Landau February 24, 2025
Preliminary Remarks
Since 2021, a research team led by Dr. Alejandro Simeone (1) has been conducting studies on the population, breeding success and foraging of Humboldt penguins in Chile on behalf of Sphenisco. The research project is funded by the species conservation foundation Zoo Karlsruhe, Dresden Zoo and the Verein der Freunde des Tierparks Hagenbeck e.V. (see “Projects Chile” June 4, 2021, November 28, 2021, April 18, 2022, July 22, 2022, July 23, 2023, January 1, 2023, July 9, 2023 and November 23, 2023 on these pages). In December 2024, Nancy Duman from Sphenisco-Chile spoke with Guillermo Luna-Joquera (Catholic University of the North, Coquimbo, Chile) about the impact of avian flu and El Niño on the development of the Humboldt penguin population. The interview was recorded for the documentary “on site - species conservation and zoological gardens” by DigitalPRO Audiovisual & Comunicaciones from La Serena.
Interview with Dr. Guillermo Luna-Joquera
Nancy Duman
Since 2022 Sphenisco has been funding a 6-year research project. The project is led by your colleague Dr. Alejandro Simeone from the University Andres Bello in Santiago. As you know, the New Zealand researchers Dr. Ursula Ellenberg and Dr. Thomas Mattern are also involved. You teach and research at the Catholic University of the North in Coquimbo and are investigating breeding success in the project. What are the aims of the research project?
Guillermo Luna
The project involves three areas that are interconnected and complement each other. One of the areas of work is to study reproductive success in the main Chilean colonies. There are some colonies that are more important than others. We are therefore not studying all of them throughout the country, but only the most important ones, which are located in the center and north of Chile. Thus one area of work is to survey the breeding population in the most important colonies in Chile. Another area of work is monitoring the reproductive activity of the penguins. We are also investigating this in the colonies on the islands of Choros and Chañaral, which are currently the most important colonies in Chile. The island of Cachagua is also important, but we have decided to monitor breeding success in the two colonies of Choros and Chañaral. We follow the development of the breeding activities: from the arrival of the animals, the laying of the eggs and the hatching of the chicks. We continue to follow the development of the chicks until they fledge and finally go to sea. Reproductive success is important because, together with recording the number of breeding pairs, it is crucial. In the population of a species, the breeding population, i.e. the animals that reproduce, is the most important factor in determining how many offspring the breeding pairs produce each year. Both areas of research are closely linked and we are continuously working on this.
Another area of research, which is also linked to the aforementioned, concerns foraging. Here we study the behavior of animals that reproduce. We equip them with various technologies to record their foraging behavior. Where they swim to feed, how much time they spend in the sea and to what depth they dive. This research is also linked to a doctoral thesis funded by a grant from Sphenisco. A student is analyzing this data and determining the energy expenditure of the animals in the sea.
Nancy Duman
Why is this important?
Guillermo Luna
Because it gives us an indication of the oceanographic conditions. The animals go into the sea, and if there is enough food, they return quickly. The effort required to find food is then minimal. In the extreme case, when there is little food in the sea, the penguins have to spend more time in the sea and invest more “work” to bring food to the nest for themselves and their chicks. This study therefore allows us to investigate the influence of oceanographic conditions on foraging effort and ultimately the amount of food the penguins can bring to the nest for their chicks.
Nancy Duman
How many breeding pairs are there currently in Chile?
Guillermo Luna
It's difficult to say. But I have some data that I can share.
Between 2022 and 2023, before the bird flu and before El Niño, we counted a total of 2,500 pairs in Chile, so about 5,200 animals if you double the pairs. Most of them were on the island of Cachagua and the island of Tilgo. On Cachagua there were about 730 pairs and on Tilgo about 570. On the island of Choros there were only 380 pairs, but they had a very high reproduction rate. Almost all of these 380 pairs produced an average of 1.5 chicks per pair, which is pretty good. However, when we counted again in late October and early November 2024, the numbers were significantly lower. The breeding population has declined significantly in recent breeding seasons. For example, there were only four breeding pairs on Chañaral Island, and of those four pairs, only one produced a chick. Here is the latest data we have: one chick on Chañaral. There were 20 pairs on the island of Pan de Azúcar, eight on the island of Pájaro Niño and eight on Isla Grande. On Cachagua and Tilgo there were around 270 breeding pairs in total, which is extremely low.
Nancy Duman
What do you think are the causes of this development?
