Research Objectives:
The Antarctic Site Inventory Project has collected biological data and site-descriptive information in the Antarctic Peninsula since 1994. This research has provided data on sites visited by tourists on shipboard expeditions in the region. The project's goal aim is to obtain data on the population of several key species of Antarctic seabirds that might be impacted, directly or cumulatively, by visits to these sites.
Investigators will focus particularly on Petermann Island, a heavily visited Antarctic Peninsula site south of Anvers Island and the Lemaire Channel. Petermann Island was selected because it ranks among the ten most visited sites in Antarctica each year in terms of numbers of visitors and zodiac landings, is diverse in species composition, and is sensitive to potential environmental disruptions from visitors.
Project team members will collect data over five years on two important biological parameters for Adelie and gentoo penguins, and blue-eyed shags:
+ Breeding population size (number of occupied nests) and
+ Breeding success (number of chicks per occupied nest).
The close proximity of Petermann Island to Palmer Station will allow comparison of data with the Palmer Long-Term Ecological Research Program (LTER).
Team members will collect demographic data in accordance with the standard methods established by the Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources Ecosystem Monitoring Program, and the information gathered will thus be comparable with similar data sets being compiled by the research programs of other Antarctic Treaty nations. While separating human-induced change from change resulting from a combination of environmental factors will be difficult, this work will provide a first step toward identifying potential impacts. The long-term data sets will contribute to a better understanding of biological processes in the entire region and will also contribute valuable information to be used by Antarctic Treaty nations as they address environmental stewardship issues in Antarctica.
