The dataset contains boundaries of Adelie penguin breeding colonies at numerous breeding sites across east Antarctica. The boundary data were obtained using a range of methods which are detailed in separate spatial group-season accounts. The database of potential Adelie penguin breeding habitat in Southwell et al. (2016a) was used to associate colony boundaries to a particular breeding site and structure how the boundaries are stored. The breeding site database has a unique identifying code of every site of potential breeding habitat in East Antarctica, and the sites are aggregated into spatial sub-groups and then spatial groups. The file structure in which the boundaries are stored has a combination of 'group' and 'split-year breeding season' at the top level (eg VES 2015-16 contains all boundaries in spatial group VES (Vestfold Hills and islands) taken in the 2015-16 breeding season). Within each group-year folder are sub-folders for each breeding site where photos were taken (eg IS_72276 is Gardner Island in the VES group). Please refer to the Seabird Conservation Team Data Sharing Policy for use, acknowledgement and availability of data prior to downloading data.

The dataset comprises scanned copies of the boundaries of Adelie penguin breeding colonies and sections of island coastlines made from aerial photographs taken between 9-15 December 1981. The original tracings by Michael Whitehead were scanned by Colin Southwell.

The survey was completed as part of ASAC project 1219 (ASAC_1219) during 2001/02 summer at Casey. GPS data were collected for all snow petrel nests and wilson's storm petrel nests located during intensive searches of ice-free areas in the Windmill Islands. Approximately 20% of the ice-free areas were surveyed in this manner. Public summary for project 1219: This project provides population data on Antarctic and Subantarctic seabirds that permit assessments to be made of natural population trends at local to regional scales, so that changes in populations due to to human disturbance, such as station activities and helicopter operations can be identified. The data file includes two shapefiles, one with snow petrel nest sites and the other with wilson storm petrel nest sites. The metadata records linked at the provided URLs describe the collection of locations of snow petrel nests at Casey in 1998/99 and 1999/2000.

These data have been superseded by a more recent dataset, described here - https://data.aad.gov.au/metadata/records/AAS_4088_Oblique_Aerial_Photos This dataset comprises oblique aerial photographs of multiple Adelie penguin breeding sites in East Antarctica. The photographs were taken using hand-held digital cameras from fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters used by the Australian Antarctic Program. The aircraft flew at or above the minimum wildlife approach altitude of 750 m with a horizontal offset distance from the site of approximately 500-600m. The date and exact location of the aircraft when each photo was taken is embedded in the EXIF data of each photo. All photographs that were taken are included despite varying image quality due to environmental conditions, camera type and altitude. Generally an attempt was made to photograph the entire breeding site (usually an island, occasionally an outcrop of continental rock) with a series of zoomed, overlapping photos. Sometimes this was not possible when the site was large, and in these cases the overlapping photos covered the locations where colonies were known to exist from previous survey work. In some cases a site was over-flown at an altitude of 1200m so that a single photo of the entire site could be taken. These photos are useful in piecing together the detailed photos. The database of potential Adelie penguin breeding habitat in Southwell et al. (2016a) was used to associate photos to a particular breeding site and structure how the photos are stored. The breeding site database has a unique identifying code of every site of potential breeding habitat in East Antarctica, and the sites are aggregated into sub-groups and then groups. The file structure in which the photos are stored has a combination of 'group' and 'split-year breeding season' at the top level (eg VES 2015-16 contains all photos in group VES (Vestfold Hills and islands) taken in the 2015-16 breeding season). Within each group-year folder are sub-folders for each breeding site where photos were taken (eg IS_72276 is Gardner Island in the VES group). If an overview photo was taken there are separate sub-folders for overview and detailed photos in the site sub-folder. Please refer to the Seabird Conservation Team Data Sharing Policy for use, acknowledgement and availability of data prior to downloading data.

The survey was completed as part of ASAC project 1219 (ASAC_1219) during February 2000 at Casey. Differentially corrected GPS data were collected for all snow petrel nests located during intensive searches of ice-free areas in the Casey station extended recreation area. Public summary for project 1219: This project provides population data on Antarctic and Subantarctic seabirds that permit assessments to be made of natural population trends at local to regional scales, so that changes in populations due to to human disturbance, such as station activities and helicopter operations can be identified.

Previous exploration and ornithology in the Rauer Group are reviewed. Estimates of the nesting populations of southern fulmars and Antarctic petrels are compared with censuses conducted in 1983/84 and 1984/85. Population estimates varied considerably between years, and within the same year between different observers. To remedy this situation the three islands with sympatric breeding populations of the two species were divided into counting units, which are detailed with photographs. The total populations of surface-nesting petrels are in the order of 14000 pairs of fulmars, 2500 pairs of Antarctic petrel and 400 pairs of cape petrels. Chick survival was estimated at the time of banding and varied considerable between species, islands and years. The fields in this dataset are: Location: Filla Island, Buchan Island and Hop Island Southern Fulmar Antarctic Petrel Cape Petrel Birds Counted Estimated Pairs Population Estimates Chick survival Occupied Nests Number of Birds Conversion factor

Long term data sets are useful for identifying temporal changes in the abundance of breeding populations of Antarctic seabirds. This data set is one of only two long term data sets existing for Snow Petrels. The data set comprises records of snow petrel activity for up to 109 nests clearly marked on the colony of Reeve Hill (near Casey station)between 1984 and 2003. A map of the exact nests locations is available as Arcview shapefile. In the database, the following information was recorded in an Excel worksheet: - For each colony check: observer(s) name(s), date and time of the nests check, weather before and during observations - For each nest: 1/nests condition (whether filled with ice/snow or (partially) accessible) 2/activity level in the nests: presence/absence of birds, what sex if known, other signs of activity (footprints, guano, stomach oil) 3/presence of an egg or chick, live or failed 4/presence of old remnants in the nest(egg, chicks) 5/Any specific comments No data are available for years 1987-1988 and 1988-1989. Data are only available for the early part of the breeding season for 1991-1992, 1992-1993 and 1999-2000. The fields in this dataset are: Field Season Date Type of Observation Time start Nest Number Nest condition Old Remnants Activity Egg/Chick Comments

The exact location of an Emperor Penguin Colony on Peterson Bank continually changes due to the changing ice conditions of where the colony is situated. The location confirmed on the 3rd of November 1994 on fast ice at Peterson Bank was 65.9333 S, 110.2 E, 41km NNW of Australia's Casey Station. The location was recorded by Ward Bremmers during a helicopter flight involved in the resupply operations from an ice-bound ship to Casey Station. The presence of chicks was confirmed on landing and an approximate count estimated chick numbers at 2000 with at least 1000 adults present. Many foraging animals were also observed in transit in the surrounding area. Approximately 100 dead chicks, ranging in age from a few weeks to 3 months old, were observed during a casual check in the immediate vicinity. The colony lies on fast ice amid grounded bergs in Peterson Bank. The surrounding icebergs are widely spaced (1-2km), so the colony site is relatively unsheltered from the prevailing easterly gales. The sea-ice thickness at the colony sites was 7-8m, suggesting the ice had been stable for the previous three or our seasons. However, during a second visit to the site on 24 December 1994, the ice at the colony site was breaking up, and 200 chicks in the process of moulting were observed drifting on a large ice floe. On the 24 of April in 1995, a large group of Adults on new ice amid grounded bergs in the Peterson Bank was sighted, suggesting that the colony was reforming. The fields in this dataset are: Date Latitude Longitude Number of Adults Number of Chicks Dead Chicks Comments