This record describes the collection of marine fauna sampled from coastal areas of the Vestfold Hills in 1999. The project was undertaken to compile morphometric data on Weddell seal prey species. Benthic prawns i.e. Chorismus antarcticus and Notocrangon antarcticus, are common Weddell prey species at the Vestfold Hills. We fished for prawns using mesh traps (40 x 20 x 20 cm3). The traps were set at Magnetic Island in May, and in Ellis Fjord in December. The site near Magnetic Island was chosen when the fast-ice fractured enabling the gear to be set in natural tracts of open water. The site in Ellis Fjord was chosen on the basis of published information regarding bathymetry and the range of depths inhabited by prawn species. We waited until December to sample in Ellis Fjord so that the fishing hole did not refreeze. Prawns were caught only in Ellis Fjord and only when the traps were deployed open i.e. with zips on the doors to get the catch out left undone. Approximately 50 prawns of various sizes were caught over three days at the same location, 200 m east of the crossing at Ellis Narrows. The catch has been stored whole in the Australian Antarctic Division freezer in Hobart. Bycatch included amphipods and Notothenid fish at Magnetic Island, and echinoderms, holothurians and Notothenid fish in Ellis Fjord. Some of the bycatch were retained and are stored frozen with the prawns. The linked dataset contains the measurements of length, mass, carapace length and sex (juvenile, male, female) of the prawn catch. All of the prawns were Chorismus antarcticus. The adult females were brooding eggs. The best fit linear regressions were y = 0.3529x - 2.4824, (R2 = 0.9504) for carapace length to predict body mass, and y = 3.5267x + 4.5846 (R2 = 0.9544) for carapace length to body length. The associated URLs contain all of the data, including spreadsheet of data, a scatterplot of the length mass relationship, and a mass frequency histogram of the catch. The fields in this dataset are: Chorismus ID carapace length (mm) body length (mm) mass (g) sex

Instantaneous growth rates (IGR) of Antarctic krill kept under experimental conditions were measured. The measured appendages included the uropods, telson (both standard length measurements with the IGR technique) and the pleopod endopodite and pleopod exopodite were investigated as an alternate length measurement. IGR measurements were recorded on 90 experimental animals. The total carbon content of 45 krill of various size ranges (collected directly from the field) was determined. The relationship between the change in length in carbon as a function of growth was investigated. The parameters measured were total length, mean uropod length, telson length, wet weight, dry weight and total carbon content. This dataset was collected as part of ASAC project 141. See metadata record ASAC_141 - Collection of live Antarctic krill 'Euphausia superba'. The fields in this dataset are: Krill Total length (mm) Telson length (mm) Mean uropod length (mm) Wet weight (g) Dry weight (g) Dry Weight (mg) Carbon content as a % of dry weight Total carbon content (g) Moult Sex

This dataset is a record of sightings and strandings of cetaceans (mainly whales) at Macquarie Island. Results have been reported from 1968 to 1990 on an irregular basis. The related publication (ANARE Research Notes 91) discusses a number of species including southern right (Balaena glacialis), minke (Balaenoptera acutorostrata), strap-toothed (Mesoplodon layardii), sperm (Physter macrocephalus), longfin pilot (Globicephala melaene) and killer (Orcinus orca) whales. Quantitative data relating to orcas (from tables 1 and 2) are provided here, along with data related to other species extracted from the text. The fields in this dataset are: (Table 1) number_of_individuals_in_pod number_of_sightings (Table 2) month number_of_sightings minimum_number_of_individuals maximum_number_of_individuals number_of_males number_of_females number_of_adults number_of_juveniles number_of_calves (From the text) observation_date location_name longitude latitude common_name scientific_name_original scientific_name abundance notes

This dataset comprises of an Access Database of compiled historical fish data from the following voyages and field surveys: Fish biological and stomach contents data - Casey 1988 Inshore Marine Fish of the Vestfold Hills Antarctica, 1983-1984 Macquarie Island Fisheries, 1994-1995 Aurora Australis Voyage 7.2 (HIMS) 1989-90 Heard Island Fish Data Aurora Australis Voyage 6 (AAMBER2) 1990-91 Pelagic Fish Data Aurora Australis Voyage 6 (FISHOG) 1991-92 Heard Island Fish Data Aurora Australis Voyage 1 (THIRST) 1993-94 Demersal Fish Data See the child records for more details about the individual voyages or field surveys.

