CCAMLR

The importance of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) in remote sensing is rapidly growing. However, knowledge about their potential impact on wildlife is scant, especially in the Antarctic, where they are a new tool used in ecological research and monitoring.   

In this preliminary study we investigate potential effects of wildlife disturbance by UAVs. In austral summer 2014-2015 UAV overflights were conducted, in the Adelié penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae) colony at Pt. Thomas (Western Shore of Admiralty Bay, King George Island, Antarctic, subarea 48.1). The impact of electric and combustion engine UAV flying at the altitude of 300-350 m AGL (Above Ground Level) over the colony were compared to undisturbed colony, and to natural disturbance (skua Stercorarius sp. flying over nesting penguins). Penguin behavior was divided into: resting behavior, comfort behavior, vigilance/anxiety and aggression. Percentages of birds exhibiting different types of behavior, time spent on each type of behavior and number of different types of behavior displayed by one bird during the observation periods were compared. No differences were found between control and overflights by electric UAVs. During the overflight by UAV powered by combustion engine, symptoms of vigilance were noticed with penguins looking up and around for a few seconds when UAV was overhead. Similar symptoms of vigilance were observed when skua flew (aprox. 5 m AGL) over penguin colony without trying to attack nesting birds. No increase in aggressive behavior was observed during the overflights. Plans for a systematic monitoring of UAV impact on wildlife, as well as preliminary guidelines for the next field season were formulated.

Dynamic climate changes have become noticeable in recent decades, especially in the vulnerable region of Western Antarctic. The relatively simple food web of this area relies on krill - Euphausia superba. Presumably as a result of climatic fluctuations, a decrease in the numbers of this crustacean has been recorded, followed by an increase in the population of the gelatinous zooplankter Salpa thompsoni.

In the inquiry herein presented, population and morphometric analyses on Salpa thompsoni have been conducted. Specimens for this research were collected from the Drake Passage, using a Bongo net in the summer season of 2010.

It has been found that the horizontal distribution of this gelatinous zooplankter was significant irregular (Kruskal-Wallis test, p<0.001). In the northern part of the investigated area both blastozooids and oozooids were recorded, which confirms the dynamical performance of this species’ development. The central part of the Drake Passage was characterized by a dominance of blastozooids, with embryos found in different stages of development. Only in the region of South Shetland Island was the Salpidae population characterized by slowed, or even stopped reproduction.

The immense reproduction efficiency observed in the Salpa thompsoni population was mostly induced by beneficial thermal conditions. These observations may suggest that ongoing environmental changes in Western Antarctic will promote expansion of this species’ population.

An integrated, age-structured model was fitted to different combinations of survey data using two forms of selectivity (logistic or double-logistic) with time-constant or annually varying selectivity to investigate the population dynamics of Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) near the Antarctic Peninsula. The data were from surveys conducted by the U.S. Antarctic Marine Living Resources Program around the South Shetland Islands from 1992 to 2011. Two indices of krill biomass based on (1) trawl-net samples and (2) hydroacoustic sampling were combined with length-compositions from the nets. Sixteen model configurations using different combinations of the two biomass surveys with the various options for modeling selectivities were examined. Parameters were estimated in phases with the sequential order of the phases randomized until an invertible Hessian matrix was obtained. Model consistency for the estimates of derived quantities was tested using simulated data. Annual trends in the estimates of total biomass, spawning biomass, and recruitment were similar among different configurations assuming time-constant selectivity, but the absolute scaling ranged widely depending on which biomass indices were used. All configurations with time-constant selectivities were able to reproduce the derived quantities of the operating model when fitted to simulated data. Annually varying selectivities produced more variable estimates of the trends in population biomass, but less variable estimates of scale, compared to time-constant configurations fitted to the same data. The models with annually varying selectivities did not produce invertible Hessian matrices, and four of these configurations could not reproduce the derived parameters of their operating model when fitted to simulated data. Using AIC, the model with logistic, time-constant selectivities was selected as the best configuration to fit both sources of biomass data. The two-stage approach of first randomizing the phase order until an invertible Hessian matrix is achieved and then verifying the reproducibility of the estimates of derived quantities using simulated data could be employed in any integrated stock assessment with parameters estimated in phases.

