Scale matters: sea ice and breeding success of Adélie penguins
International audience Southern Ocean ecosystems are extremely vulnerable to sea-ice changes occurring at different spatial and temporal scales. Variability in the sea-ice conditions strongly influence the survival and reproduction of animals that are synchronized with the seasonality of sea ice. Al...
Published in: | Polar Biology |
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Main Authors: | , , , , |
Other Authors: | , |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
Published: |
HAL CCSD
2019
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Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://hal.science/hal-02193358 https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-019-02531-2 |
Summary: | International audience Southern Ocean ecosystems are extremely vulnerable to sea-ice changes occurring at different spatial and temporal scales. Variability in the sea-ice conditions strongly influence the survival and reproduction of animals that are synchronized with the seasonality of sea ice. Although the linkages between Adélie penguins (Pygoscelis adeliae) and sea-ice conditions are well established, the spatial and temporal scales at which sea ice affects individuals and populations are poorly known. Using 23 years of penguin breeding success and remote-sensing data of sea ice, we investigate the spatial and temporal scales at which sea-ice changes best explain variations in the reproductive success of Adélie penguins at Pointe Géologie, East Antarctica. The best spatial scale encompassed all foraging areas exploited and all the sea-ice conditions encountered by penguins over a breeding season. There was a consistent influence of sea-ice concentration during the guard stage on the overall breeding success. We demonstrate the importance of considering sea ice at a fine temporal scale rather than using an average value over the breeding season to best explain reproductive success in Adélie penguins. |
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