We present a summary of the initial findings regarding the foraging patterns of southern ele-phant seals (Mirounga leonina) departing from the small, nascent colony of Jackson Bay, Tierra del Fuego, Chile. Eight juvenile males were sat-ellite tracked while foraging at sea; four of them yielded complete tracks of their trips. The study highlights the importance of both the inland waters in the Chilean fjords and the pelagic waters off the coast deeper than 200 m as preferred foraging areas. Southern elephant seals utilizing the fjords also undertook extensive excursions into the SE Pacific, up to 600 km offshore. In open waters, the study animals engaged in extended loops lasting up to 30 days and covering 2,580 km of horizontal travel, characterized by few focal areas of activity. A comparison with individuals from the Peninsula Vald & eacute;s colony in Argentina under-scores connectivity between colonies and identi-fies the Strait of Magellan and the Drake Passage as important corridors for southern elephant seal foraging migrations. Overall, high individual vari-ability precludes identifying a dominant strategy for the Jackson Bay southern elephant seals, at least during this early stage of recolonization of the species' historical range.

A small colony of black-browed albatrosses (Thalassarche melanophris, 21–65 breeding pairs) was discovered in 2003 on Albatross Islet, Tierra del Fuego, Chile. The formation of new breeding sites is important from an ecological and evolutionary perspective. This colony is particularly significant because it is the only one recorded for the species in a land-locked area. As its population dynamics could be shaped by stochastic and other factors affecting small populations, understanding the variables influencing its persistence, such as source of breeders, is crucial. Here, we used genetic markers (mitochondrial control region) to determine the origin of individuals at this new breeding site. Our results show that the new colony is an even mix of birds from Chilean colonies to the south and west (52

The breeding season is the most vulnerable period in the early stages of the life cycle of seabirds, due to the exposure of their eggs and chicks to the impact by predators. Most of the studies on predator–prey relationships between the Black-browed albatross (Thalassarche melanophrys) and other predators like raptors, were carried out in breeding colonies located in oceanic and highly isolated areas, such as Antarctic islands. However, breeding colonies located in the Sub-Antarctic fjords have not been studied. The geographical position of the study colony makes it susceptible to a wider spectrum of predators than the oceanic islands. Therefore, it is unknown how predation dynamics affect the reproductive success of this species. Here, we show for the first time the identity and activity of avian native predators on the colony in the inner waters of southern Tierra del Fuego, Chile. This study covered seventeen field visits between 2017 and 2020 to monitor the reproductive activity of this colony. In this study, we identified the interaction between predators, the breeding activity and success of albatrosses using direct census and camera traps. Across the study, the number of breeding pairs ranged from 64 (2017) to three (2019) breeding pairs of the Black-browed albatross. Terrestrial birds with occurrence on the colony were the Andean condor, Southern caracara, Chimango caracara and the Turkey vulture. Our results showed that the main avian predator species affecting the breeding success of the Black-browed albatross, were both the Andean condor and the Southern caracara. The Black-browed albatross is a conservation target in this area since of the colony of Islote Albatros is currently part of the Seno Almirantazgo Marine protected area. Therefore, baseline informations on species interactions are fundamental for its management particularly when native predators like the Andean condor are also threatened species globally.

The ecosystem services approach has increasingly emerged as a core requirement of ecosystem-based management of the marine space. In this context, explicit quantification and mapping of ecosystem services is considered key. This research proposes a methodological framework that combines Geographic Information Systems and participatory techniques to map the ecosystem service of recreation opportunities, provided by coastal and marine ecosystems. Attributes selected to represent the ecosystem service were scenic beauty, unique natural resources, accessibility, cultural sites and tourism use aptitude. High values of the indicator concentrated on areas that combined the presence of unique marine fauna (e.g. Southern Elephant Seal, Mirounga leonina), terrestrial and marine routs, and areas of high scenic beauty, associated to the presence of glaciers. These areas corresponded to the southern part of Almirantazgo Sound, the northern part of Navarino Island on the coast of the Beagle Channel, and to areas surrounding Wulaia fishermen's cove. Zones showing highest values of the indicator 81–100) comprised 0.89% of the study area and a small proportion of them coincided with areas of aptitude for aquaculture, which represents potential use conflicts, as long as aquaculture concessions remain operative. In turn, the areas of lowest values 0–20) were located offshore in open sea, and comprised 0.49% of the study area. Overall, the methodology demonstrated the capacity to identify potential recreation areas to inform regional decision making regarding marine use planning.

Abstract Although Chile has been establishing marine protected areas since the 1960s, studies to identify representative areas for marine biodiversity conservation at the ecoregional scale are lacking. Using the Marxan decision support tool we conducted a systematic planning process to identify High Conservation Value Areas in the channels and fjords of the southern Chile ecoregion. We involved 74 experts and other stakeholders in identifying conservation features, setting targets and compiling distribution data. Current distributions of 39 features were used in Marxan analyses. In one scenario we locked planning units that contained the Francisco Coloane Marine Protected Area. In a second scenario we also excluded planning units that overlapped with Appropriate Areas for Aquaculture, defined by the Chilean government's coastal zoning process. One-hundred percent of the proposed conservation targets were met in both scenarios. Although the distribution of 12 conservation features overlapped to a certain extent (>10%) with Appropriate Areas for Aquaculture, Marxan identified conservation solutions avoiding these areas. Our suggested portfolio of High Conservation Value Areas comprises a network of 33 sites, covering 99,432 km2 (12% of the ecoregion). These results provide the first science-based roadmap for decision makers and conservationists, and were used by the Chilean government in its coastal zoning process to define priority areas for conservation. Consequently, salmon farming has been excluded from Tierra del Fuego island.

