Tracking penguins on Kangaroo Island

A project of Fur seal, pelagic shark and seabird tracking in conjunction with the partners and sponsors detailed below.

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Introduction

Little penguin populations in the Encounter Bay and Kangaroo Island area have been declining in recent years (Bool et al. 2006). In this region there is a growing concern amongst local communities, managers, researchers and tour operators that some of these colonies may decline further or disappear. Little is currently known about the threats causing the declines. Penguins spend half their time at sea, so an understanding of at-sea behaviour is essential to answering this.

In recent years, little penguins have been successfully tracked in South Australia using satellite trackers. Results showed that breeding penguins foraged between 5-100km from their colonies (A. Wiebkin). Penguins have not been tracked around the Kangaroo Island area, and we currently have little knowledge of where these birds forage, or whether feeding grounds are currently impacted by human activities, such as high marine traffic or fishing.

The Encounter Penguin Management Group (with representatives from DEH-KI, NRM-KI, Granite Island Nature Park, Penneshaw Penguin Colony, Kingscote Penguin Colony, NRM-Adelaide and Mt Loft Ranges, DEH-Victor Harbour, SARDI and local community members) has identified a need for a region-wide monitoring program to collect baseline data on population sizes, trends and penguin ecology so that the colonies can be best managed in the future. One of the priority areas identified by the group is an understanding of where little penguins forage in the area.

• The presentation of data here does not constitute publication. All data remain copyright of the project partners. Maps or data on this website may not be used or referenced without explicit written consent.
• For more information please visit the project website.
• If you have questions or would like to request the use of maps or data for this project please contact wiebkin.annelise@sa.gov.au.

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