Abstract
The king penguin colony at Ile aux Cochons, Crozet Archipelago (southern Indian Ocean) is the largest in the world. The change in its surface area was investigated by means of satellite remote sensing using spot scene. The satellite picture enabled us to locate the colony and to determine that the surface area occupied by the colony has increased by 56% between 1962 and 1988. The increase in the surface area occupied by the colony was confirmed by a map realised in 1982 (by the Institut Géographique National). The high resolution system available on the spot system which allows at present at 10 m ground resolution, and 5 m in the near future, can thus be a useful tool for monitoring medium to long-term changes in marine bird populations breeding in colonies composed of birds spaced a constant distance from one another. Based on the surface area occupied by the colony and the published data on the population size on Possession Island, as well as information on the breeding frequency of the species, we estimated that the total breeding population is about 1,000,000 pairs for the whole archipelago and that about 70% of birds breed at Ile aux Cochons.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Barrat A (1976) Biologie et écologie du Manchot royal a Crozet. Comité National Français des Recherches Antarctiques. N° 40
Bauer A (1967) Dénombrement des manchotières de l'Archipel des Crozet et des îles Kerguelen a l'aide de photographies aérienne verticales. Terres Australes et Antarctiques Françaises
Conroy JWH, White MG (1973) The breeding status of the King Penguin Aptenodytes patagonicus. Br Antarct Surv Bull 32:31–40.
Despin B, Mougin JL, Segonzac M (1972) Les oiseaux et mammifères de l'Ile de l'Est. Com Natl Français Recherches Antarctiques 31
Gales R, Pemberton D (1988) Recovery of the king penguin Aptenodytes patagonicus population on heard island. Aust Wildl Res 15:579–585.
Grisebach A (1878) Vegetation du globe, d'apre's sa disposition suivant les climats. Tome 2, pp 905
Institut Géographique National (1986) Archipel Crozet, Ile aux Cochons, Ilots des Apôtres, Ile des Pinguins. Terres Australes et Antarctiques Françaises, Série Bleue, Carte nℴ 4450C
Jouventin P, Lagarde F (1995) Evolutionary ecology of the King Penguin (Aptenodytes patagonicus): the self-regulation of the breeding cycle. In: The Penguins, Dann P, Norman I, Reilly P (eds). Surrey Beatty and Sons, Melbourne
Jouventin P, Mauget R (1995) The endocrine basis of the reproductive cycle in the king penguin (Aptenodytes patagonicus). J Zool Lond
Jouventin P, Stahl JC, Weimerskirch H, Mougin JL (1984) The seabirds of the French Subantarctic Islands & Adelie Land, their status and conservation. I.C.B.P. Technical publication. Status and conservation of the world seabirds, Cambridge, 2:609–625.
Jouventin P, Capdeville D, Cuenot-Chaillet F, Boiteau C (1994) Exploitation of pelagic resources by a non-flying seabird: satellite tracking of the king penguin throughout the breeding cycle. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 106:11–19
Kooyman GL, Cherel Y, Le Maho Y, Croxall JP, Thorson PH, Ridoux V, Kooyman CA (1992) Diving behavior and energetics during foraging cycles in King Penguin. Ecol Monogr 62:143–163
Lewis Smith RI, Tallowin JRB (1979) The distribution and size of king penguin rookeries on South Georgia. Br Antarct Surv Bull 49:259–276
Rounsevell DE, Copson GR (1982) Growth rate of a king penguin Aptenodytes patagonicus population after exploitation. Austr Wildl Res 9:519–525.
Schwaller MR, Olson CE Jr, Benninghoff WS, Wehnes KM (1986) Preliminary report on satellite remote sensing of adelie penguin rookeries. Antarct J US 21:205–206
Schwaller MR, Olson CE Jr, Ma Z, Zhu Z, Dahmer P (1989) Remote sensing analysis of adelie penguin rookeries. Remote sensing Environ 28:199–206
Weimerskirch H, Zotier R, Jouventin P (1989) The avifauna of the Kerguelen Islands. Emu 89:15–29
Weimerskirch H, Stahl JCJ, Jouventin P (1992) The breeding biology and population dynamics of king penguins Aptenodytes patagonica on the Crozet Islands. Ibis 134:107–117
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Guinet, C., Jouventin, P. & Malacamp, J. Satellite remote sensing in monitoring change of seabirds: use of Spot Image in king penguin population increase at Ile aux Cochons, Crozet Archipelago. Polar Biol 15, 511–515 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00237465
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00237465