Germán Oscar García

National Scientific and Technical Research Council | conicet · IIMYC Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras

Kleptoparasitism is defined as the stealing by one animal of food that has been caught by another. It is a well-known foraging tactic used opportunistically by many seabirds. Our study describes qualitatively and quantitatively kleptoparasitism of gulls on terns and compares the effect of prey quality (prey type and size) and environmental conditio...

Kleptoparasitism is a well-known foraging tactic used opportunistically by many seabird species. However, little is known about this behaviour during the early stages of the breeding cycle and its effects on breeding performance. Here, we investigated the relationship between kleptoparasitism during the courtship period and female reproductive perf...

El propósito de este estudio es realizar un análisis exhaustivo de la cobertura mediática del incendio que tuvo lugar en la Reserva de Mar Chiquita (provincia de Buenos Aires) el 8 de julio de 2022. Para lograr este objetivo, se empleó una estrategia metodológica mixta basada en el Análisis Crítico del Discurso y análisis de contenido para el estud...

En Argentina, actualmente las áreas naturales protegidas presentan grandes desafíos de gestión debido a las dificultades en su gobernanza y a las amenazas de tipo socio-ecológico derivadas de las actividades extractivas. El objetivo de este trabajo es analizar la incidencia de tres conflictos ambientales en la provisión de servicios ecosistémicos e...

Animals have to face different challenges related to the rapid expansion of urbanization in their environments, so being behaviorally flexible will allow them to thrive in these scenarios. Here we aimed to examine the response of a south American threatened species, the Olrog’s Gull (Larus atlanticus), to novel stimuli in urban and non-urban habita...

There has been an increase in interest in the study of behavioral flexibility for its role in how organisms face disturbances and changes in their environment. However, there is not much research on this topic for seabirds, whose conservation status is affected by multiple issues related to changes in their environment. The goal of this paper was t...

The occurrence of marine debris in the stomach contents of young male and female Spheniscus magellanicus stranded along the Atlantic coast of northern Argentina during its post-breeding exodus is reported for the first time. Marine debris was found in 15.5 % of 148 dead penguins, with a higher proportion of debris found in females when compared to...

Durante el 2014, se lanzó la Iniciativa Pampa Azul, buscando instalar la cuestión marítima en el centro de la agenda de desarrollo del país. Este programa interministerial nace con el propósito de jerarquizar, articular y potencializar las acciones impulsadas por las distintas áreas del Estado en el campo de la investigación científica, el desarrol...

A propósito de los permisos de exploración sísmica en dos de las áreas de la Cuenca Argentina Norte concedidos en mayo de 2019, el objetivo de este trabajo es analizar la cobertura informativa realizada por la prensa digital de la ciudad de Mar del Plata. Para el análisis se construyó un corpus de noticias de dos medios (La Capital y Qué Digital) q...

In Argentina, studies dealing with marine debris coastal wetland beaches are scarce, particularly those encompassing biosphere reserves in northern Patagonia. A total of 6513 items, weighting 66.3 kg, were collected in the Mar Chiquita coastal lagoon (Biosphere Reserve, MAB-UNESCO) over a three-month period. The survey included beaches facing the o...

Urban areas are usually places with increased pollution, abundant parasite communities and other factors that can increase physiological stress affecting negatively the individual condition of organism. Here we investigated the relationship between physiological condition of free-living Olrog’s gulls Larus atlanticus and the level of coastal urbani...

Recreational fishing (RF) is a popular activity worldwide, which has the potential of providing social, cultural, food, economic, and environmental benefits, but may produce negative impacts on the ecosystems. In South America, RF is an important activity, which is developed in continental and coastal-marine ecosystems showing a growing trend in pa...

Durante el año 2017, en la Reserva de Mar Chiquita, se desarrolló un programa de conservación interdisciplinario buscando mitigar la problemática de los residuos marinos costeros derivados de las pesquerías recreacionales dentro del área marino-costera protegida. El programa buscó mejorar la práctica por parte de los pescadores, lo cual en sus inic...

