I just went to a lecture which was titled 'Biogeochemistry in Pony Lake.' While most of the lecture was mumbo-jumbo, over my head, incomprehensible, there were some cool things.
At Cape Evans, which is about 20 miles from where we live, there is a lake, a huge colony of Adelie penguins and Shackleton's Nimrod Hut.
The research team is studying the microorganisms that live in the lake. It turns out that Shackleton's team did research at the same lake and the organisms that they found about 100 years ago are basically the same as what lives there now. It's interesting to get behind the great adventure stories from the early Antarctic explorers and realize that they really did a lot of important science which forms the basis of our knowledge today.
Adelie penguins have beautiful white eye rings.
Adelie Penguin Info:
Last week, we went to a lecture on the migration patterns of the Adelie penguin. They tag the penguins and follow their movement throughout the year. One type of tagging device is about 1 square inch large and fits on a band that goes around the bottom of the penguin's leg. It is like a small GPS unit. The other kind of device used to track them is a bit larger and is a satellite receiver that gets taped above the penguin's "rear end" area. Both devices are said to not bother the birds and the researchers take the tracking devices off after the breeding season ends. The lifestyle of the Adelies is dependent upon sea ice...no sea ice no Adelies. NASA is involved in this investigation and takes satellite pictures of the location of sea ice. They plot where the sea ice is and then add the data points from where the tracking devices picked up Adelies. These little guys will travel up to 1000 miles in the course of a year as they move along the sea ice to eat and then get ready to make new penguins.
Look at this chubby cutie!
Whatever it is...I didn't do it!
This species is also a case study in microevolution. They have been studying their DNA and have concluded that there are 2 strains of Adelies that have developed/changed rather rapidly. There are mummified Adelie carcasses in the dry valleys that are 6,000 years old and they have used that DNA to help them put together how they have changed up until the present. We are hoping to see more penguins soon...we will keep you posted.
Adelies are known as the penguin comedians of the ice.
2 comments:
Hey this is kind of like the Emperor Penguins in the movie "March of the Penguins!" What a truly amazing, happy/sad story!
It is a little like March of the Penguins except they don't have to march so far since they stay right on the edge of the ice. The Adelies are also much smaller than the Emperors. Thanks for writing!
Post a Comment