Adélie penguin foraging behaviour and krill abundance along the Wilkes and Adélie land coasts, Antarctica

Abstract The foraging behaviour of Adelie penguins Pygoscelis adeliae was studied simultaneously at Shirley Island (SI, 110°E) and at Petrel Island (PI, 140°E) in approximate conjunction with the ship-based krill survey conducted on board the RSV Aurora Australis. Acoustic and trawl data were collected near both study sites, albeit at the end of the penguins’ breeding season. The distances travelled by Adelie penguins from Shirley Island were significantly greater than those travelled by penguins from Petrel Island (SI 31–144 km; PI 6–79 km). Mean foraging trip durations and mean maximal distances travelled were also significantly different between colonies (duration: SI guard 55±32 h, creche 113±17 h; PI guard 32±9 h, creche 25±7 h; distance: SI guard 182±135 km, creche 353±93 km; PI guard 100±42 km, creche 86±28 km). All penguins foraged over the continental shelf or the shelf break and not in oceanic waters. The percentage distribution of dive depths was similar at both colonies; nearly 70% of all dives were to

[1]  W. Fischer,et al.  Southern Ocean: Fishing Areas 48, 58 and 88(CCAMLR Convention Area) , 1985 .

[2]  W. Fraser,et al.  Does prey preference affect habitat choice in Antarctic seabirds , 1992 .

[3]  W. Trivelpiece,et al.  Diets of Pygoscelid Penguins at King George Island, Antarctica , 1980 .

[4]  G. Knox.  The biology of the southern ocean , 1995 .

[5]  K. Kerry,et al.  USe of morphometric parameters for the determination of sex of Adelie penguins. , 1992 .

[6]  G. Hosie,et al.  Distribution and abundance of Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) off East Antarctica (80–150°E) during the Austral summer of 1995/1996 , 2000 .

[7]  E. Woehler,et al.  THE DISTRIBUTION, ABUNDANCE AND STATUS OF ADÉLIE PENGUINS PYGOSCELIS ADELIAE AT THE WINDMILL ISLANDS, WILKES LAND, ANTARCTICA. , 1991 .

[8]  Fishes of the Southern Ocean , 1990 .

[9]  K. Green,et al.  Changes in the Diet of Adelie Penguins Breeding in East Antarctica , 1988 .

[10]  David G. Ainley,et al.  Breeding biology of the Adélie penguin , 1983 .

[11]  P. Wilson,et al.  Diet and foraging effort of Adélie penguins in relation to pack-ice conditions in the southern Ross Sea , 1998, Polar Biology.

[12]  Mark B. Schultz,et al.  Macrozooplankton community structure off East Antarctica (80–150°E) during the Austral summer of 1995/1996 , 2000 .

[13]  E. Hofmann,et al.  Foundations for Ecological Research West of the Antarctic Peninsula , 1996 .

[14]  S. Nicol.  Antarctic Krill — Changing Perceptions of Its Role in the Antarctic Ecosystem , 1994 .

[15]  Y. Naito,et al.  Diving performance of adélie penguins in relation to food availability in fast sea-ice areas: comparison between years , 1993 .