Dr Tom Hart oversees a project
monitoring penguin population health in Antarctica, using time lapse
cameras and an online citizen science project called Penguinwatch.
Jim Wilson
Dr Tom Hart in Antarctica
Our work is all about ecology and conservation. There is evidence
of penguin declines and we want to find out the causes. We need to know
what the threats are in order to mitigate them.
We are monitoring six species of penguin with more than 100 time
lapse cameras. Each year, I go to Antarctica for between two and four
months, to collect data from existing cameras and set up new ones.
Our cameras overlook colonies and you can see into all the nests.
The cameras take photos every hour, sometimes every minute. This means
we can count penguin numbers and their movements: how long they go to
sea for, how long they forage for, and how much time they spend with
their chicks.
We’re trying to work out population movements and structure. We
need to know whether colonies function as one unit, or whether they
interbreed. If a colony is declining are they migrating out of that
colony or are they dying off? The more sensitive the measure the better
you can detect early warning signals and we're developing systems that
work for seabirds worldwide.
Penguin declines overlap with areas where the greatest impacts of
climate change are being seen. However, we cannot be certain that
climate change is the driver. There are a lot of fisheries in the area.
Absence of sea ice is needed to fish, so where penguins are declining in
areas where there is an absence of ice is it simply because of the
fishing, or is it because of the climate change that has caused the ice
to melt?
If we simply blame climate change we risk overlooking the
potential harm of fishing. We also monitor the presence, and absence, of
disease. We need to know what causes the decline in order to determine
what to do about them.
Penguinwatch
is awesome! We’re a year old and we’ve already had over 2.5 million
hits on our website. Anyone can participate; you don’t need to be an
expert.
We’re collecting more than half a million images every year now.
Volunteers are asked to identify the total number of penguins, chicks
and eggs by clicking on them. We can observe how individual nests
develop over the course of a year, such as when penguins arrive to nest,
the dates they settle down, when the eggs hatch, and whether the chicks
survive.
Each image is viewed by several volunteers and we find that
combining volunteers' clicks is more accurate than one scientist looking
at the images. Afterall, everyone makes mistakes! There is a dedicated
core of people that keep coming back. We’re getting some beautiful data.
Eventually computers will take over more of this kind of data analysis
but for the time being there is no substitute for the analysis that
humans can do.
I hitch lifts on tour boats because it saves time and money. I
give talks to the people on board, who are there because they want to
get close to the wildlife, and they often donate to the project. One of
our biggest supporters is Quark Expeditions.
This year, everyone who participated in the first month were entered
into a draw and Quark donated a trip to Antarctica for one lucky
Penguinwatch user.
That added nearly one million hits to our website
because people wanted to win the prize! A teacher from the United States
won the competition, which is really nice. Hopefully the trip will also
inspire his students.
In the field, I maintain and monitor about 60 sites. I try to get
to them once per year but it’s patchy. Occasionally you have 40 minutes
to set a camera up in a snow storm, and then you have to leave because
that’s as long as the ship can wait! I've occasionally lain awake in the
UK wondering whether the camera is still upright and working.
Our project costs about £60,000 per year to run, although that
doesn't include our excellent collaborators. The Australian Antarctic
Division started this kind of research and wour niche is making it
cheaper and scaling it up. We have collaborators in the United States,
Argentina and Chile.
I’ve been sponsored by the Darwin Initiative
who helped set the project up in the Antarctic. Most of the cameras are
sponsored and donors can adopt a colony. These funds usually pay for
replacement cameras so we can keep the project going when the original
cameras cease to function.
This is a commitment for the long term. We’ve already been part of
setting up a big marine protected area and we’re trying to establish
more. The longer you monitor things the better the data gets. You see
the long term patterns and whether things are really worrying or just
part of a cycle. The interest is there, so I think we can sustain it.
I’m next going out there in October for four months. Two months on a Norwegian lifeboat and two months on a tour ship!
CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — They're cute, knee-high, they
bray like donkeys and are a tourist attraction near Cape Town. But
African Penguins — the continent's only species of the flightless bird —
are at risk of extinction.
As shoals of
anchovies and sardines have migrated south into cooler waters, the
population of African Penguins that feeds on the fish has plummeted by
90 percent since 2004 along South Africa's west coast, once the
stronghold of Africa's only penguin species.
This
decline, recorded by South Africa's Department of Environmental
Affairs, led to four key fishing grounds being declared off limits seven
years ago in an experiment to see if the measure could help save the
penguins. But scientists are still debating whether fishing has helped
push the species to the brink of extinction.
The debate has gotten
so acrimonious that the Island Closures Task Team, which oversaw the
experiment and determined management actions, disbanded last year.
Meanwhile, the fishing bans remain in place.
If effective management of the situation is not carried out, the black-and-white seabirds could soon disappear, experts say.
A Penguin runs out of the ocean after swimming at Boulders beach a
popular tourist destination in Simon's Town, South Africa, Thursday,
Aug. 27, 2015. The penguins on South Africa's west coast are a big
tourist attraction, but their numbers have declined and scientists are
still debating whether fishing has helped push the species to the brink
of extinction. (AP Photo/Schalk van Zuydam)
In
the 1930s, South Africa's largest penguin colony had 1 million African
Penguins, and there were many other colonies. Now, only 100,000 of the
birds remain in all of South Africa and neighboring Namibia, the only
two countries where the species exists. In 2010, the International Union
for Conservation of Nature declared the African Penguin endangered.
Of the 17 species of
penguins in the world, the IUCN has named four others as endangered: the
Yellow-Eyed Penguin and Erect-crested Penguin from New Zealand, the
Northern Rockhopper Penguin from islands in the South Atlantic and
Indian Ocean and the Galapagos Penguin in Ecuador. Reasons for declines
include sea temperature change causing shifts in forage fish, predators,
disease, fishing and toxic algae.
Both
fisheries scientists and bird specialists agree that the decline of the
African Penguin began around 2004 with a southern shift in anchovies
and sardines away from the hub of colonies along South Africa's Atlantic
coast. Scientists are unsure why the fish have moved, considering as
possible causes climate change, overfishing or natural fluctuations.
Now,
penguins must swim farther to catch fish, leaving adults weakened. Many
have died or abandoned their chicks, with hundreds winding up in the
crowded, outdoor pens of a seabird rehabilitation center, nestled on the
edge of Cape Town's Table Bay. It is run by the Southern African
Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds, or SANCCOB. On a
recent morning, workers there were feeding and medicating 106 orphans
and putting them in pools for a morning swim. Some waddled up to this
reporter and gently pecked at her legs. In an attempt to slow the
decline, SANCCOB releases rehabilitated penguins into the wild every
week.
Relocating penguins to within reach of the masses of
anchovies and sardines is only a possibility for chicks — and a
difficult one with no guarantee of success.
So, in 2008, the South
African government began the experimental ban on fishing in a
20-kilometer (12.4-mile) radius alternating around four key penguin
colonies: Robben and Dassen Islands in the Atlantic Ocean and St. Croix
and Bird Islands in the Indian Ocean. Some of these waters were hotspots
for sardine and anchovy fishing.
A Penguin dives under water in the ocean at Boulders beach, a popular
tourist destination in Simon's Town, South Africa, Thursday, Aug. 27,
2015. The penguins on South Africa's west coast are a big tourist
attraction, but their numbers have declined and scientists are still
debating whether fishing has helped push the species to the brink of
extinction. (AP Photo/Schalk van Zuydam)
Recently,
a team led by Janet Coetzee, a fisheries scientist with the Department
of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, was on a small, motorized boat
among dolphins, seals and giant shipping vessels and towing a hefty
oblong device through a banned fishing area. The device determines how
many fish are around. Despite the fish migration, such surveys found
there were plenty of anchovies for penguins during certain months.
Penguin biologists believe that closing areas to fishing leaves more fish for penguins and boosts chick survival by 18 percent.
