Chlorophyll-a patterns during Magellanic penguin breeding at Punta Tombo

Abstract

Organisms in the ocean depend ultimately on phytoplankton, as it is the base of the marine food web. The use of satellite imaging, as indicators of photosynthesis such as chlorophyll-A is often used as an index of primary production in the ocean. Located on the southeast coast of Argentina, Punta Tombo is among the largest breeding colonies for Magellanic penguins. Starvation accounts tor 40% of chick deaths (Rebstock & Boersma, Climate Change Increases Reproductive Failure in Magellanic Penguins, 2014)

Using spatial analysis tools, for 10 breeding seasons, I used chlorophyll-a patterns to determine the relationship between chlorophyll-a abundance and Magellanic penguin chicks’ starvation. I did not find a strong relationship between chick starvation and chlorophyll-a abundance, but the overall distribution of chlorophyll-a appeared to influence chick starvation. Low chick starvation was observed when the study area had large phytoplankton blooms in a consistent location, surrounded by less productive regions. In years where moderate concentrations of chlorophyll-a were dispersed across the study area, more chicks starved.