title: Magellanic penguin mortality in 2008 along the SW Atlantic coast.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Centro Nacional Patagónico (CONICET), Boulevard Brown 3600, (9120) Puerto Madryn, Chubut, Argentina. popi@u.washington.edu
authors.forename: Pablo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: García-Borboroglu
authors.forename: P Dee
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Boersma
authors.forename: Valeria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ruoppolo
authors.forename: Rodolfo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pinho-da-Silva-Filho
authors.forename: Andréa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Corrado-Adornes
authors.forename: Daniella
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Conte-Sena
authors.forename: Raquel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Velozo
authors.forename: Cristiane
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Myiaji-Kolesnikovas
authors.forename: Gustavo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Dutra
authors.forename: Pryscilla
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Maracini
authors.forename: Cláudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Carvalho-do-Nascimento
authors.forename: Valdir
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ramos-Júnior
authors.forename: Lupércio
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Barbosa
authors.forename: Sheila
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Serra
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001267:Atlantic Ocean; D003710:Demography; D017753:Ecosystem; D012621:Seasons; D013020:South America; D046429:Spheniscidae; D013696:Temperature; D013997:Time Factors