Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-l7hp2 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-25T17:56:18.707Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Past records and current distribution of seabirds at Larsemann Hills and Schirmacher Oasis, east Antarctica

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 December 2020

Anant Pande Open the ORCID record for Anant Pande [Opens in a new window] ,
Samrat Mondol ,
Sambandam Sathyakumar ,
Vinod B. Mathur ,
Yogesh Ray  and
Kuppusamy Sivakumar
Anant Pande*
Affiliation:
Wildlife Institute of India, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India, Chandrabani, Dehradun – 248 001, Uttarakhand, India
Samrat Mondol
Affiliation:
Wildlife Institute of India, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India, Chandrabani, Dehradun – 248 001, Uttarakhand, India
Sambandam Sathyakumar
Affiliation:
Wildlife Institute of India, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India, Chandrabani, Dehradun – 248 001, Uttarakhand, India
Vinod B. Mathur
Affiliation:
Wildlife Institute of India, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India, Chandrabani, Dehradun – 248 001, Uttarakhand, India
Yogesh Ray
Affiliation:
National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research, Ministry of Earth Sciences, Government of India, Headland Sada, Vasco-da-Gama – 403 804, Goa, India
Kuppusamy Sivakumar
Affiliation:
Wildlife Institute of India, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India, Chandrabani, Dehradun – 248 001, Uttarakhand, India
*
Author for correspondence: Anant Pande, Email: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Seabird populations in Antarctica serve as indicators to assess the impacts of global environmental change. Ecological data on seabirds in Antarctica are scarce due to limited knowledge on their distribution and abundance in most parts of the continent. In this study, we investigated the status of seabird species around the Indian research stations Bharati at Larsemann Hills, Prydz bay and Maitri at Schirmacher Oasis, central Dronning Maud Land located in east Antarctica. We conducted primary surveys during austral summers under the Indian Antarctic Program and compiled published as well as unpublished information on seabird distribution from these areas. We employed intensive area search methods to locate presence of seabird nesting and moulting sites. Ten species were recorded from Larsemann Hills with confirmed breeding of snow petrel, south polar skua and Wilson’s storm-petrel. Only south polar skua and Adélie penguin were reported breeding at Schirmacher Oasis with unconfirmed breeding of Wilson’s storm-petrel. This study presents the first detailed synthesis of status of seabirds from Larsemann Hills and Schirmacher Oasis regions in Antarctica and serves as a strong baseline for future ecological work on seabirds in the sector of operation of Indian Antarctic Program.

Keywords

Indian Scientific Expeditions to AntarcticaSeabird distributionNesting sitesMoulting sitesOccupied territory
Type
Research Article
Information
Polar Record , Volume 56 , 2020 , e40
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2020. Published by Cambridge University Press

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

ANARE (2000). Visitor’s guide to the Larsemann Hills. http://www.antdiv.gov.au Google Scholar
Artem’ev, A. (1965). Breeding site of Adélie penguins at the Schirmacher Ponds. Soviet Antarctic Expedition Information Bulletin, 48, 49–51.Google Scholar
Barbraud, C., Rolland, V., Jenouvrier, S., Nevoux, M., Delord, K., & Weimerskirch, H. (2012). Effects of climate change and fisheries bycatch on Southern Ocean seabirds: A review. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 454, 285–307.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bhatnagar, Y. V. (1999). Daily monitoring and aerial census of penguins and seals in Antarctica. Fifteenth Indian Expedition to Antarctica, Scientific Report, Department of Ocean Development, Technical Publication, 13, 165–182.Google Scholar
Burger, A. E., & Lawrence, A. D. (2001). Census of wedge-tailed shearwaters Puffinus pacificus and Audubon’s shearwaters P. lhermineri on cousin island, Seychelles using call-playback. Marine Ornithology, 29, 57–64.Google Scholar
