ADELIE PROJECT

Top predators being at the upper layer of the food chain they integrate what is happening at lower levels and can thus serve as eco-indicators of changes in their environment. In this "Living Observatory" project, we monitor a suite of parameters on Adélie penguins from the Dumont d'Urville station colony on an annual basis to try and reveal what is changing in the Terre Adélie environment. We use methodologies (see figure) that are as little invasive as possible to get reliable signals without impairing our animals.

This program has been going on since 2010 thanks to the logistical support of the French Polar institute (IPF) and the financial support of the WWF-UK! Every year 3-4 people stay with the penguins between October and February at the station. It's demanding (physically) but rewarding (emotionally).

On this graph you can see some of the at-sea foraging activity data we have accumulated in our Living Observatory (trip duration diving depth or body mass during the two main phases of the breeding cycle, the incubation and the chick-rearing phases), superimposed on the breeding success data (blue bars, courtesy of the program 109 of the French Polar Institute).

Having long-term information on the breeding and diving activity allowed us to show that the Adélies share an optimum in the breeding and foraging success when the sea-ice cover in their foraging zone is 20% (Le Guen et al. 2017). Long-term tracking data also allow us to see what are the zones that are exploited by the birds from the main study site of Pétrel Island but also by birds from other colonies nearby (Cap Jules and Cap Bienvenue), so as to inform management bodies on to where to design Marine Protected Area in the region.