Conservation genetics of Antarctic seabirds and seals: population connectivity and past glacial refugia

Public summary The Weddell seal, Adelie penguin and emperor penguin are key Antarctic predators that are particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change, as they live within the sea-ice zone and are adapted to thrive in the coldest environment on Earth. Given this threat, an understanding of their resilience to long-term environmental change is of immediate concern.

Our research aims to better understand the resilience of Antarctic seabirds and seals to climate change using genetic approaches. We are investigating how these predators were affected by historical climate change by determining changes in their population sizes over the past 80,000 years. We are also assessing patterns of interbreeding among colonies to determine the extent of species dispersal, an important component in understanding the likely responses of populations to climate change.