INVESTIGATING ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS AND THEIR EFFECT ON ORGANISMAL

DISTRIBUTION

How to Cook a Penguin

Galapagos Islands

The Galapagos Islands are a volcanic archipelago (island chain) located 500 miles off the coast of Ecuador on the equatorial boundary

The Galapagos, made famous by Charles Darwin, compromises 18 main islands with Isabela and Fernandina being some of the largest and most western islands of the archipelago

The unique positioning of the Galapagos falls between several important ocean current convergences that greatly affect the environment and habitat of the species that exist there

Galapagos Penguins

Galapagos penguins (Spheniscus mendiculus) are an endangered species of penguin living on the Galapagos islands

They have adapted to the climate of the Galapagos due to unique environmental factors as well as slight behavior modifications that allow them to survive and reproduce in a relatively tropical climate

90% of the population is restricted to the islands of Isabela and Fernandina

Primarily stay in the water during the day to feed and assume normal activity, while they inhabit the dry land at night seeking shelter in rocky crevices and outcrops along the coastline

Evolved adaptive behaviors of panting and shielding their feet with flippers to cool off and reduce heat loss on land when sun is still exposed

Humboldt and Cromwell Currents

The Humboldt or Peru current brings cold chilling waters from the south pole to the southern portion of the island chain

The Cromwell or Equatorial Undercurrent is an eastern traveling upwelling current that brings cold, nutrient-rich waters to the western islands of the Galapagos

Humboldt and Cromwell Currents

CROMWELLEQUATORIALCOUNTER CURRENT

Galapagos Penguin Distribution

HUMBOLDT/PERU CURRENT

Picture Resources• Galapagos Islands Penguin distribution map- CC by SA 3.0- Strebe (http://

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galapagos_penguin#mediaviewer/File:Galapagos_Penguin.png) Modified by D. Gardner

• World Map handout- CC by SA 3.0 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equirectangular_projection#mediaviewer/File:Equirectangular_projection_SW.jpg)

• Galapagos Island Map- CC by SA 2.5- freeworldmaps.net (http://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gal%C3%A1pagos_Islands#mediaviewer/File:Galapagos%2Bmap.jpg)

• Galapagos Penguin (Title Slide)- Flickr: Galápagos Penguin (Spheniscus mendiculus), Galápagos Islands, Ecuador

• Galapagos Penguin (Info Slide)- CC by SA 2.0-Flickr (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galapagos_penguin#mediaviewer/File:Galapagos_penguin_(Spheniscus_mendiculus)_-Isabela2.jpg)

• Boiling Water (Title Slide)-CC by SA 3.0 Unported-Free Software Foundation (GNU Free Documentation license) (http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Boiling_water.jpg)

• Ocean Currents World Map- Public Domain (http://skyblue.utb.edu/paullgj/geog3333/lectures/oceancurrents-1.gif)