Penguin Population Mapping

Where in the world?

Antarctica

Background

Macaroni, Adelie, Chinstrap and Gentoo penguins (all Antarctic species) are facing the threat of a changing climate. There is an acute shortage of available technology and the harsh conditions of the Antarctic habitat mean there is a lack of vital data about penguin population trends and their distribution.

'Understanding the biological responses to shifting climates is of international concern and this is particularly important in Antarctica. Across the world, many species of penguin are in rapid decline, though the changes are particularly apparent on the Antarctic Peninsula. Compared to the global average, temperatures are increasing faster on the Peninsula.'
Tom Hart, Penguinologist, ZSL

Objective

The Zoological Society of London (ZSL) and wider global scientific community will collect essential information on the direction and rate of migration between penguin colonies. The focus will be to document the recent response of penguins to climate change.

Who is involved?

The ZSL have secured significant funding from McVitie's Penguin - the famous biscuit! They are donating towards the ZSL's scientific research in the region. The ZSL's Penguinologist (this really is a job title) Tom Hart will be visiting the remote Antarctic regions - home to several million penguins. Tom will collect feathers for DNA samples to investigate how penguins move around Antarctica.

'The aim of this project is to collect DNA from a wide geographic range to describe the population structure of penguins across the Scotia Arc from South Georgia, to the South Sandwich Islands, the South Orkney Islands and the Antarctic Peninsula - an arc of approximately 1,800 nautical miles.'
Tom Hart, Penguinologist, ZSL

What actually happens?

The ZSL have devised a method to DNA-fingerprint penguins so that they can see where they have come from and how they migrate over time. Penguins DNA can tell us which colony a penguin originally came from and how penguins mix between colonies.

'We intend to determine where individuals in new colonies have come from. While monitored colonies of penguins are generally in decline, a number of new, smaller colonies have recently been found. We will test where individuals in new colonies come from, and whether this matches what we expect in response to climate change.'
Tom Hart, Penguinologist, ZSL

How are Exodus Helping?

ZSL Penguinologist (Tom Hart) and one of the ZSL London Zoo Penguin Keepers will be travelling with Exodus to the Antarctic Peninsula on two back-to-back sailings of the Antarctic Explorer trip aboard the Clipper Adventurer.

Exodus Antarctic Explorer
Sailings on the 15th January 2010 and the 24th January 2010.
The Clipper Adventurer

Exodus and the Zoological Society of London have formed a more general commercial partnership over the last 12 months and Exodus are delighted to be able to help facilitate some of this research.