Recent decrease in gentoo penguin populations at Iles Kerguelen

• Published in: Antarctic Science
• Main Authors: Lescroel, Amélie, Bost, Charles-André
• Other Authors: Centre d'Études Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 2006
• Subjects: global warming; population trend; Pygoscelis papua; Southern Ocean; sub-Antarctic; [SDE.BE]Environmental Sciences/Biodiversity and Ecology; [SDE.ES]Environmental Sciences/Environmental and Society; Antarctic; Kerguelen; Antarc*; Antarctic Science; Gentoo penguin
• Online Access: https://hal.science/hal-00184639; https://doi.org/10.1017/S0954102006000198

International audience Several sub-Antarctic penguin populations have exhibited decreasing trends in the last 5–20 years. At Iles Kerguelen, the gentoo penguin (Pygoscelis papua) has decreased by approximately 30% over the last 15 years. This decrease is likely to be related to reduced food availability for this coastal species. We discuss this decrease with regard to the impact of overfishing and to the potential effects of climate changes on marine food webs.