Abstract
Adélie penguins (Pygoscelis adeliae) are one of the most widely spread and abundant penguin species in the world, with a circumpolar distribution. While clumsy on land, they are agile marine predators, with their diet primarily consisting of small fish and krill. Because of these factors, and a well-documented relationship between the condition of the Antarctic pack-ice and population viability, Adélie penguins are considered an indicator species for the health of the Antarctic marine environment Given the recent designation of the Ross Sea, off the coast of West Antarctica, as a Marine Protected Area (MPA), research on local Adélie penguin populations can provide an excellent source of information to predict the outcomes of different management decisions and provide advice to stakeholders. Unlike other MPAs, the protection status of the Ross Sea has a sunset provision of 35 years, meaning that it’s status and extent will be under review. This research on an established indicator species like the Adélie penguin could, therefore, inform whether such protection should be modified or withdrawn. This presentation will discuss current work describing the at-sea movements of Adélie penguin breeding at Cape Bird in relation to relevant local environmental conditions. Additionally, focus will also be given to the application of mechanistic modelling to link this movement to reproductive outcomes such as fledging success and chick mass, which has applications for the wider movement ecology field.