| Responding to climate change: Adélie Penguins confront astronomical and ocean boundaries. | |
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MedLine Citation:
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PMID: 20715628 Owner: NLM Status: MEDLINE |
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
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Long-distance migration enables many organisms to take advantage of lucrative breeding and feeding opportunities during summer at high latitudes and then to move to lower, more temperate latitudes for the remainder of the year. The latitudinal range of the Adélie Penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae) spans approximately 22 degrees. Penguins from northern colonies may not migrate, but due to the high latitude of Ross Island colonies, these penguins almost certainly undertake the longest migrations for the species. Previous work has suggested that Adélies require both pack ice and some ambient light at all times of year. Over a three-year period, which included winters of both extensive and reduced sea ice, we investigated characteristics of migratory routes and wintering locations of Adélie Penguins from two colonies of very different size on Ross Island, Ross Sea, the southernmost colonies for any penguin. We acquired data from 3-16 geolocation sensor tags (GLS) affixed to penguins each year at both Cape Royds and Cape Crozier in 2003-2005. Migrations averaged 12760 km, with the longest being 17 600 km, and were in part facilitated by pack ice movement. Trip distances varied annually, but not by colony. Penguins rarely traveled north of the main sea-ice pack, and used areas with high sea-ice concentration, ranging from 75% to 85%, about 500 km inward from the ice edge. They also used locations where there was some twilight (2-7 h with sun < 6 degrees below the horizon). We report the present Adélie Penguin migration pattern and conjecture on how it probably has changed over the past approximately 12000 years, as the West Antarctic Ice Sheet withdrew southward across the Ross Sea, a situation that no other Adélie Penguin population has had to confront. As sea ice extent in the Ross Sea sector decreases in the near future, as predicted by climate models, we can expect further changes in the migration patterns of the Ross Sea penguins. |
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Authors:
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Grant Ballard; Viola Toniolo; David G Ainley; Claire L Parkinson; Kevin R Arrigo; Phil N Trathan |
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Publication Detail:
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Type: Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't; Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S. |
Journal Detail:
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Title: Ecology Volume: 91 ISSN: 0012-9658 ISO Abbreviation: Ecology Publication Date: 2010 Jul |
Date Detail:
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Created Date: 2010-08-18 Completed Date: 2010-09-28 Revised Date: - |
Medline Journal Info:
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Nlm Unique ID: 0043541 Medline TA: Ecology Country: United States |
Other Details:
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Languages: eng Pagination: 2056-69 Citation Subset: IM |
Affiliation:
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PRBO (Point Reyes Bird Observatory) Conservation Science, 3820 Cypress Drive #11, Petaluma, California 94954, USA. gballard@prbo.org |
Export Citation:
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APA/MLA Format Download EndNote Download BibTex |
| MeSH Terms | |
Descriptor/Qualifier:
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Animal Migration Animals Antarctic Regions Climate Change* Ecosystem Ice Oceans and Seas Seasons Spheniscidae / physiology* |
| Chemical | |
Reg. No./Substance:
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0/Ice |
From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine
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