137266 - Dynamic fine-scale sea icescape shapes adult emperor penguin foraging habitat.pdf (22.72 MB)
Dynamic fine-scale sea icescape shapes adult emperor penguin foraging habitat in East Antarctica
journal contribution
posted on 2023-05-20, 10:38 authored by Labrousse, S, Alexander FraserAlexander Fraser, Michael SumnerMichael Sumner, Tamura, T, Pinaud, D, Wienecke, B, Kirkwood, R, Ropert-Coudert, Y, Reisinger, R, Jonsen, I, Porter-Smith, R, Barbraud, C, Bost, C-A, Ji, R, Jenouvrier, SThe emperor penguin, an iconic species threatened by projected sea ice loss in Antarctica, has long been considered to forage at the fast ice edge, presumably relying on large/yearly persistent polynyas as their main foraging habitat during the breeding season. Using newly developed fine-scale sea icescape data and historical penguin tracking data, this study for the first time suggests the importance of less recognized small openings, including cracks, flaw leads and ephemeral short-term polynyas, as foraging habitats for emperor penguins. The tracking data retrieved from 47 emperor penguins in two different colonies in East Antarctica suggest that those penguins spent 23% of their time in ephemeral polynyas and did not use the large/yearly persistent, well-studied polynyas, even if they occur much more regularly with predictable locations. These findings challenge our previous understanding of emperor penguin breeding habitats, highlighting the need for incorporating fine-scale seascape features when assessing the population persistence in a rapidly changing polar environment.
History
Publication title
Geophysical Research LettersVolume
46Issue
20Pagination
11206-11218ISSN
0094-8276Department/School
Institute for Marine and Antarctic StudiesPublisher
Amer Geophysical UnionPlace of publication
2000 Florida Ave Nw, Washington, USA, Dc, 20009Rights statement
Copyright 2019 American Geophysical UnionRepository Status
- Open