General

Number of penguins on the Brazilian coast is 20% higher in 2021

Ibama has so far registered 6,747 Magellan Penguins

Published on 06/12/2021 - 20:41 By Alana Gandra - Repórter da Agência Brasil - Brasília

The Beach Monitoring Project (PMP), carried out by Petrobras to condition the environmental licensing of the Brazilian Institute for the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (Ibama), has so far registered 6,747 Magellanic Penguins ( Spheniscus magellanicus ) on the Brazilian coast this year , in the migration season that is ending.

The annual season generally runs from June to November. The general coordinator of the Santos Basin PMP (PMP-BS on stretch 7 São Paulo coast - Cananeia, Ilha Comprida), the bird biologist Henrique Chupil, explained today (6) to Agência Brasil that penguins do this every year. dispersion of the breeding area, which is in southern Patagonia. “They end up leaving the reproductive area and moving to an area closer to the equator, where there is more adequate water and atmospheric temperature and, consequently, more food. These animals end up coming here”.

Chupil said that, as a result of this trip, many times, some animals, especially the younger ones, end up suffering, either from the bad weather or the scarcity of food, and become more debilitated. “Being debilitated, they can still suffer from another type of action, be it anthropic action (performed by man) or by ingesting garbage. They end up weakening and showing up on the beaches.”

According to the coordinator, every year this movement occurs and a number of penguins end up suffering the entire process. What varies is how they appear on the national coast. There is a natural oscillation of this species of penguin, which responds mainly to the number of births in Patagonia, “it will reflect on the number of animals that will reach the coast of Brazil and will have a direct influence on human actions, human interactions, and of the climatic conditions as well”.

Growth

The number of penguins registered in this year's migration season is 20% higher than last year's (5,657) in the same period. Henrique Chupil informed that the animals found alive are evaluated and, when necessary, they are sent to receive veterinary care. Depending on the region, the weakened penguins are sent to stabilizing units and to rehabilitation centers, where they remain in treatment until release.

Penguins usually arrive at treatment facilities with hypothermia (below normal temperature), hypoglycemia (lack of blood sugar), and dehydration. After rehabilitation, with the stabilization of the clinical picture, they return to their natural 'habitat'. Before being returned to the sea, they receive a 'chip' that allows them to be monitored if they reappear on the Brazilian coast.

Petrobras Biodiversity consultant, Denise Almeida, explained that the difference between the seasons is not uncommon. “Penguin strandings usually occur from the coast of Espirito Santo to the south of the country and this number can vary from one year to another”, he said. He added that the database being built by the project over the years "is extremely important, as it helps the scientific community to understand the peculiarities of marine biodiversity on our coast and thus help in its preservation". The first PMP was implemented in 2009.

The state with the highest incidence of penguins is Santa Catarina, with 4,741 penguins monitored. Then come Paraná, with 1,028, and São Paulo, with 869. The year that recorded the largest number of penguins on the coast of Brazil was 2018, with a total of 12,230, between January and November, highlighting Santa Catarina, with 6,861. Currently, Petrobras has four PMPs that, together, operate in 10 coastal states, in regions where the company operates.

Text translated using artificial intelligence.

Edition: Bruna Saniele