SGER: High Resolution Satellite Imagery to Census Emperor Penguin Colonies

University Of California-San Diego Scripps Inst Of Oceanography, La Jolla CA

Investigators

Abstract

Emperor penguins are a familiar inhabitant of Antarctica yet much of their population biology remains unknown due to their winter breeding behavior and occupation of colonies in remote areas. The major goal of this proposal is to apply a unique method for determining the population status of emperor penguins in the western Ross Sea colonies. This will involve the assessment of the feasibility of satellite imagery for conducting population censuses of emperor penguins; and verification of the accuracy of the satellite images analyses by on site counts (ground truthing). The final outcome of this objective will be essential information necessary to determine the long-term trend in the fledging population of the seven known Ross Sea colonies, as well as the adult breeding population determined from the incubating huddles. Censusing by satellite imagery will reduce the logistic problems of field censuses and the inherent loss of data because of weather or lack of access during critical phases of the life cycle. Remote sensing will accomplish this task with little activity within, and minimal impact on the Antarctic environment. Also, once this method is demonstrated to be financially and technically feasible, then the size of all emperor penguin colonies could be measured in this way. For example, some exceptionally remote colonies discovered in the 1960's and 1970's have not been visited since the initial contact. This procedure may provide the best and least intrusive method for not only determining the present status of those colonies, but for measuring the entire world population of fledged young of the year. Such a direct and comprehensive determination is unique for any marine predator.