2025 Grant Update
MICF Grants Round update
Over the past month we finalised the recipients of the MICF 2025 Grant Round. Our annual Grant Round supports researchers, students, members of the community and other groups to deliver projects targeted at the conservation of Macquarie Island.
In 2025 we will be supporting three projects, two of which are detailed below.
Royal penguin with GPS tracker
Jaslyn Allnut, Project Lead, approaches a penguin colony during fieldwork
Penguin foraging behaviour in the Macquarie Island Marine Park
University of Tasmania & Australian Antarctic Division
Project Lead Ms Jaslyn Allnut
Climate change is causing rapid oceanographic changes, leading many marine species to adapt their behaviour to find sufficient resources to raise young and survive. The objective of this project is to investigate the at-sea distribution and behaviour of the four penguin species breeding on Macquarie Island. We will collect at-sea distribution data through the deployment of GPS trackers with depth sensors and collect data on diet and breeding success. We will assess the environmental drivers of behaviour at-sea, and the influence this might have on processes impacting population trends, such as breeding success.
The specific research outcomes of the project are:
Identification of the key foraging areas for each of Macquarie Island’s penguin species.
An understanding of the habitat features, and environmental conditions used for foraging.
New insights into the factors influencing breeding success.
An understanding of the impact changing ocean conditions are having on Macquarie Island’s penguin species.
Illuminating sub-Antarctic benthic biodiversity: using ROVs to explore remote marine ecosystems.
University of Western Australia
Project Lead Dr Paige Maroni
This pioneering project will conduct Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) dives down to depths of 100 m, to document unknown marine species, assess the health of the Macquarie Island’s benthic systems, and raise awareness regarding the importance of understanding our precious sub-Antarctic Islands. This project will also span across consecutive expeditions and visit multiple sub-Antarctic islands, allowing us to assess the connectivity of Macquarie Island’s benthic systems within the broader region allowing us to better understand its ecological significance. These comparisons will help determine Macquarie’s role as a population source for diverse species and as a potential migration route for climate vagrants, providing essential insights for regional conservation strategies.
We will generate baseline biodiversity data and produce detailed photogrammetric reconstructions of habitats and species. These engaging dives will also be used to promote awareness of the region’s unique ecosystems. The data collected will empower policymakers and conservationists to make informed, evidence-based decisions for the protection of Macquarie Island.
The 2025 MICF Grants are made possible thanks to our major supporters, including the PONANT Foundation and Aurora Expeditions, and generous donors.
Thanks to the MICF Grant sub-committee for their time in assessing the applications.
2024 Grant Round
Join us at our May member’s night to hear from our 2024 MICF Grant recipients about their project outcomes.