Predicting Marine Habitat Structure for Antarctic Penguins from Space-based Platforms

Megan Cimino, University of Delaware, mcimino@udel.edu
Matthew Oliver, University of Delaware, moliver@udel.edu (Presenter)
William Fraser, Polar Oceans Research Group, bfraser@3rivers.net
Andrew Irwin, Mount Allison University, airwin@mta.ca
Doug Miller, University of Delaware, dmiller@udel.edu

Rapid climate change in Antarctica appears to be altering the distribution and abundance of Adélie penguin breeding colonies. Adélie penguins are a circum-Antarctic species, requiring specific physical and biological parameters for successful life cycle events. Using satellite-derived data for chlorophyll concentrations, sea surface temperature (SST) and sea ice, separate optimum breeding habitat spaces are described for penguins breeding along the West Antarctic Peninsula (WAP) and around the continent. Using MaxEnt, a maximum-entropy approach for species habitat modeling, satellite-driven models of penguin breeding colony ranges around the Antarctic continent are produced. These models are based on environmental conditions (SST, sea ice, and bathymetry) in 1978-1985 and projected onto future years: 1986-2009. Along the WAP, we are seeing a decline in ideal habitats in the north and a shift in more favorable conditions to the south, thus, illustrating where range expansion and contraction is occurring. These models may describe uncolonized locations where Adélies may begin to expand their range and demonstrate how their current habitat ranges may continue to be altered by future climate changes.

Presentation Type:  Poster

Session:  Global Change Impact & Vulnerability   (Tue 11:30 AM)

Associated Project(s): 

• Oliver, Matt: Satellite Driven Studies of Climate Mediated Changes in Antarctic Food-Webs ...details

Poster Location ID: 267