Migration Station Flooded With Oil

Try Migrating while swallowing oil—while underwater.

As cooler weather sets across the beaches of Argentina and the Falkland Islands, Magellanic penguins' biological clocks hit Snooze—AKA: Seasonal Migration.

Northbound

While their territories range a couple kilometers from their typical homes in Argentina and the Falkland Islands, the Magellanic penguin treks north to Chile and Peru for warmer weather (Stokes, 2014). As a habitual species, the introduction of foreign substances like oil have only complicated the migratory trips of the Magellanic penguin (Pütz, 2007).

As ambient light serves as a diving cue for Magellanic penguins, superficial loads of oil floating atop the water skew the eyesight and directory of the trip (García-Borboroglu, 2006). Their vision distinguishes cool-toned colors extremely efficiently since light refracted in the ocean tints most objects a shade of blue, green, or even violet (García-Borboroglu, 2006). Thus, petroleum hinders their journeys and causes poor circumstances while traveling.

As crude oil production is a large portion of the global economy, its rapid growth continues to loom environmental consequences on marine wildlife—resulting in noxious and hazardous substance pollution. Such substances can be ingested by surface-dwelling swimmers in the area.