The project began in 2014 when Heather Lynch from Stony Brook University and Mathew Schwaller from NASA identified dark stains on satellite imagery around an area at the northern Antarctic Peninsula tip called the Danger Islands. This specific region was not known to be an important penguin habitat but the satellite imagery suggested these dark spots were guano stains, pointing to a very large concentration of the flightless bird.
"The drone lets you fly in a grid over the island, taking pictures once per second. You can then stitch them together into a huge collage that shows the entire landmass in 2D and 3D," says Singh.
Once mapped, a computer analyzed the images pixel by pixel to accurately calculate the population. The system found a stunning 751,527 pairs of Adélie penguins. As well as being the largest population of this species of penguin on the Antarctic Peninsula, these animals seem to have not suffered the same decline in numbers seen in similar populations on the opposite, western side of the peninsula.
A comprehensive study of aerial and satellite imagery of the area from up to 60 years ago suggests that this population of penguins has remained stable in the region for over half a century. The research adds more weight to arguments to institute a proposed Marine Protected Area near this stretch of the Antarctic Peninsula.
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