Chandra, K. (2007). Observations of Sea Birds during the XXI Indian Expedition to Antarctica (2001–2002). Twenty First Indian Expedition to Antarctica, Scientific Report, 2007 Ministry of Earth Sciences, Technical Publication, 19, 135–153.Google Scholar
Chattopadhyay, S. (1995). On the Avian forms encountered during the Eleventh Indian Scientific Expedition to Antarctica. Eleventh Indian Expedition to Antarctica, Scientific Report, Department of Ocean Development, Technical Publication, 9, 163–197.Google Scholar
Chaturvedi, A. & Tripathi, A. C. P. (1999). Some observations on the controversy of “stray-penguins” in Schirmacher range area. Fifteenth Indian Expedition to Antarctica, Scientific Report, Department of Ocean Development, Technical Publication, 13, 187–191.Google Scholar
Croxall, J. P., Butchart, S. H., Lascelles, B., Stattersfield, A. J., Sullivan, B., Symes, A., & Taylor, P. (2012). Seabird conservation status, threats and priority actions: A global assessment. Bird Conservation International, 22(1), 1–34.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
De Broyer, C., Koubbi, P., Griffiths, H. J., Raymond, B., Udekem d’Acoz, C. D, Van de Putte, A. P., … Ropert-Coudert, Y. (eds.), (2014). Biogeographic atlas of the Southern Ocean. Cambridge: Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research, XII, 498 pp.Google Scholar
Enticott, J., & Tipling, D. (1997). Seabirds of the World: The Complete Reference. London: Stackpole Books.Google Scholar
Frederiksen, M., Edwards, M., Richardson, A. J., Halliday, N. C., & Wanless, S. (2006). From plankton to top predators: bottom-up control of a marine food web across four trophic levels. Journal of Animal Ecology, 75(6), 1259–1268.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Fretwell, P. T., & Trathan, P. N. (2009). Penguins from space: Faecal stains reveal the location of emperor penguin colonies. Global Ecology and Biogeography, 18(5), 543–552.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fretwell, P. T., LaRue, M. A., Morin, P., Kooyman, G. L., Wienecke, B., Ratcliffe, N., … & Trathan, P. N. (2012). An emperor penguin population estimate: The first global, synoptic survey of a species from space. PLoS one, 7(4), e33751.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Fretwell, P. T., Phillips, R. A., Brooke, M. D. L., Fleming, A. H., & McArthur, A. (2015). Using the unique spectral signature of guano to identify unknown seabird colonies. Remote Sensing of Environment, 156, 448–456.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Friesen, V. L. (2007). New roles for molecular genetics in understanding seabird evolution, ecology and conservation. Marine Ornithology, 35, 89–96.Google Scholar
Gerbovich, V. L. (1964). Adélie penguins in the Schirmacher Ponds. Soviet Antarctic Expedition Information Bulletin, 39, 45.Google Scholar
Gonzalez-Zevallos, D., Santos, M., Rombolá, E., Juáres, M., & Coria, N. (2013). Abundance and breeding distribution of seabirds in the northern part of the Danco Coast, Antarctic Peninsula. Polar Research, 32(1), 11133.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Haendel, D., Kämpf, H., Richter, W., & Stackebrandt, W. (1983). Weitere ornithologische Beobachtungen aus dem Gebiet der Schirmacheroase (Ostantarktika). Geodatische und Geophysikalische Veroffentlichungen, Reihe I, 9, 132–137.Google Scholar
Hodgson, D. A., Noon, P. E., Vyverman, W., Bryant, C. L., Gore, D. B., Appleby, P., … & Ellis-Evans, J. C. (2001). Were the Larsemann Hills ice-free through the last glacial maximum? Antarctic Science, 13(4), 440–454.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hodgson, D. A., Verleyen, E., Sabbe, K., Squier, A. H., Keely, B. J., Leng, M. J., … & Vyverman, W. (2005). Late Quaternary climate-driven environmental change in the Larsemann Hills, East Antarctica, multi-proxy evidence from a lake sediment core. Quaternary Research, 64(1), 83–99.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
