Establishing marine protected areas is important to preserve regions that penguins depend on for their survival.
Support Conservation Work – Organizations like WCS are continually working to conserve biodiversity and concentrations of marine wildlife. Take action to help penguins survive by making simple changes like turning off lights when not in use or when you leave the room, or using LED light bulbs. Dynamic changes produce rapid alterations in marine environments and within the food chains that are involved. Carbon Footprint – Help reduce carbon emissions to slow climate change. Accidental spills of any pollutants remain in ecosystems and have been shown to accumulate in polar regions. Check fuel and oil lines on vehicles and homes for good condition, and do not dump old oil products into drains. Make sure human activities do not contribute to the problem. Oil Spills – This form of pollution is lethal to marine environments, including those of penguins. Preventing further damage to marine environments will have a positive impact on the health of penguin colonies dependent on these habitats. Through management of fisheries, marine protected areas, and community participation, fish populations and ecosystems can rebound. 
Read watch lists to ensure the seafood you eat is caught or raised sustainably.
Seafood Watch Lists – Being a responsible consumer is critical. Here are some ways to help protect penguins: While penguins cannot fly through the air, they are very adept at using their wings to propel themselves through the water like this macaroni penguin. They are one of six penguin species that have colorful crests of feathers. Macaroni penguins are among the penguin species that live farthest south in the sub-Antarctic islands. Close to two-thirds of the world’s 17 penguin species face population pressures from threats like overfishing, oil spills, and man-made changes to the birds’ environment. They depend on the sea for food and coastal lands to nest, rear their chicks, and molt. Chinstrap penguins scream, causing quite a cacophony in their colonies. Penguins are noisy and use various calls to attract mates, find their chicks, frighten off would-be predators, or just fuss with their neighboring penguins. Credit: © Julie Larsen Maher / WCS Penguins are social animals that live in colonies like this one of chinstrap penguins characterized by noisy vocalizations. Changing ocean conditions affect their main food source, krill. Chinstrap penguins are found in Antarctica and the world’s other southernmost islands. Their dark and light feathers are tightly packed - 70 feathers per square inch - keeping them insulated in the cold conditions of the marine environment where they live. Some penguins can dive to depths of about 1,750 feet. While these birds cannot fly through the air, they are very adept at using their wings to propel themselves through the water. The smallest is the little penguin from Australia and New Zealand the largest is the emperor penguin of Antarctica. Penguins are found in the Southern Hemisphere and come in all sizes ranging from 13 to 48 inches in height. All photos by Julie Larsen Maher, head photographer for WCS. This month, the Wildlife Conservation Society’s David Oehler, Megan Maher, and Julie Larsen Maher write about penguins. Once a month we’ll publish a contribution from Wild View that highlights an animal species or group. This photo essay comes via Mongabay’s partnership with the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Wild View blog.
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