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles specially adapted for operation in polar regions were used to study distribution and size of three Pygoscelis penguin species on King George Island (Subarea 48.1) in the austral summer 2014/15 season. During photogrammetric flights the high-resolution images of the penguin breeding colonies were taken. Obtained images were used for estimation of population size and compared with the results of measurements taken at the same time from the ground level. During expedition eight successful photogrammetry missions (total distance 1500 km) were performed. Images were taken with digital SLR Canon 700D, Nikon D5300, Nikon D5100 with a 35mm objective lens. Flights altitude at 350 – 400 AGL (Above Ground Level), allowed images to be taken with a resolution GSD (ground sample distance) less than 5 cm. Precision estimation of individuals count was based on the photo interpretation of images. The use of UAV for monitoring of indicator species, enabled data acquisition from areas inaccessible by ground methods.

Dynamic climate changes have become noticeable in recent decades, especially in the vulnerable region of Western Antarctic. It is widely assumed that Antarctic biota are sensitive to environmental changes. Admiralty Bay (King George Island, South Shetland Islands, Antarctic Peninsula) has been the site of comprehensive environmental studies over the last 30 years and existing data sets provide the opportunity for long-term comparisons, and recognition of any ecosystem changes, and potential predictions of future change. Comparison of the collected data with the archive data sets will allow us to estimate how climate warming and other anthropogenic impacts have affected the functioning of abiotic and biotic elements in Admiralty Bay.

In this paper we provide WG-EMM with an update on proposed project: "Admiralty Bay (South Shetland Islands) as a model area for the long-term marine monitoring program". This project will continue to develop over the coming years and results we will be presented and discussed within WG-EMM meetings.

During the Antarctic season 2014/2015 (39^th Polish Antarctic Expedition) marine monitoring program in the region of Admiralty Bay was started. Biological, chemical and geological samples were collected, and are currently subjected to laboratory analysis.   

Germany intends to present the Working Group on Ecosystem Monitoring and Management (WG EMM) the background document that provides the scientific basis for the evaluation of a marine protected area (MPA) in the Weddell Sea planning area. The contents and structure of the whole document reflect its main objectives, i.e. to set out the general context of the establishment of MPAs and to provide the background information on the Weddell Sea MPA (WSMPA) planning area (Part A); to inform on the data retrieval process (Part B), and to describe the results of the scientific analyses and the MPA scenario development with the directly science-based aspects of the WSMPA proposal, i.e. the objectives and the boundaries and zones of the MPA (Part C).

Here, the authors intend to update WG EMM on the current state of Part C of the scientific background document. Part C informs on the data analysis and the MPA scenario development that were carried out within the framework of the WSMPA project. Chapter 1 contains an update of the data analysis that has been presented in our background document SC-CAMLR-XXXIII/BG/02, and had welcomed and endorsed as a foundation reference document for the Weddell Sea MPA planning by the Scientific Committee (SC-CAMLR-XXXIII, § 5.21). Chapter 2 provides a systematic overview of the newly conducted MPA scenario development. The proposed objectives (subchapter 2.1), borders (2.4) and zoning related aspects (based on subchapter 2.5) are intended to be incorporated in the WSMPA proposal.

Quantifying the distribution and abundance of predators is integral to many ecological studies, but can be difficult in remote settings such as Antarctica. Recent advances in the development of unmanned aerial systems (UAS), particularly vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft, have provided a new tool for studying the distribution and abundance of predator populations. We detail our experience and testing in selecting a VTOL platform for use in remote, windy, perennially overcast settings, where acquiring cloud-free high-resolution satellite images is often impractical. We present results from the first use of VTOLs for estimating abundance, colony area, and density of krilldependent predators in Antarctica, based upon 65 missions flown in 2010/2011 (n = 28) and 2012/2013 (n = 37). We address concerns over UAS sound affecting wildlife by comparing VTOL-generated noise to ambient and penguin generated sound. We also report on the utility of VTOLs for missions other than abundance and distribution, namely to estimate size of individual leopard seals. Several characteristics of small, battery-powered VTOLs make them particularly useful in wildlife applications: (1) portability, (2) stability in flight, (3) limited launch area requirements, (4) safety, and (5) limited sound when compared to fixed-wing and internal combustion engine aircraft. We conclude that of the numerous UAS available, electric VTOLs are among the most promising for ecological applications.

