Chinstrap penguins alter foraging and diving behavior in response to the size of their principle prey, Antarctic krill |
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Authors: | Aileen K Miller Wayne Z Trivelpiece |
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Institution: | (1) Antarctic Ecosystem Research Division, Southwest Fisheries Science Center, 8604 La Jolla Shores Drive, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA |
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Abstract: | Penguins may exhibit plasticity in their diving and foraging behaviors in response to changes in prey availability. Chinstrap
penguins are dependent predators of Antarctic krill in the Scotia Sea region, but krill populations have fluctuated in recent
years. We examined the diet of chinstrap penguins at Livingston Island, South Shetland Islands, in relation to their diving
and foraging behavior using time-depth recorders over six breeding seasons: 2002–2007. When krill were smaller, more chinstrap
penguins consumed fish. In these years, chinstrap penguins often exhibited a shift to deep dives after sundown, and then resumed
a shallower pattern at sunrise. These night dives were unexpectedly deep (up to 110 m) and mean night dive depths sometimes
exceeded those from the daytime. The average size of krill in each year was negatively correlated to mean night dive depths
and the proportion of foraging trips taken overnight. Based on these patterns, we suggest that when krill were small, penguins
increasingly targeted myctophid fish. The average krill size was negatively correlated to the time chinstrap penguins spent
foraging which suggests that foraging on smaller krill and fish incurred a cost: more time was spent at sea foraging. |
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