Penguin Count Doubles as Satellite Spies on Birds, Poop Stains
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Scientists almost doubled estimated emperor penguin numbers by using satellite imagery powerful enough to distinguish the birds from their poop stains and shadows on the ice, findings that may help track climate change.
It was the first comprehensive survey of a species from space, said Peter Fretwell, lead author of a paper published yesterday in the PLoS One journal. Researchers led by the British Antarctic Survey found about 238,000 breeding pairs in the southern continent, according to the report. That compares with a two-decade old estimate of 135,000 to 175,000 pairs.