But
mathematical modelers of fish populations have reservations about that
statistic and insist that the impact of fishing is minimal. Coetzee says
fishing quotas already allow only approximately 10 percent of the
sardine and anchovy population to be taken, leaving plenty of fish for
penguins.
These fisheries experts blame predators like fur seals and
sharks, nest flooding, heat stress or disturbances from large fishing
vessels for exacerbating the penguin decline — not fishing itself.
Penguin biologists say it's too early to tell.
"These
sorts of issues must be teased out and the assumptions clearly
understood," said Dr. Rob Crawford, who heads the penguin biologist
research. Crawford's team wants to keep the fishing grounds closed for
several more years. Fisheries scientists are calling for its end.
The fishing industry is losing its patience and wants to know whether seven years of closures has amounted to anything.
Penguins swim together at Boulders beach a popular tourist destination
in Simon's Town, South Africa, Thursday, Aug. 27, 2015. The penguins on
South Africa's west coast are a big tourist attraction, but their
numbers have declined and scientists are still debating whether fishing
has helped push the species to the brink of extinction. (AP Photo/Schalk
van Zuydam)
Fishermen
follow shoals of fish along the coast. When fishing areas are closed,
vessels must take more costly circuitous routes and they suffer losses
in catch, said Mike Copeland, strategic project manager for Lucky Star
Ltd., a fishing company. An economic analysis of the impact of closures
is underway.
"We've been very
puzzled as to why the two parties cannot work together to actually come
up with sound science that shows exactly what's going on," Copeland
said.
An international panel
of experts, called for by the South African government to review the
experimental closing of the fishing grounds and to find a way forward,
met for the first time last year and will reconvene in December.
"There's
a lot at stake," said Ross Wanless, conservation program manager of
BirdLife South Africa, a non-governmental organization that supports
bird conservation efforts. "We need to act now. "
Lowen is the last of six chicks to be bred this season season at Paradise Park in Hayle, Cornwall
This adorable video shows the last penguin chick of the season being hand-reared at a British wildlife park. The
cute chick called Lowen, which means 'Joyful' in Cornish, is seen being
hand-reared as its parents were not supplying him with enough food.
Lowen is the last of six chicks to be bred this season season at Paradise Park in Hayle, Cornwall.
Keeper, Logan Ody, said: "It's been great. In total we have had six penguin chicks so we are doing really well this year.
"A
couple of the chicks from earlier this season are proving to be
particularly friendly with our visitors and becoming big stars at the
penguin photo-call sessions each day."
SWNS
Baby: Lowen the hand reared penguin at Paradise Park in Hayle, Cornwall
Paradise Park hosts a colony of Humboldt's penguins, a species that commonly live along the warm coasts of Peru and Chile. They are considered a vulnerable species in the wild due to human interference and pollution.
Jane Walker's obsession has taken her around the world. She explains to Phil Knowling her passion for penguins
Jane
Walker says that you can't look at a penguin without smiling. She said:
"What's not to love? I was given my first cuddly penguin, named Chilly,
when I was about 10 years old – and my fascination with penguins
began."
From then on, it's been penguins, penguins and more
penguins. Now she works with penguins at Torquay's coastal zoo – but
even that is not enough for Jane. Her mission now is to see every
species of the bird.
"When I was 17 I met my now husband, Chaz," she said. "On our first
date I told him about my love of penguins, and we agreed that on our
fifth anniversary he would take me to Philip Island in Australia, to see
the little penguins, which are also known as fairy penguins or little
blue penguins. It took a little longer than that, but for our honeymoon
some ten years later we got there. I sat on the beach, right at the
front, and waited until dusk, when the little penguins came out of the
water. One came within two feet of where I was sitting – it stopped and
just looked up at me for several minutes before it waddled off back to
its family. From that moment I knew my ambition was to see all 17
species of penguin in the wild."
Jane estimates that so far she
and Chaz have travelled about 64,000 miles in pursuit of her quest.
