Impact of Incidental High Ocean Waves on Topographical Changes in the Adélie Penguin Colony at Edmonson Point on the Northern Victoria Land Coast, Antarctica

Natural disaster‐driven environmental changes can have both direct and indirect effects on seabird breeding and nesting conditions. Edmonson Point, located on the Victoria Land coast in the Ross Sea, hosts around 3000 pairs of Adélie penguins ( Pygoscelis adeliae ), divided between coastal and hillside subcolonies differing in topography. In February 2019, a severe coastal flooding event caused by oceanic waves altered habitat conditions significantly. In the coastal subcolony, accumulated guano layers were removed, and icebergs were scattered across the nesting site, resulting in approximately a 5% decline in nest numbers. Furthermore, the nest distribution of the subcolony has changed as the advantages of the original nesting sites have been eliminated. Although direct impacts on chick survival were minimal as fledging had already occurred, the event underscores future risks posed to coastal penguin colonies by similar wave incidents. Consequently, this study highlights the necessity for continued long‐term environmental monitoring to better predict and understand the implications of rapid habitat changes for seabird populations in Antarctica.