This project will investigate the effects of the iceberg, B-15, on the emperor penguin population at Cape Crozier. The population of this southernmost of emperor penguin colonies, although sometimes fluctuating radically, had steadily grown in past years, with as many as 1200 chicks counted. This probably represented an adult population of 2400-3000 birds. However, in 2001, after B-15 ground into the Cape Crozier area during the winter breeding period, no live emperor chicks were found. The colony had disappeared. The goal of this project is to determine if the colony will re- establish itself at Cape Crozier or relocate nearby to a different site. If the colony reestablishes at Cape Crozier, we will estimate the previous year's loss with a census of the chicks present this year. The destruction of the colony site by the iceberg in 2001 represents a natural experiment to examine the resilience of breeding emperors to short term disasters. Broader impacts of this study are related to the historical importance and worldwide interest in this colony as it was the first emperor colony discovered, and has probably the longest census record of any penguin colony.
