# Dispersal and habitat preference of juvenile emperor penguins—implications for conservation management

## TL;DR

Juvenile emperor penguins migrate far from their breeding grounds, highlighting the need for marine conservation measures beyond breeding areas.

## Contribution

The study reveals new migratory patterns of juvenile emperor penguins and suggests the importance of the marginal ice zone as a feeding habitat.

## Key findings

- Juvenile emperor penguins migrate north to specific subareas and then move south toward the marginal ice zone.
- The movement patterns suggest the marginal ice zone is a key feeding area for juveniles.
- Conservation strategies should consider spatio-temporal management to protect these penguins at sea.

## Abstract

Seabirds can disperse widely when searching for prey, particularly during nonbreeding periods. Conservation measures predominately focus on protecting breeding colonies, while spatial protection at sea is often based on knowledge of the distribution of breeding adults, despite accumulating evidence that marine habitats used by immature birds sometimes differ from those of adults. Juvenile emperor penguins from Atka Bay, west Dronning Maud Land, Antarctica, tracked immediately after fledging performed long migrations to the northern extents of the Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources subareas 48.4 and 48.6. Individuals did not remain long at their northern positions, before commencing a rapid southerly movement to within a few hundred km of the marginal ice zone (MIZ). The initial migratory movement was broadly synchronous across individuals. The southward movement and subsequent change to area-restricted searching were consistent with the MIZ representing a potentially important feeding habitat for juvenile emperor penguins. Spatio-temporal management mechanisms may be beneficial in reducing threats to these young penguins.