How to Cook a Penguin
INVESTIGATING ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS AND
THEIR EFFECT ON ORGANISMAL DISTRIBUTION
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
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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
Galapagos Penguin
Distribution
CROMWELL
EQUATORIAL
COUNTER CURRENT
HUMBOLDT/PERU
CURRENT
Picture Resources
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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:Eq
uirectangular_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)