Population trends of seabirds at Stinker Point, Elephant Island, Maritime Antarctica

Abstract Available information about seabird breeding population trends on Stinker Point (Elephant Island, Maritime Antarctic Peninsula) is outdated by decades. This study reports current numbers of breeding species, and evaluates population trends over 28 years. We counted breeding pairs of seabird...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Antarctic Science
Main Authors: Petry, Maria V., Valls, Fernanda C.L., Petersen, Elisa S., Finger, Júlia V.G., Krüger, Lucas
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Cambridge University Press (CUP) 2018
Subjects:
Antarc*
Antarctic
Antarctic Peninsula
Antarctic Science
Antarctica
antarcticus
Chinstrap penguin
Elephant Island
Gentoo penguin
Giant Petrels
Macronectes giganteus
Pygoscelis papua
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0954102018000135
https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0954102018000135
Description
Summary:Abstract Available information about seabird breeding population trends on Stinker Point (Elephant Island, Maritime Antarctic Peninsula) is outdated by decades. This study reports current numbers of breeding species, and evaluates population trends over 28 years. We counted breeding pairs of seabirds along all ice-free areas on Stinker Point during two distinct periods (summers of 1985/86–1991/92 and 2009/10–2013/14). Thirteen species currently breed in the area: four Sphenisciformes, four Procellariiformes, one Suliforme and four Charadriiformes. Chinstrap penguin Pygoscelis antarcticus has the highest number of breeding pairs (4971±590), followed by gentoo penguin Pygoscelis papua (1242±339). Comparisons between the two intervals showed declining trends for almost all breeding populations, although southern giant petrels Macronectes giganteus are experiencing a subtle population growth. Population decreases in locations with low human disturbance, such as Stinker Point, may indicate sensibility to climate and environmental change and need further investigation.

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