{"id":2143,"date":"2019-05-16T15:37:56","date_gmt":"2019-05-16T22:37:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mlml.sjsu.edu\/birdmam\/?p=2143"},"modified":"2019-10-17T18:43:02","modified_gmt":"2019-10-18T01:43:02","slug":"emperor-penguin-field-expedition-2019","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mlml.sjsu.edu\/birdmam\/2019\/05\/16\/emperor-penguin-field-expedition-2019\/","title":{"rendered":"Emperor Penguin Field Expedition 2019"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\tEmperor Penguin Field Expedition 2019\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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Hidden Lives of Emperor Penguins<\/h3>\n
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Background<\/strong>
\nDespite being the first emperor penguin colony discovered in 1902 during Scott\u2019s Discovery Expedition(1901\u20131904) little is known about that at-sea behavior of emperor penguins from Cape Crozier. The\u00a0first science expedition to study them was in 1911, when a small group from Scott\u2019s Terra Nova\u00a0Expedition team made the perilous journey to the colony in the winter to collect eggs. Since this early\u00a0study, most research at the Crozier colony has involved counting the birds to monitor the population.\u00a0This fall we will head to Cape Crozier to study the foraging ecology of one of the southernmost emperor\u00a0penguin colonies. We hope that you will follow along on our adventure as we prepare for the field work,\u00a0travel to Antarctica to study the birds, and analyze the data. We look forward to sharing with you new\u00a0discoveries about the ecology of the emperors of the ice.<\/p>\n

This is an internationally collaborative project with logistic support provided by Antarctica New Zealand\u00a0and primary funding provided to NIWA as part of the project \u201cRoss Sea Research and Monitoring\u00a0Programme: is the world\u2019s largest MPA effective\u201d (New Zealand Ministry of Business, Innovation and\u00a0Employment: 2017-2022). Additional funding has been awarded to Birgitte McDonald by the National\u00a0Geographic Society (Grant # NGS-50069R-18) and SeaWorld Conservation Fund.<\/p>\n

Project Objectives<\/strong>
\nAs abundant year-round predators, emperor penguins have a significant top down effect on prey in the\u00a0Antarctic Ecosystem. It is vital to obtain information on their foraging ecology to understand their role in\u00a0the ecosystem and how this may change with environmental change. Our collaborative project will\u00a0investigate the foraging ecology and habitat use of Ross Sea emperor penguins during late chick rearing,\u00a0an energetically challenging phase of the life cycle when parents must meet the energetic demands of\u00a0their rapidly growing chicks. Specifically, we will use a combination of video cameras, fine-scale\u00a0movement data loggers, and stable isotope analysis to: 1) Determine the activity budget of emperor\u00a0penguins and estimate energy expenditure during a foraging trip, 2) Identify key prey of emperor\u00a0penguins and identify stereotypical behaviors associated with foraging on different prey types. 3)Combine the energy estimations with the diet and foraging success data, to assess if emperor penguins\u00a0are foraging optimally, and 4) Integrate penguin behavioral data with environmental data to identify\u00a0which environmental features are indicative of habitat preference and associated with energy gain. This\u00a0study fills important knowledge gaps on energy balance, diet, foraging strategy, and habitat use of\u00a0emperor penguins.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>

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NMFS permit # 19108<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
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