Three-dimensional use of marine habitats by juvenile emperor penguins Aptenodytes forsteri during post-natal dispersal

• Published in: Antarctic Science
• Main Authors: Thiebot, Jean-Baptiste, Lescroel, Amélie, Barbraud, Christophe, Bost, Charles-André
• Other Authors: Centre d'Études Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Biodiversité et gestion des territoires EA 7316
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 2013
• Subjects: diving; foraging ecology; immaturity period; migration; seabirds; Southern Ocean; tracking; [SDE]Environmental Sciences; Antarctic; Antarc*; Antarctic Science; Antarctica; Aptenodytes forsteri; Emperor penguins; Sea ice
• Online Access: https://hal.science/hal-00795497; https://doi.org/10.1017/S0954102012001198

International audience The juvenile phase is poorly known in Antarctic seabirds, despite being a critical period for individual survival. To better understand the ecology of young Antarctic seabirds, we surveyed for the first time the three-dimensional habitat use of six juvenile emperor penguins during their post-natal dispersal from Terre Ade'lie, using bio-telemetric tags. The tags transmitted location and activity data for nearly 100 days on average. One individual was followed during eight months and covered 7000 km, which represents the longest continuous individual survey for the species. Studied individuals first dispersed away from Antarctica, up to 54.78S and 1250 km north of the pack-ice edge, in the Polar Frontal Zone. This highlighted a much looser association with sea ice and a greater at-sea range compared to previous knowledge on breeding adults. Juvenile penguins then moved southwards close to the extending pack-ice during autumn and winter. Over the survey duration, juveniles showed a contrasting use of marine habitats, with less mobility, less time underwater, and shallower dives (generally not over 50-100 m) in the pack ice, versus greater distances travelled, more time spent underwater, especially deeper than 100m (up to 250-300 m) in open water. We discuss hypotheses which could explain the northward exodus of juvenile emperor penguins across contrasting habitats.