An integrative ecological study of a sentinel species in the Antarctic environment, the Adélie penguin

The ADELIE-ECO project (1323) aims to develop and test new bio-logging and ecophysiogical tools to better assess and understand the impact of environmental changes on a sentinel species of the Antarctic ecosystems, the Adelie penguin. It will focus on four research topics (foraging/dispersal, parental care, thermoregulation and circadian rhythms) and it will rely on recent technological advances to accurately measure these traits and to better understand how they can be impacted by ongoing environmental changes (e.g., weather, sea-ice extent, human disturbance). By doing so, it will allow us to implement new monitoring tools in our ‘sister’ project in the future (Prog. 1091, long-term monitoring of Adélie penguins in Adélie Land, East Antarctica) and possibly into other international cooperations. The 1323 project therefore represents the necessary ‘experimental proof test laboratory’ that will allow us to maintain cutting-edge long-term monitoring projects.