TITLE:      Western Antarctic Peninsula Biological Hotspots and the Foraging
            Patterns of Adelie Penguins (talk) at the
            Fourth U.S. Southern Ocean Globec Science Investigator Meeting
AUTHORS:    William R. Fraser
DATE:       9-11 December 2002
PLACE:      Arlington, VA
Posted WEB: http://www.ccpo.odu.edu/Research/globec/4sciinvest/fraser.htm


ABSTRACT

More than 75 satellite-linked transmitters were deployed on Adilie Penguins as
part of the LTER and GLOBEC programs between March 2001 and September 2002 to 
investigate post-breeding season movements and foraging locations.  Preliminary
analyses of the data suggest three key areas of foraging activity, one off 
Anvers Island, another off Renaud Island and the last off the southern tip of 
Adelaide Island.  Although the biological properties of these three regions 
still need to be investigated to better understand penguin foraging 
distributions, physical features common to these regions include the presence
of deep submarine canyons and/or depressions, and circulation patterns 
associated with quasi-independent gyre systems.  We suggest that the 
combination of similar physical attributes and penguin foraging patterns 
associated with these regions are indicative of biological hotspots that may 
serve as focal points of future research of Antarctic marine ecosystem 
processes.