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

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 du...

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Bibliographic Details
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
Description
Summary: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.

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