Distribution and status of the kelp gull, Larus dominicanus Lichtenstein (1823), at Admiralty Bay, King George Island, South Shetland, Antarctica

Abstract

We examined the distribution, abundance and density of the kelp gull, at Admiralty Bay during three austral summers from 2002/03 to 2004/05 and compared our results with previously published data. All ice free areas within the bay were surveyed, and nests were individually marked with a hand-held GPS receiver and subsequently plotted on a geographical chart using ArcView (ESRI 2001). Statistical analysis demonstrated that the means are similar for all time periods, suggesting that the population of kelp gulls has remained unchanged in Admiralty Bay since summer of 1978/79 (Jablonski 1986).