Remote sensing of emperor penguin abundance and breeding success

Abstract Emperor penguins (Aptenodytes forsteri) are under increasing environmental pressure. Monitoring colony size and population trends of this Antarctic seabird relies primarily on satellite imagery recorded near the end of the breeding season, when light conditions levels are sufficient to capt...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Nature Communications
Main Authors: Alexander Winterl, Sebastian Richter, Aymeric Houstin, Téo Barracho, Matthieu Boureau, Clément Cornec, Douglas Couet, Robin Cristofari, Claire Eiselt, Ben Fabry, Adélie Krellenstein, Christoph Mark, Astrid Mainka, Delphine Ménard, Jennifer Morinay, Susie Pottier, Elodie Schloesing, Céline Le Bohec, Daniel P. Zitterbart
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2024
Subjects:
Science
Q
Antarc*
Antarctic
Aptenodytes forsteri
Emperor penguins
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-48239-8
https://doaj.org/article/34e28efc21df460fbfd1556617ef9dae
Description
Summary:Abstract Emperor penguins (Aptenodytes forsteri) are under increasing environmental pressure. Monitoring colony size and population trends of this Antarctic seabird relies primarily on satellite imagery recorded near the end of the breeding season, when light conditions levels are sufficient to capture images, but colony occupancy is highly variable. To correct population estimates for this variability, we develop a phenological model that can predict the number of breeding pairs and fledging chicks, as well as key phenological events such as arrival, hatching and foraging times, from as few as six data points from a single season. The ability to extrapolate occupancy from sparse data makes the model particularly useful for monitoring remotely sensed animal colonies where ground-based population estimates are rare or unavailable.

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