Guillermo Luna
The reasons why the penguins have not reproduced this year and last year are difficult to identify. It is difficult to give a definitive answer. But it can be said that in the year when an El Niño occurred and bird flu broke out at the same time, both factors may have combined to affect the breeding behavior of the breeding pairs. However, it is not easy to separate the two events. What we can say is that during the bird flu outbreak here in Coquimbo, around 1,800 birds were found dead on the beaches. Of these, very few were tested, and of the animals tested, only four tested positive for bird flu. This means that we cannot say that they all died because of bird flu. It is possible that many of these animals also died due to interactions with fisheries (note: reference to possible bycatch casualties). But we did not have the opportunity to examine all the animals in detail to determine the cause. During the period in question, there were practically no landings of anchovies here in the Coquimbo region. This means that there was no food available. So the most likely cause of the decline was El Niño, although according to experts it was classified as mild to moderate. There were no anchovies, but other species in the Humboldt Current ecosystem, such as the Junko petrels, successfully reproduced. This means that this mild El Niño event only affected some species, such as the penguins or the blue-footed boobies, which did not reproduce.
Nancy Duman
Does the reproductive failure associated with avian influenza lead to a scenario that is catastrophic for these species?
Guillermo Luna
I would be cautious and not say catastrophic for the Humboldt penguins because we do not yet have all the necessary information to fully understand the complexity of their reproductive cycles. We expect the animals to reproduce again next year, as they normally do after an El Niño event. During an El Niño event, the penguins go to sea to forage for food and return when conditions improve.
Nancy Duman
Do we need to re-evaluate the conservation status (note current status “endangered”) of the Humboldt Penguin?
Guillermo Luna
Reclassifications are normally carried out by a panel of experts who bring together a lot of information. However, I believe that such revisions should take place at longer intervals, because populations are not static, they are dynamic. I think it's too early to upgrade the penguin from “endangered” to “critically endangered”. That doesn't mean we shouldn't care about the species. A conservation status like “endangered” or “critically endangered” helps,
extend protection measures. For example, we could create protection zones around the most important colonies to ensure that there is enough food in these zones for the penguins to find food and breed successfully. This may seem like a pipe dream, but it is a possibility that should be considered. By analyzing breeding success under current conditions, we can better understand what measures are needed to support the population.
Nancy Duman
Can we analyze reproductive success as planned under current conditions despite El Niño effects?
Guillermo Luna
Yes, it is possible to analyze reproductive success, but we need more data from several years to get a complete picture. After we started the study in 2022, El Niño and avian flu occurred, which made it difficult to observe reproductive success over a longer period of time. What we were able to deduce from the 2022 surveys is that Choros Island is an exceptional place for Humboldt penguin breeding. Although the number of breeding pairs was relatively low, the reproductive success was very high, measured by the number of chicks that fledged and went to sea. This shows how important this island is. The adults are able to feed their chicks because the waters around the island are rich in food and the area is protected, without human disturbance. This is crucial for reproductive success.
Nancy Duman
Is there any evidence that protecting such areas ensures the natural survival of penguins?
Guillermo Luna
Yes, I am convinced of this. I have been working on this island for many years and our studies show that the protection of islands such as Choros, Chañaral and Tilgo allows penguins, as well as other seabirds such as petrels and gannets, to reproduce successfully,
successfully reproduce. The food-rich waters around these islands and the protection measures that exist there have a very positive impact on the populations of seabirds. I am convinced that the protection of these islands will ensure the survival of the Humboldt penguins.
We would like to thank Sphenisco and the zoos for funding these studies. Monitoring the populations is absolutely essential to develop conservation measures and check their effectiveness. Thanks to the funding, we can collect data over a longer period of time and understand how the penguins react to changes in the environment. This would not be possible without the support of Sphenisco. In this context, I would like to pay tribute to Gabriele Knauf. She set up Sphenisco many years ago when I was still a PhD student, and the association made this extensive research possible. The research shows that each island in the Humboldt Archipelago has a unique ecological composition. Therefore, only through careful monitoring can we find out what role each individual island plays. The data we collect gives us crucial insights into the ecological needs and challenges of the penguins.
Thanks to the ongoing studies, we can improve the protection of the penguins and develop long-term solutions. It is important to continue this research to ensure that Humboldt penguins can not only survive but also thrive in a changing environment. The combination of conservation measures, scientific research and informing the public is key to securing the future of these fascinating animals.
Nancy Duman
Thank you very much for the interview, the interesting information and your thoughts.
W.K.
translated by Angelika Veelken
Annotation
(1) The research group around Dr. Alejandro Simeone from the University Andrés Bello, Santiago consists of Dr. Guillermo Luna from the University Católica del Norte, Coquimbo, Dr. Thomas Mattern and Dr. Ursula Ellenberg, both NZ Penguin Initiative, University of Otago.
