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Le Guen C, Kato A, Raymond B, Barbraud C, Beaulieu M, Bost CA, Delord K, MacIntosh AJJ, Meyer X, Raclot T, Sumner M, Takahashi A, Thiebot JB, Ropert-Coudert Y. Reproductive performance and diving behaviour share a common sea-ice concentration optimum in Adélie penguins (Pygoscelis adeliae). GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2018; 24:5304-5317. [PMID: 29957836 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.14377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2017] [Accepted: 05/29/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The Southern Ocean is currently experiencing major environmental changes, including in sea-ice cover. Such changes strongly influence ecosystem structure and functioning and affect the survival and reproduction of predators such as seabirds. These effects are likely mediated by reduced availability of food resources. As such, seabirds are reliable eco-indicators of environmental conditions in the Antarctic region. Here, based on 9 years of sea-ice data, we found that the breeding success of Adélie penguins (Pygoscelis adeliae) reaches a peak at intermediate sea-ice cover (ca. 20%). We further examined the effects of sea-ice conditions on the foraging activity of penguins, measured at multiple scales from individual dives to foraging trips. Analysis of temporal organisation of dives, including fractal and bout analyses, revealed an increasingly consistent behaviour during years with extensive sea-ice cover. The relationship between several dive parameters and sea-ice cover in the foraging area appears to be quadratic. In years of low and high sea-ice cover, individuals adjusted their diving effort by generally diving deeper, more frequently and by resting at the surface between dives for shorter periods of time than in years with intermediate sea-ice cover. Our study therefore suggests that sea-ice cover is likely to affect the reproductive performance of Adélie penguins through its effects on foraging behaviour, as breeding success and most diving parameters share a common optimum. Some years, however, deviated from this general trend, suggesting that other factors (e.g. precipitation during the breeding season) might sometimes become preponderant over the sea-ice effects on breeding and foraging performance. Our study highlights the value of monitoring fitness parameters and individual behaviour concomitantly over the long-term to better characterize optimal environmental conditions and potential resilience of wildlife. Such an approach is crucial if we want to anticipate the effects of environmental change on Antarctic penguin populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camille Le Guen
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, UMR7372 CNRS-Université La Rochelle, Villiers en Bois, France
| | - Akiko Kato
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, UMR7372 CNRS-Université La Rochelle, Villiers en Bois, France
| | - Ben Raymond
- Australian Antarctic Division, Department of the Environment, Australian Government, Kingston, Tasmania, Australia
| | - Christophe Barbraud
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, UMR7372 CNRS-Université La Rochelle, Villiers en Bois, France
| | - Michaël Beaulieu
- Zoological Institute & Museum, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
- German Oceanographic Museum, Stralsund, Germany
| | - Charles-André Bost
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, UMR7372 CNRS-Université La Rochelle, Villiers en Bois, France
| | - Karine Delord
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, UMR7372 CNRS-Université La Rochelle, Villiers en Bois, France
| | | | - Xavier Meyer
- CNRS, Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien UMR7178, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Thierry Raclot
- CNRS, Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien UMR7178, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Michael Sumner
- Australian Antarctic Division, Department of the Environment, Australian Government, Kingston, Tasmania, Australia
| | - Akinori Takahashi
- National Institute of Polar Research, Tachikawa, Tokyo, Japan
- Department of Polar Science, SOKENDAI (The Graduate University for Advanced Studies), Tokyo, Japan
| | | | - Yan Ropert-Coudert
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, UMR7372 CNRS-Université La Rochelle, Villiers en Bois, France
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Microwave study programs of air–ice–ocean interactive processes in the seasonal ice zone of the Greenland and Barents Seas. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 1992. [DOI: 10.1029/gm068p0261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register]
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