Biology

The fight to save Rockingham’s little penguin

Credit: David Selbert from Pexels

Close to HMAS Stirling Naval Base, a battle is being waged on the shores of Garden Island to protect its most elusive inhabitants.

Dr Belinda Cannell is a conservation ecologist at the University of Western Australia, and her decades of dedication to tiny penguins has earned her the affectionate nickname ‘Penguin Lady’.

Belinda crawls into her jacket against the wind and prepares for another day in the field. She visits the island every other week to investigate small penguin nesting sites.

She records the number of occupied and empty nests and records penguins, eggs, and chicks. When the opportunity arises, we plan to implant a microchip and record weight and beak measurements.

This data will be added to a larger dataset and used to monitor the population, health and reproductive success of the island’s tiny penguins, providing information to inform policy and decision-making.

Passion for penguins

During a trip to the island, Belinda remembers where her love for penguins began. At Monash University in Victoria.

“We installed an above-ground pool on campus,” says Belinda.

“I bought penguins from Phillip Island and I catch all the experimental fish.

“We put fish in the pool and videotaped the penguins swimming around and catching different sizes and types of fish.”

Belinda studied the feeding behavior of young and adult penguins and investigated the fluid dynamics of the penguin’s body (how water flows around objects).

“Finally, we investigated the light levels required by penguins to catch fish, proving that penguins are visual predators and need light to catch fish. This is my PhD. ”

keep an eye on

The main colonies of small penguins live on the coastline between limestone boulders that form rock walls. It is very different from the typical ice landscapes that other penguins inhabit.

Investigating small penguin nests is a daunting task. Some are easily accessible. Belinda relies on her trusty “burrow mirror” to inspect hard-to-reach nests.

It’s a Bluetooth camera attached to the end of a flexible black PVC tube that can send video to a small wireless display screen.

Collecting accurate data is not easy. Belinda climbs rocks, squeezes herself into tight spaces, and manipulates the burrow mirror into position. She withstands any cold and rainy weather.

small but powerful

Little penguins are the world’s smallest and most hospitable penguin species.

The weight is about 1 kg and the height is 30-40 cm. They have a unique dark blue coat made of waterproof feathers and a white underbelly.

Belinda’s research will help science better understand tiny penguins and make a major contribution to conservation efforts.

She has been sounding the alarm about the threats facing this species for decades.

under threat

As valuable indicator species, changes in their abundance, health, reproduction, and foraging behavior can indicate changes in ocean health and ecosystems.

“If this year is a bad year for foraging and fish are scarce, penguins may be eating other things, such as jellyfish,” Belinda said.

Using data collected from 1986 to 2019, Belinda and colleagues found that an unusual marine heatwave in 2011 caused tropical fish accustomed to warmer waters to become the main food source for penguins on nearby Penguin Island. I discovered that it had been replaced.

Rising sea surface temperatures for several years in a row likely reduced the number of prey fish near the colony, leading to an 80% population decline, primarily due to poor reproduction, starvation, and parasitic infections.

Although starvation is a serious threat, little penguins in this region are most vulnerable to boat strikes and are also exposed to other threats such as climate change, pollution and urban development.

empty nester

During today’s inspection, we found many empty nests. But they aren’t necessarily a cause for concern.

“Little penguins lay eggs anytime between April and November,” says Belinda.

“So even if the nest is empty now, it could be occupied in a few months.”

Belinda also installed 17 specialized hives designed to deploy satellite and GPS tags to locate food.

In recent years, wild foxes have invaded the island, affecting some nesting sites.

“It’s really heartbreaking,” Belinda said.

Despite some setbacks, the Garden Island colony now appears to be stable, unlike the marked decline trend from the neighboring colony on Penguin Island.

light of hope

Near the end of the day, Belinda peeks into the nest box and is greeted by an adult female penguin with a loud voice.

When Belinda lifted her out of the box, a small white egg appeared.

Belinda was surprised that the penguin was not microchipped. The penguins using these nest boxes are tagged, so this penguin is likely a new resident.

This is a positive sign for the residents of the colony.

She quickly and carefully implants the microchip, weighs the penguin, measures its beak to confirm gender, and gently returns the penguin to its nest.

Microchips are critical to the survival of the species. They have been used to identify individuals for many years, and if a penguin becomes injured and washes ashore on the mainland, it can determine the origin of its colony.

The future of Rockingham’s little penguins is uncertain, but Belinda’s research offers a glimmer of hope for their survival.

This article first appeared on Particle, a science news website based at Cytech in Perth, Australia. Read the original article.

Citation: The fight to save Rockingham’s little penguins (October 16, 2024), Retrieved October 16, 2024, from https://phys.org/news/2024-10-rockingham-penguins.html

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