Seabird surveys
Over the last couple of weeks the seabird team (Anna and Marcus) have been busy searching for and counting various seabirds around the Mawson area.
With the help of a few expeditioners, they have counted cape petrels, taken wide-angle photos of Adélie penguin colonies (to count on a windy day), searched for snow petrels hidden amongst rocks, and located skua nests for further monitoring.
The information collected from these different surveys helps us understand how many birds are breeding this year and where they are located. Repeat visits to selected nests will reveal how successful the birds have been at finding food to raise their chicks this season.
This data improves our understanding of the food requirements for the seabird populations in this region, and will contribute to the wealth of information used to manage the marine environment in East Antarctica.
Marcus Salton
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