This indicator is no longer maintained, and is considered OBSOLETE. INDICATOR DEFINITION The size of the breeding population of King Penguins at Heard Island. TYPE OF INDICATOR There are three types of indicators used in this report: 1. Describes the CONDITION of important elements of a system; 2. Show the extent of the major PRESSURES exerted on a system; 3. Determine RESPONSES to either condition or changes in the condition of a system. This indicator is one of: CONDITION RATIONALE FOR INDICATOR SELECTION The breeding population of King Penguins is related to resource availability (nesting space and food), behavioural mechanisms (immigration/emigration and breeding effort/success) in addition to climate change and human impacts such as fisheries. Monitoring breeding population and interpretation of the data provides information on changes in the Subantarctic ecosystem. DESIGN AND STRATEGY FOR INDICATOR MONITORING PROGRAM Spatial scale: Heard Island (lat 53 deg 06' 00.0" S, long 73 deg 31' 59.9" E). Frequency: 2-3 years. Access to remote colonies and other logistical constraints do not permit annual visits. Measurement technique: Each colony is visited and individual birds are counted from the ground by two or three personnel performing replicate counts. Further counts are obtained by oblique ground and aerial photography. All breeding individuals in a colony are counted. Considerations regarding disturbance associated with census visits are also incorporated into monitoring strategies. The lack of annual census data does not reduce the value of these long-term monitoring programmes. RESEARCH ISSUES The king penguin breeding population at Heard Island has increased at almost 20% per year since the late 1940s; other king penguin populations throughout the Southern Ocean have also increased, but not as rapidly. At present, there is no alternative hypothesis to that previously proposed, that these population increases are sustained by the enhanced availability of myctophids, the principal prey of king penguins (Woehler et al. 2001). LINKS TO OTHER INDICATORS

This indicator is no longer maintained, and is considered OBSOLETE. INDICATOR DEFINITION Breeding populations of Adelie penguins at Davis, Mawson and Casey (including Shirley Island and Whitney Point). TYPE OF INDICATOR There are three types of indicators used in this report: 1. Describes the CONDITION of important elements of a system; 2. Show the extent of the major PRESSURES exerted on a system; 3. Determine RESPONSES to either condition or changes in the condition of a system. This indicator is one of: CONDITION RATIONALE FOR INDICATOR SELECTION The breeding population of Adelie penguins is related to resource availability (nesting space and food), behavioural mechanisms (immigration/emigration and breeding effort/success) in addition to climate change and human impacts (fisheries, tourism, pollution, disturbance). Monitoring these colonies and interpretation of the data provides information on changes in the Antarctic ecosystem. DESIGN AND STRATEGY FOR INDICATOR MONITORING PROGRAM Spatial scale: Colonies near Australian Stations - Casey (lat 66 deg 16' 54.5" S, long 110 deg 31' 39.4" E) Davis (lat 68 deg 34' 35.8" S, long 77 deg 58' 02.6" E) Mawson (lat 67 deg 36' 09.7" S, long 62 deg 52' 25.7" E) All colonies on - Shirley Island (lat 66 deg 16' 55.9" S, long 110 deg 29' 17.9" E) and Whitney Point (lat 66 deg 15' 08.6" S, long 110 deg 31' 40.1" E) Frequency: Annual surveys at Shirley Island and Whitney Point. Other colonies every 2-3 years, depending on logistical constraints. Measurement technique: Each colony is visited and all breeding birds are counted from the ground by two or three personnel performing replicate counts. Supplementary census data are obtained from oblique ground and aerial photographs. All breeding adults in a colony are counted. Considerations regarding disturbance associated with census visits are also incorporated into monitoring strategies. The lack of annual census data for some colonies does not reduce the value of these long-term monitoring programmes. RESEARCH ISSUES Adelie Penguin populations throughout East Antarctica have shown sustained, long-term increases for the past 30 or more years; in contrast, populations elsewhere around the Antarctic and on the Antarctic Peninsula have exhibited decreases or no clear long-term trends (Woehler et al. 2001). Greater coverage of colonies throughout the AAT would provide a more accurate estimate of the total annual breeding population in East Antarctica. In addition to basic inventory requirements, data on the population trends would contribute to a better understanding of the role of Adelie penguins in the Antarctic ecosystem, and provide managers with feedback or management strategies. LINKS TO OTHER INDICATORS

This indicator is no longer maintained, and is considered OBSOLETE. INDICATOR DEFINITION The number of breeding pairs of Southern Giant Petrels at Heard Island, the McDonald Islands, and in colonies near Casey, Davis and Mawson stations. TYPE OF INDICATOR There are three types of indicators used in this report: 1. Describes the CONDITION of important elements of a system; 2. Show the extent of the major PRESSURES exerted on a system; 3. Determine RESPONSES to either condition or changes in the condition of a system. This indicator is one of: CONDITION RATIONALE FOR INDICATOR SELECTION The breeding population of Southern Giant Petrels is related to resource availability (nesting space and food), behavioural mechanisms (immigration/emigration and breeding effort/success) in addition to climate change and human impacts (including fisheries and human disturbance). Monitoring breeding populations and interpretation of the data provides information on changes in the Antarctic and Subantarctic ecosystems. DESIGN AND STRATEGY FOR INDICATOR MONITORING PROGRAM Spatial scale: Colonies near Australian Stations - Frazier Islands, Casey (lat 66 degrees 16' 54.5' S, long 110 degrees 31' 39.4' E) Hawker Island, Davis (lat 68 degrees 34' 35.8' S, long 77 degrees 58' 02.6' E) Giganteus Island, Mawson (lat 67 degrees 36' 09.7' S, long 62 degrees 52' 25.7' E) Heard Island - (lat 53 degrees 06' 00.0' S, long 73 degrees 31' 59.9' E) McDonald Islands - (lat 53 degrees 02' 26.2' S, long 72 degrees 36' 00.0' E) Frequency: Breeding Southern Giant Petrels are easily disturbed. Colonies are visited every 3-5 years to minimise disturbance to breeding birds. Measurement technique: All colonies are visited and breeding birds are counted from outside the colonies by two personnel performing replicate counts. All breeding individuals in a colony are counted. No birds are disturbed off their nests. Considerations regarding disturbance associated with census visits are also incorporated into monitoring strategies. The lack of annual census data does not reduce the value of these long-term monitoring programmes. RESEARCH ISSUES All Southern Giant Petrel breeding populations in the AAT and at HIMI decreased following their discovery. Southern Giant Petrels breeding on Indian Ocean islands are highly sensitive to human disturbance. Access to breeding colonies is restricted, as are the types of activities permitted. Disturbance from researchers has been implicated in the observed decreases in these populations (Woehler et al. 2001, Woehler et al. in press). Analyses of the long term AAT data suggest that the breeding populations at Hawker Is and at the Frazier Is have recovered following the restrictions on access and activities permitted on breeding islands. LINKS TO OTHER INDICATORS