Comparative Demography and Foraging Behavior of Pygoscelis Penguins

这项建议将继续对人口进行比较研究 阿德利企鹅、巴布亚企鹅和帽带企鹅的生物学和生态学 南极洲南设得兰群岛乔治王岛海军部湾 (62 10'S，58 30 'W）。 主要目的是确定年龄特异性 Pygoscelis企鹅同域种群的人口统计学参数， 并将这些参数在不同环境下的阿德利种群之间进行比较， 环境. 另一个目的是比较 行为/生态的三个物种，并在每一个，比较 年轻的，没有经验的，第一次繁殖的饲养熟练度， 年长的成熟的育种者 后一项努力的结果应该会有所帮助 来解释人口统计数据中观察到的模式。 皮戈斯凯利斯 企鹅是磷虾（Euphausia superba）的主要捕食者， 捕食者和它们的猎物是南极海洋的主要组成部分 食物网 要彻底了解的结构和功能， 南极生态系统，重要的信息还没有得到将是 推动年龄结构和调节人口规模的因素 营养级捕食者（企鹅）。 这些信息将来自 建议的研究。

This proposal will continue a comparative study of the population biology and ecology of Adelie, Gentoo, and Chinstrap penguins at Admiralty Bay, King George Island, South shetland Islands, Antarctica (62 10'S, 58 30'W). The primary objective is to determine age-specific demographic parameters for sympatric populations of Pygoscelis penguins, and to compare these parameters between Adelie populations in different environments. Another objective is to compare the foraging behavior/ecology of the three species, and within each, to compare the feeding proficiency of young, inexperienced, firts-time breeders with older, established breeders. Results from the latter effort should help to explain patterns observed in the demographic data. Pygoscelis penguins are major predators of krill (Euphausia superba); these predators and their prey are major components of the antarctic marine food web. To thoroughly understand the structure and function of the Antarctic ecosystem, important information not yet available would be the factors that drive age structure and regulate population size of key trophic-level predators (penguins). Such information will result from the proposed study.