Adelie Penguin Colony Boundaries at Whitney Point, Antarctica, 2006

A geospatial vector layer maps the extent of extant, relic, and historic maximum Adelie penguin colonies at Whitney Point, Windmill Islands, as of February 2006. Data were collected using a Trimble Pro XH differential GPS with a positional accuracy of approximately 1-2 meters. The work was completed as part of the ASAC project 1219 by the Australian Antarctic Data Centre.

Use Cases

• Analyze colony status and spatial distribution based on the 'Status' field (extant, relic, maximum).
• Model historical changes in penguin colony boundaries based on the 'maximum' and 'relic' extents.
• Integrate colony boundaries with other geospatial data like the referenced Digital Elevation Model (DEM) for habitat analysis.
• Validate or supplement aerial photograph analysis from 1990 with precise 2006 ground survey data.

Strengths

• Positional accuracy is approximately 1-2 meters, with boundaries identifiable to within 0.5 meters.
• Includes three distinct colony statuses (extant, relic, maximum) providing temporal context.
• Data collection methodology is explicitly described, using differential GPS and post-breeding season mapping.

Limitations

• Last updated 2006-02-24 23:59:59.999000; freshness should be verified.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.

Provenance

Source

AU_AADC (Australian Antarctic Data Centre)

Collection Method

Field mapping with a Trimble Pro XH differential GPS after the breeding season.

Time Range

Primary survey: February 2006. References aerial photographs from December 1990.

Freshness

2006-02-24 23:59:59.999000

Geography

Whitney Point, Windmill Islands, Antarctica. Includes a surveyed coastline section on Clark Peninsula.