if you’re a magellanic penguin this ten-mile stretch of Argentine Beach is
ten-mile stretch of Argentine Beach is
ten-mile stretch of Argentine Beach is where the action is
where the action is
where the action is [Music]
[Music]
[Music] a place to scope out a new partner
conductor courtship and settle down to
conductor courtship and settle down to raise the youngsters
National Geographic grantee D Boersma
National Geographic grantee D Boersma has been following this a V in soap
has been following this a V in soap
has been following this a V in soap opera for 25 years this is a pair that’s
opera for 25 years this is a pair that’s
opera for 25 years this is a pair that’s back here’s a male and you can see he’s
back here’s a male and you can see he’s
back here’s a male and you can see he’s still wet so he just came back from the
still wet so he just came back from the
still wet so he just came back from the sea and the female is dry but you can
sea and the female is dry but you can
sea and the female is dry but you can see they’ve got this fat chick both of
see they’ve got this fat chick both of
see they’ve got this fat chick both of them are feeding it
them are feeding it
them are feeding it this chick is now so fat that even
this chick is now so fat that even
this chick is now so fat that even though the males just come home and is
though the males just come home and is
though the males just come home and is wet it’s not even begging for food on
wet it’s not even begging for food on
wet it’s not even begging for food on the surface it would seem this penguin
the surface it would seem this penguin
the surface it would seem this penguin colony is thriving the D is worried she
colony is thriving the D is worried she
colony is thriving the D is worried she seen the population dropped by 22% in
seen the population dropped by 22% in
seen the population dropped by 22% in the past 20 years the research data
the past 20 years the research data
the past 20 years the research data suggests adults must swim further and
suggests adults must swim further and
suggests adults must swim further and further out to sea to find food for
further out to sea to find food for
further out to sea to find food for their chicks the culprit could be oil
their chicks the culprit could be oil
their chicks the culprit could be oil spills overfishing by humans or even
spills overfishing by humans or even
spills overfishing by humans or even global warming to find out what’s
global warming to find out what’s
global warming to find out what’s threatening the colony the movements of
threatening the colony the movements of
threatening the colony the movements of these busy Magellanic penguins must be
these busy Magellanic penguins must be
these busy Magellanic penguins must be monitored but all penguin researchers
monitored but all penguin researchers
monitored but all penguin researchers share a common problem it’s hard for
share a common problem it’s hard for
share a common problem it’s hard for humans to tell penguins apart it may be
humans to tell penguins apart it may be
humans to tell penguins apart it may be hard for even hen gwin’s to tell
hard for even hen gwin’s to tell
hard for even hen gwin’s to tell themselves apart they identify each
themselves apart they identify each
themselves apart they identify each other
other
other by calls however state-of-the-art
by calls however state-of-the-art
by calls however state-of-the-art technology can help researchers out
one of the real problems is how do you
one of the real problems is how do you tell individuals apart and so what we’ve
tell individuals apart and so what we’ve
tell individuals apart and so what we’ve been doing for the last 25 years is the
been doing for the last 25 years is the
been doing for the last 25 years is the traditional method of marking penguins
traditional method of marking penguins
traditional method of marking penguins we kind of put a band on a penguin so
we kind of put a band on a penguin so
we kind of put a band on a penguin so this is what a band looks like and we
this is what a band looks like and we
this is what a band looks like and we actually put it on the left flipper so
actually put it on the left flipper so
actually put it on the left flipper so it’s a little like wearing a bracelet or
it’s a little like wearing a bracelet or
it’s a little like wearing a bracelet or something like that and so we can tell
something like that and so we can tell
something like that and so we can tell the individuals apart what we’re trying
the individuals apart what we’re trying
the individuals apart what we’re trying to do now is instead of having to read
to do now is instead of having to read
to do now is instead of having to read the band
the band
the band let the penguin identify themselves and
let the penguin identify themselves and
let the penguin identify themselves and we’re doing this by putting a little
we’re doing this by putting a little
we’re doing this by putting a little tiny tag in their foot and then that’s
tiny tag in their foot and then that’s
tiny tag in their foot and then that’s like a barcode that you’d put in your
like a barcode that you’d put in your
like a barcode that you’d put in your dog or cats and they walk across a
dog or cats and they walk across a
dog or cats and they walk across a magnetic grate and they tell us who they
magnetic grate and they tell us who they
magnetic grate and they tell us who they are
the researchers sent out Matz with
the researchers sent out Matz with sensors that are able to read the
sensors that are able to read the
sensors that are able to read the microchips implanted in the Penguins
microchips implanted in the Penguins
microchips implanted in the Penguins feet covered with sand and rocks the
feet covered with sand and rocks the
feet covered with sand and rocks the mats are a minor road block on a popular
mats are a minor road block on a popular
mats are a minor road block on a popular pathway to the beach they’re not so sure
pathway to the beach they’re not so sure
pathway to the beach they’re not so sure about the pads when they walk over them
about the pads when they walk over them
about the pads when they walk over them some of them just walk over the pads and
some of them just walk over the pads and
some of them just walk over the pads and pay no attention others are so curious
pay no attention others are so curious
pay no attention others are so curious that they spend time with their beep
that they spend time with their beep
that they spend time with their beep feeling up and down the pad trying to
feeling up and down the pad trying to
feeling up and down the pad trying to tear the pad apart every time a
tear the pad apart every time a
tear the pad apart every time a microchip penguin crosses the mat the
microchip penguin crosses the mat the
microchip penguin crosses the mat the computer records its movements sort of
computer records its movements sort of
