Critical Habitat of Emperor Penguins Breeding in the Western Ross Sea

帝企鹅是17种企鹅中的一种，也是唯一一种在南极极端冬季繁殖的企鹅。南极冬季气温可降至零下50摄氏度，风速可达每小时300公里。帝企鹅的总数是未知的，因为新的栖息地还在不断被发现。目前的种群数量估计在13.5万到17.5万对之间，生活在南极洲海冰边缘的大约40个地点。其中七个栖息地在罗斯海，杰拉德·库伊曼从20世纪60年代初就开始研究帝企鹅的生理和生态。本项目将侧重于从这一长期研究中进行数据分析和综合。工作将集中在与栖息地开发假设有关的生理适应以及繁殖、觅食和栖息地选择的生态方面。该项目的一个主要目标是完成一本关于华盛顿角、库尔曼岛和罗杰角帝企鹅的专著。该项目将产生综合工作，为帝企鹅在南极生态系统中的作用提供新的见解。

9615390 KOOYMAN The emperor penguin is one of seventeen species of penguins and the only one to breed during the extreme Antarctic winter, when temperatures can drop to below -50 degrees centigrade and winds can reach 300 kilometers per hour. The total number of emperor penguins is unknown because new colonies are still begin discovered. Current population estimates range from 135,000 to 175,000 breeding pairs, living at about 40 sites on the sea-ice margin of Antarctica. Seven of these colonies are in the Ross Sea, where Gerald Kooyman has been studying the physiology and ecology of emperor penguins since the early 1960's. This project will focus on data analysis and synthesis from this long term study. Work will focus on physiological adapations pertinent to hypotheses on habitat exploitation and on ecological aspects of breeding and foraging and habitat selection. A major goal of the project is the completion of a monograph on emperor penguins at Cape Washington, Coulman Island and Cape Roger. This project will produce synthetic work which will provide new insights into the role of emperor penguins in the Antarctic ecosystem.