Predator research survey and monitoring in support of CCAMLR's management of the krill fishery

Brief description

Metadata record for data from ASAC Project 2722
See the link below for public details on this project.

Public
The Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) aims to manage the harvesting of living resources in the Southern Ocean in a manner that is sustainable to the harvested species, dependent species and ecosystem processes. The krill fishery is one of the major fisheries in the Southern Ocean. Application of CCAMLR's policy in management of the krill fishery requires sound scientific information on both krill and krill-dependent (predator) species. This program aims to provide the scientific information on krill predators required by CCAMLR for sustainable management of the krill fishery through research, survey and monitoring activities.

Taken from the 2009-2010 Progress Report:
Project objectives:
The Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) aims to manage the harvesting of living resources in the Southern Ocean in a manner that is sustainable to the harvested species, dependent species and ecosystem processes. The krill fishery is one of the major fisheries in the Southern Ocean. Application of CCAMLR's policy to management of the krill fishery requires sound scientific information on both krill and krill-dependent (predator) species. This program of work aims broadly to provide the scientific information on krill predators required by CCAMLR for sustainable management of the krill fishery in the Australian Antarctic Territory against a background of other impacts such as climate change, and compliments separate SOE projects aimed at krill itself.

This program is related to the previous multi-year project number 2205 (Adelie penguin research and monitoring in support of the CCAMLR Ecosystem Monitoring Project (CEMP)) but recognises and addresses recent developments in CCAMLR that include (i) the current development of a krill management procedure, (ii) a review of outputs from past CEMP work and recognition of the likely need to re-design CEMP to meet the needs of the new krill management procedure, and (iii) the need to estimate predator consumption of krill as part of the krill management procedure. Although the previous project 2205 focussed on Adelie penguins in the Mawson region exclusively, this new program will include consideration of additional species and regions to allow improvements in both ecosystem monitoring and estimation of krill consumption.

The program was approved in 2005 as a multi-year ASAC project with four major sub-programs or projects which have strong methodological and practical cross-linkages and overlap. The projects and their objectives are:

(1) Development of cost-effective methods for surveying and monitoring predator populations at the large spatial scales required by CCAMLR,
(2) Estimation of the abundance of krill predators in CCAMLR Statistical Areas 58.4.1 and 58.4.2 (which together span the width of the Australian Antarctic Territory),
(3) Assessment of spatio-temporal variability in predator performance parameters to enable the design of an effective and efficient monitoring program, and to examine metapopulation dynamics
(4) Continuation of selected aspects of project 2205 to (i) improve estimates and understanding of temporal variability and population dynamics and (ii) continue the application of CEMP.

We propose to continue these projects in 2008/09 and commence some additional projects. Projects (1) and (2) will be expanded beyond Adelie penguins to include some species of flying seabirds. Additional work related to the AAD's management of the Rookery Islands Specially Protected Area is proposed which would be undertaken in collaboration with the AADs environmental policy section, and aims to assess the status of the Southern Giant Petrel. It would be undertaken in conjunction with planned surveys of Adelie penguins and some flying seabird species in the Rookery Islands (project 2). Details of the work will be outlined in a separate proposal submitted by the AAD environmental policy section. A additional project is related to an IPY approved project focussing on Adelie penguins as indicators in the Southern Ocean. The objective of this new project is to co-ordinate some aspects of the work of Adelie penguin researchers around Antarctica to improve understanding of broad-scale processes in the Southern Ocean. A planning meeting in May 2007 had to be postponed until September 2007 and consequently it is not yet possible to outline the details of this project. We will provide project details as soon as possible after the September 2007 meeting and request that a late submission be accepted for this project.

Progress against objectives:

(1) Implementation and further development of cost-effective methods for surveying and monitoring predator populations at the large spatial scales required by CCAMLR.

Camera technology has been developed and is now being used to monitor Adelie penguin populations on several islands in the Mawson and Davis areas. Methods for cost-effective development of regional population size have also been developed and applied in the Mawson and Davis areas. Flying seabirds have been incorporated in the monitoring program by developing and implementing monitoring methods of snow petrel on Bechervaise Island.

