Abstract: Difficulties quantifying in situ prey patch quality have limited our understanding of how marine predators respond to variation within and between patches, and throughout their foraging range. In the present study, animal-borne video, GPS, accelerometer and dive behaviour data loggers were used to investigate the fine-scale foraging behaviour of Macaroni penguins (Eudyptes chrysolophus) in response to prey type, patch density and temporal variation in diving behaviour. Individuals mainly dived during the day and utilised two strategies, targeting different prey types. Subantarctic krill (Euphausia vallentini) were consumed during deep dives, while small soft-bodied fish were captured on shallow dives or during the ascent phase of deep dives. Despite breeding in large colonies individuals seemed to be solitary foragers and did not engage with conspecifics in coordinated behaviour as seen in other group foraging penguin species. This potentially reflects the high abundance and low manoeuvrability of krill. Video data were used to validate prey capture signals in accelerometer data and a Support Vector Machine learning algorithm was developed to identify prey captures that occurred throughout the entire foraging trip. Prey capture rates indicated that Macaroni penguins continued to forage beyond the optimal give up time. However, bout-scale analysis revealed individuals terminated diving behaviour for reasons other than patch quality. These findings indicate that individuals make complex foraging decisions in relation to their proximate environment over multiple spatio-temporal scales.

Abstract: The global climate shift currently underway has significant impacts on both the quality and quantity of snow precipitation. This directly influences the spatial variability of the snowpack as well as cumulative snow height. Contemporary glacier retreat reorganizes periglacial morphology: while the glacier area decreases, the moraine area increases. The latter is becoming a new water storage potential that is almost as important as the glacier itself, but with considerably more complex topography. Hence, this work fills one of the missing variables of the hydrological budget equation of an arctic glacier basin by providing an estimate of the snow water equivalent (SWE) of the moraine contribution. Such a result is achieved by investigating Structure from Motion (SfM) image processing that is applied to pictures collected from an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) as a method for producing snow depth maps over the proglacial moraine area. Several UAV campaigns were carried out on a small glacial basin in Spitsbergen (Arctic): the measurements were made at the maximum snow accumulation season (late April), while the reference topography maps were acquired at the end of the hydrological year (late September) when the moraine is mostly free of snow. The snow depth is determined from Digital Surface Model (DSM) subtraction. Utilizing dedicated and natural ground control points for relative positioning of the DSMs, the relative DSM georeferencing with sub-meter accuracy removes the main source of uncertainty when assessing snow depth. For areas where snow is deposited on bare rock surfaces, the correlation between avalanche probe in-situ snow depth measurements and DSM differences is excellent. Differences in ice covered areas between the two measurement techniques are attributed to the different quantities measured: while the former only measures snow accumulation, the latter includes all of the ice accumulation during winter through which the probe cannot penetrate, in addition to the snow cover. When such inconsistencies are observed, icing thicknesses are the source of the discrepancy that is observed between avalanche probe snow cover depth measurements and differences of DSMs.

Abstract: The genus Thelopsis was classified in the family Stictidaceae but its systematic position has never been investigated by molecular methods. In order to determine its family placement and to test its monophyly, fungal DNA of recent collections of Thelopsis specimens was sequenced. Phylogenetic analyses using nuLSU, RPB2 and mtSSU sequences reveal that members of Thelopsis form a monophyletic group within the genus Gyalecta as currently accepted. The placement of Thelopsis, including the generic type T. rubella, within the genus Gyalecta challenges the generic circumscription of this group because Thelopsis is well recognized by the combination of morphological characters: perithecioid ascomata, well-developed periphysoids, polysporous asci and small, few-septate ellipsoid-oblong ascospores. The sterile sorediate Opegrapha corticola is also placed in the Gyalectaceae as sister species to Thelopsis byssoidea + T. rubella. Ascomata of O. corticola are illustrated for the first time and support its placement in the genus Thelopsis. The hypothesis that O. corticola might represent the sorediate fertile morph of T. rubella is not confirmed because the species is phylogenetically and morphologically distinct. Thelopsis is recovered as polyphyletic, with T. melathelia being placed as sister species to Ramonia. The new combinations Thelopsis corticola (Coppins & P. James) Sanderson & Ertz comb. nov. and Ramonia melathelia (Nyl.) Ertz comb. nov. are introduced and a new species of Gyalecta, G. amsterdamensis Ertz, is described from Amsterdam and Saint-Paul Islands, characterized by a sterile thallus with discrete soralia. Petractis luetkemuelleri and P. nodispora are accommodated in the new genus Neopetractis, differing from the generic type (P. clausa) by having a different phylogenetic position and a different photobiont. Francisrosea bicolor Ertz & Sanderson gen. & sp. nov. is described for a sterile sorediate lichen somewhat similar to Opegrapha corticola but having an isolated phylogenetic position as sister to a clade including Gyalidea praetermissa and the genera Neopetractis and Ramonia. Gyalecta farlowii, G. nidarosiensis and G. carneola are placed in a molecular phylogeny for the first time. The taxonomic significance of morphological characters in Gyalectaceae is discussed.