---- Public Summary from Project ---- Leopard seals are usually seen in the pack-ice where they pup on the ice and where they must first face life at sea. However at Macquarie Island, well to the north of the ice, for 50 years now there has been the odd phenomenon of 'Leopard seal years'. At seemingly semi-regular periods (~3-4 years) considerable numbers (can be greater than 100) of leopard seals arrive at the island; and then virtually none are seen for some more years. The periodicity of these arrivals has been striking. Thus it seems that young leopard seals (which is the group arriving in poor condition on Macquarie Island) suffer acute food shortages in the pack-ice zone every 3-4 years. This project will continue to record these events and tag and weigh the seals which come ashore. This will allow the long-term dataset to continue and give some more information about the seals which arrive. It is also planned to glue some satellite recorders to the seals so that their journeys after M.I. can be known. Data are collected when seals are seen on beach. Since the 1980s few seals have been seen so data are sparse but significant. Currently the dataset contains the number of leopard seals sighted at Macquarie Island each year and a record of sightings of Leopard Seals from 1948 till 2002 (some years are omitted due to unavailability of data, see quality information). Details on the sightings include date and location of sighting and condition of the seal. The fields in the dataset for the number of seals sighted each year at Macquarie Island are: Year Number of seals. The fields in the dataset detailing the sightings of Leopard Seals on Macquarie Island from 1948 till 2002 include the following: Seal ID: Each seal has been allocated a unique ID number. This acts as a means of tracking the seal if a tag is replaced or removed. Tag #1 and Tag #2: Tag numbers include plastic tags attached to the seals flippers and substitute tag numbers allocated to those seals marked with paint in 1959 and those seals resighted by length and/or a distinguishing feature or injury. Information on plastic tags: -All tags used from 1976-1981 were yellow plastic - except 50 (30/9/76) which is red plastic diamond shaped, and 90a which is metal. -Tag numbers followed by a in 1976 are coffin shaped (note: a prefix of 0 was used in original tag rather than an a following the number). -Tag numbers followed by a in 1977 are combinations of shovel and coffin shaped parts (note: a prefix of 0 was used in original tag rather than an a following the number). -Tag numbers not followed by a in 1977 are shovel-shaped. -Tags used by 1986 were the 'Jumbo Rototag' which are smaller and made of less flexible plastic than the 'Allflex' tags originally used. -See references below for further information on tags and methods of tagging used. Information on substitute or'S' tags -Tags prefixed with S are substitute tags. Seals with a tag prefixed by S were not physically tagged with a plastic or metal tag. This 'tag number' was allocated when collating data from years when plastic tagging were not used and resights of seals were determined by either coloured markings painted on the seals (as in 1959) or by a combination of length, sex, distinguishing features or injuries. -S Tag numbers were allocated in date order of the original or 'New' sighting. Hence 'tag' S1 was allocated to the first seal sighted and then resighted in 1949. -Note: There are some instances where the original recorder of the sightings did not note any distinguishing features or paint markings on the seal but later recorded that the seal had been resighted. When this occurred the 'word' of the recorder was taken and an S tag allocated. Date: Date of sighting whether initial sighting or a resighting of the same seal. Location Codes: This field notes the location code for the area on Macquarie Island where the seal was sighted. The code corresponds to a grid reference on Macquarie Island that was originally used for locating Elephant Seal sightings. A listing of these reference codes is also attached to this dataset. The fields in the location code dataset are: Location Name, Location ID, Latitude and Longitude. Within the original records a number of locations were noted using outdated or informal names. These locations were renamed with the reference code now used for that location. A listing of the informal names and the location codes they respond to has been included in the Location Codes worksheet for reference. Sex: the sex of the seal is noted in this column as either: M = Male or F = Female. Length: The nose to tail length of the seal is noted in centimetres. Condition: This field details the general condition of the Leopard Seal. The coding is as follows: G = Good, F = Fair, P = Poor, T = Thin, E = Emancipated, D = Dead and K = Killed. Comments on Condition: This field is used to note any additional details regarding the condition of the animal including; whether the seal was moulting or had it's full fur, if the seal was solid or thin, the condition of the mouth, teeth and eyes; injuries including lacerations, tears, puncture / bite wounds or scars; and prominent features that could be used to recognise the seal if sighted again. Descriptions detailing the seal's health or temperament were also noted, these comments included: lively, aggressive, timid, sleepy and sluggish. Comments on movement and tagging: This field notes additional details on where the seal was sighted, it's movements and information regarding the tags used. Location of tag: UL = Upper left, UR = Upper right, LL = Lower left and LR = Lower right. W or E: What W and E relate to in regards to the seal sighting is currently unknown, however the information has been included as it may prove to be significant / useful. Sighting: This field defines the sighting as either N = New sighting or R = Resighting, ie the seal has been sighted previously and either 1) has been tagged or 2) has a predominant marking or feature that has made the seal recognisable. Note: if information was unknown the fields were left blank.

