Counting Penguins and Saving the Earth

Bracing the harsh Antarctic cold, Emily Ritter '21, a conservation biologist, volunteered as an official penguin counter, contributing to Antarctic science through Oceanites' penguin counting program, which tracks penguin populations to help monitor climate change.

Ritter's biology degree, with a focus on animal behavior, at Millersville University guided her to this avocation, allowing her to apply her knowledge and contribute to wildlife science.

"Penguin counting was not always a part of the plan," says Ritter. "I never imagined I would get such an incredible opportunity, although I have wanted to work with birds since I was ten."

When she was in high school, Ritter initially chose Millersville because it offered an ornithology course. Through her advisor, Dr. Aaron Haines, and her involvement in undergraduate research in his lab, she felt prepared to start her career as a wildlife conservationist focusing on bird species.

"Courses such as ecology and evolution gave me the basis of understanding needed to protect the planet," she says. "Even the Psychology of Diversity, a general education class I took, prepared me for all the different people from different places I would interact with to protect the planet. A resilient ecosystem requires a diverse community of conservationists to understand and nurture it."

Since graduation, Ritter has pursued a bird conservation-focused career. Her first field job included trapping prairie dogs in the Badlands National Park to manage their populations, research diseases and protect endangered species. She thanks Dr. John Wallace, professor emeritus of entomology, for encouraging her interest in flea transmission of plague, which led her to gain enough field experience to get her foot in the door for bird conservation. With over four years of bird surveying under her belt and just a few months into her Master of Science program at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, Ritter was ready to count penguins.

Her fiancé, Jason Fly, started counting penguins about two years ago, and she joined him as a volunteer for the nonprofit organization, Oceanites. Fly discovered the position from his boss at Badlands National Park - where Ritter and Fly met - and expressed his interest in going to Antarctica to count penguins. Ritter then joined the effort, accompanying him to Antarctica.

"We are so grateful to now both be Antarctic ambassadors," says Ritter. "I highly encourage all early-career wildlife professionals to speak up; you never know where you will end up by putting yourself out there!"

Ritter and her fiancé worked as a team to monitor the breeding colonies of penguins along the Antarctic Peninsula. Ritter hitch-hiked on a Viking cruise trip, coordinating with ship scientists to drop her off at penguin colonies. Ritter and her team would then split the colony and walk in opposite directions, counting the number of penguin nests on sub-colonies. Each sub-colony was counted three times for accuracy. The species of penguins included in the count were Gentoo, Adelie and Chinstrap.

The goal of penguin nest counting surveys is to track changes in populations and their reproductive success. Another team of penguin counters later in the season counted the number of chicks. The number of nests and chicks is then compared to calculate the rate of nest success.

In addition to population metrics, counters also looked for signs of the highly pathogenic avian influenza. "This disease is wreaking havoc on poultry production as well as native wildlife, including mammals, such as elephant seals," says Ritter. "Penguins aren't directly impacted by the current outbreak, but species closely associated with them are. We made notes of any seabird species observed flying over or interacting with the colony."

Ritter may have represented Millersville on her trip; however, she coincidentally encountered a current Millersville professor, Dr. Jeffrey Wimer, who was a guest on the same ship. "No matter where you go, you're not very far from your Marauder family," she says.

During her study, Ritter found that the Gentoo penguin, who are considered generalists, is increasing in number, while the other two species, which are considered specialists, are suffering as global warming rises.

"This field is heartbreaking, and we know that going in," says Ritter. "That's often why we are called to help research and protect the planet. The entire point of ecological conservation is to understand and properly restore degraded ecosystems for the benefit of wildlife and society.

"I feel called to right the wrongs of other humans. If we don't continue to protect the Earth, who will? According to breeding bird survey data, since 1970, we have lost over three billion birds in North America. If the birds are declining, I will be out listening for them and doing anything I can to maintain a habitat for them. I find my purpose in life through my passion for researching birds."

Ritter offers advice for current biology students interested in penguin counting or finding a career in conservation biology:

• "A quick and free way to get involved with penguin conservation is through the website Zooniverse. During my undergraduate days, I would log onto the Penguin Watch project and count penguins during my free time. There are many citizen science projects on the website, but this one allows you to directly impact penguin conservation from wherever you are.

• "I highly suggest joining clubs and making as many friends in your major as you can. I was the president of the Entomology Club and a member of the Lancaster County Bird Club. I spent a lot of time in the herbarium. Conservation biology is all about forming connections. At MU, I found best friends who were interested in each taxon, so we could share our knowledge. Even today, I still reference learning from my 'plant people' from MU, as I become a plant person myself.

• "Do things that make you scared and uncomfortable. The only way to grow is by doing hard things, looking back and thinking 'wow, I did that!' If the goal of habitat restoration is ecosystem resilience, the goal of being a conservation biologist is forming a resilient soul."

Penguin counting data is available at https://www.penguinmap.com/mapppd/.