Priorities for Future Research

Although the Northern Gannet has been studied extensively throughout the North Atlantic, much remains to be learned about its biology. We lack essential information about aspects of its initial dispersal and migration: its mode of foraging shortly after departure from the colony, factors influencing the distance it travels, and the environmental cues that determine its initial winter range, the route(s) it follows during migration, the intra- and interspecific associations it forms during its first migration, major sources of mortality at various stages during this critical period, the stimulus for returning to breeding grounds, and the physiological/sensory mechanism underlying its ability to locate the colony and even specific nesting area where it was hatched. Several important questions remain regarding migration in adults and subadults: the extent to which birds of different age classes mix, determinants of distance they travel in a particular year, major sources of food during the nonbreeding season, and physiological control of their return to the colony. Although we can describe in general terms the different plumage stages, we still have a poor understanding of the timing, extent, and seasonal pattern of molt in this species, and we lack a clear understanding of the development of vocalizations, evidence for vocal learning, sensitive periods for learning vocalizations, and the specific functions of many of the diverse vocalizations made by gannets.

Although banding returns suggest little exchange between Old and New World gannetries, the use of telemetry and genetic markers of a larger sample of birds from different colonies would help us verify more precisely the degree of interchange between geographic regions and different colonies. Data of this type would also be useful for differentiating between late-season foraging bouts and the start of fall migration. We need more detailed survival estimates and better monitoring of breeding success at “people accessible” colonies such as Cape St. Mary’s, Newfoundland, in order to clarify how visitors may affect breeding success and ultimately the population dynamics of the colony. In the Gulf of St. Lawrence, Québec, where the species uses aquatic habitat subject to industrial, commercial, and residential runoff, we need to continuously monitor birds for the presence of contaminants and toxins that could affect their reproductive success. Finally, as we continue to change global climate, we need to critically assess how this affects the spatial and temporal patterns of distribution and abundance of important prey species.