Metadata record for data from ASAC Project 2337 See the link below for public details on this project. ---- Public Summary from Project ---- The experimental krill research program is focused on obtaining life history information of use in managing the krill fishery - the largest Antarctic fishery. In particular, the program will concentrate on studies into schooling, growth and ageing of krill. From the abstracts of some of the referenced papers: Nucleic acid contents of tissue were determined from field-caught Antarctic krill to determine whether they could be used as an alternative estimator of individual growth rates which can currently only be obtained by labour intensive on-board incubations. Krill from contrasting growth regimes from early and late summer exhibited differences in RNA-based indices. There was a significant correlation between the independently measured individual growth rates and the RNA-based indices. There was a significant correlation between the independently measured individual growth rates and the RNA:DNA ratio and also the RNA concentration of krill tissue, although the strength of the relationship was only modest. DNA concentration, on average, was relatively constant, irrespective of the growth rates. The moult stage did not appear to have a significant effect on the nucleic acid contents of tissue. Overall, the amount of both nucleic acids varied considerably between individuals. Nucleic acid-based indicators may provide information concerning the recent growth and nutritional status of krill and further experimentation under controlled conditions is warranted. The are, however, reasonably costly and time-consuming measurements. Growth rates of Antarctic krill Euphausia superba Dana in the Indian Ocean sector of the Southern Ocean were measured in 4 summers. Growth rate was measured using an 'instantaneous growth rate' technique which involved measuring the mean change in length if the uropods at moulting. In the first 4 days following collection mean growth rates ranged from 0.35 to 7.34% per moult in adults and 2.42 to 9.05% in juveniles. Mean growth rates of adult and juvenile krill differed between areas and between the different years of the investigation. When food was restricted under experimental conditions, individual krill began to shrink immediately and mean population growth rates decreased gradually, becoming negative after as little as 7 days. Populations of krill which exhibited initial growth rates began to shrink later than those which had initially been growing more slowly. Data were collected on growth rates of krill. These data were collected as part of ASAC projects 34, 1074, 2220 and 2337. ASAC_34 - Ecophysiology of Antarctic Krill 'Euphausia superba' ASAC_1074 - Seasonal growth in krill ASAC_2220 - Collection of live Antarctic krill ASAC_2337 - Experimental studies into growth and ageing of krill The fields in this dataset are: Field season (eg FS9596 = Field Season 1995-1996) Area (eg Indian Ocean) Cruise Month Date Latitude Longitude Total Number of Krill Dead Krill Moulted Krill Experiment ID Station ID Sample ID Sex Growth (IGR%) (% growth at time of moulting) Uropod Size (mm) Days after capture (when moulted) Standard length

A major goal of a research expedition by the Australian Antarctic Division over the summer of (2003/04) in the Southern Ocean off Heard Island was to answer some of the questions needed to determine what level of exploitation of Southern Ocean fisheries is sustainable. The use of novel equipment, cutting edge technology and some adept logistical co-ordination allowed the Aurora Australis, on the Southern Ocean, to catch the prey of the predators of Heard Island. This work was accomplished by placing satellite trackers on animals at Heard Island, and then, using the ARGOS system, monitoring their activities in the Southern Ocean around the island. The Aurora Australis assisted in the monitoring and tracking of the animals by searching the areas the animals were foraging for prey species. The animals tracked in this experiment were: Light-mantled sooty albatrosses black-browed albatrosses king penguins macaroni penguins Antarctic fur seals The columns in this data file are: individual_id - the identifier of the individual animal species - the species name of that animal pttid - the identifier of the PTT tracker deployed on that animal deployment_longitude - the longitude at which the tracker was deployed deployment_latitude - the latitude at which the tracker was deployed observation_date - the date (ISO8601 format) of the position observation year, month, day, time, time_zone - as per the observation_date, but in separate columns locationclass - the ARGOS location class of the position (see http://www.argos-system.org/manual/3-location/34_location_classes.htm; value -3 corresponds to a "Z" class, value -2 to "B", value -1 to "A") latitude - the latitude of the position observation longitude - the longitude of the position observation