computer records its movements sort of like the EZ Pass Lane on the busy
like the EZ Pass Lane on the busy
like the EZ Pass Lane on the busy highway with traffic monitored
highway with traffic monitored
highway with traffic monitored electronically except for routine
electronically except for routine
electronically except for routine maintenance the researchers don’t even
maintenance the researchers don’t even
maintenance the researchers don’t even have to be around the Penguins are
have to be around the Penguins are
have to be around the Penguins are literally counting themselves the most
literally counting themselves the most
literally counting themselves the most important part about that is not only
important part about that is not only
important part about that is not only can we get a night’s sleep but we don’t
can we get a night’s sleep but we don’t
can we get a night’s sleep but we don’t bother the Penguins at all and we can
bother the Penguins at all and we can
bother the Penguins at all and we can get information we’ve never had before
get information we’ve never had before
get information we’ve never had before we can know how long they’re gone to see
we can know how long they’re gone to see
we can know how long they’re gone to see the forage how long are they staying
the forage how long are they staying
the forage how long are they staying home with their chicks and then we can
home with their chicks and then we can
home with their chicks and then we can start to look at what’s the effect of
start to look at what’s the effect of
start to look at what’s the effect of opening a fishery or closing a fishery
opening a fishery or closing a fishery
opening a fishery or closing a fishery on these birds
on these birds
on these birds oh so this is Dan that’s his incubation
oh so this is Dan that’s his incubation
oh so this is Dan that’s his incubation trip going straight out so you can see
trip going straight out so you can see
trip going straight out so you can see he’s really foraging back in her office
he’s really foraging back in her office
he’s really foraging back in her office at the University of Washington d
at the University of Washington d
at the University of Washington d analyzes the tracking data she and her
analyzes the tracking data she and her
analyzes the tracking data she and her team are also developing new technology
team are also developing new technology
team are also developing new technology that will weigh penguins by embedding a
that will weigh penguins by embedding a
that will weigh penguins by embedding a scale under the mat that monitors their
scale under the mat that monitors their
scale under the mat that monitors their movements this way D will be able to
movements this way D will be able to
movements this way D will be able to determine how much food the Penguins are
determine how much food the Penguins are
determine how much food the Penguins are consuming without touching them not
consuming without touching them not
consuming without touching them not surprisingly just like you don’t like to
surprisingly just like you don’t like to
surprisingly just like you don’t like to be picked up by a monster and weighed
be picked up by a monster and weighed
be picked up by a monster and weighed penguins don’t like it either so this
penguins don’t like it either so this
penguins don’t like it either so this way we should be able to get their
way we should be able to get their
way we should be able to get their weight and not bother the birds at all
weight and not bother the birds at all
weight and not bother the birds at all DS long-term research supported by the
DS long-term research supported by the
DS long-term research supported by the Wildlife Conservation Society is helping
Wildlife Conservation Society is helping
Wildlife Conservation Society is helping protect the Punta Tombo colony oil
protect the Punta Tombo colony oil
protect the Punta Tombo colony oil companies have moved their shipping
companies have moved their shipping
companies have moved their shipping lanes and the government has stepped in
lanes and the government has stepped in
lanes and the government has stepped in to protect the coastal habitats they
to protect the coastal habitats they
to protect the coastal habitats they share with other species the D argues
share with other species the D argues
share with other species the D argues the real solution is to keep entire
the real solution is to keep entire
the real solution is to keep entire ocean ecosystems healthy because
ocean ecosystems healthy because
ocean ecosystems healthy because penguins like so many other marine
penguins like so many other marine
penguins like so many other marine animals migrate over vast distances
animals migrate over vast distances
animals migrate over vast distances there are global marine sentinels
there are global marine sentinels
there are global marine sentinels they’re telling us not only what happens
they’re telling us not only what happens
they’re telling us not only what happens with oil pollution in places they tell
with oil pollution in places they tell
with oil pollution in places they tell us about climate change they tell us
us about climate change they tell us
us about climate change they tell us about how we’re using the ocean what’s
about how we’re using the ocean what’s
about how we’re using the ocean what’s happening to our fisheries we can get a
happening to our fisheries we can get a
happening to our fisheries we can get a lot of insights from other species and
lot of insights from other species and
lot of insights from other species and so long-term studies I think are
so long-term studies I think are
so long-term studies I think are actually critical to be able to inform
actually critical to be able to inform
actually critical to be able to inform humans so we can make better use of the
humans so we can make better use of the
humans so we can make better use of the resources of the earth
resources of the earth
resources of the earth the Penguins for the most part don’t
the Penguins for the most part don’t
the Penguins for the most part don’t seem aware computers are recording their
seem aware computers are recording their
seem aware computers are recording their every move and that someone is watching
every move and that someone is watching
every move and that someone is watching over them in the hopes of making sure
over them in the hopes of making sure
over them in the hopes of making sure their raucous colony stay safe for
their raucous colony stay safe for
their raucous colony stay safe for generations to come
generations to come
generations to come [Music]
sponsored by National Geographic mission
sponsored by National Geographic mission programs taking science and exploration
programs taking science and exploration
programs taking science and exploration into the new millennium
”
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