El Huemul, especie endemica de Chile y la Argentina, es el cervido mas amenazado de la Region Neotropical. El primer Plan Nacional de Conservacion de la especie se elaboro el ano 2001, dividiendo el trabajo segun territorios especificos. Dentro de este marco, en los anos 2010 y 2015 se realizaron dos talleres para la elaboracion del Plan de la Zona Austral en la Region de Magallanes. Para el ultimo de estos, se realizo una encuesta preliminar para establecer el estado de avance de las acciones propuestas en el 2010 y se aplico la metodologia de Estandares Abiertos para la Practica de la Conservacion para guiar el trabajo. Participaron 32 asistentes de 15 instituciones, que identificaron inconvenientes administrativos, financieros y de recursos humanos para avanzar en la conservacion del huemul. Se definio una meta especifica para el Plan de la Zona Austral y se priorizaron amenazas en el contexto regional, donde las mas relevantes relevantes resultaron ser la competencia con el ganado y la fragmentacion de habitat. Ademas, se esbozaron indicadores y los principales responsables para facilitar el monitoreo de la gestion del Plan de Accion. Abstract The Huemul, a species endemic to Chile and Argentina, is the most threatened cervid in the Neotropical Region. The first National Plan for the conservation of the species was developed in 2001 and divided the territory in different working zones. Within this framework, in 2010 and 2015 two workshops for the development of the Plan for Austral Zone Plan took place in the Region of Magallanes. For the last of them, a preliminary survey was conducted to establish the progress of the actions proposed in 2010 and the Open Standards for the Practice of Conservation was applied as a methodology for guiding the work. . Thirty-two attendants from 15 institutions identified administrative, financial and human resources drawbacks to advance in Huemul conservation. A specific goal for the Austral Zone Plan was defined and threats were prioritized according to the regional context, where the most important threats identified were competition with livestock and habitat fragmentation. In addition, indicators and the main responsible for facilitating the monitoring of the management of the Action Plan were outlined.

Black-browed albatrosses are the most abundant albatross species of the southern hemisphere, breeding on sub-Antarctic and Antarctic oceanic islands around the globe. Their foraging habitat during the breeding season is reasonably well known along its distributional range, indicating a preferred use of waters <500 m deep. The discovery of a colony inserted within the Admiralty Sound, Tierra del Fuego, poses an interesting challenge to the known precepts on foraging behavior for the species. In this study, we present the first record on the foraging distribution of the only known inner-channel colony of albatrosses in the world, using high-resolution GPS loggers. Black-browed albatrosses breeding at the Albatross Islet used exclusively inner-channel waters, at least during the chick-guard stage. Our results indicate a significant smaller foraging range during chick-guard compared with conspecifics from Diego Ramirez and Falklands/Malvinas Islands. Implications for the conservation of this colony are discussed.

The huemul is the most threatened cervid of the Neotropical Region.It is estimated that its historic distribution range in Chile has shrunk in over 50%, while its global population size would not exceed 2500 individuals.Taking into consideration this critical situation, the Workshop "Towards an Action Plan for the Conservation of Huemul in the Austral Zone" was held between November 11th and 12th 2010 in Punta Arenas, Chile, in a joint initiative of the Wildlife Conservation Society, the National forestry Corporation and the CEQUA foundation.This Workshop is in line with the implementation process of the National Plan for the Conservation of Huemul in Chile.The objective of this workshop was to initiate the drawing up of an Action Plan that takes into account that special features of the Austral Zone for the conservation of the species.The Workshop started with oral presentations aiming to update the participants on the current state of the huemul in the target area.Subsequently, a participative approach was used to determine the direct and indirect threats to the species, as well as to prioritize the former.The five direct threats identified were, in order of importance: 1) competition with livestock, 2) habitat loss and fragmentation, 3) diseases, 4) predation and harassment by dogs, and 5) poaching.In a second stage, the participants were divided into four groups: policy and legislation, management and conservation, research and monitoring, and education and communications.Each group made a list of potential interventions related to the identified threats that were considered to be within the scope of the group.

The Antarctic fur seal, Arctocephalus gazella , in the eastern South Pacific Ocean, first reported on Hoste Island, Cape Horn in 1973, and then on the Juan Fernandez Archipelago in 1982 and 1983, was recorded again in October and December 2009 on the southern coast of Chile. Three different individuals were seen simultaneously on a single day at Punta Dungenes, Magellan Strait, and a fourth individual was sighted at the northeastern coast of Almirantazgo Sound, Tierra del Fuego. These records represent the first sightings of live Arctocephalus gazella in southern Chile. Although it is difficult to establish both their origin and rationale for dispersion outside of their distribution range, the substantial breeding population recovery in South Georgia and food shortages during the breeding and post-breeding season are suggested as possible explanations.