1
|
Salmerón N, Belle S, Cruz FS, Alegria N, Finger JVG, Corá DH, Petry MV, Hernández C, Cárdenas CA, Krüger L. Contrasting environmental conditions precluded lower availability of Antarctic krill affecting breeding chinstrap penguins in the Antarctic Peninsula. Sci Rep 2023; 13:5265. [PMID: 37002269 PMCID: PMC10066220 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-32352-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2022] [Accepted: 03/26/2023] [Indexed: 04/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Dramatic decreases of chinstrap penguin populations across the Antarctic Peninsula (AP) are thought to be influenced by climate-driven changes affecting its main prey, the Antarctic krill, however, empirical evidence supporting such hypotheses are scarce. By coupling data on breeding chinstrap penguins, environmental remote sensing and estimates of krill acoustic density, we were able to demonstrate that penguins substantially increased their foraging effort in a year of low krill availability, with consequent reduction in breeding success. A winter of low sea ice cover followed by a summer/spring with stronger wind and lower marine productivity explained the lower and deeper krill availability. Our results highlight the importance of environmental variability on penguin populations, as variability is expected to increase under climate change, affecting foraging behaviour responses.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nuria Salmerón
- International Master of Science in Marine Biological Resources (IMBRSea), Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281/S8, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Solenne Belle
- International Master of Science in Marine Biological Resources (IMBRSea), Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281/S8, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Francisco Santa Cruz
- Departamento Científico, Instituto Antártico Chileno, Plaza Muñoz Gamero, 1055, Punta Arenas, Chile
| | - Nicolás Alegria
- Instituto de Investigación Pesquera (INPESCA), Colón, 2780, Talcahuano, Chile
| | - Júlia Victória Grohmann Finger
- Laboratório de Ornitologia e Animais Marinhos, Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos (UNISINOS), Av. Unisinos, 950, São Leopoldo, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Denyelle Hennayra Corá
- Laboratório de Ornitologia e Animais Marinhos, Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos (UNISINOS), Av. Unisinos, 950, São Leopoldo, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Maria Virginia Petry
- Laboratório de Ornitologia e Animais Marinhos, Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos (UNISINOS), Av. Unisinos, 950, São Leopoldo, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | | | - César A Cárdenas
- Departamento Científico, Instituto Antártico Chileno, Plaza Muñoz Gamero, 1055, Punta Arenas, Chile
- Millennium Institute Biodiversity of Antarctic and Subantarctic Ecosystems (BASE), Las Palmeras, 3425, Ñuñoa, Santiago, Chile
| | - Lucas Krüger
- Departamento Científico, Instituto Antártico Chileno, Plaza Muñoz Gamero, 1055, Punta Arenas, Chile.
- Millennium Institute Biodiversity of Antarctic and Subantarctic Ecosystems (BASE), Las Palmeras, 3425, Ñuñoa, Santiago, Chile.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Finger JVG, Corá DH, Convey P, Cruz FS, Petry MV, Krüger L. Anthropogenic debris in an Antarctic Specially Protected Area in the maritime Antarctic. Mar Pollut Bull 2021; 172:112921. [PMID: 34526269 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.112921] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2021] [Revised: 08/27/2021] [Accepted: 08/28/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Antarctic Specially Protected Areas (ASPAs) provide the strongest environmental protection in Antarctica. However, they are not immune from anthropogenic pollution of marine or terrestrial origin. We document anthropogenic debris within ASPA No. 133 Harmony Point, Nelson Island, recovering 1544 items between November 2019 and January 2020. The majority (82.6 %) were found close to a national operator-constructed refuge and were smaller than 5 cm. Larger items (up to 300 cm) were present on beaches and plateaus. Charcoal and rubber were the most abundant items around the refuge and plastic and metal were the most abundant items on beaches and plateaus. Debris items likely arriving in the area by marine transportation (e.g. plastic) are of concern due to both risk of ingestion and their degradation leading to the release of hazardous chemicals. Such pollution contravenes the terms of the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty and other regionally applicable regulations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Júlia Victória Grohmann Finger
- Laboratório de Ornitologia e Animais Marinhos, Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos, Av. Unisinos, 950 São Leopoldo, Brazil.
| | - Denyelle Hennayra Corá
- Laboratório de Ornitologia e Animais Marinhos, Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos, Av. Unisinos, 950 São Leopoldo, Brazil.
| | - Peter Convey
- British Antarctic Survey, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0ET, United Kingdom; Department of Zoology, University of Johannesburg, PO Box 524, Auckland Park 2006, South Africa.
| | | | - Maria Virginia Petry
- Laboratório de Ornitologia e Animais Marinhos, Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos, Av. Unisinos, 950 São Leopoldo, Brazil.
| | - Lucas Krüger
- Instituto Antártico Chileno, Plaza Muñoz Gamero, 1055 Punta Arenas, Chile.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Finger JVG, Aver GF, Koch NM, Petry MV. A rare melanistic chinstrap penguin Pygoscelis antarcticus at Penguin Island, Maritime Antarctica. Polar Biol 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s00300-017-2098-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
|