Marine Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas for Penguins in Antarctica, Targets for Conservation Action

摘要: Global targets for area-based conservation and management must move beyond threshold-based alone account the quality of such areas. In Southern Ocean around Antarctica, a region where key biodiversity faces unprecedented risks from climate change there is growing demand to extract resources, number marine areas have been afforded enhanced conservation or measures through two adopted protected (MPAs). However, evidence suggests that additional high could benefit proposed network MPAs. Penguins offer particular opportunity identify because these birds, as highly visible central-place foragers, are considered indicator species whose populations reflect state surrounding marine environment. We compiled comprehensive dataset location penguin colonies their associated abundance estimates in Antarctica.We then estimated at-sea distribution birds based on information derived tracking data application modified foraging radius approach with density decay function some most important chick-rearing adult penguins throughout waters surrounding Antarctica following Important Bird Biodiversity Area (IBA) framework. Additionally, we assessed how IBAs overlapped currently (primarily MPAs), and krill fishery likely over past five decades. identified 63 Antarctic found were MPAs be adopted, permanent would increase by between 49 100% depending species. Furthermore, our show that, despite generally contracting range operation decades, consistently disproportionate amount being harvested within compared total area which operates. Our results support designation MPA network and guidance decision-makers should act before further perturbation occurs ecosystem.