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Foraging ecology of emperor penguins in summer and potential overlap with fisheries

Entry ID: ASAC_1252

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Summary

Abstract: Metadata record for data from ASAC Project 1252 See the link below for public details on this project.

Currently three datasets are attached to this metadata record. Dive data collected in 1988, track data from adult birds collected in 1994 and track data from fledglings collected in 1995.

Dive data are available in Microsoft Word format, while the track data are available in Microsoft Excel ... format.

A readme file (txt) is included in each download file to explain column headings, etc.

---- Public Summary from Project ----
To breed successfully the winter-breeding emperor penguins must fatten on two occasions: once before the onset of moult in January, and again prior to the commencement of the new breeding season in March. Interference with the capacity of the penguins to fatten in summer might be detrimental to the their breeding performance and survival later on in winter. This study seeks to determine the likely impact of commercial fishing operations on emperor penguin colonies at the Mawson Coast. More specifically, the data pertains to the locations of emperor penguins when fattening prior to the moult, and prior to the new breeding season.

Project objectives:
1. To determine the extent and location of foraging areas of post-breeding adult Emperor penguins in summer.
3. To determine the extent and locations of foraging areas of fledgling Emperor penguins on their first trip to sea.
4. To identify interseasonal and interannual variations in foraging areas in conjunction with changes in seaice conditions and compare these with results from different colonies.
5. To survey the coastline of the AAT to verify the existence (or non-existence) of Emperor penguin colonies.

Emperor penguins are icons of Antarctic wildlife and their conservation is of paramount interest to the wider community. They are also key consumers of marine resources in several areas and consequently there is great potential for interactions between feeding penguins and harvesting of fish and krill. Emperor penguins are one of the few species to breed on the fast ice (although there are three known land-based colonies, one of which has all but ceased to exist in recent years). Thus, the breeding habitat of Emperor penguins is subject to direct alteration as a result of climate change. Colonies of Emperors are found across a wide latitudinal range, from deep in the Ross Sea to the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula. This range includes breeding areas where significant changes in seaice are not (yet?) thought to be occurring to areas where seaice is changing rapidly. Accordingly, studies at multiple locations will provide valuable clues on how this species will be affected by a warming Antarctic. Additionally, Emperor penguins are large animals that live in a relatively small number of discrete locations. It is therefore more than feasible, using an international effort, to study an entire species and to make some predictions about their response to a warming world and to current and future fishing practices. This project aims to make the first steps towards an overall conservation assessment of Emperor penguins through studies in several locations around the Antarctic continent. Should these attempts be successful, then a more ambitious international project will be launched to take a species-wide perspective.

Related URL

Link: GET DATA

Description: Download point for the dive data 1988

Geographic Coverage

(Click for Interactive Map)

Spatial coordinates

N: -62.0

S: -67.0

E: 65.0

W: 45.0

N: -62.0

S: -66.0

E: -50.0

W: -70.0

Temporal Coverage

Start Date: 1988-07-31

Stop Date: 1996-05-28

Location Keywords

CONTINENT > ANTARCTICA > Antarctic Peninsula

CONTINENT > ANTARCTICA > Mawson Coast

GEOGRAPHIC REGION > POLAR

OCEAN > SOUTHERN OCEAN

Science Keywords

OCEANS > AQUATIC SCIENCES > FISHERIES

BIOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION > ANIMALS/VERTEBRATES > BIRDS

ISO Topic Category

BIOTA

OCEANS

Platform

FIELD SURVEYS

FIELD INVESTIGATION

Access Constraints Please notify Chief Investigator for permission to access these data.

Use Constraints This data set conforms to the PICCCBY Attribution License
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/).

Please follow instructions listed in the citation reference provided at http://data.aad.gov.au/aadc/metadata/citation.cfm?entry_id=ASAC_1252 when using these data.

Ancillary Keywords

ANTARCTICA MOULT

COMMERCIAL FISHING

Data Set Progress

IN WORK

Originating Center

Australian Antarctic Division

Data Center

Australian Antarctic Data Centre, Australia

Data Center URL: http://data.aad.gov.au

Data Center Personnel
Name: DATA OFFICER AADC Phone: +61 3 6232 3244 Fax: +61 3 6232 3351 Email: metadata at aad.gov.au Contact Address: Australian Antarctic Division 203 Channel Highway City: Kingston Province or State: Tasmania Postal Code: 7050 Country: Australia

Distribution

Distribution Media: HTTP

Distribution Size: 548 kb

Distribution Format: Word

Fees: free

Personnel

BARBARA WIENECKE

Role: INVESTIGATOR

Role: TECHNICAL CONTACT

Phone: +61 3 6232 3277

Email: barbara.wienecke at aad.gov.au

Contact Address:

Australian Antarctic Division

203 Channel Highway

City: Kingston

Province or State: Tasmania

Postal Code: 7050

Country: Australia

GRAHAM ROBERTSON

Role: INVESTIGATOR

Role: TECHNICAL CONTACT

Role: DIF AUTHOR

Phone: +61 3 6232 3337

Fax: +61 3 6232 3349

Email: graham.robertson at aad.gov.au

Contact Address:

Australian Antarctic Division

203 Channel Highway

City: Kingston

Province or State: Tasmania

Postal Code: 7050

Country: Australia

Publications/References

Wienecke B., Kirkwood R., Robertson G. (2004), Pre-moult foraging trips and moult locations of Emperor penguins at the Mawson Coast., Polar Biology, 27, 83-91

Extended Metadata Properties

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Creation and Review Dates

DIF Creation Date: 2000-08-11

Last DIF Revision Date: 2013-05-01

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