QUESTION:
Do you help protect the penguins? 
                
        Hannah, Jennifer, Irene and Lisa
        Mrs. Sosa's class at Center Street School
        Oneonta, NY.
        
         

ANSWER from ANSWER from Donna Patterson, Research Assistant,
            Dr. Bill Fraser's Team
            Palmer Station, Antarctica
            Wed, 12 Feb 1997 19:07:36 -0500

Hello Hannah, Jennifer, Irene and Lisa,

No, we do not protect the penguins since they are part of a food 
chain that was well established long before there were people in 
Antarctica.  The animals here have formed a relationship as predators 
and prey, with their own balance, and we would only serve to change 
that balance by protecting penguins.   We are very careful when 
working with the penguins that we do not disturb the parents and 
cause them to stop guarding the chicks.  In a way, we do protect the 
penguins by carrying out our work here without causing the parents 
to be distracted by our presence.   At Palmer Station, we have 
tourists visit during the breeding season.  We make sure that the 
visitors do not approach the colonies closely and that the penguins 
can go about their activities without disturbance. 

Thanks for your question!
Donna Patterson