Marine protection is needed for Magellanic penguins in Argentina based on long-term data

Magellanic penguins (Spheniscus magellanicus) are listed as near threatened by the IUCN. At their largest colony, Punta Tombo, Chubut, Argentina, active nests declined >30% over 30years. Reproductive success is low, many penguins forage far from the colony, and starvation, the major cause of chick death, kills 39% of chicks on average each year. A 210-ha provincial reserve protects part of the breeding colony but there is no marine protected area (MPA) around Punta Tombo. An MPA protecting the foraging area of adults with small chicks could reduce chick starvation, increase reproductive success, and reduce adult mortality. The Province of Chubut wants an MPA to protect penguins at Punta Tombo but when and where would an MPA be most effective? We used our long-term dataset to determine that most chicks starve within 20–30days after hatching (November and December).We used satellite tags to track penguins foraging for chicks