That's more than twice around the world. It seems that behind every obsessed woman is a pretty amazing man. "I knew I would marry Chaz after only one date and not because of the
promise of penguin trips," she said. "We just clicked. Still now when he
goes on business trips he always brings me back a penguin. It's also
him trawling through the internet for hours in search of the perfect
penguin holiday. He really enjoys visiting new countries and the
planning, particularly when it works out so well."
About six years
after their honeymoon, the couple went to New Zealand, where Jane
managed to tick off the yellow-eyed penguin in Dunedin. "We saw
them on the beach from a distance. They are very shy and private. We
also looked for fiordland penguins near Queenstown, but unfortunately
they were nowhere to be seen."
Then her love of penguins changed
her life. Ten years ago, the couple visited Living Coasts while on
holiday in Devon. She said: "I spent ages talking to the penguin
patroller, whose job it was to keep an eye on the wandering birds and
make sure people and penguins mixed happily. Driving back home to
Birmingham, I told Chaz how much I would love to be a penguin patroller,
but I went back to running my celebration cake business."
Remarkably, ten months later Chaz got a job offer to work in Devon to work with boats, which are his passion. Jane's first question was: "How close is that to Living Coasts?" It turned out to be close.
"I
sold my cake business and our house and we moved to Devon," she said.
"Then I applied to become a volunteer at Living Coasts." In 2007
she started at Torquay's coastal zoo and aquarium, providing cover for
penguin patrollers. When a staff penguin patroller left, Jane got the
job.
Living Coasts penguin patrollers make sure both penguins and
people have a safe and enjoyable experience when they meet. "We answer
questions and talk about the penguins and the charity's conservation
projects, for example our support for SANCCOB, a South African bird
rescue and rehabilitation group that does a lot for African penguins. I
also do observations on the penguins for the keepers. "I enjoy
telling visitors about the penguins. I particularly love it when
children are really interested and ask lots of questions. They love to
see the eggs and feathers we keep to show them."
Now she works
with penguins every day – it's her dream job. She said: "I know all the
macaroni penguins by name, I can recognise their flipper tags and have
memorised most of their birthdays.
"As for our African penguins,
there are more than 70, but I know over half by name – I know the names
of all the others but I can't recognise every single bird.
"We
shouldn't have favourites, I love them all, of course, but if I am
allowed to pick out a few by name then Solly, Yoyo and Babe, the
macaronis, are all characters. As for the African penguins, well,
there's Pat our oldest, Kevin, Olive, Charlie... OK, I could name them
all."
The 2010 World Cup in South Africa presented Jane with her
next opportunity to see penguins in the wild. "Chaz loves football, I
love penguins – so he started planning a penguin/football holiday. We
based ourselves in Simon's Town, just a five minute walk from Boulders
Beach, where we could spend lots of time with the Endangered African
penguins in between England matches. I also spent a couple of days
working with SANCCOB. I helped with sick and injured wild African
penguins."
Jane recalls some penguin incidents.
"Solly on
the trolley! The ice-cream trolley used to go past the penguins to get
to the Jetty food outlet. One day Solly hopped on as it went through.
The delivery man didn't notice until Solly jumped off as he unloaded the
ice-cream. The keepers had to carefully herd him back to Penguin
Beach."
On another occasion one penguin, Pickle, was in a bad mood and started pecking Jane's legs. "Immediately another, Babe, came running over, chased him off then came back to preen me," she said.
Last
November, the couple went penguin-spotting on a cruise around South
America and the Falkland Islands and in February this year they flew to
Santiago in Chile to spot Humboldt penguins. The couple have now started
looking for their next penguin holiday.
"Out of the 17 species,
we have nine still to see – and these nine are in places that are more
difficult to reach," she said. "Antarctica, Galapagos, Snares Island,
Maquarie Island. I'm sure one day we will complete the list, with
determination and my love of penguins. Chaz is already looking at trips
to Antarctica."
Cape Town - Dogs have
temporarily been banned from along Burghers’ Walk to Links Crescent in
Simon’s Town after eight endangered African penguins were killed in two
days.
