Diet of Adélie penguins (Pygoscelis adeliae) at Stranger Point (25 de Mayo/King George Island, Antarctica) over a 13-year period (2003–2015)

• Published in: Polar Biology
• Main Authors: Juares, Mariana Alejandra, Casaux, Ricardo Jorge, Corbalán, Aldo, Blanco, Gabriel, Pereira, Diego Ariel, Perchivale, Pablo J., Coria, Néstor Rubén, Santos, Maria Mercedes
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Springer
• Subjects: KRILL-DEPENDENT SPECIES; PREY AVAILABILITY; PYGOSCELIS ADELIAE; SOUTH SHETLAND ISLANDS; https://purl.org/becyt/ford/1.6; https://purl.org/becyt/ford/1; Antarctic; Patagonia; San Juan; King George Island; South Shetland Islands; Argentino; Argentina; Ricardo; 25 de Mayo; Stranger Point; Antarc*; Antarctic Krill; Antarctica; Dirección Nacional del Antártico; Euphausia superba; Instituto Antártico Argentino; Polar Biology; Pygoscelis adeliae
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/11336/41146

Knowledge of the feeding ecology of a species at local level is fundamental to determine the relationship between the fluctuations in local marine resources and population dynamics of predators. In this study, we examined the diet of Adélie penguins (Pygoscelis adeliae) during the crèche stage at the Stranger Point colony, South Shetland Islands, Antarctica, over a 13-year period (2002/2003?2014/2015). Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) was the dominant prey for Adélie penguins during the crèche period (contribution: 100% of occurrence and >99.7% by mass). The fish component in the diet represented a small proportion of the total prey (contribution: from 4 to 24% of occurrence but <0.15% by mass). A marked inter-annual variability in the mass of stomach contents, the krill size consumed and the proportion of juvenile krill was observed. Moreover, a possible recruitment event of krill was recorded. A negative relationship between the size of krill in the diet and breeding success was found, suggesting that population dynamics of krill also reflected changes in the local availability of this crustacean. This work is the first long-term study of dietary parameters of Adélie penguins for the Stranger Point colony. Fil: Juares, Mariana Alejandra. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores, Comercio Interno y Culto. Dirección Nacional del Antártico. Instituto Antártico Argentino; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo; Argentina Fil: Casaux, Ricardo Jorge. Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores, Comercio Interno y Culto. Dirección Nacional del Antártico. Instituto Antártico Argentino; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte. Centro de Investigación Esquel de Montaña y Estepa Patagóica. Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia "San Juan Bosco". Facultad de Ciencias Naturales - Sede Esquel. Centro de Investigación Esquel de ...