This study was designed to analyzes the perceptions and attitudes of recreational anglers towards the fishing litter issue and a conservation program seeking to promote the responsible management of waste derived from recreational fisheries at a coastal marine Reserve in Argentina. A total of 248 recreational anglers were surveyed between December...

Agroecology is being developed in the Pampas region in Argentina as a response to the strong negative environmental and socioeconomic consequences of the conventional productive model. Thus, arises the need to characterize the producers who practice agroecology. A virtual survey was carried out obtaining a total of 103 accepted forms. Differences b...

Agroecology tends to benefit biodiversity and takes advantage of some ecosystem services like natural pest control. However, when biodiversity and agricultural production conflict, it is necessary to determine the causes of losses before applying control measures. Our study aimed to evaluate bird diversity in a cherry orchard in Argentina and to an...

El objetivo general de este trabajo es presentar un diagnóstico socioambiental del estado actual de la Reserva de Biosfera Parque Atlántico Mar Chiquito, ubicada en la provincia de Buenos Aires, Argentina. La estrategia metodológica consistió en la aplicación de una encuesta online a residentes del partido de Mar Chiquita. A partir de los datos obt...

Innovation, a process that plays an important role in the ecology and evolution of species, is considered an expression of behavioral flexibility in animals. Here we analyzed innovative problem-solving ability and performance enhancement through learning in the Olrog's Gull (Larus atlanticus), under controlled processes and experimental conditions....

In this study, we analyzed the intra-specific interactions that occur between individuals of Olrog's Gull (Larus atlanticus) while foraging in groups outside the breeding season. Interactions were studied by analyzing behavioral observations of foraging individuals (n=171) at the Mar Chiquita Coastal Lagoon (Buenos Aires Province , Argentina). We r...

El Pingüino de Magallanes (Spheniscus magellanicus) se reproduce en las costas del sur de Sudamérica, con colonias en Chile y Argentina, incluyendo las Islas Malvinas. La especie exhibe movimientos migratorios estacionales durante el invierno, alcanzando regiones costeras de la provincia de Buenos Aires en Argentina, y también en Uruguay y el sur d...

Mercury (Hg) is a great concern for marine environments. Bird feathers have been widely used to assess Hg pollution. In this study, we determine mercury concentrations in body feathers of juvenile Magellanic penguins (Spheniscus magellanicus) from the southeastern sector of Buenos Aires province, Argentina, during a non-breeding season, considering...

This study was designed to address coastal users' perception in the largest seaside summer resort in Argentina regarding beach physical features and quality assessments, including issues related to the impacts of marine pollution, particularly litter on local beaches. We also explore the dependence of answers in certain traits of coastal users' pro...

This study was designed to develop and implement a conservation program aimed at promoting the responsible disposal and management of litter derived from recreational fisheries at a coastal reserve in Argentina. Three interconnected actions were conducted: (1) non-participant observation and semi-structured interviews to analyze the perceptions in...

Shorebirds and seabirds of the order Charadriiformes are among the most diverse and conspicuous birds inhabiting Bahía Blanca Estuary. This order consists of three suborders, Charadrii, Scolopaci, and Lari, represented in the estuary by 46 species. Most shorebirds breed in both the north- and the south-end of the Americas, undertaking short- to lon...

The analysis of feeding strategies in animals is one of the most important topics in foraging ecology. The individual’s foraging behavior depends on both the individual’s own actions and the behavior of other foragers. Here we analyse the effect of the sex and group size on the foraging behavior of immature Olrog’s Gull (Larus atlanticus Olrog, 195...

Ecophysiology and conservation studies often require prior the establishment of baseline physiological metrics. For instance, expected reference intervals for health metrics are valuable tools for veterinarians and conservationists who monitor the health status of endangered populations and species. This study first establishes reference intervals...

The use of bird feathers to assess environmental contamination has steadily increased in ecotoxicological monitoring programs over the past decade. The Olrog’s Gull (Larus atlanticus) is a species endemic to the Atlantic coast of southern South America, constituting one of the three threatened gull species listed in the entire American continent. T...

