Oceanographic mechanisms and penguin population increases during the Little Ice Age in the southern Ross Sea, Antarctica

Yang, Liwei; Sun, Liguang; Emslie, Steven D.; Xie, Zhouqing; Huang, Tao; Yang, Wenqing; Chu, Zhuding; Wang, Yuhong

doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2017.10.027

Cited by 28 publications

(40 citation statements)

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“…Given the high marine productivity and krill availability in the northern Ross Sea today, which factors caused a decline in penguins at Cape Adare after the ‘supercolony’ reached its maximum extent by approximately 1200 BP? We have no explanation for this decline except that it was probably associated with changes in wind patterns, air temperatures, and the size of the Ross Sea polynya that ultimately affected marine productivity [ 21 ]. Alterations of this nature have caused total breeding failure, lowered chick production and high mortality events in Adélie penguins in the Ross Sea and East Antarctica [ 22 , 23 ] and continuing impacts over geological time could result in colony decline or abandonment.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The rise and fall of an ancient Adélie penguin ‘supercolony’ at Cape Adare, Antarctica

Emslie

McKenzie

Patterson³

2018

R. Soc. open sci.

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We report new discoveries and radiocarbon dates on active and abandoned Adélie penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae) colonies at Cape Adare, Antarctica. This colony, first established at approximately 2000 BP (calendar years before present, i.e. 1950), is currently the largest for this species with approximately 338 000 breeding pairs, most located on low-lying Ridley Beach. We hypothesize that this colony first formed after fast ice began blocking open-water access by breeding penguins to the Scott Coast in the southern Ross Sea during a cooling period also at approximately 2000 BP. Our results suggest that the new colony at Cape Adare continued to grow, expanding to a large upper terrace above Ridley Beach, until it exceeded approximately 500 000 breeding pairs (a ‘supercolony’) by approximately 1200 BP. The high marine productivity associated with the Ross Sea polynya and continental shelf break supported this growth, but the colony collapsed to its present size for unknown reasons after approximately 1200 BP. Ridley Beach will probably be abandoned in the near future due to rising sea level in this region. We predict that penguins will retreat to higher elevations at Cape Adare and that the Scott Coast will be reoccupied by breeding penguins as fast ice continues to dissipate earlier each summer, restoring open-water access to beaches there.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The rise and fall of an ancient Adélie penguin ‘supercolony’ at Cape Adare, Antarctica

Emslie

McKenzie

Patterson³

2018

R. Soc. open sci.

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“…An island‐ or larger‐scale population booms. Yang et al (2018) showed that enhanced katabatic winds and/or deep water upwelling during the LIA boost the food supply for penguins, eventually causing a population increase. Both are plausible explanations for the large contrast in deposition rates between the upper and lower parts of the three ornithogenic sediment cores and the increase in P concentrations.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Spatiotemporal variations of the population of Adélie penguins (Pygoscelis adelie) are controlled by changing oceanographic and climatic conditions (Croxall et al, 2002;Forcada et al, 2006;Gao et al, 2018;Roberts et al, 2017;Wilson et al, 2001;Yang et al, 2018Yang et al, , 2019. Sea ice (pack ice, fast ice) is one of the most important factors influencing the migration, colonization, and foraging success of penguins (Ainley et al, 2005(Ainley et al, , 2010Ballard et al, 2010Ballard et al, , 2019Emslie et al, 2003).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…in the Ross Sea and concluded that the penguin population was related to the exhibited a quadratic relationship with the sea ice extent in the area. In the past, penguin populations responded strongly to glacier advance/retreat, sea ice fluctuations, and the size of polynyas (Yang et al, 2018; Younger et al, 2016), and the appearance of new breeding habitats coincided with deglaciation and the reduction of sea ice (Emslie et al, 2007); in addition, polynyas provide refugia for Adélie penguins during ice ages (Thatje et al, 2008). Changes in air temperature affect the habitat of penguins (Ainley et al, 2010); if temperatures rise ~2°C above the preindustrial level, penguin colonies north of 70° are likely to decrease or disappear mainly due to the loss of sea ice.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Abandonment of Penguin Subcolonies in the Late Nineteenth Century on Inexpressible Island, Antarctica

Yang

et al. 2020

JGR Biogeosciences

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The impact of climate and weather on penguin ecology has attracted much research attention. To reconstruct the history of the penguin population, penguin carcasses on the surface and three ornithogenic sediment profiles were collected in a ditch area beneath abandoned penguin subcolonies on a high terrace to the northwest of the modern colony in Seaview Bay, on Inexpressible Island, East Antarctica. A rapid increase in penguin-derived element contents in the sediment profiles at~1700 Common Era (CE) indicates an increase in the penguin population of research area at the end of the Little Ice Age. However, surficial carcasses, geochemical characteristics of the sediment profiles, and field evidence indicate the subsequent abandonment of these penguin subcolonies. A period of intensified streamflow activity resulting from meltwater is a possible explanation for the colony abandonment. The dating results of the carcasses and sediment profiles constrain this event to around the late nineteenth century. The meltwater streams can be attributed to the interaction between enhanced moist air mass transport to the coastline of Victoria Land, rising temperatures, and the sloping topography. Comparisons with other regional records suggest that this type of event is common across East Antarctica and has significant impacts on penguin ecology.

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“…Phosphorous (P) is enriched in penguin guano and remains than in terrestrial materials and P content of ornithogenic sediments is used to reflect penguin‐derived inputs from the subcolonies surrounding the sampling site (Gao et al, ; Sun et al, ; Sun, Emslie, et al, ; Yang et al, ). P was measured by atomic emission spectrometry.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Last Millennium Adélie Penguin Mortality and Colony Abandonment Events on Long Peninsula, East Antarctica

et al. 2018

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The Adélie penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae) is sensitive to climatic and environmental changes, and paleoecological studies of Adélie penguins and their response to climatic forcing in maritime Antarctica usually address changes on long time scales. However, on Long Peninsula, East Antarctica, we identified numerous mummified Adélie penguin carcasses and phases of rapid sediment deposition at~750 and~200 years BP, indicating two multidecadal mass mortality events. Based upon chronological and sedimentary evidence, we propose that the two events were caused by heavy regional precipitation, which led to the abandonment of numerous penguin subcolonies. The anomalous precipitation was likely associated with the intensification of regional meridional air transport under a zonal wave number 3 pattern. Since such atmospheric conditions correspond to present-day observations, and are expected to persist if climate change continues, the mortality events revealed in this study could become an increasing threat to penguins.

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Oceanographic mechanisms and penguin population increases during the Little Ice Age in the southern Ross Sea, Antarctica

Cited by 28 publications

References 70 publications

The rise and fall of an ancient Adélie penguin ‘supercolony’ at Cape Adare, Antarctica

The rise and fall of an ancient Adélie penguin ‘supercolony’ at Cape Adare, Antarctica

Abandonment of Penguin Subcolonies in the Late Nineteenth Century on Inexpressible Island, Antarctica

Last Millennium Adélie Penguin Mortality and Colony Abandonment Events on Long Peninsula, East Antarctica

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