mmackellarA3

=The Galapagos Penguins  = == Scientific Name: Spheniscus mendiculus The Galapagos Penguin has been endangered since June 2nd, 1970. They are carnivores, and their diet mostly consists of sardines and mullets. They are found in the Galapagos Islands in Ecuador. They prefer to dwell o the rocky coasts of the ocean where there are healthy populations of small fish for them to feed on. There is human and natural impact on the species. There is only a small population of Galapagos penguins, so the species faces possible extinction. The population was much higher but was affected by El Niño events during the early 1980's and in 1998. After the strong 1997-1998 El Niño event, populations declined by 65%. Other threats to the species include destruction of suitable habitat due to natural weather conditions along with, human disturbance, predation from other animals in the area, and accidental entanglement in fishing nets.

Each year, the Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF) works with visiting scientists and the Galapagos National Park Service (GNPS) to perform a survey of Galapagos penguin populations, such as that performed at the end of 2005. A recent study conducted in collaboration with the CDF and the GNPS indicated that the Galapagos penguin faces a 30% probability of extinction in the next 100 years due to the effect of increasing El Niño events.