Los resultados que aquí se presentan, forman parte del proyecto “Hacia una conservación colaborativa de áreas naturales protegidas: la reserva de Mar Chiquita como laboratorio para la sustentabilidad”. El mismo se lleva adelante por la Lic. Victoria N. Cabral bajo la supervisión de Dr. Germán García y la Dra. Laura Zulaica en el marco de su tesis p...

Behavioral innovation is considered an expression of behavioral flexibility and is a source of phenotypic plasticity in animals. In this study, we explored the main components of behavioral innovation (neophobia and exploratory behavior) with respect to social context and age in the Olrog's Gull Larus atlanticus. Twenty consecutive experimental ses...

La contaminación de las zonas costeras representa un grave problema ambiental. La Reserva de Biósfera Parque Atlántico Mar Chiquito (RBPAMC, Provincia de Buenos Aires, Argentina) concentra miles de pescadores recreacionales/deportivos cada año. Además, esta área es utilizada por un elevado número de especies de aves marinas-costeras migratorias. Du...

La Reserva de Biósfera Parque Atlántico Mar Chiquito (RBPAMC, Provincia de Buenos Aires, Argentina) concentra miles de pescadores recreacionales/deportivos cada año. Además, esta área es utilizada por un elevado número de especies de aves marinas-costeras migratorias. Durante la última década se han registrado dentro de la RBPAMC diferentes especie...

The study of traits that enable species to thrive in urban habitats is critical to a better understanding the evolution of urban ecosystems. Here, we examined variation in boldness, neophobia, and exploratory behavior in a generalist raptor, the Chimango Caracara, Milvago chimango, occurring in areas with different urbanization level. We also focus...

Seabirds have been widely used for monitoring the health of the oceans in diverse marine regions. Among low-cost survey strategies, systematic surveys of seabirds beached on coasts have been developed since the 20th century. However, these studies do not always address blood aspects. The assessment of the health status of birds based on the analysi...

Kleptoparasitism is an exploitative foraging strategy used across taxa, but factors underlying variation in the foraging performance of individuals using it have not often been addressed. Using longitudinal data on common terns stealing food from conspecifics during breeding, we show that variation in the energetic reward of kleptoparasitic behavio...

The article´s starting point is a project of territorial intervention in the Biosphere Reserve Parque Atlántico Mar Chiquito. The aim of the project was to mitigate the impact of debris in coastal zones. During its execution, a clash of interests between distinct local residents (i.e., neighbors, recreational fishermen and fishing operators) with d...

El presente artículo tiene como punto de partida un proyecto de intervención territorial realizado en la Reserva de Biósfera Parque Atlántico Mar Chiquito, que tuvo como objetivo central mitigar el impacto de los residuos antrópicos en las zonas costeras. Durante la ejecución del proyecto, se identificó un choque de intereses entre distintos actore...

Behavioral differences between individuals are expected when animal face novel stimuli. Aversion responses in such situations are called neophobia. Here, we assessed the degree of neophobia towards objects with respect to social context and age in Olrog’s Gulls (Larus atlanticus). The responses of individuals in trials in which a novel object was p...

Analysis of serum parameters provides information about body condition, nutritional state, and health status of individuals/species, and has broad application in ecological research and veterinary diagnosis. This study establishes baseline values for serum chemistries of the Olrog’s Gull (Larus atlanticus). Glucose, urea, uric acid, total protein,...

Abstract • Abandoned, lost, or discarded fishing tackle, including monofilament lines, often result in negative impacts on a variety of birds. However, scarce information is available for South American raptors. Here we report three instances of raptor entanglements or injured birds in southeastern Buenos Aires, Argentina, all belonging to the Chim...

The book is rising some of the key issues in the future and conservation of the endangered seabirds of the world by giving also historical notes the use of guano.

La definición íntegra del espacio socioambiental, fue fundamental para lograr nuestra propuesta de intervención territorial. Durante la ejecución de presente proyecto partimos de la premisa de que el problema que se resuelve de la interacción de los pescadores recreativos con diferentes especies de aves y fauna en general que ocupan el lugar, se ub...

Durante la ejecución de presente proyecto partimos de la premisa de que el problema que se resuelve de la interacción de los pescadores con la Gaviota de Olrog, se ubica en un contexto de pujas de diversos intereses. Estos intereses (de pescadores, operadores de pesca, vecinos autoconvocados y biólogos de la conservación) necesitaron ser puestos en...

