Monitoring Wildlife and their Habitats in the Southern Ocean and around Indian Research Stations in Antarctica

Abstract

Antarctica and its surrounding ocean are at the centre stage of rapid and extreme environmental events due to prevailing global climate change, which in turn necessitates long-term monitoring of wildlife and their habitats in this region. Systematic monitoring of seabirds and marine mammals were carried out during five austral summers (2008-09, 2009-10, 2013-14, 2014-15 and 2015-16). Vessel-based surveys for pelagic seabirds in the southern Indian Ocean, aerial surveys for seals and penguins and field surveys for locating nesting sites of Antarctic birds were conducted at Indian area of operation in Antarctica. Forty-nine species of seabirds were observed during the vessel-based surveys. Species richness peaked in the mid-latitudes but species abundances increased along higher latitudes towards Antarctica. Planktivorous species in the lower latitudes were replaced by mixed prey dependent species in the higher latitudes. Aerial surveys recorded a total of four species of seals viz. Weddell seal, Crabeater seal, Leopard seal and Ross seal and two penguin species viz. Emperor penguin and Adelie penguin. Out of 15 islands in Larsemann hills that were surveyed on-foot, the presence of nesting sites of seabirds is reported from 13 islands. The preliminary results from our study provide the baseline data for ecologically important species within Indian area of operation in Antarctica and will help design future research activities.