Pre and post molt biology of emperor penguins - Oden trans - Ross / Amundsen Sea cruise

皇帝企鹅潜水更深、更长，禁食时间更长，在所有潜水鸟类中，它能忍受最恶劣的天气条件。它每年在南极深处停留大约四个半月，远离海岸和空间站，因此基本上无法进行研究。这段时间包括为蜕皮做准备，以及前往蜂群繁殖，这是体重发生巨大波动的时间段。这项研究将通过研究蜕皮-后蜕皮期来填补我们对皇帝年周期生物学知识的一个重要空白。P.I.计划穿越奥登的阿蒙森和贝灵豪森海，在蜕皮季节定位和标记帝企鹅。目标是(1)在20只成年蜕皮后的鸟类上放置卫星标签，以确定它们返回繁殖群时的路线、旅行速度和潜水行为，(2)获得身体状况指数，(3)收集鸟粪以确定该地区帝企鹅的食物类型，(4)进行船上调查，以观察和绘制成年和幼鸟在船上航道上的位置和丰富度。PI假设，鸟类在蜕皮后的最初阶段潜水较浅，食物主要由磷虾组成；罗斯海和玛丽·伯德陆地的鸟类将有不同的扩散，罗斯海的鸟类迁徙得更远；成鸟死亡率最高的时期发生在蜕皮和后蜕皮早期。更广泛的影响包括对博士后、研究生和水族馆志愿者的培训。P.I.还将通过网站、公开讲座以及与桦树水族馆合作展示调查结果。

The emperor penguin dives deeper and longer, fasts longer, and endures the harshest weather conditions of all diving birds. It spends about four and half months per annum deep in Antarctic pack ice away from shore and stations, and thus is largely unavailable for study. This time includes preparation for the molt, and travel to the colony to breed, a time period in which great swings in body weight occur. This study will fill an important gap in what we know about the biology of the annual cycle of the emperor by examining the molt-post molt period. The P.I. proposes to traverse the Amundsen and Bellingshausen seas on the Oden, to locate and tag emperor penguins during the molt season. The objectives are to (1) Place satellite tags on 20 adult post molt birds to determine their route, rate of travel, and diving behavior as they return back to their breeding colonies, (2) Obtain an index of body condition, (3) Collect guano to determine the type of food consumed by emperor penguins in the region, (4) Conduct shipboard surveys to sight and plot the location and abundance of adult and juvenile birds on the ship's track. The PI hypothesizes that bird dives will be shallow during the initial post-molt phase, and that food will consist primarily of krill; that there will be differential dispersal of birds from the Ross Sea vs. Marie Byrd Land, with Ross Sea birds traveling farther; and that the greatest adult mortality occurs during the molt and early post molt period. Broader impacts include training of a post doc, a graduate student, and an aquarium volunteer. The P.I. also will present findings through a website, through public lectures, and in collaboration with the Birch aquarium.