RESEARCH POSTER PRESENTATION DESIGN © 2012

www.PosterPresentations.com

Abstract

Survival of Penguins

Penguin Life Cycle Penguin Anatomy Penguin Diving

Literature Cited

Barrow, Mandy. "Arctic Conditions." . N.p., n.d. Web. 4 May 2012.

<http://www.woodlands-

junior.kent.sch.uk/Homework/adaptations/penguins.htm>.

Dargaud, G. "Antarctic Penguins." . N.p., 12/0. Web. 4 May 2012.

<http://www.gdargaud.net/Antarctica/Penguins.html>.

Foldvary, F. F. Penguins and global warming. N.p., 2007. Web. 4 May

2012. <http://www.progress.org/2007/fold491.htm>.

Lloyd, D. "Galapagos Penguin." penguinworld.com. Adelie Productions,

n.d. Web. 4 May 2012.

<http://www.penguinworld.com/types/galapagos.html>.

Wolf, S.. "Climate Change Threatens Penguins."Actionbioscience.

American Institute of Biological Sciences, 2009. Web. 4 May 2012.

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/episodes/penguins-of-the-

antarctic/introduction/181/

Marine Biology- Professor Lowe

Emanuel Bortz

Penguins

The average lifespan of a penguin is 15-20 years. There is a high mortality rate among the young. Predators of penguins include leopard seals, fur seals, sea lions, sharks, and killer whales. Human impacts include oil spills and overfishing of penguins primary food resources. Mortality rate among Emperor Penguins has increased along with climate change to a warmer climate. Penguins are aquatic flightless birds that live primarily in the Southern Hemispheres, especially in Antarctica, but there are some penguins found in the tropics in the Galapagos islands.

Antarctica

Penguin Species

In the southern hemisphere melting ice and snow create huge cracks and caverns which trap penguins and make it difficult for them to travel to breeding and feeding areas (Foldvary, 2007). As the ocean warms up, the prey eaten by penguins move south to cooler waters. The Adelie Penguins have to swim longer distances to feed on krill, which are is limited due to their dependence on the sea ice. Warming is in addition to pollution, oil spills, and predators killing off penguins.

Galapagos Penguins

Adelie and Emperor Penguins are the two species of penguins adapted to live in the subzero temperatures of the Antarctic. Magellanic Penguins live on the Falkland islands, as well as along the coast of Chile and Argentina. Galapagos are the most northerly species. They inhabit the subtropical climate of the Galapagos Islands, off the coast of the equator, where the environment isn’t ideal for them (pbs.org, 05/04/12).

Penguin Adaptations

Scientific Name: Sphenicus Mendiculus The Galapgos penguins feed right on the equator, and due to the El Nino, their food populations fluctuate to such a degree that the future survival of their species is endangered (Lloyd, 2012). They are the smallest of the warm weather penguins. They only mate when there is plenty of food and both male and female tend to the egg and chick. These penguins keep cool in the warm climate by swimming and hunting in the cool waters of the Cromwell, and hold their flippers out to release heat, and to avoid getting their feet sunburned they hold their flippers over their head when on land. They eat mullets and sardines and are dependent on ocean currents to bring fish to their breeding grounds. There are 800 breeding pairs left.

Magellanic Penguins

Populations are declining due to commercial fishing in their feeding grounds. Feed on squid and small fish. Largest warm-weather penguin. Come to shore to breed. Lose feathers under eyes during warm weather.

Male emperor penguins have a special adaptation that allows them to secret a curd-like substance from their esophagus for which they can feed a chick for up to two weeks while the mother is out hunting.

Antarctic Penguins Adelie penguins have no threats and have more than two Million breeding pairs. They eat almost only krill. Breeds the furthest south of any penguin. Nests are lined with small stones to keep eggs free from melting snow. Emperor Penguins- 150,000 breeding pairs but the reason for decline is unknown. They eat squid and fish. They breed during the worst weather so when the young becomes independent the weather is better. To stay warm during breeding they huddle up in groups. They can swim as fast as 60 km/h and dive hundreds of meters deep.

Vestigial wings have become flippers. Within the smooth plumage a layer of air is preserved to ensure buoyancy, and also provides warmth, along with their thick insulating feathers. On land penguins use tails and wings to maintain balance. Able to control blood flow to extremities, reducing the amount of blood that gets cold.

Penguins don’t eat while on land. They survive on the layer of fat underneath their skin, losing up to 75 lbs. during the two month incubation period. Penguins try to walk on their heels, and they balance their eggs on their feet for warmth. They recapture 80 percent of heat as they exhale through a complex heat exchange system in their nasal pathways. They have highly specialized overlapping feathers , which are short, broad, and closely spaced to keep water away from the skin, with tufts of down on the shaft to keep warm air in. They shed once a year. They have special glands in their bills to help them get rid of excess salt, which allows them to drink seawater without getting sick. The penguins feet and toe muscles are located higher up in the body in the warmer regions. The cold blood from the toes runs through the warm body to self-regulate.

When they come to the surface to breathe, they perform a quick succession of leaps out of the water without slowing down their swimming, also known as porpoising (Dargaud, 2012). Penguins have webbed feet and their bodies are streamlined to reduce drag in water. Penguins have heavy, solid bones which act like a diver’s belt, allowing them to stay underwater (Barrow, 2012). Penguins can switch between the breathing process of starving their muscles or giving them an extra shot of oxygen to help achieve long dives. Penguins can selectively transmit oxygen throughout different parts of their body. Cutting off oxygen from the muscles forces them to make energy using anaerobic respiration. Doing too much of this produces lactic acid which can be toxic in high doses. Somehow penguins are able to consume almost their entire oxygen deposits in their respiratory system. The penguin hemoglobin seems to be extra sensitive squeezing the last molecules of the penguin’s breathing system. Penguins also plummet their heart rate to five beats per minute on long dives. We do not understand how this oxygen deprivation and low blood flows doesn’t do any tissue damage.

Climate Change Sea ice along the western Antarctic Peninsula is shrinking. Ice breaks off sweeping young chicks to the ocean to die. The loss of sea ice leads to lower food availability. Sub-Antarctic penguins, due to ocean warming, and the melting of sea ice are linked to the decline of their major food source, Antarctic krill. When El Nino events prevent cold water from reaching the surface in the Galapagos Islands , those penguins face extreme food shortages. Greenhouse gas pollution leads to sea level rise and ocean acidification. Rising sea levels threaten to drown important coastal nesting sites for penguins, especially when human built (roads) or natural barriers (cliffs) prevent them from moving inland. Commercial fishing is eating up the penguin’s major food supply. The most vital tool in protecting the penguins is the Endangered Species Act which provides safeguards for animals threatened with extinction. Currently, one species of penguin is on the list with seven more being proposed.

Emperor-penguin.com http://dmclf.org/biology/anatomy5.html

http://www.alaska-in-pictures.com/emperor-penguin-baby-parent-protection-9263-pictures.htm http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4Je0UxzliC0/Tp13-

Uu9zlI/AAAAAAAACHc/d4YRKlpsp3g/s1600/penguin.jpg