Achurch, H.

Clarke, J.

Dehnhard, N.

Eens, M.

Emmerson, L.

King, R.

Michel, L.

Southwell, C.

Walters, A.

Dehnhard, Nina

Achurch, Helen

Clarke, J

Michel, Loïc

Walters, A

Southwell, Colin

Eens, Marcel

Emmerson, Louise

Open Repository and Bibliography - Liège

Foraging distribution, habitat preferences and diet of breeding Antarctic fulmarine petrels in East Antarctica

Open Marine Archive

122 
 
S03: Distribution and trends of top predators 
Foraging distribution, habitat preferences and diet of breeding 
Antarctic fulmarine petrels in East Antarctica  
Dehnhard Nina1,2, Helen Achurch2, Judy Clarke2, Loïc N. Michel3, Rob King1, Andrea Walters4, Colin 
Southwell2, Marcel Eens1 and Louise Emmerson2 
1 University of Antwerp, Behavioural Ecology & Ecophysiology Group, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 
Wilrijk (Antwerpen), Belgium 
 E-mail: nina.dehnhard@uantwerpen.be 
2 Australian Antarctic Division, 203 Channel Highway, Kingston, TAS 7050, Australia 
3  Laboratory of Oceanology, University of Liége, B6C, Allée du 6 Août 15, Quartier Agora, Sart-
Tilman, 4000 Liége, Belgium 
4  Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, IMAS Waterfront Building, 20 
Castray Esplanade, Battery Point, TAS 7004, Australia 
 
Knowledge about the currently utilized foraging habitat and diet of Antarctic species is crucial to 
understand potential impacts of climate-change in the Southern Ocean and to identify overlap with 
the CCAMLR managed fishery in the Southern Ocean. In comparison to other groups of Antarctic top 
predators, little information is available for the medium-sized Antarctic fulmarine petrels.  
 
In 2015/16 we investigated the foraging behaviour and diet of southern fulmars (Fulmarus 
glacialoides), Antarctic petrels (Thalassoica antarctica) and cape petrels (Daption capense) breeding 
sympatrically on Hop Island (68.82°S, 77.68°E) in the Prydz Bay region (East Antarctica).  
 
Using state-of-the art lightweight GPS loggers, we recorded a total of 277 foraging trips, covering 
the entire 2015/16 breeding season from incubation to late chick-rearing in all three species, 
including multiple foraging trips made by several individuals. Blood, feather and egg membranes 
were collected from the same species, and complemented by prey items obtained in the foraging 
area during a marine science voyage in the 2015/16 austral summer.  
 
GPS trajectories were separated into foraging locations and commuting legs, using wet/dry data 
recorded by the GPS loggers and Expectation-Maximization binary Clustering (EMbC; a novel 
approach based on speed and turning angle to annotate behavioural states). We present the 
species’ foraging distribution during the different breeding stages and identify habitat 
characteristics (bathymetry, sea ice, chlorophyll a as a predictor of environmental productivity) to 
determine whether these Southern Ocean predators share foraging ‘hot-spots’ or if they segregate 
their foraging activities. Consistency of individuals in their foraging behaviour (e.g. to visit specific 
areas or show preferences for specific environmental conditions) were also investigated. In addition, 
stable isotopes were used to explore the dietary overlap between the three seabird species using 
isotopic niche parameterisation and estimates of resource use through mixing models. 
 
Preliminary results suggest a strong overlap of the foraging locations of all three species at the 
population level throughout the entire breeding season. Similarly, stable isotope values reflecting 
the birds’ diet during pre-laying, incubation and chick-rearing show a strong overlap among 
species.  
 
  


Foraging distribution, habitat preferences and diet of breeding Antarctic fulmarine petrels in East Antarctica

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