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Marine Ecology Progress Series

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MEPS 655:215-225 (2020)  -  DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/meps13518

Inter-annual variation in the trophic niche of Magellanic penguins Spheniscus magellanicus during the pre-molt period in the Beagle Channel

S. Dodino1,*, L. Riccialdelli1, M. J. Polito2, K. Pütz3, A. Raya Rey1,4,5

1Ecología y Conservación de Vida Silvestre, Centro Austral de Investigaciones Científicas, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Bernardo A. Houssay 200, V9410CAB Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina
2Department of Oceanography and Coastal Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70803, USA
3Antarctic Research Trust, Am Oste-Hamme-Kanal 10, 27432 Bremervörde, Germany
4Instituto de Ciencias Polares, Ambiente y Recursos Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Tierra del Fuego, Fuegia Basket 251, V9410BXE Ushuaia, Argentina
5Wildlife Conservation Society, Amenábar 1595, Office 19, C1426AKC CABA, Buenos Aires, Argentina
*Corresponding author:

ABSTRACT: Inter-annual variations in the diets of seabirds are often a reflection of resource availability, with population dynamics and community structure implications. We investigated the trophic niche of Magellanic penguins Spheniscus magellanicus during the pre-molt stage in 6 years (2009 and 2013-2017) at Martillo Island, Beagle Channel, Argentina, using carbon and nitrogen stable isotope analysis of feathers. We found higher values in 2009 compared to the other years for both isotopes and estimated different proportions of prey in the diet of Magellanic penguins throughout the years. In 2009, penguins consumed mainly a mixture of benthic and benthopelagic fish, whereas from 2013 to 2017, the proportion of the pelagic form of squat lobster Munida gregaria, considered a key species in the Beagle Channel, increased over time and nearly dominated diets in 2017. Our results confirm that Magellanic penguins act as sentinels, reflecting shifts in the marine community of the Beagle Channel via inter-annual variation in their trophic niche and diet composition.


KEY WORDS: Seabirds · Food web · Stable isotopes · Foraging plasticity · Ecosystem monitoring


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Cite this article as: Dodino S, Riccialdelli L, Polito MJ, Pütz K, Raya Rey A (2020) Inter-annual variation in the trophic niche of Magellanic penguins Spheniscus magellanicus during the pre-molt period in the Beagle Channel. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 655:215-225. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps13518

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