Metadata record for data from ASAC Project 1242 See the link below for public details on this project. ---- Public Summary from Project ---- This project will undertake preliminary assessment of Southern Ocean squid stocks. Squids will be collected by jigging and light trapping off research vessels in the region of Macquarie Island and other selected locations where the opportunity arises. Little is known about squid biology in the Pacific and Indian sectors of the Southern Ocean. This project will help to provide initial basic biological data on the squid species present. 18 squid we caught on-board the Aurora Australis in November, 2001. All were caught 200-300 kms south of Tasmania, by a hand-held squid jig, at latitude 47 South at a depth of 1m. All samples caught on the 5/11/01 have the code QA/AA/80/01. There was no code written for others caught on 3/11/01. The fields in this dataset are: Species Date Mantle length (mm) Weight (g) Sex Maturity Gonad weight (g) See also the metadata record for ASAC project 1340 (ASAC_1340), Squid in the antarctic and subantarctic, their biology and ecology.

The objectives for this project were: The project aims to quantify the patterns of dispersal and survival of newly weaned southern elephant seal pups to provide information on position at sea and foraging behaviour of the pups once they leave Macquarie Island, and to examine how this is related to position at sea and foraging behaviour in the second year. This information will be used to test the hypothesis that first year survival is a consequence of the young animals exploiting different foraging grounds to adults, and that fishing activity on the Campbell Plateau may be a contributing factor. In addition, stable isotope analysis and fatty acid signature analysis will be used to examine differences in foraging behaviour from animals while they are at sea. The raw data from this project is added to the long term database described by the metadata records 'Macquarie Island Elephant Seal Populations 1950-1965', and 'Macquarie Island Elephant Seal Populations 1985 Onwards'. This database has been taken offline, however. A snapshot of the database was taken in January, 1995, and is linked at the provided URL. For access, contact the Australian Antarctic Data Centre. A number of papers have been produced from this project. Some of these papers are included in the reference section below. The data collected for the database is as follows: Seal Number Status (new or resight) Date Location Age Class Status (cow, beachmaster, pregnant cow, dead etc) Sex Weight Length Size Back Fat Flipper Body Water Time Depth Recorder

Databases (Wandering, Black-browed, Light-mantled Sooty and Grey-headed albatrosses, Northern Giant Petrels and Southern Giant Petrels): These databases summarise all banding and resight information that has been collected from these species during the years that the albatross project has been run on Macquarie Island. These databases also include historical banding and resight information collated by albatross project staff from historical biological logbooks on Macquarie Island. The download file contains several access databases: MI_Albatross and MI_Albatross_2k are different versions of the same database - they were merely designed for different systems. All the data are held in MI_Albatross_Data. MI_Albatross and MI_Albatross_2k must be referenced to MI_Albatross_Data if you wish to use the front ends available in these versions. The download file also contains detailed field reports written after the 2004/2005 season and the 2006/2007 season, and all satellite tracking data obtained on Macquarie Island between 1999 and 2003. Finally, the download file also contains a number of excel spreadsheets, which are observations for specific years. These data were originally collected as part of ASAC project 751 (ASAC_751) - Status and conservation of albatrosses on Macquarie Island. The project has now been continued as ASAC project 2569 (ASAC_2569) - Conservation and population status of albatrosses and giant petrels on Macquarie Island. 2007/2008 Season - Brief Report The objectives of this program were substantially advanced during the 2007-08 season. Indeed, additional objectives were met that are fundamental to the seabird monitoring required for the rabbit and rodent eradication program being implemented on Macquarie Island. All breeding pairs of Wandering albatross (n=5 pairs), Black-browed albatross (n=41 pairs) and Grey-headed albatrosses (n=60 pairs) were identified in order to continue to assess the survival parameters for both adults and juveniles. The study colonies of breeding adult Light-mantled albatrosses were also monitored for survival estimates. Entire island censuses of breeding pairs of both Northern giant petrels (n=1840 pairs) and Southern giant petrels (n=2573 pairs) were undertaken in order to track their population trends. Breeding success rates were documented for all the six species of threatened albatross and giant petrels. Comparing these results to long-term data acquired during this program, hatching and fledging success rates were within the typical levels of variation for most species. However, for Wandering albatrosses this season, only five eggs were laid and two hatched, representing a breeding success of