A bioenergetics model assessment of the prey consumption of Adélie penguins in Subarea 48.1 and 48.2

We present a preliminary analysis to estimate the consumption of prey by Adélie penguins Pygoscelis adeliae in Subareas 48.1 and 48.2 during the period when penguins are constrained by breeding. We parameterised our analysis using data from the population of Adélie penguins breeding at Signy Island, South Orkneys. We show that the highest levels of consumption occur during the crèche and pre-moult period, consistent with similar studies of Adélie penguins breeding in East Antarctica. On the basis of variable breeding success and the proportion of krill and fish in their diet, we estimate that the population of Adélie penguins at Signy Island consumes 4,600 t of krill and 696 t of fish during a breeding season. Based on this we estimate Adélie penguins in Subareas 48.1 and 48.2 respectively consume 304,980 and 53,161 t of prey during a single breeding season. Our study builds on previous work using a similar methodology to assess the consumption by macaroni penguins in Subarea 48.3. We report that further analyses will be undertaken for other krill-eating penguin species in Area 48, in particular chinstrap P. antarcticus and gentoo P. papua penguins.