Locations of Emperor Penguin colonies in East Antarctica, 2022

Brief description

This dataset shows the locations of Emperor Penguin colonies in East Antarctica in 2022, derived from the analysis of Sentinel 2 satellite imagery captured on various dates between April to December 2022. Sentinel 2 Level 2A imagery (10m resolution) was accessed via the European Space Agency’s Sentinel Playground (https://www.sentinel-hub.com/explore/sentinel-playground). The method involved searching areas where colonies had previously been reported, on imagery with generally less than 40% cloud cover (for methods see Fretwell and Trathan, 2021, Remote Sens. Ecol. Cons. 7, 139-153). Areas where faecal staining on ice was clearly visible were used as an indicator of Emperor Penguin colony presence. Colony locations identified by this method were collated into a point dataset, consisting of the colony name, location (latitude and longitude), the date of the satellite imagery from which the point location was derived, and a description of the location including any notable landmarks in the vicinity, e.g. named features, rock outcrops, grounded icebergs etc.

The locations of 26 colonies from Umebosi Rock (~43° E) to Yule Bay (165.5° E) were determined through the use of satellite images. These colonies are ‘known’ colonies identified in previous studies and are named according to their location. It is important to note that these colonies tend to occur in the same general area every year, but their exact location may shift somewhat between years in response to variable sea ice conditions. The purpose of this dataset is therefore to identify exact colony locations at the specified date (the date of the satellite image from which the colony location was derived) and given the mobile nature of these colonies it is imperative that dates be included with any future colony location data. This dataset may be added to over time as colony locations vary from year to year.

This dataset was developed from analysis of Sentinel 2 satellite imagery (https://sentinel.esa.int/web/sentinel/missions/sentinel-2)

Lineage

Progress Code: completed

Statement: The locations of the colonies identified in this dataset were based on analysis and interpretation of satellite imagery from Sentinel 2.

Notes

Purpose
To identify areas throughout East Antarctica where Emperor Penguin colonies occur. These locations are date specific due to the variable nature of these colonies.