Summary: Biologists are playing matchmaker for the endangered African Penguins. These animals are in danger of becoming extinct within the next twenty-five years. African Penguins need a baby-boom in order to keep their species alive. Biologists are matching penguins at the New England Aquarium so they will reproduce in the hopes of keeping the African Penguins alive. They have recently matched two sets up penguins who are compatable to produce optimal offspring.
Reflection: I think its funny that biologists are becoming eharmony for penguins. I wonder what caused these species to become extinct. Before this article I have never heard of the African Penguin, but now I know they are on the endangered species list. Hopefully biologists will find compatable matches and will be able to keep the African Penguin alive.
Questions:
1. What caused the African Penguins to become extinct?
2. Why are these particular penguins so important to our ecosystems?
3.Where is the African Penguin from?
4. How do biologists determine weither penguins are compatable to produce optimal offspring?
5. How many penguins will it take for the African Penguin to be taken off the endangered species list?
answer to question 1) i found a website/blog all on penguins and whats happening with them.
ReplyDeleteso the number one problem was the water and climate change. it seems that with the water heating up in the artic regions the fish the african penguins feed off of arent migrating down to them. as well as when they do they are much farther out, making the feeding trips longer for penguins and them more likeyly to get caught in nets, or able for predtors to reach them. to add on all the oil pollution usally of the cost of S. america and s. africa are killing off the African penguins. the oil spilage is usally caused by illegal dumping,large oil spills as well as leakage from old shipwreacked ships.
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ReplyDeleteI found another article about African Penguins: (Endangered South African Penguins Find Safety at California Academy of Sciences) and it turns out there are only 52,000 left in existence. Its a shame to know that the main reason the penguins are dying is because humans are overfishing the anchovies and sardines - their major food source. Even though they were recently put Endangered Species list, it is good to see biologists trying their best to reproduce them. I'm pretty confident that this species will continue to live on, despite their tough living conditions.
ReplyDeleteIt is interesting that biologists are trying to make a baby-boom in penquins. It reminds me of hearing all these news stories about a baby-boom after the vietnam war.
ReplyDeleteI answered question number three. African Penquins live off the coast of South Africa.
I also have another answer to question number one. African Penquins were killed in the seventeen and eighteen hundreds to be used for food and oil and their habitats are still being destroyed by oil spills off the coast. At one point, their population was estimated to be in the millions. In 1993 it was recorded to only be about 160,000.