Open AccessArticle
Consistent Site-Specific Foraging Behaviours of Yellow-eyed Penguins/Hoiho Breeding on Stewart Island, New Zealand
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Department of Zoology, University of Otago, Dunedin 9016, New Zealand
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Global Penguin Society, Puerto Madryn 9120, Argentina
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Department of Ecology, Environment and Evolution, La Trobe University, Melbourne 3086, Australia
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Department of Marine Science, University of Otago, Dunedin 9016, New Zealand
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Academic Editor: Inon Scharf
Received: 19 April 2022
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Revised: 25 May 2022
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Accepted: 26 May 2022
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Published: 31 May 2022
Simple Summary
The yellow-eyed penguin (Megadyptes antipodes) is endemic to New Zealand and has declined c. 72% since 2008/09 within its mainland range. Population monitoring suggests yellow-eyed penguins are tracking below even the most pessimistic scenario modelled, indicating stressors may not be accurately quantified or underestimated. Fisheries-related bycatch, particularly in gillnets, has been identified as a significant contributor to the species’ decline. Mortality mitigation measures exist for penguins breeding on South Island, with a four nautical mile gillnet exclusion zone in place. Penguins breeding on Stewart Island have no protection, leaving them vulnerable to capture and drowning in gillnets. We use GPS-TDR loggers attached to adult breeding penguins from three sites across Stewart Island to track their at-sea activity, diving behaviour, and investigate the degree of foraging plasticity displayed across this range. Penguins from each site showed significant differences in their preferred habitat use and were consistent between trips and years. Results here show that foraging locations at one site cannot be used to assess habitat use by penguins at other sites. The intra-site and inter-annual consistency in preferred foraging locations observed in Stewart Island penguins reveal that implementation of marine protection may be effective in eliminating fisheries-related mortality and reduce the risk of local extinction.