Penguins are the
Pulse of the Planet
For more than 30 years, Oceanites, a global nonprofit founded in the United States that is supported primarily by individual donations, has tracked penguin populations on the rapidly warming Antarctic Peninsula.
Penguins are frontline sentinels that are key indicators of climate change and the health of the Antarctic ecosystem. At Oceanites we use a 30+ year history of boots-on-the-ground penguin counting and the latest drone and satellite imagery to collect, analyze and make vital penguin conservation data openly available to everyone, worldwide.
Why Antarctica Matters for Our Planet
Antarctica's climate is changing, and what happens here affects ecosystems and communities across the globe.
Oceanites tracks environmental change where it starts, turning field counts into open, actionable data that helps scientists, policymakers, and the public protect the flora and fauna of the Southern Ocean, the 7th continent and the planet we share.
By documenting trends in penguin population and habitat conditions across the Antarctic Peninsula, and summarizing and presenting the accumulated analysis at scientific and diplomatic conferences, we provide decision-makers with evidence to safeguard the Antarctic ecosystem and advance effective penguin conservation.
Science & Impact from Antarctica to the World
3,507,541
penguins hand counted
and the number grows every season
2,100+
site visits
by Oceanites penguin counters across 250+ Antarctic locations since 1994
6,102,358
breeding pairs
reported amongst the two penguin species analyzed and reported in Oceanites’ 2024 SOAP report.
18 total
penguin species worldwide
of which three are actively tracked and monitored by Oceanites during each field season up and down the Antarctic Peninsula.
Our open-access MAPPPD database and annual State of Antarctic Penguins (SOAP) report set the standard for Antarctic monitoring — data trusted worldwide to guide conservation and treaty decisions in the face of climate change in Antarctica.
MAPPPD:
The Open Database for Antarctic Penguin Populations
Our collaborative, open-access MAPPPD database and annual State of Antarctic Penguins (SOAP) report set the standard for Antarctic monitoring — data trusted worldwide to guide conservation and treaty decisions in the face of climate change in Antarctica.
A number of organizations benefit and rely on Oceanites research including the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO) and Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) as part of the Antarctic Treaty System.
MAPPPD is an open access, decision-support tool developed for Oceanites that assembles Antarctic penguin population data and makes such data easily and publicly available. MAPPPD integrates biological field surveys, remotely piloted aerial vehicle (drone) imagery, satellite imagery analyses, and citizen science and, over the past 10 years, has become a key research tool used throughout the Antarctic community and a primary resource for scientific and other information about Antarctic penguins.
Get Involved
Be Part of the Frontline of Global Climate Science
Whether you’re a donor, volunteer, partner, or citizen scientist in the USA, Europe, or anywhere in the world, there’s a role for you in protecting Antarctica’s future.
The support of our donors, sponsors and partners helps us finance our field staff of more than 20 penguin counters, drone pilots and data analysts that monitor and report on Antarctic penguins, colonies, ecological conditions and climate change, and helps support the health of penguin colonies and habitats through evidence-based action.
Our Work
From Clipboards to Drones
and AI
Our methods have evolved, but our commitment hasn’t. By blending traditional field science, emerging monitoring and digital technology, and global partnerships to increase access and data capture, we maximize the value of our open-source data. This data drives real-world impact through supporting researchers and educating negotiators, and advancing penguin conservation and protection of the broader Antarctic ecosystem.
News & Updates
Dispatches from the Field
Stay connected with the latest findings, partner stories, and field reports on Antarctic penguins, penguin conservation, and how climate change is transforming life at the edge of the world.
Penguin Conservation & Climate Change FAQs
Why are penguins indicators of climate change?
Penguins are highly sensitive to shifts in temperature, sea ice, precipitation, and food availability. Changes in krill populations or breeding success quickly reflect the broader impact of climate change Antarctica on the Antarctic ecosystem, making penguins revealing sentinels of ecosystem health and environmental change.
How can I support penguin conservation?
You can contribute from anywhere in the world by donating, adopting a colony, volunteering, or sharing scientific insights with your community. Every action supports penguin conservation and helps save the penguins while advancing global awareness of penguins and climate change.
What is the State of Antarctic Penguins (SOAP) report?
The SOAP report is Oceanites’ annual publicly available summary of penguin population trends across Antarctica. It provides policymakers, researchers, and the public with year-by-year data on penguin population decline or advance, adaptation to climate change, Antarctica's ecological and political trends, and long-term conservation strategies.
Can I support Oceanites from outside the USA?
Yes! Oceanites is a global nonprofit with US and UK offices and international reach, thanks to having partners on all seven continents. Donors and partners from across North America, Europe, Australia, and beyond help protect Antarctic penguins and analyze the impacts of climate change in Antarctica by supporting our mission.
Collaborators & Supporters
Collaboration Is Core to Our Model
Our work is powered by brilliant scientists and amplified by world-class partners:
1% for the Planet, Global Giving for Antarctic Penguins
Oceanites is a proud Environmental Partner of 1% for the Planet, a global network where businesses and individuals commit at least 1% of their annual sales to support vetted environmental organizations like ours.
As an Environmental Partner, we’re eligible to receive direct funding from 1% for the Planet business members — companies that turn profits into purpose by fueling our frontline research, open-access data, and long-term monitoring of Antarctic penguin populations across Antarctica.
Every 1% contribution helps transform sales into science, ensuring the world has the data it needs to understand and protect a rapidly changing continent through effective penguin conservation.
Get in Touch With Oceanites, a NGO Focused on Antarctic Research and Penguin Colonies
Let’s Work Together
Questions about our data? Interested in a partnership? Want to bring Antarctic science to your community?
We’d love to hear from you, whether you’re in the USA, Canada, UK, Europe,South America, New Zealand, Fiji, or anywhere in the world, to discuss the monitoring of Antarctic ecosystems, the realities of climate change and its implications for penguin conservation.