Surveys reveal increasing and globally important populations of south polar skuas and Antarctic shags in Ryder Bay (Antarctic Peninsula)

• Published in: Polar Biology
• Main Authors: Phillips, Richard A., Silk, Janet R.D., Massey, Alison, Hughes, Kevin A.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Springer 2019
• Subjects: Antarctic; The Antarctic; Antarctic Peninsula; Austral; Rothera; Ryder; Ryder Bay; Rothera Point; Antarc*; Polar Biology; Sea ice; South Polar Skuas; Stercorarius maccormicki
• Online Access: http://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/520092/; https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/520092/1/Phillips_skua_shags_status_trends%20Ryder%20Bay_rev.docx; https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00300-018-2432-0

Despite their importance in ecosystems, population sizes and trends are unknown for many seabirds, including in the Antarctic. Here we report on the first comprehensive survey of south polar skuas Stercorarius maccormicki and Antarctic shags Leucocarbo bransfieldensis in Ryder Bay, and collate previ...