LaRue, M. A., Lynch, H. J., Lyver, P. O. B., Barton, K., Ainley, D. G., Pollard, A., … & Ballard, G. (2014). A method for estimating colony sizes of Adélie penguins using remote sensing imagery. Polar Biology, 37(4), 507–517.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lascelles, B. G., Langham, G. M., Ronconi, R. A., & Reid, J. B. (2012). From hotspots to site protection: Identifying Marine Protected Areas for seabirds around the globe. Biological Conservation, 156, 5–14.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lynch, H. J., Fagan, W. F., & Naveen, R. (2010). Population trends and reproductive success at a frequently visited penguin colony on the western Antarctic Peninsula. Polar Biology, 33(4), 493–503.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lynch, H. J., & LaRue, M. A. (2014). First global census of the Adélie Penguin. The Auk: Ornithological Advances, 131(4), 457–466.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mathew, K. J. (1986). On the sea birds observed during the Third Indian Antarctic Expedition. Third Indian Expedition to Antarctica, Department of Ocean Development Technical Publication, 3, 117–128.Google Scholar
Mehlum, F., Gjessing, Y., Haftorn, S., & Bech, C. (1988). Census of breeding Antarctic Petrels Thalassoica antarctica and physical features of the breeding colony at Svarthamaren, Dronning Maud Land, with notes on breeding Snow Petrels Pagodroma nivea and South Polar Skuas Catharacta maccormicki . Polar Research, 6(1), 1–9.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nair, P. K. & Gupta, H. K. (1986). Dakshin Gangotri: The Indian Permanent Station in Antarctica. Third Indian Expedition to Antarctica, Department of Ocean Development Technical Publication, 3, 15–18.Google Scholar
Olivier, F., & Wotherspoon, S. J. (2006). Modelling habitat selection using presence-only data: Case study of a colonial hollow nesting bird, the snow petrel. Ecological Modelling, 195(3–4), 187–204.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Paleczny, M., Hammill, E., Karpouzi, V., & Pauly, D. (2015). Population trend of the world’s monitored seabirds, 1950–2010. PLoS One, 10(6), e0129342.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Pande, A., Rawat, N., Sivakumar, K., Sathyakumar, S., Mathur, V. B., & Mondol, S. (2018). Cross-species screening of microsatellite markers for individual identification of snow petrel Pagodroma nivea and Wilson’s storm-petrel Oceanites oceanicus in Antarctica. PeerJ, 6, e5243.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Pande, A., Sivakumar, K., Sathyakumar, S., Kumar, R. S., Johnson, J. A., Mondol, S. & Mathur, V. (2017). Monitoring wildlife and their habitats in the Southern Ocean and around Indian research stations in Antarctica. Proceedings of the Indian National Science Academy, 83(2), 483–496.Google Scholar
Pertierra, L. R., Hughes, K. A., Vega, G. C., & Olalla-Tárraga, M. Á. (2017). High resolution spatial mapping of human footprint across Antarctica and its implications for the strategic conservation of avifauna. PLoS One, 12(1), e0168280.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Phartiyal, B. (2014). Holocene paleoclimatic variation in the Schirmacher Oasis, East Antarctica: A mineral magnetic approach. Polar Science, 8(4), 357–369.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Phartiyal, B., Sharma, A., & Bera, S. K. (2011). Glacial lakes and geomorphological evolution of schirmacher Oasis, east Antarctica, during late Quaternary. Quaternary International, 235(1–2), 128–136.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Phillips, R. A., Silk, J. R., Massey, A., & Hughes, K. A. (2019). Surveys reveal increasing and globally important populations of south polar skuas and Antarctic shags in Ryder Bay (Antarctic Peninsula). Polar Biology, 42(2), 423–432.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ravindra, R. (1994). The Ninth Indian Scientific Expedition to Antarctica - Events & Achievements. Ninth Indian Scientific Expedition to Antarctica, Department of Ocean Development, Technical Publication, 6, 1–20.Google Scholar
Ravindra, R. (2001). Geomorphology of Schirmacher Oasis, east Antarctica. In Proceedings of the Symposium on Snow, Ice and Glaciers, Geological Survey of India, Special Publication, vol. 53, pp. 379–390.Google Scholar
Richter, W. (1983). Uber die Sudpolaren Ranbmowen (Catharacta maccormicki) in der Schirmacher Oasen (Konigin - Maud - Land, Ostantarktika). Geodatische und Geophysikalische Veroffentlichungen, Reihe I, 90–97.Google Scholar
