Identification of marine Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas for penguins around the South Shetland Islands and South Orkney Islands.

ABSTRACT:

Aim

To provide a method of analyzing penguin tracking data to identify priority at-sea areas for seabird conservation (marine IBAs), based on pre-existing approaches for flying seabirds but revised according to the specific ecology of Pygoscelis penguin species.

Location

Waters around the Antarctic Peninsula, South Shetland, and South Orkney archipelagos (FAO Subareas 48.1 and 48.2).

Methods

We made key improvements to the pre-existing protocol for identifying marine IBAs that include refining the track interpolation method and revision of parameters for the kernel analysis (smoothing factor and utilization distribution) using sensitivity tests. We applied the revised method to 24 datasets of tracking data on penguins (three species, seven colonies, and three d

SUBMITTER: Dias MP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6238121 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature