Juvenile emperor penguin range calls for extended conservation measures in the Southern Ocean

Abstract

To protect the unique Southern Ocean biodiversity, conservation measures like marine protected areas (MPAs) are implemented based on the known habitat distribution of ecologically important species. However, distribution models focus on adults, neglecting that immatures animals can inhabit vastly different areas. Here, we show that current conservation efforts in the Southern Ocean are insufficient for ensuring the protection of the highly mobile Emperor penguin. We find that juveniles spend [~]90% of their time outside the boundaries of proposed and existing MPAs, and that their distribution extends far beyond (> 1500 km) the species extent of occurrence as defined by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. We argue that strategic conservation plans for Emperor penguin and long-lived ecologically important species must consider the dynamic habitat range of all age classes.