SGER: Winter Distribution of Emperor Penguins in the Ross Sea

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9809161 KOOYMAN The habitat conditions and distribution patterns of emperor penguin foraging in the Ross Sea during winter are unknown. This must be one of the most extreme environments within which any species of bird searches for food. Working from the research vessel Nathaniel B. Palmer a preliminary study of these aspects of emperor penguin natural history will be initiated. Distribution patterns of emperors and other vertebrate species will be determined along the cruise track. Single sample diet analysis of up to twenty foraging birds will be conducted at various segments of the cruise. The travel characteristics and diving patterns of four adult birds will be determined using satellite telemetry. The results of these observations should provide an initial picture of the preferred prey and foraging areas of birds that inhabit the Ross Sea. In addition, a spring census of the colonies of the Ross Sea is proposed to assess if the earlier perturbations of the past years El Nino significantly affected the following years breeding success.