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Drone Survey Reveals a Severe Chinstrap Penguin Decline and a Novel Gentoo Colony in an Antarctic Specially Protected Area

Pizarro, E. J.; Correa, M.; Timm, F.; Mejias, G.; Franco, A. C.; Vianna, J. d. A.; Cabrol, L.; Santa Cruz, F. C.; Kruger, L.

2025-10-15 ecology
10.1101/2025.10.15.682565 bioRxiv
Show abstract

We provide an updated population assessment for chinstrap penguins (Pygoscelis antarcticus), gentoo penguin (P. papua) and Antarctic shags (Leucocarbo bransfieldensis), in the Antarctic Specially Protected Area 133 on Nelson Island using drone-based nest counts. Our results reveal a pronounced 57% decline in chinstrap penguins since the 1990s, stability in a local gentoo penguin population, an 84% increase in Antarctic shags, and the first population estimate for a large gentoo colony at the Toe (4,641 nests). These divergent trends align with broader regional patterns of ecosystem change in the Antarctic Peninsula region. This study provides critical baseline data for monitoring the impacts of ongoing environmental change on these sensitive indicator species.

Published in Polar Biology · not in our set (fewer than 10 published preprints to learn from) · training set

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