Los pastizales templados del Sudeste de Sudamérica constituyen la principal área de descanso no reproductivo para algunas especies de aves playeras incluyendo migratorias Neárticas y Neotropicales. En este sentido, la estancia Medaland ubicada en la Pampa Deprimida, es un campo que históricamente ha recibido particular atención por parte de ornitól...

Kleptoparasitism is a well-known foraging strategy used by many colonial seabirds. The expression of this behavior can reduce the cost of foraging during the breeding season and ultimately this can reflected in physiological parameters. Here we analyzed the relationship between the trophic strategy of Common Terns Sterna hirundo and two hormones, t...

Nota de divulgación publicada en la Revista Aire Libre, volumen 31

Diversidad de Tetrápodos en un mosaico de ambientes del sudeste de la ecorregión Pampeana como herramienta para planificar en conservación Abstract: Tetrapod's diversity at the southeast Pampas as a tool for conservation planning. Despite advances in the understanding about the biodiversity in some regions, this is in general rather dispersed and h...

The objective of this study is to update the description of a technique for obtaining blood samples in birds and to show its efficiency in a colony of Common Tern (Sterna hirundo) located in Lake Banter, Germany. The techniques currently used involve the capture and handling of birds and the extraction of blood with hypodermic needles, which can ca...

RESUMEN.-El objetivo de este trabajo es actualizar la descripción de una técnica de obtención de muestras de sangre en aves y mostrar su eficiencia en una colonia de Gaviotín Golondrina (Sterna hirundo) situada en el lago Banter, Alemania. Las técnicas utilizadas actualmente involucran la captura y manejo de las aves y la extracción de sangre con a...

The notion of thermoregulation implies that organisms actively use behavioral and physiological adjustments to maintain body temperature (Tb) within a narrow range. Behavioral adjustments are the primary means that ectotherms like lizards use to regulate their Tb, of whom microhabitat selection is more important than postural adjustments. The struc...

Amongst seabirds, kleptoparasitism is one of the most common types of exploitation in which individuals compete for food already procured by another forager. Here, we analyzed the within-colony spatial movements and foraging of transponder-marked Common Terns (Sterna hirundo) during the chick-rearing period in relation to the terns' trophic strateg...

Lagoons along the western coast of the South Atlantic Ocean shelter high densities of juvenile fish and are key areas for several seabirds that rely on the resources offered by this kind of ecosystem. The objective of this study was to analyze fish composition and abundance in shallow-water areas of the estuarine region of Mar Chiquita Coastal Lago...

The present study describes and compares the thermal behavior of individuals of Liolaemus wiegmannii, inhabiting patches of natural grassland and modified patches with exotic trees of Acacia longifolia, by analyzing the factors affecting its behavior. Thermal behavior of L. wiegmannii was assessed by radiotracking 22 adult individuals in a coastal...

Kleptoparasitism is a well-known foraging strategy used opportunistically by many seabirds. Here, we investigated the effect of intraspecific kleptoparasitism on chick growth and reproductive output in Common Terns Sterna hirundo. Effects were compared between two groups comprising (1) individuals using kleptoparasitism during the chick-rearing per...

Seabird mortality associated with fisheries is one of the major threats leading to population decreases of certain species, particularly albatrosses and petrels. The present study was conducted to (1) analyze seabird bycatch in the Argentinean demersal longline fishery during the decade 2001 to 2010, (2) provide a baseline of the levels of incident...

In this study, we used stable-isotope analysis to determine the importance of different food resources in the diet of an endemic gull species of the Atlantic coast of southern South America during the non-breeding period. We compared the isotopes 15N and 13C in the blood of Olrog’s Gulls (Larus atlanticus) of different ages with those in potential...

An alternative approach to increase the efficiency of predator control and selectivity is to consider the natural behavioural repertoire of the target species and how such behaviors may increase their vulnerability. Neophobia, or the hesitancy to approach a novel food item, object, or place, is an important factor influencing the investigative beha...

