Penguins as ocean sentinels: using video loggers attached on predators to understand the ecological niche of jellyfishes in Antarctica

• Project/Area Number: 18K18183
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 63010:Environmental dynamic analysis-related
• Research Institution: National Institute of Polar Research
• Principal Investigator: Thiebot JB 国立極地研究所, 研究教育系, 特任研究員 (70723691)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2019)
• Budget Amount: ¥2,080,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,600,000、Indirect Cost: ¥480,000); Fiscal Year 2019: ¥650,000 (Direct Cost: ¥500,000、Indirect Cost: ¥150,000); Fiscal Year 2018: ¥1,430,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,100,000、Indirect Cost: ¥330,000)
• Keywords: Predator-prey / Jellyfish / Penguin / Bio-logging / Video / Antarctica / predator-prey / Southern Ocean / jellyfish / penguin / bio-logging / video / trophic interactions / habitat modelling / global changes / Environmental change / Biological oceanography / Water and material cycle / Polar regions / Remote sensing

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This project brought together scientists from 7 countries, working at 12 locations around Antarctica. We used video loggers to examine jellyfish ingestions by Adelie penguins, during 2 years instead of 1 as initially planned.
We have found that penguins and other predators commonly eat jellyfishes, but probably not for energetic reasons (2020 published paper). This is especially the case for penguins repeatedly feeding on the same jellyfish, because of the cost to commute from the sea surface (paper in preparation).
Targeting jellyfish seems independent from local availability of the main prey (krill) and from regional climatic changes (analyses in progress). Hence, penguins seem to select to eat jellyfishes, but not consistently. Alternate hypotheses including self-medication are plausible. Examining which jellyfish biochemical components may be of interest to predators, and viewing jellyfish as functional food, may be important to better understand the oceans’ ecology.

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

From this successful project we now know that jellyfishes are widely eaten by marine predators, but probably not for energy purposes. This is important for ecologists, to examine the flow of energy and matter in marine ecosystems; but this research may also change the way the public sees jellyfish.

