Now on Satellite: Penguin Poop!

Posted by Miss Cellania in Animal on June 5, 2009 at 9:06 pm


Scientists have found a new way to track colonies of penguins in the Antarctic by satellite. Normal satellite imaging doesn’t show penguins well because of their natural camouflage. So instead, British penguin-trackers are looking at penguin poop.

“We can’t see actual penguins on the satellite maps because the resolution isn’t good enough,” said mapping expert Peter Fretwell. “But during the breeding season the birds stay at a colony for eight months. The ice gets pretty dirty and it’s the guano stains that we can see.”

The method helped scientists identify 38 penguin colonies — of those, 10 were new. Of previously known colonies, six had re-located and six were not found.

Link -via Simply Left Behind

(image credit: Flickr user Carles-FlashOnTheBlog)

Previously at Neatorama: Penguin Poop.


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6 comments to "Now on Satellite: Penguin Poop!"

  1. BeigePage
    June 5th, 2009 at 9:46 pm

    That picture is at once adorable and repulsive.

  2. Danny
    June 5th, 2009 at 10:30 pm

    If all penguins do their business like that one, it shouldn't take too many to seriously stain some ice

  3. Diablo
    June 6th, 2009 at 6:23 am

    Nice Idea to track them ;)

  4. VonSkippy
    June 6th, 2009 at 8:44 pm

    So now a dark stain on the ice, resolved by orbiting satellites that can not possibly see what caused the dark stain, is proof positive of a penguin colony?

    Sounds like tax code logic to me.

  5. adventurelearning
    June 7th, 2009 at 10:04 am

    I read from media that the number of penguin at Punta Tombo Argentina were getting lowest causes of pollution..I hope they will not be one of animal in this earth which endangered.

    Tracking them is a good idea... regards, sovi.

  6. free games for kids
    June 8th, 2009 at 4:00 am

    That little image is pretty amazing...


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