Kleptoparasitism is a well known foraging strategy used opportunistically by many seabirds. Our study compares the strategies performed by a facultative kleptoparasite species, the Brown-hooded Gull (Chroicocephalus maculipennis), associated with two hosts with different foraging strategies, the American Oystercatcher (Haematopus palliatus) and Red...

We assessed for the first time marine bird and mammal attendance in the Chub Mackerel Scomber japonicus semi-industrial coastal purse seine fishery in northern Argentina. Information was gathered during a fishery run from late spring 2007 to early summer 2008. Sixteen marine top predator species attended vessels, and the most abundant seabirds (per...

In migratory birds, the timing of moult must be adjusted according to other important physiological processes, most importantly migration and reproduction, which are con-trolled by endogenous circannual rhythms (Gwinner 2003; Newton 2008). In response to interactions with various environmental cues, the timing and regulation of moult can vary among...

Resumen. – La composición de la dieta de la Gaviota de Olrog (Larus atlanticus) fue monitoreada durante el período no reproductivo 2008 en dos lagunas costeras: Mar Chiquita (Argentina) y José Ignacio (Uruguay). La abundancia de la Gaviota de Olrog fue similar en los dos sitios, registrándose en ambos sitios una menor cantidad de juveniles que sub-...

Trophic spectrum of Olrog's Gull (Larus atlanticus) in two wintering sites of Argentina and Uruguay. - We analyzed the abundance and diet composition of the Olrog's Gull in two coastal lagoons (Mar Chiquita, Argentina and Jose Ignacio, Uruguay) during the 2008 non-breeding season. Gull abundance was similar at both sites, with lower numbers of juve...

Foraging ecology is an essential component of the life history of a species and a good understanding of foraging ecology is especially important for threatened species where prey populations may be adversely affected by anthropogenic processes. This study examines age-related prey selection and prey-handling efficiency of Olrog's Gulls (Larus atlan...

Between April and September 2006 and 2007 we studied the effect of kleptoparasitism on the foraging behavior of its host. The study was conducted at Mar Chiquita Lagoon (Argentina, 37°46'S, 57°27'W). Our study system consisted of the Brown-hooded Gull (Chroicocephalus maculipennis) and the Grey-hooded Gull (Chroicocephalus cirrocephalus) as kleptop...

This study investigated the level of seabird mortality caused by the domestic trawl fleet (freshies) for hake (among other less important targets) operating in waters off central Patagonia (37–48°S), analyzing the effect of environmental and operational variability on the level of seabird interactions. With a total of 135 vessels, the fleet is one...

Milvago chimango is a gregarious raptor showing great ecological plasticity. Their ability to explore new resources has allowed them to survive in areas with increasing human modification. In this study, we evaluated the social learning ability in wild-caught individuals of M. chimango. In particular, we tested whether an ‘observer’ individual coul...

Eutrophication increases the biomass of opportunistic green macroalgae that covers intertidal zones, and macroalgal blooms may affect the intertidal invertebrate community and predation of invertebrates by shorebirds. In San Antonio Bay, Argentina, eutrophication from the discharge of wastewater from a coastal town produces periodic macroalgal bloo...

We studied the predation by Kelp Gull (Larus domimcanus) upon Royal and Cayenne terns (Thalasseus maximus and T. sandvicensis euygnathus, respectively) at the Punta Leon Protected Area, Argentina, during the 2005 and 2006 breeding seasons to assess changes in the predator-prey interaction with respect to that observed at the same location in the ea...

The behaviour of Red-gartered Coots feeding on an unusual food source was examined at Mar Chiquita Coastal Lagoon, Argentina. The grapsid crab Cyrtograpsus angulatus made up all observed prey items, and 61% were small. Both handling and foraging duration increased with the size of captured crabs, but foraging efficiency decreased. Crab availability...

Se estudió la abundancia y la composición específica del ensamble de aves marinas y playeras de la zona intermareal de Bahía de los Vientos (cerca de Necochea, provincia de Buenos Aires). Se eligieron tres estaciones de muestreo, las cuales fueron visitadas dos veces por mes durante un año (entre julio de 2005 y junio de 2006). En cada visita se re...