We outline a method for the direct determination of age in Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba). Recent studies (Kilada et al. 2012), have shown that annular growth bands are present in the endocuticle layer of the eyestalks and gastric mill in decapod crustaceans. Here we report on a preliminary proof of concept study using several known age krill grown under controlled conditions at the Australian Antarctic Division and examined using the methods outlined in (Kilada et al. 2012). Two analyses are performed. First, longitudinal sections of the eyestalk from known age krill (2+ and 3+ years old) were examined and were determined to show distinct bands within the endocuticle consistent with their known age. Second, six krill were aged (blind to the reader) from samples collected during summer and winter (2013 to 2014) using this technique to determine whether annuli could be resolved in wild samples across seasons.  Marks consistent with annuli observed in laboratory raised krill were observed. Length at age was plotted against a theoretical Von Bertalanffy growth curve (L­­­_inf=65 (mm); T­­₀ =-0.1; K=0.45) and fall on the line for two and three year old krill. If validated, the technique should allow the development of age-based assessments of krill necessary for management. Further because the annular bands formed within the endocuticle are not eroded in krill preserved in formalin, it may be possible to re-analyse historical patterns of size at age, using archived samples, and to compare size at age among regions of interest, opening up many research questions that have eluded the scientific community. 

In this paper, we develop an ecosystem-based, precautionary management procedure for krill fisheries which draws together past experience in CCAMLR. It provides an empirical ecosystem assessment model, a decision rule for determining local scale catch limits based on a harvest strategy and a single-species assessment of yield, and a method for implementing the procedure.  The decision rule for setting catch limits for a given harvest strategy has a straight forward expression of the target conditions to be achieved and the uncertainties that need to be managed and does not assume an understanding of predator-prey dynamics beyond that evident in the data.  It is a natural extension of the current precautionary approach of CCAMLR for krill and can utilise existing datasets, including B0 surveys, local scale monitoring of krill densities, local-scale monitoring of predator performance, monitoring of predator foraging locations and time series of catches from the fishery.  This procedure provides a common framework for inserting data, assessment methods and candidate modelling approaches for assessing yield.  Consequently, its formalism means there is no need to undertake a staged approach in providing advice.  The advice can be updated as improvements are made in any component of the procedure, including the provision of data, implementation of new assessment or projection models or a revision of the decision rule.  This framework formalises the decisions that need to be made in dealing with an ensemble of food web models for providing suitably precautionary advice on how to spatially structure krill fisheries to account for the needs of predators.  It provides the primary expectation for managing uncertainty, either by obtaining better estimates of parameters for the projection models and/or by altering the harvest strategy.  Consequently, a preferred harvest strategy, which is initially untenable because of the uncertainties associated with its ecosystem impacts, could become a suitable option if its related uncertainties are reduced.  Conceivably, the procedure outlined here could be used in a spatially-structured feedback management system that can ensure CCAMLR is able to respond to trends in the status of the ecosystem, including trends arising from climate change.

Recent discussions within WG-EMM have recognised the need for more spatially extensive, non-disturbing monitoring within CEMP against a background of increasingly tight funding for long-term monitoring programs. This recognition has generated interest in developing new methods for CEMP that can be applied over larger areas and multiple sites at low cost with minimal impact. Comparing, validating and standardising new methods against current methods is critical to maintain the robustness of long-term time series and is an important consideration for the inclusion of new methods in the CEMP. We briefly summarise aspects of recently published work on a number of new methods applied to Adélie penguins in East Antarctic to illustrate the importance of standardisation and validation. It is important that new methods are critically assessed before they are accepted for future use by CCAMLR.