Research Products

• [Int'l Joint Research] CNRS(フランス)
• [Int'l Joint Research] Australian Antarctic Division(オーストラリア)
• [Int'l Joint Research] NOAA/Point Blue Conservation Science(米国)
• [Int'l Joint Research] Korean Polar Research Institute(韓国)
• [Int'l Joint Research] British Antarctic Survey(英国)
• [Int'l Joint Research]
• [Int'l Joint Research] Instituto Antartico Argentino(アルゼンチン)
• [Int'l Joint Research] Australian Antarctic Division(オーストラリア)
• [Int'l Joint Research] CNRS(フランス)
• [Int'l Joint Research] Korean Polar Research Institute(韓国)
• [Int'l Joint Research] Point Blue Conservation Science/NOAA(米国)
• [Int'l Joint Research]
• [Journal Article] Why do marine endotherms eat gelatinous prey? (2020)
  • Author(s): Thiebot JB, McInnes JC
  • Journal Title: ICES Journal of Marine Science Volume: 77 Pages: 58-71
  • DOI: 10.1093/icesjms/fsz208
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] Exposure of breeding albatrosses to the agent of avian cholera: dynamics of antibody levels and ecological implications (2019)
  • Author(s): Gamble A, Garnier R, Jaeger A, Gantelet H, Thibault E, Tortosa P, Bourret V, Thiebot JB, Delord K, Weimerskirch H, Tornos J, Barbraud C, Boulinier T
  • Journal Title: Oecologia Volume: 189 Issue: 4 Pages: 939-949
  • DOI: 10.1007/s00442-019-04369-1
  • Peer Reviewed / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] Vaccination protects endangered albatross chicks against avian cholera (2018)
  • Author(s): Bourret V, Gamble A, Tornos J, Jaeger A, Delord K, Barbraud C, Tortosa P, Kada S, Thiebot JB, Thibault E, Gantelet H, Weimerskirch H, Garnier R, Boulinier T
  • Journal Title: Conservation Letters Volume: 11 Issue: 4
  • DOI: 10.1111/conl.12443
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] Rhinoceros Auklet pair-mates migrate independently but synchronize their foraging activity during the pre-laying period (2018)
  • Author(s): Kubo Aina、Takahashi Akinori、Thiebot Jean-Baptiste、Watanuki Yutaka
  • Journal Title: Ibis Volume: 印刷中 Issue: 4 Pages: 832-845
  • DOI: 10.1111/ibi.12583
  • Peer Reviewed / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] Avian cholera outbreaks threaten seabird species on Amsterdam Island (2018)
  • Author(s): Jaeger A, Lebarbenchon C, Bourret V, Bastien M, Lagadec E, Thiebot JB, Boulinier T, Delord K, Barbraud C, Marteau C, Dellagi K, Tortosa P, Weimerskirch H
  • Journal Title: PLoS ONE Volume: 13 Issue: 5 Pages: e0197291-e0197291
  • DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0197291
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] Albatross chicks reveal interactions of adults with artisanal longline fisheries within a short range (2018)
  • Author(s): Thiebot JB, Nishizawa B, Sato F, Tomita N, Watanuki Y
  • Journal Title: Journal of Ornithology Volume: 159 Issue: 4 Pages: 935-944
  • DOI: 10.1007/s10336-018-1579-3
  • Peer Reviewed / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] Reproductive performance and foraging behaviour share a common sea-ice optimum in Adelie penguins (Pygoscelis adeliae) (2018)
  • Author(s): Le Guen C, Kato A, Raymond B, Barbraud C, Beaulieu M, Bost CA, Delord K, MacIntosh A, Meyer X, Raclot T, Sumner M, Takahashi A, Thiebot JB, Ropert-Coudert Y
  • Journal Title: Global Change Biology Volume: 24 Issue: 11 Pages: 5304-5317
  • DOI: 10.1111/gcb.14377
  • Peer Reviewed / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] Factors affecting the importance of myctophids in the diet of the world's seabirds (2018)
  • Author(s): Watanuki Y, Thiebot JB
  • Journal Title: Marine Biology Volume: 165 Issue: 4 Pages: 79-79
  • DOI: 10.1007/s00227-018-3334-y
  • Peer Reviewed / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] Migratory movements and winter diving activity of Adelie penguins in East Antarctica (2018)
  • Author(s): Takahashi A、Ito M、Nagai K、Thiebot JB、Mitamura H、Noda T、Trathan PN、Tamura T、Watanabe YY
  • Journal Title: Marine Ecology Progress Series Volume: 589 Pages: 227-239
  • DOI: 10.3354/meps12438
  • Peer Reviewed / Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] Jelly bellies: Why do marine endotherms eat jellyfish? (2019)
  • Author(s): Thiebot JB, McInnes JC
  • Organizer: 46th Meeting of the Pacific Seabird Group
• [Presentation] Re-thinking why penguins do eat jellyfish (2019)
  • Author(s): Thiebot JB, McInnes JC
  • Organizer: 10th International Penguin Conference
• [Presentation] Marine endotherms as global predators of jellyfish: from “junk food” to “green tea” hypotheses (2019)
  • Author(s): Thiebot JB, McInnes JC
  • Organizer: 6th International Jellyfish Blooms Symposium
• [Presentation] Jelly bellies: Why do marine endotherms eat jellyfish? (2018)
  • Author(s): Thiebot JB, McInnes JC
  • Organizer: 46th Meeting of the Pacific Seabird Group
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] Foraging behaviour and prey selection in Adelie and chinstrap penguins at Signy Island, South Orkneys (2018)
  • Author(s): Thiebot JB, Trathan PN, Takahashi A
  • Organizer: 9th Symposium on Polar Science
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] Jelly in the belly: Why do penguins eat jellyfish? (2018)
  • Author(s): Thiebot JB, McInnes JC
  • Organizer: 10th International Primatology and Wildlife Science Symposium
  • Int'l Joint Research / Invited
• [Presentation] Comparison of the at-sea ecology of Adelie penguins between Antarctic regions: winter migration and summer foraging (2018)
  • Author(s): Thiebot JB
  • Organizer: Sentinels of Sea-ice Workshop
• [Presentation] Jellyfish and other gelata as food for four penguin species: insights from animal-borne videos (2018)
  • Author(s): Thiebot JB, Arnould JPY, Gomez Laich A, Ito K, Kato A, Mattern T, Mitamura H, Noda T, Poupart T, Quintana F, Raclot T, Ropert-Coudert Y, Sala JE, Seddon P, Sutton G, Yoda K, Takahashi A
  • Organizer: Marine Ecosystem Assessment for the Southern Ocean
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Remarks] JB Thiebot publications
  • URL: https://sites.google.com/site/jbthiebot/publications