May 13, 2009 -- Documentaries about penguins often show the flightless birds leaving their families and mysteriously drifting off to sea, but a new study continues the story for Subantarctic Macaroni penguins, which researchers recently spied on during a lengthy ocean adventure. The study, published in the latest Royal Society Biology Letters, is the first to reveal the movements and feeding habits of large numbers of penguins using relatively non-invasive geolocation sensors. In the future, the technique may be applied to other penguin species, as it improves upon earlier attempts that mostly relied upon satellites. Following ocean-bound penguins is no easy task. "When penguins forage or travel at sea, you can just sometimes see the heads of the birds outside the sea surface, and they are very difficult to count, especially in the rough sea of the Southern Ocean," lead author Charles-Andre Bost told Discovery News. Related Content:
Bost, a CNRS Chize Center of Biological Studies scientist, and his team affixed sensors onto 21 adult Macaroni penguins at Kerguelen, a South Indian Ocean Subantarctic island, during autumn. This bird is the largest consumer of marine prey among all seabirds. The scientists then re-captured the penguins the following spring and took blood samples. The researchers found that after spring breeding, adult Macaroni penguins move quickly away from Kerguelen waters toward the east, where they spend six months swimming, diving and foraging at sea. For much of the journey, they distribute themselves widely across a narrow band within the central Indian Ocean, diving longer and to greater depths in winter than in summer. It's not a lonely life in the ocean, however. Get More NewsSpiders, Scorpions Among World's Oldest CreaturesMany creepy crawlies have been on Earth much longer than previously believed.Blood-Sucking Vampire Bats Sing DuetsWhite-winged vampire bats "harmonize" with separated roost mates.Oldest Hebrew Writing Possibly FoundAncient inscriptions on a 3,000-year-old pottery shard could make history.Rare, Prehistoric-Age Reptile Found in N.Z.A tuatara has been spotted on the New Zealand mainland for the first time in 200 years.Iceman Has No Living RelativesOetzi, the 5,300 year-old frozen mummy, left no living genetic legacy.SLIDE SHOW: Landscapes of TerrorWhat makes a place feel scary? There are scientific explanations.It's Official: People Are Warming the PolesHumans are conclusively to blame for polar warming, say scientists.Eight-Armed Animal Preceded DinosaursWhat may be one of Earth's first animals was no bigger than a coaster and had eight arms.Phoenicians Live on in People's GenesOne in 17 Mediterranean men may be descended from ancient Phoenicians.Pesticides, Fertilizers Linked to Frog DeclineA pesticide is found to promote parasites among amphibians.Hubble Telescope Taking Photos AgainThe Hubble Space Telescope is once again snapping stunning photos of the universe.Andean Mummy Hairs Show Hallucinogen UseScientists find direct evidence of hallucinogenic drug use among ancient Andeans.Opals on Mars Reveal Planet's Long Wet PastOpals found on Mars suggest the planet has been wet for much longer. |
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