only 40%. The breeding effort was the lowest recorded since the inception of the current program in 1994 (previous program number 751) and the lowest on Macquarie Island since 1984. Additionally it was the third consecutive year of low hatching success and low chick productivity. The likelihood of the survival of the Wandering albatross population on Macquarie Island requires urgent consideration. The whole island surveys of giant petrels has indicated that Southern giant petrels are remaining stable, contrasting to the increases in numbers of breeding Northern giant petrels. Continued documentation of the conservation status of these two threatened populations is especially significant as both species are likely to be impacted by the rabbit and rodent eradication program as a result of secondary poisoning (via consumption of poisoned rabbit carcasses) and also as a result of the changes in predator/prey interactions. Continued monitoring of the trends of both species of giant petrels will be required to measure the impacts of the eradication program on non-target species (as required under EPBC Act). Further linkages with the eradication program with this threatened seabird monitoring program were achieved though assessments of the extent of rabbit damage at the albatross breeding sites (listed as Critical Habitat). Progress in determining the foraging distribution of these species was achieved by the retrieval of all four geologgers that had been deployed on Light-mantled albatrosses in 2005. These units have been returned to British Antarctic Survey for analyses of location data. The satellite tracking data acquired from both Northern and Southern giant petrels has been submitted for publication and is in review. Additionally a synthesis of all at-sea data that has been acquired during this program (satellite tracking and geologger data) is being undertaken in order to assess the overlap of these six seabird species with the different Regional Fisheries Management Organisations (RFMOs). In summary, the Objective of this program - to assess and monitor the conservation and population status of the four species of albatross and two species of giant petrel on Macquarie Island - continues to be achieved at a high level. Importantly the results of this program continue to be contributed to global efforts and initiatives to better protect these highly threatened seabird species. Included among the forums to which the results of this program have been contributed in 2007/08 are CCAMLR, ACAP, SCAR, longline fishing TAP team, SAFAG and the draft EIS for the eradication program. The results of this program have also been widely documented in the draft Issues Paper that serves as the Appendix to the National Recovery Plan for Albatrosses and Giant Petrels (2008). 2008-2009 Report: In summary, the Objective of this program - to assess and monitor the conservation and population status of the four species of albatross and two species of giant petrel on Macquarie Island - continued to be achieved at a high level during the 2008-09 season. Results from this season provide a 15 year continuous time series of rigorous population and demographic data, representing one of few such comprehensive studies in the southern ocean and as such, one of global importance. The results of this program continue to be contributed to global efforts and initiatives to better protect these highly threatened seabird species. Included among the forums to which the results of this program will be contributed in 2008/09 are CCAMLR, ACAP, longline fishing TAP team and SARAG, and the BirdLife International Global tracking database. Importantly, the results from this season have also been incorporated into the EIS for the rabbit and rodent eradication program, as required by the EPBC Act. In August 2008, the CI of this program, Rosemary Gales delivered a presentation at the Fourth International Albatross and Petrel Conference in South Africa, a presentation which addressed the status of albatrosses and petrels at Macquarie Island and the conservation strategies that have been implemented to assist with their long-term survival. Population dynamics and demographic parameters - All species of albatrosses and giant petrels on Macquarie Island are listed as threatened species. Island wide surveys of breeding pairs of wandering (13 eggs), black-browed (66 eggs) and grey-headed albatrosses (115 eggs) were conducted as they have done so annually since the inception of the program. The number of breeding pairs of light-mantled albatross (367 eggs) in the study areas was also counted this season. These time series data are consistent and robust and so allow us to detect and quantify real trends in the population trajectories. At present these populations appear stable, albeit at critically low numbers for some species. A collaborative global review of the population trends and trajectories of the endangered wandering albatrosses has significantly progressed during 2008-09 with data being contributed from Macquarie Island (this program), Marion Island, South Georgia and Kerguelen. The trends of these populations, which vary