Magellanic penguin mortality in 2008 along the SW Atlantic coast.
Magellanic penguins migrate from Patagonia reaching northern Argentina, Uruguay, and southern Brazil on their winter migration, in parallel with the seasonal pulse of anchovy spawning. In 2008, Magellanic penguins went further north than usual. Many died and a few swam nearly to the Equator. Twelve groups surveyed 5000 km of coastline encountering 3371 penguins along the coast. Most penguins arrived in northern Brazil (68.4%) without petroleum (2933, 87%). Almost all penguins without petroleum were juveniles (2915, 99%) and 55% were alive when found. Penguins were dehydrated, anemic, hypothermic, and emaciated. Of the penguins with petroleum, 13% arrived in the southern half of Brazil, showing that petroleum pollution remains a problem along the SW Atlantic coast. The mortality occurred in the winter of 2008 when sea surface temperature were unusually cold perhaps reducing the prey for penguins.
García-Borboroglu
Pablo
P
Centro Nacional Patagónico (CONICET), Boulevard Brown 3600, (9120) Puerto Madryn, Chubut, Argentina. popi@u.washington.edu
Boersma
P Dee
PD
Ruoppolo
Valeria
V
Pinho-da-Silva-Filho
Rodolfo
R
Corrado-Adornes
Andréa
A
Conte-Sena
Daniella
D
Velozo
Raquel
R
Myiaji-Kolesnikovas
Cristiane
C
Dutra
Gustavo
G
Maracini
Pryscilla
P
Carvalho-do-Nascimento
Cláudia
C
Ramos-Júnior
Valdir
V
Barbosa
Lupércio
L
Serra
Sheila
S
D000818:Animals; D001267:Atlantic Ocean; D003710:Demography; D017753:Ecosystem; D012621:Seasons; D013020:South America; D046429:Spheniscidae; D013696:Temperature; D013997:Time Factors