Long-distance winter migrations of chinstrap penguins and elephant seals to a persistent bloom at the edge of the Ross Gyre

TL;DR

Chinstrap penguins and elephant seals migrate to remote, productive areas in the Southern Ocean during winter, likely following food sources.

Contribution

This study identifies persistent winter food hotspots in the Southern Ocean using tracking data and biogeochemical models.

Findings

Predators migrate to areas near the Ross Gyre with elevated chlorophyll levels.

These regions support a productive food web during winter despite light limitations.

Biogeochemical models confirm year-round elevated marine productivity in these hotspots.

Abstract

Assessing the biological characteristics of high-latitude winter habitats of migratory marine predators is necessary for conservation and management in Antarctica. Tracking data from chinstrap penguins (Pygoscelis antarcticus) and southern elephant seals (Mirounga leonina), key Antarctic predators with different diets and foraging habits, indicate that some individuals undertake long-distance winter migrations to remote regions south of 55°S and west of 120°W. There, localized hotspots of increased use, with general reductions in mean swimming speed are evident. Presumably, these predators migrate to areas with higher productivity, however the marine productivity in this remote region during winter is unknown. Light limitation during winter precludes the use of optical satellite data to characterize marine productivity here, but biogeochemical-Argo floats can provide year-round chlorophyll data. These data inform the Biogeochemical Southern Ocean State Estimate (B-SOSE), which provides year-round estimates of marine productivity. The predator hotspots overlap with two areas with year-round elevated surface chlorophyll levels predicted by B-SOSE, consistent with previous studies indicating enhanced mixing in those areas. Our results suggest that persistent areas of elevated chlorophyll centered near 160°W and 120°W near the boundaries of the Ross Gyre and the southern boundary of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current support a productive food web capable of supporting the diverse foraging niches of pelagic species during winter.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1038/s41598-025-87433-6.

Figures