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Avoidance of seismic survey activities by penguins
Lorien Pichegru1, Reason Nyengera2,3, Alistair M McInnes2
1DST/NRF Centre of Excellence at the Percy FitzPatrick Institute for African Ornithology, Institute for Coastal and Marine Research and Department of Zoology, Nelson Mandela University, Port Elizabeth, South Africa. lorienp@hotmail.com.
Scientific Reports
|November 28, 2017
Summary
Seismic surveys disrupt endangered African Penguins
Area of Science:
- Marine Biology
- Bioacoustics
- Conservation Science
Background:
- Seismic surveys for oil and gas are a major source of intense underwater noise.
- Known impacts on marine life, but effects on seabirds are poorly understood.
- African Penguins (Spheniscus demersus) are vulnerable due to their aquatic foraging.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate the behavioral response of African Penguins to seismic surveys.
- Assess impacts on foraging behavior and habitat use.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a multi-year GPS tracking dataset of breeding African Penguins.
- Analyzed penguin movements in relation to seismic survey activities within 100 km of their colony.
Main Results:
- Penguins exhibited strong avoidance of preferred foraging areas during seismic surveys.
- Foraging effort increased, with birds foraging further from survey vessels.
- Normal foraging behavior resumed after seismic operations ceased.
Conclusions:
- Seismic surveys significantly alter African Penguin foraging behavior.
- Urgent need for precautionary management, including 100 km exclusion zones for seismic activities near colonies.
- Anthropogenic ocean noise is a growing threat to marine biodiversity, including seabirds.
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