(2) Estimation of the abundance of krill predators in CCAMLR Statistical Areas 58.4.1 and 58.4.2 (which together span the width of the Australian Antarctic Territory).

Aerial surveys were undertaken of Adelie penguin populations in the Vestfold Hills and Rauers Islands. Reconnaissance surveys of Adelie penguin distribution were conducted by the CASA aircraft between Casey and Mirny. Ground surveys of Adelie penguin populations were undertaken in the Mawson region

(3) Assessment of spatio-temporal variability in predator performance parameters to enable the design of an effective and efficient monitoring program, and to examine metapopulation dynamics.

Population surveys and the use of cameras at multiple sites in the Mawson area are providing data on Adelie penguin meta-population dynamics.

(4) Continuation of selected aspects of project 2205 to (i) improve estimates and understanding of temporal variability and population dynamics and (ii) continue the application of CEMP.

Measurement of Adelie penguin population size, foraging trip duration, breeding success and survival at Bechervaise Island continued in 2009/10

(5) Assessment of the winter foraging distribution of Adelie penguins.

Satellite trackers were successfully deployed on 15 fledgling Adelie penguins.

Lineage

Progress Code: completed

Statement: The Dates provided in temporal coverage are approximate only, and represent the beginning and end of the 2006 - 2011 Antarctic seasons.

The latitudes and longitudes provided in spatial coverage are approximate only.

Taken from the 2009-2010 Progress Report:
Variations to work plan or objectives:
An aerial survey of the Vestfold Hills and Rauer Islands was conducted in November 2009 to collect data on the distribution and abundance of Adelie penguins in the areas around Davis. This supports one of the projects stated goals of expanding the spatial scale of monitoring, and involved taking photographs from a helicopter along pre-defined transects. Counts from aerial photographs will enable an assessment of the current distribution of colonies throughout the Vestfold Hills and Rauer Islands. Density and abundance will also be assessed providing population estimates. Current estimates will be compared with aerial photography through the same region in previous decades, enabling an assessment of changes in the distribution and abundance of the meta-population. Planned ground surveys of islands off Davis were performed in November 2009 (Gardener Island). Aerial photography of the Adelie penguin colonies surveyed from the ground in a small section of Gardner island enabled an assessment of the accuracy of counts gained from both survey methods. Preliminary results from this small trial indicate considerable undercounting from aerial photos, and further assessment of bias may be needed in 2010/11.

We propose to expand the snow petrel monitoring program to include (1) measurement of breeding success from mountain sites inland from Mawson, (2) a regional survey of the snow petrel population across the islands in the Kista Strait off Mawson, (3) modifying existing methods of nest checking for improved measurement of breeding success, and (4) identifying the relationship between parental quality and habitat quality.

Field work:
This season we performed a count of Adelie penguin sub-colonies on Gardener Island off Davis to ground truth aerial photography surveys. Ground surveys were also performed at a number of islands within the Rookeries group to the west of Mawson, and at the Robinson Islands the east of Mawson, to estimate population size and contribute to an assessment of temporal variation in abundance. Local islands around Mawson (Verner, Welch, Petersen and Klung) were also visited to count adults and / or chicks, and to maintain and download the automatic cameras installed on each island. The detailed monitoring program of Adelie penguins at Bechervaise Island, a CEMP long-term monitoring site, was continued and achieved all planned objectives. These included arrival counts, male and female attendance counts, as well as egg and chick counts to estimate hatching and breeding success. Satellite transmitters were deployed on 15 fledging Adelie penguins to track their winter foraging range.

Work on flying seabirds included surveys on numerous islands within the Kista Strait off Mawson, and the Robinson group east of Mawson. Double-observer surveys were performed at all visited sites to assess the detectability of crevice nesting species (snow petrels and Wilson's storm petrels). Regular checks of a large sample of snow petrel nest on Bechervaise island provided data on the proportion of nests occupied, nest attendance rates, hatching success and breeding success.

Laboratory activity/analysis:
CCAMLR monitoring data are processed and submitted to CCAMLR in the winter following each field season. Analysis of population survey, breeding success, foraging and survival data is continually underway as evidenced by the many recent publications.