Puerto Williams

The next phase of the Ocean-Change-Expedition began with our arrival at the small harbour at Beagle-Channel. Yesterday, on Thursday, the "Dagmar Aaen" sailed from Ushuaia back to Puerto Williams, where the research project with the rockhopper penguins will start from.

Torben, Marcus and Uschi are new on board as well as Marcel, who travelled with us last year. And of course Dr. Klemens Pütz, the leader of the research at the Antarctic Research Trust (ART) has joined us on board. This foundation was established in 1997 and has set its goal at doing research on animals in the Antarctic and sub-Antarctic in order to better protect these animals and their habitat.

Southern Rockhopper Penguins

In the coming weeks, research will focus on the southern rockhopper penguins. The numbers of these penguins has been declining for years. On the Falkland Islands they have declined up to 80% in the past 80 years. It is presumed that this decline is caused by an interaction of different spatial and temporal factors. Possible causes are commercial fishing, water pollution through oil and a warming of the ocean waters. All of these factors could have en effect on food supply - the extent of which is still unknown.

Not far from the South American continent, especially on the many breeding islands near Chilean fiords, but also on the Argentine Island Isla de los Estados, the population do not show a comparable trend. A comparison between the winter feeding grounds of animals of the declining populations (Falklands) and the mostly stable populations (Argentina and Chile) is hoped to give further indication of the different factors which are negatively affecting some populations.

For this purpose satellite transmitters will be attached on rockhopper penguins from colonies around the southern tip of South America. This way the migration routes of the animals can be followed and the favoured feeding grounds and migration routes can be identified. While namely study material on the winter migration routes of rockhopper penguins from different colonies on the Falkland Islands is available, this applies to areas on the South American continent only on Isla de los Estados. The whereabouts of the rockhopper penguins in the Pacific regions is one the other hand still fully unknown.

Up to 15 transmitters will be attached to animals in the colonies on Isla de los Estados (ARG), Diego Ramírez (CL), Isla Ildefonso (CL) and Isla Noir (CL).