Data sent from penguins to space and back to UBC could help researchers determine why the species’ breeding population fluctuates so dramatically.
Data sent from penguins to space and back to UBC could help researchers determine why the species’ breeding population fluctuates so dramatically.
UBC researchers visited the South Atlantic in April to attach small transmitters to the backs of 66 Gentoo penguins from two colonies in the Falkland Islands. They are now watching to see where the birds forage for food as they fatten up for their spring breeding season beginning in October.
One-third of the world’s Gentoo penguin population lives in the Falklands. They use winter to build up their energy reserves so they can make it through rearing chicks in summer and moulting in fall.
The number of breeding pairs can fluctuate by as much as 50 per cent from year to year. Some researchers have attributed those wild swings to climate-related factors, but this team wanted to see if the penguins’ winter foraging behaviour would provide any clues.
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Image via University of British Columbia.
