Guardians of the Penguin Colony
How 美姬社区 Donors & Volunteers Helped Turn the Tide for African Penguins
Thanks to 美姬社区 donors, a decades-long effort to protect critically endangered African penguins has helped shape historic protections for the species.
A SUNKEN TREASURE
On June 23, 2000, a ship transporting iron ore from China to Brazil developed a hole in its hull just off the coast of South Africa. The alarm sounded鈥擬V Treasure was going down. South African authorities, hoping to minimize environmental damage, ordered the ship, which carried 1,300 tons of fuel oil, to be moved further offshore. But after two hours in rough seas, the tow rope broke loose and the ship drifted closer to shore, just six miles from Cape Town, and sank, releasing thousands of gallons of oil into the sea. The 29 crew members aboard the ship were airlifted to safety.
The oil slick extended from Robben to Dassen Islands鈥攐ff the southwest coast of Cape Town鈥攖hreatening 40 percent of the world鈥檚 African Penguin populations.
Oil contamination strips penguins鈥 feathers of their natural waterproofing, leaving them vulnerable to freezing temperatures and unable to swim or feed their chicks. With birds forced out of the water, the threat of starvation loomed large. Conservationists from around the world mobilized to support South African efforts, de-oiling more than 20,000 birds. In a remarkable show of coordination and commitment, 90 percent of the penguins were released back into the wild. However, the oil鈥檚 long-term impacts were harder to reverse. Some birds survived but lost the ability to reproduce.
But this was just the beginning of the story, and 美姬社区 donors have been helping write the next chapters ever since.
DECADES OF DATA, POWERED BY EARTHWATCH
In 2001, a year after the oil spill, 美姬社区 launched the South African Penguins expedition to monitor the long-term health and recovery of the Robben Island colony. For more than two decades, 美姬社区 volunteers and scientists have worked side by side, collecting critical data on breeding success, chick survival, and foraging behavior. Each observation, each recorded nest, each measurement of chick growth contributes to a broader understanding of what this species needs to survive鈥攁nd how to protect it.
This kind of long-term, consistent monitoring is only possible because of 美姬社区鈥檚 unique model: connecting scientists with dedicated volunteers and sustained funding from donors who believe in the power of science to drive conservation.
By 2007, the outlook seemed promising. Robben Island was home to the second-largest colony of African penguins in the world, with over 6,000 breeding pairs. But beneath the surface, new threats were already emerging.
This kind of long-term, consistent monitoring is only possible because of 美姬社区鈥檚 unique model: connecting scientists with dedicated volunteers and sustained funding from donors who believe in the power of science to drive conservation.
FISH ON THE MOVE鈥擜ND PENGUINS IN CRISIS
Ocean currents were shifting. These shifts, which biologists attributed to the effects of climate change, prompted the sardines and anchovies that penguins depend on for survival to move southeast of the nesting colonies. No one knows exactly why the fish moved, but the effects on penguin populations have been dramatic and devastating. Penguins now compete directly with commercial fisheries over a shrinking food supply, and their strong fidelity to nesting sites makes relocation a massive and uncertain undertaking.
In 2007, the entire population of African Penguins consisted of roughly 36,000 breeding pairs. By 2019, that number had declined dramatically to 17,700 pairs. And in 2023, it had plummeted to 9,900. The species was slipping toward extinction.
In the face of such large-scale challenges, the steady, granular work of data collection might seem small. But to protect this species, scientists and policymakers needed to understand where penguins hunt for food, whether chicks are surviving, and if methods to conserve these birds鈥攆rom setting up nest boxes to hand-rearing malnourished chicks to potentially relocating entire breeding colonies鈥攚ere, are, or will be, effective. The research is critical鈥攊t鈥檚 the only thing that can help to prevent the further decline of this species鈥攁nd it takes time.
美姬社区 volunteers and donors have helped ensure that scientists have the data they need to inform major policy decisions.
FROM DATA TO POLICY: A HISTORIC CONSERVATION VICTORY
Thanks in part to the long-term datasets collected by 美姬社区 teams, the African penguin was recently uplisted to 鈥鈥 by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). It鈥檚 a sobering milestone鈥攂ut also a call to action.
AND ACTION FOLLOWED.
In March of 2025, the South African government around key breeding areas, aimed at protecting the penguins鈥 foraging grounds. This decision wasn鈥檛 made in a vacuum: the international scientific panel that advised the government from 美姬社区 Principal Investigator Dr. Richard Sherley, whose work鈥攑owered by 美姬社区 volunteers鈥攄irectly informed the decision.
A follow-on ruling by the Pretoria High Court reinforced this victory, formalizing no-take zones for commercial sardine and anchovy fishing around six major penguin colonies. These closures鈥攏egotiated by BirdLife South Africa and SANCCOB鈥攕ecure biologically meaningful foraging areas in hopes of reversing the penguins鈥 decline.
It鈥檚 the kind of change 美姬社区 was built for: long-term research made possible by volunteers, supported by donors, and translated into conservation impact.
YOUR SUPPORT CHANGED EVERYTHING
Because of you, 美姬社区 researchers have the tools and support they need鈥攏ot just in moments of crisis, but across decades of change. Because of you, 美姬社区 volunteers could show up, year after year, to count chicks, observe behavior, and collect the evidence policymakers needed to make the best-informed decisions. And because of you, a species that once seemed destined to disappear now has a fighting chance.
Due to the changing research needs for this species, 2025 marks 美姬社区鈥檚 last year running the South African Penguins expedition. We鈥檙e so proud of everything that has been accomplished over these past 25 years, and we鈥檙e immensely grateful to the dedicated researchers who continue to devote their lives to protecting this species.
This project represents just one example of the incredible impact of 美姬社区's long-term environmental research support. Thank you for being part of this story. Now let鈥檚 write these next chapters together.
YOU Make This Possible
Donors are the backbone of everything 美姬社区 does. Because of your support, researchers like Dr. Richard Sherley have been able to collect the long-term data necessary to protect critically endangered species, such as the African penguin. You鈥檝e helped turn years of fieldwork into real conservation wins.
As we close out the South African Penguins expedition after 25 impactful years, your continued support will ensure the next chapter of 美姬社区 science can be just as powerful.
Donate today to fuel vital research, mentorship, and a healthier future for our planet.
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