Adélie Penguin Census

Adélie penguins, the most widespread bird in Antarctica, breed on outcrops of rock along the entire Antarctic coast and on small, exposed islands. Recognised as sentinel species, they serve as indicators of environmental change. These charismatic flightless birds are highly influenced by their local habitat, and fluctuations in their population dynamics can signify alterations in prey abundance or other factors impacting the functionality of marine ecosystems.

In collaboration with Manaaki Whenua, Antarctica New Zealand has been monitoring Adélie penguin populations in the Ross Sea region since the early 1980s. The Penguin Census involves aerial reconnaissance, capturing high-resolution photographs from a helicopter flying at altitudes ranging from 2000 to 2500 feet above 27 colonies across Ross Island and Northern Victoria Land. The colonies on Ross Island are surveyed annually, while those on Northern Victoria Land are surveyed every three to five years due to the distances involved and resulting logistical constraints. Funding for the census is provided by the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment (MBIE).

The late November timing of the census is important because it coincides with males incubating eggs while females are feeding at sea. Only one parent is present on the nest at this time, making it easier to identify breeding birds when photographs are reviewed. Analysis of the aerial photographs relates annual changes in the number of breeding penguins to factors such as weather, sea ice and other climate variables.

The acquired photographs are processed in New Zealand using specialized semi-automated software, which facilitates the counting of nesting Adélie penguins. The process of counting was once painstakingly done manually by marking the images, before code developed in Matlab software was created.

The Penguin Census is one of the longest-running biological time series in Antarctica, contributing annually to a database of Adélie penguin populations in the Ross Sea region. New Zealand has been actively contributing to this database since 1981. This census aids in providing a benchmark against which future population levels can be compared, facilitating the monitoring of environmental changes in the Antarctic Ocean ecosystem—both natural and anthropogenic. The resulting long-term record offers essential information for evaluating the conservation values of the Ross Sea region Marine Protected Area and managing the ecosystem effects of fishing. Data is regularly submitted to the Commission for the Conservation of Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR).

Research initiatives and datasets of this nature play a vital role in narrating the stories of key ecosystem players and documenting the history of their population dynamics in response to the evolving Antarctic environment.

To read more about this research go here