Photo: Ignacio Juarez Martinez
PENGUIN CONSERVATION: ANTARCTIC PENINSULA & SOUTH GEORGIA
During the Antarctic 2023/2024 season, Quark Expeditions welcomed Penguin Watch researchers from Oxford Brookes University onboard World Explorer to monitor penguin colonies across the Antarctic Peninsula and South Georgia. The team used drones to count populations, collected fecal samples to study disease and diet, and used time- lapse cameras to track behavior. Their research focused on understanding how penguins are adapting to a changing climate, with evidence showing shifts in breeding patterns linked to increased ice-free areas and warming temperatures. Fishing activity remains a concern, especially as recovering whale populations require expanded feeding grounds.
A key focus this season was monitoring for High Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI). Early findings indicate limited spread, though continued surveillance is critical. The team also used drones to estimate elephant and fur seal mortality around South Georgia.
Visit PenguinWatch.org
16 | For more information, contact Quark Expeditions at Sustainability@QuarkExpeditions.com
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