The effect of abiotic factors on the reproduction of seabirds on the Argentine Islands

The research was conducted during the summer season from 12.13.2011 to 02.09.2012 at the Ukrainian Antarctic station "Academik Vernadsky". The most numerous breeding colony of the Gentoo Penguin (Pygoscelis papua) is located on the Petermann Is. From December 2011 to February 2012 there were unfavorable ice conditions around the Argentine Islands. Pointed out the high mortality among the newborn penguins on the Galindez Is caused by starvation. The number of residential nests decreased almost three times. Underwater surveys conducted by us in this period in the area of Galindez Is  witness about the presence of large amount of krill, which wasn’t available for all the species of sea birds because of the ice cover.