20.500.12556/DiRROS-30007 Effects of penguin guano on spatial behavior of Antarctic marine invertebrate species: an exploratory study Antarctic penguins’ guano represents a complex mixture of nutrients and chemical compounds. A large amount of guano produced during the breeding season can flow into seawater, near the colonies, altering the chemical balance of coastal environments. However, information on how guano input may alter marine community structures and dynamics in Antarctic ecosystems remains scarce. This exploratory investigation assesses the influence of guano, as a chemical stressor, on habitat selection (spatial avoidance behavior) in three key Antarctic marine invertebrate species: the amphipods Cheirimedon femoratus and Oediceroides lahillei, and Antarctic krill Euphausia superba. We employed a linear non-forced exposure system simulating a chemically heterogeneous environment, combining: (i) model organisms; (ii) two exposure scenarios, a linear guano gradient and guano as chemical barrier; (iii) guano from two penguin species, Chinstrap and Gentoo; (iv) two light conditions (outdoor and darkness); and (v) two exposure times (5 and 8 h). After 5 h, both amphipod species exhibited significant avoidance responses to guano under the conditions tested. Krill did not show a response related to guano; they consistently aggregated at the system’s extremes, reflecting krill’s complex spatial dynamics. These findings indicate that guano can alter amphipod distribution by triggering avoidance responses, potentially affecting distribution patterns and leading to localized population declines. As a pilot assessment, this study highlights the need to integrate behavior-based endpoints and non-forced exposure approaches to understand the ecological effects of chemically complex inputs in Antarctic marine ecosystems. penguin guano spatial behavior avoidance Antarctic marine invertebrates pingvinji iztrebki antarktični morski ekosistemi kemični stresorji prostorsko izogibanje true false true Angleški jezik Slovenski jezik Neznano 2026-06-11 12:34:12 2026-06-11 12:34:12 2026-06-12 03:54:43 0000-00-00 00:00:00 2026 0 0 Nasl. z nasl. zaslona; Soavtorji: Enrique González‑Ortegón, Francisco Baldó, Araceli Rodríguez‑Romero, Antonio Tovar‑Sánchez; Opis vira z dne 26. 5. 2026; str. 1-13 Vol. 49, [article no.] 51 2026 0000-00-00 Zaloznikova Objavljeno NiDoloceno 0000-00-00 0000-00-00 2026-05-05 577 1432-2056 10.1007/s00300-026-03483-0 279442947 https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00300-026-03483-0 1 1827e866-6581-11f1-9215-001a4af901a5 https://dirros.openscience.si/Dokument.php?lang=slv&id=45218 RAZ_Sparaventi_Erica_2026.pdf RAZ_Sparaventi_Erica_2026.pdf 1 014665939B633AF2F98E5B9CBFE201BE bc83561676caec2a52813b873364639442c5fc39c9b34e32d920c015771c724a 415def02-6581-11f1-9215-001a4af901a5 https://dirros.openscience.si/Dokument.php?lang=slv&id=45219 Nacionalni inštitut za biologijo 0 0 0