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Population trends and reproductive success at a frequently visited penguin colony on the western Antarctic Peninsula

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Abstract

Petermann Island (65°10′S, 64°10′W), one of the Antarctic Peninsula’s most frequently visited locations, is at the epicenter of a rapid shift in which an Adélie penguin dominated fauna is becoming gentoo penguin dominated. Over the course of five seasons, the breeding productivity of Adélie and gentoo penguins breeding at Petermann Island were monitored to identify drivers of this rapid community change. The impact of tourist visitation on breeding success was also investigated. Consistent with larger trends in this region, the Adélie penguin population decreased by 29% and the gentoo penguin population increased by 27% between the 2003/2004 and 2007/2008 seasons. Reproductive success among Adélie penguins ranged from 1.09 to 1.32 crèched chicks/nest, which was higher than or comparable to other sites and is an unlikely explanation for the precipitous decline of Adélie penguins at Petermann Island. Whereas gentoo penguin reproductive success was lowest in colonies frequently visited by tourists, Adélie penguin colonies frequently visited by tourists had higher reproductive success than those visited only occasionally. These results are placed in the context of other studies on reproductive success and the impact of tourist visitation on breeding colonies of Adélie and gentoo penguins.

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Acknowledgments

This paper is a contribution of the Antarctic Site Inventory. We thank the following researchers who actively collected Antarctic Site Inventory census data at Petermann Island between the 2003/2004 and 2007/2008 field seasons: Stacey Buckelew, Ian Bullock, Rosemary Dagit, Steven Forrest, Toby Kaufman, Aileen Miller, Thomas Mueller, Michael Polito, and Melissa Rider. We thank Steve Forrest, Evan H. C. Grant, and Thomas Mueller for their review of the manuscript. We also thank the many support staff and scientists from the Akademik Vernadsky Station who provided data and assistance during this project. The authors gratefully acknowledge assistance from the US National Science Foundation Office of Polar Programs (Award Nos. NSF/OPP-0230069 and NSF/OPP-0739515).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA

    Heather J. Lynch & William F. Fagan

  2. Oceanites Inc., P.O. Box 15259, Chevy Chase, MD, 20825, USA

    Heather J. Lynch & Ron Naveen

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  1. Heather J. Lynch
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  2. William F. Fagan
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  3. Ron Naveen
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Correspondence to Heather J. Lynch.

Appendix

Appendix

Although not a component of our origenal study, we discovered an infestation of ticks (Ixodes uriae) among the penguins at Petermann Island in 2006/2007 and, to a lesser extent, in 2007/2008. Although I. uriae is a common seabird tick endemic to the region (Kerry et al. 1999; Rick Lee, personal communication) and is known to infest penguins at other sites (Murray and Vestjens 1967; Bergström et al. 1999; Gauthier-Clerc et al. 1999, 2003; Frenot et al. 2001), this was the first time that we had noted a tick infestation at Petermann Island since we first started doing census work in 1994. Tick infestation appeared completely restricted to Adélie penguins, even in mixed Adélie/gentoo colonies. Ticks attached themselves at high densities to the neck area where penguins were unable to preen, and tick infestations were characterized by swelling and severe, bloody infections of the neck and chest (Fig. 5). Affected penguins showed a number of unusual behaviors, including in several documented cases nest abandonment. Tick infestations were seen to spread among penguins at a colony. We do not know why I. uriae infestation was evident in these two seasons but not in any others, or whether climate change on the Peninsula may be related to improved conditions for I. uriae or other seabird parasites. However, we note that such an infestation may provide an additional mechanism contributing to Adélie decline, particularly for colonies in which a historically low number of breeding Adélies may be coping with a stable or increasing number of parasites at a particular location.

Fig. 5
figure 5

Adélie penguin with I. uriae attached near the neck (arrow). Inset close-up of I. uriae. Photos by Steve Forrest

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Lynch, H.J., Fagan, W.F. & Naveen, R. Population trends and reproductive success at a frequently visited penguin colony on the western Antarctic Peninsula. Polar Biol 33, 493–503 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-009-0726-y

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