Abstract: In blue petrels (Halobaena caerulea), females are supposed to be particularly choosy and mate choice can take a couple of years. In these lifelong monogamous seabirds, choosing a good mate is crucial and has a strong influence on their fitness. Due to their nocturnal habits, the absence of sexual dimorphism, and the physical barrier between males calling from their burrow and females flying above the colony, vocal signals seem to be one of the main channels for males to communicate with potential mates. In a previous study, we investigated whether acoustic parameters of male calls carry information about morphological characteristics that might be indicators of males’ qualities. Here, we experimentally test whether these acoustic parameters linked to male characteristics are actually attractive to females. To do so, we played back modified calls of males to females in a colony of blue petrels of the Kerguelen archipelago. We found that flying females were more attracted by high-pitched calls, and by calls broadcasted at a high call rate. Previous studies showed a relationship between pitch and bill depth and length. In filter-feeding birds, such as blue petrels, bill morphology influences feeding efficiency. A high call rate is an indicator of sexual motivation and makes the caller easier to locate by potential mates and predators in the hubbub of the colony. We thus hypothesized that producing frequent high-pitched calls appeared to be preferable for a conspicuous sexual signaling although it may increase predation risks.

Abstract:

Due to recent climate change conditions, i.e. increasing temperatures and changing precipitation patterns, arctic snow cover dynamics exhibit strong changes in terms of extent and duration. Arctic amplification processes and impacts are well documented expected to strengthen in coming decades. In this context, innovative observation methods are helpful for a better comprehension of the spatial variability of snow properties relevant for climate research and hydrological applications.

Microwave remote sensing provides exceptional spatial and temporal performance in terms of all-weather application and target penetration. Time-series of Synthetic Active Radar images (SAR) are becoming more accessible at different frequencies and polarimetry has demonstrated a significant advantage for detecting changes in different media. Concerning arctic snow monitoring, SAR sensors can offer continuous time-series during the polar night and with cloud cover, providing a consequent advantage in regard of optical sensors.

The aim of this study is dedicated to the spatial/temporal variability of snow in the Ny-Ålesund area on the Br∅gger peninsula, Svalbard (N 78°55’ / E 11° 55’). The TerraSAR-X satellite (DLR, Germany) operated at X-band (3.1 cm, 9.6 GHz) with dual co-pol mode (HH/VV) at 5-m spatial resolution, and with high incidence angles (36° to 39°) poviding a better snow penetration and reducing topographic constraints. A dataset of 92 images (ascending and descending) is available since 2017, together with a high resolution DEM (NPI 5-m) and consistent in-situ measurements of meteorological data and snow profiles including glaciers sites.

Polarimetric processing is based on the Kennaugh matrix decomposition, copolar phase coherence (CCOH) and copolar phase difference (CPD). The Kennaugh matrix elements K₀, K₃, K_4, and K₇ are, respectively, the total intensity, phase ratio, intensity ratio, and shift between HH and VV phase center. Their interpretation allows analysing the structure of the snowpack linked to the near real time of in-situ measurements (snow profiles).

The X-band signal is strongly influenced by the snow stratigraphy: internal ice layers reduce or block the penetration of the signal into the snow pack. The best R² correlation performances between estimated and measured snow heights are ranging from 0.50 to 0.70 for dry snow conditions. Therefore, the use of the X-band for regular snow height estimations remains limited under these conditions.

Conversely, this study shows the benefit of TerraSAR-X thanks to the Kennaugh matrix elements analysis. A focus is set on the Copolar Phase Difference (CPD, Leinss 2016) between VV and HH polarization: Φ CPD = Φ _VV – Φ _HH. Our results indicate that the CPD values are related to the snow metamorphism: positive values correspond to dry snow (horizontal structures), negative values indicate recrystallization processes (vertical structures).

Backscattering evolution in time offer a good proxy for meteorological events detection, impacting on snow metamorphism. Fresh snowfalls or melting processes can then be retrieved at the regional scale and linked to air temperature or precipitation measurements at local scale. Polarimetric SAR time series is therefore of interest to complement satellite-based precipitation measurements in the Arctic.