Satellite tracking will help answer questions about pengu...( reach the breeding ground is important...)

"We'll know how much weight they gained or lost on their journey," Boersma said.

After its mate arrives, a male fasts until the female lays two eggs, then he returns to the ocean to feed, sometimes swimming hundreds of miles in search of fish such as anchovies that are staples of the penguin diet. After about two weeks the male returns to the nest to incubate the eggs while the female goes in search of food.

The birds' energy can be drastically sapped if they become coated with oil, and that can mean death. Last year, a team of scientists that included Boersma reported they had found 19 groups rehabilitating oiled seabirds along the Atlantic coast from central Brazil to central Argentina, indicating a much larger problem than generally had been believed. It remains uncertain where the oil comes from -- it could be from a combination of sources, including seepage from offshore oil rigs and ballast water from passing ships.

"We know that birds show up oiled back at our colony, so that means they're getting oiled somewhere between where they winter and Punta Tombo," Boersma said.

'"/>

Contact: Vince Stricherz
vinces@u.washington.edu
206-543-2580
University of Washington
6-Aug-2007