In colonies situated at the southern coast of King George Island the nesting areas of penguins of the genus Pygoscelis were investigated with respect to the protection of eggs and chicks against flooding. Relationships between the nesting strategy determined by the characteristics of breeding grounds, degree of colonization and breeding time, and the climatic conditions of zones in which majorities of particular species populations breed were presented. It was recorded, that interspecific differences in nesting strategy of pygoscelid penguins enable species which breed sympatrically to avoid competition for the nest-sites, and also seem to be responsible for various population dynamics of species in the maritime Antarctic.
Changes in chemical composition of the surface waters percolated through the soil and running off from the penguin rookeries are described. It was found, that the chemical composition of waters flowing from the breeding places depends on the size and rate of precipitation, and also on the location of rookeries. The longer and more complicated is the run off route of waters from the terrain of rookery, the more diluted are the solutions that reach the sea. In such case a significant part of phosphorus contained in the fecal materials may be retained on land, while most of ammonia volatilizates into the atmosphere.