among ocean sectors, are currently being prepared for publication (Ryan et al. in prep). This year, as has occurred in some previous seasons, an island wide census of the Northern and Southern giant petrels was undertaken. A total of 2049 Southern giant petrel eggs, and 1683 Northern giant petrel eggs were counted which indicates that these populations have remained relatively stable in recent years. These species are amongst the most likely to be impacted by the planned rabbit and rodent eradication program - through secondary poisoning - and so spatial and temporal information on the location and numbers of breeding pairs is important. Continued monitoring of the trends of both species of giant petrels will be required to measure the impacts of the eradication program on non-target species (as required under EPBC Act). Further linkages with the eradication program with this threatened seabird monitoring program were achieved though assessments of the extent of rabbit damage at the albatross breeding sites (listed as Critical Habitat). Increased rabbit grazing of tussock continues to destabilise much of the nesting slopes in many areas and nests must be considered 'inaccessible' if personnel safety is potentially compromised or if there is a risk of researchers damaging fragile slopes to the detriment of nesting birds. In addition to the numbers of breeding pairs, parameters such as hatching success and breeding success were determined for these species this year, adding to long-term time series. As with survivorship data, long-term time series are fundamental in detecting changes in the breeding parameters of long-lived seabirds with low reproductive output. Changes to breeding parameters of seabirds are predicted under climate change scenarios. Sustained changes, even slight ones, will ultimately change the trajectory of a population. The critically small populations on Macquarie Island are therefore potentially threatened by this process. Individual band numbers have been obtained from all breeding wandering, black-browed, grey-headed and light-mantled albatross that could safely be accessed. This banding re-sight information is fundamental to assessing the survival parameters for both adults and juveniles and is in the process of being incorporated into appropriate databases and re-analysed. Individual survivorship analyses including all seasons up to 2008 are near completion. This data will be contributed to ACAP to update species assessments and will be published in a peer-reviewed journal during the next 12 months. Foraging ecology and oceanic distribution - One geolocation logger was retrieved from a wandering albatross adult. This unit was deployed in 2005 and has been collecting at-sea data for more than three years. When analyses of all retrieved loggers are complete (in collaboration with BAS), these data will provide critically important information on foraging distribution, and spatial and temporal overlap with fisheries that will enhance our ability to manage and mitigate the risk of fisheries related mortality. During 2008-09 significant advances have been achieved in analysing foraging distribution data from other species on Macquarie Island. A manuscript summarising the satellite tracking of Northern and Southern giant petrels and an assessment of their overlap with regional fisheries management organisations has recently been published (Trebilco et al. 2008). A global synthesis of the spatial usage of black-browed albatrosses is nearing completion, this review combining data from populations in all oceanic sectors including Macquarie Island (this program), Chile, the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and Kerguelen Islands. This collaborative review (Wakefield et al. in prep) is scheduled for publication in 2009. ------------------------------------- ---- Public Summary from Project ---- Across the Southern Ocean populations of albatrosses and giant petrels have declined as a result of interactions with fishing operations. The current status of these birds on Macquarie island is unknown. This program aims to allow confident and accurate assessments of the population status and trends of the albatrosses and giant petrels on Macquarie Island. The long-term monitoring study is required to obtain information regarding population size and productivity, adult and juvenile survival rates and age- and sex-related effects on reproductive performance and survival. The oceanic movements of the birds are being investigated so that questions regarding temporal and spatial overlap with fishing operations can be addressed. With this knowledge we will be well placed to make realistic conservation assessments for the populations and be able to provide appropriate input into management protocols. The fields in this dataset are: Bird ID Band Number Date Location Bird Status (e.g. Adult) Nest Number Comments Sex Resight Mate Egg Fledged Chick Species This project has been superseded by AAS project 4112 (Status and trends of Macquarie Island Albatrosses and Giant Petrels: management and conservation of threatened seabirds). See that project for all updated datasets.