Scientists count Antarctic penguins from space

Scientists have counted the number of penguins around the coastline of Antarctica by using a high-resolution satellite mapping technology. A team from the University of Minnesota Polar Geospatial Center used Very High Resolution (VHR) satellite images to monitor the number of penguins at each colony in the region. Counting the number of the entire species from space provided significant data for observing the impact of environmental change on the population of this iconic bird. By using the new technique known as pan-sharpening, increasing the resolution of the satellite imagery, the researchers were able to differentiate between birds, ice, shadow and penguin poo (guano). Since these birds breed in areas that are very difficult to study, scientists applied ground counts and aerial photography in their analysis. "We are delighted to be able to locate and identify such a large number of emperor penguins," said lead author and geographer Peter Fretwell of the British Antarctic Survey (BAS). Scientists counted 595,000 penguins, which is almost double the previous estimates of 270,000 to 350,000 birds, Fretwell explained. The satellite monitoring also allowed the team to analyze 44 emperor penguin colonies around the coast of Antarctica, with seven previously unknown. "The methods we used are an enormous step forward in Antarctic ecology because we can conduct research safely and efficiently with little environmental impact, and determine estimates of an entire penguin population," said co-author Michelle LaRue of the University of Minnesota Polar Geospatial Center.