimarães

Abstract

Seabirds can be defined as “species of birds that live and survive in the marine environment, which includes coastal areas, plains, estuaries, wetlands, and oceanic islands. Anthropogenic factors are the greatest threat to these animals, due to habitat loss, environmental pollution, fishing, and urban and industrial development. Animals that survive all these impacts are sent to institutions such as the Santos Aquarium, where they receive treatment to return to their natural environment. The objective of this study was to quantify the number of seabirds received at the Santos Aquarium between 2013 and 2016. To this end, data provided by the Santos Aquarium on seabirds rescued in the Baixada Santista region, obtained through entry forms, were analyzed. A total of 114 individuals, distributed among 12 species, were admitted to the Santos Aquarium during the study period. The year 2015 had the highest number of species (n=53) and the year with the lowest records was 2016 (n=13). The most frequent species was Spheniscus magellanicus, 41 individuals, mainly in 2015. They are migratory birds and their occurrence may be related to the abundance of the fish Engraulis anchoita in Brazilian waters. The highest number of records occurred in winter.