Dog walkers have also been urged to keep their pets on
leashes and under control when using the area stretching from Links
Crescent South to Fisherman’s Beach, the City of Cape Town said in a
statement on Friday.
The attacks are understood to have taken place on Wednesday and Thursday.
Nest
counts of breeding penguins conducted recently showed that of the 982
nests counted, 109 nests are located just along Burghers’ Walk and the
areas immediately south.
Mayoral
committee member for energy, environmental and spatial planning Johan
van der Merwe said the African penguin is currently listed as endangered
by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural
Resources, with a steady decline in numbers over the past decade.
"The overall population of this species is estimated to be a mere 2.5% of its population level some eight decades ago," he said.
"The
Department of Environmental Affairs published the Biodiversity
Management Plan for the African penguin in October 2013… and the City
therefore has an obligation to put measures in place to protect penguins
on City property, especially during the breeding and nesting seasons."
The ban will remain in place until further notice, the City confirmed.
Law
Enforcement will monitor this stretch and anyone who sees unaccompanied
dogs roaming in the area is urged to phone 021 596 1999.
By Johnny SimonAugust 19, 2015
When penguins come to mind (and when don’t they?), the picture you’re
bound to think up is the desolate white expanse of Antarctica. But
penguins live in many various ecosystems throughout the Southern
Hemisphere, including a large penguin population on Australia’s lush,
green Macquarie Island.
Only 20 miles long, this narrow slice of land
lies isolated more than 900 miles south of Australia, but boasts a
diverse ecosystem with large multi-species penguin populations, seals
and albatrosses.
The penguin population was hunted to near extinction in the early
20th century, when penguins were prized for their blubber. But
conservation measures enacted in the 1960s and, more recently, UNESCO
World Heritage inscription in 1997 have helped to protect this island’s
unique ecosystem and its vulnerable inhabitants.
by Asia Morris August 18 2015 Photos by Asia Morris.
The Magellanic Penguin chick who hatched on June 5 at the Aquarium of the Pacific,
made its public debut this morning as aquarium officials reintroduced
the nearly three-month-old once-fluffy ball of feathers to its friends
and family in the June Keyes Penguin Habitat.
Lily, whose female gender was determined through a recent blood test
(as Magellanic male and female penguins are difficult to tell apart to
the inexperienced eye "until someone lays an egg"), was removed from her
nest 25 days after hatching and taken to a nursery behind the scenes.
There, she was given the necessary time to grow watertight juvenile
feathers, a process called fledging, before she could enter the water.
Lily also learned how to swim and take hand-fed fish.
Aviculturist Sara Mandel, who we’ll call the penguin whisperer for
obvious reasons, frequented the exhibit today to ensure Lily’s safety as
a new member of the clan. Described as having a tenacious curiosity,
the new chick flitted in front of aquarium visitors and their camera
lenses without an ounce of shyness. At three months old, she has almost
grown to the size of an adult.
Magellanic Penguins are native to the coasts of Argentina and Chile
in South America. The public can not only visit the chick on exhibit,
but help support her through the aquarium’s Adopt an Animal program. For
more information, click here. Guests can also purchase an Animal Encounter with the penguins, by clicking here.
See all the coverage on social media or add to it with the hashtag #LilyWaddles.
Aviculturist Sara Mandel, who we’ll call the penguin whisperer for
obvious reasons, frequented the exhibit today to ensure Lily’s safety as
a new member of the clan. Described as having a tenacious curiosity,
the new chick flitted in front of aquarium visitors and their camera
lenses without an ounce of shyness. At three months old, she has almost
grown to the size of an adult.
Aviculturist Sara Mandel, who we’ll call the penguin whisperer for
obvious reasons, frequented the exhibit today to ensure Lily’s safety as
a new member of the clan. Described as having a tenacious curiosity,
the new chick flitted in front of aquarium visitors and their camera
lenses without an ounce of shyness. At three months old, she has almost
grown to the size of an adult.