Richter, W. & Bormann, P. (1995). The Schirmacher Oasis, Queen Maud land, East Antarctica, and Its Surrounding. Gotha: Justus Perthes Verlag.Google Scholar
Richter, W., Haendel, D., & Junghans, P. (1990). The animals of the Schirmacher Oasis (East Antarctica). Geodatische und Geophysikalische Veroffentlichungen, Reihe I, 16, 495–503.Google Scholar
Rogers, A. D., Frinault, B. A. V., Barnes, D. K. A., Bindoff, N. L., Downie, R., Ducklow, H. W., … Linse, K. (2020). Antarctic futures: an assessment of climate-driven changes in ecosystem structure, function, and service provisioning in the Southern Ocean. Annual Review of Marine Science, 12, 87–120.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sathyakumar, S. (1998). Developing a long-term monitoring programme for birds and mammals in the Indian Ocean and Antarctica using GPS and GIS technologies. Fourteenth Indian Expedition to Antarctica, Scientific Report, Department of Ocean Development, Technical Publication, 12, 207–219.Google Scholar
Schwaller, M. R., Lynch, H. J., Tarroux, A., & Prehn, B. (2018). A continent-wide search for Antarctic petrel breeding sites with satellite remote sensing. Remote Sensing of Environment, 210, 444–451.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schwaller, M. R., Olson, C. E. Jr, Ma, Z., Zhu, Z., & Dahmer, P. (1989). A remote sensing analysis of Adélie penguin rookeries. Remote Sensing of Environment, 28, 199–206.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Singh, S. M., Singh, P. N., Singh, S. K., & Sharma, P. K. (2014). Pigment, fatty acid and extracellular enzyme analysis of a fungal strain Thelebolus microsporus from Larsemann Hills, Antarctica. Polar Record, 50(1), 31.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Stüwe, K., Braun, H. M., & Peer, H. (1989). Geology and structure of the Larsemann Hills area, Prydz Bay, East Antarctica. Australian Journal of Earth Sciences, 36(2), 219–241.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Taylor, S. A., & Friesen, V. L. (2012). Use of molecular genetics for understanding seabird evolution, ecology and conservation. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 451, 285–304.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Venkataraman, K. (1998). Studies on phylum Tardigrada and other associated fauna, south polar skua and bird and mammal logging during 1994–1995 expedition. Fourteenth Indian Expedition to Antarctica, Scientific Report, Department of Ocean Development, Technical Publication, 12, 221–243.Google Scholar
Wang, Z. P., & Peter, H. U. (2004). Primary study on using skua as designative species in Antarctic environmental monitoring. Chinese Journal of Polar Research, 16, 91–98.Google Scholar
Wang, Z., & Norman, F. I. (1993a). Timing of breeding, breeding success and chick growth in South Polar Skuas (Catharacta maccormicki) in the eastern Larsemann Hills, Princess Elizabeth Land, East Antarctica. Notornis, 40, 189–203.Google Scholar
Wang, Z., & Norman, F. I. (1993b). Foods of the south polar skua Catharacta maccormicki in the eastern Larsemann Hills, Princess Elizabeth Land, East Antarctica. Polar Biology, 13(4), 255–262.Google Scholar
Wang, Z., Norman, F. I., Burgess, J. S., Ward, S. J., Spate, A. P., & Carson, C. J. (1996). Human influences on breeding of south polar skuas in the eastern Larsemann Hills, Princess Elizabeth Land, East Antarctica. Polar Record, 32(180), 43–50.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wienecke, B., & Pedersen, P. (2009). Population estimates of Emperor Penguins at Amanda Bay, Ingrid Christensen Coast, Antarctica. Polar Record, 45(3), 207.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wilson, D. J., Lyver, P. O. B., Greene, T. C., Whitehead, A. L., Dugger, K. M., Karl, B. J., … & Ainley, D. G. (2017). South Polar Skua breeding populations in the Ross Sea assessed from demonstrated relationship with Adélie Penguin numbers. Polar Biology, 40(3), 577–592.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Xavier, J. C., Tarling, G., & Croxall, J. (2006). Determining prey distribution patterns from stomach-contents of satellite-tracked high-predators of the Southern Ocean. Ecography, 29(2), 260–272.CrossRefGoogle Scholar