Shooting Out

An Emperor penguin propels out of a hole in the sea ice near Ross Island, Antarctica. Dr. Paul Ponganis, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, and his team study Emperor penguins' diving. Emperors routinely dive to depths of 500 meters during foraging trips. Ponganis examines their pressure tolerance, management of oxygen stores, end-organ tolerance of diving hypoxemia/ischemia, and deep-dive foraging behavior. This information provides insight into human diving physiology and has medical applications for patients whose organs or tissues have been deprived of oxygen due to heart attack, stroke, transplant, etc. To learn more about Dr. Ponganis' research, visit: http://antarctic.ucsd.edu.

Image credit: Emily Stone, National Science Foundation