Penguins in South Africa are being driven from their native environment because of noise from shipping activities. The African penguin lives on St. Croix island off the east coast of South Africa. The animals are already endangered. But a new study has found that African penguins are leaving their natural environment to escape noisy ship refueling operations. The island once held the world’s largest reproducing colony of the animals. But the population has dropped sharply since South Africa started permitting ships in the area to refuel at sea six years ago, the study found. Lorien Pichegru is acting director of the Coastal and Marine Research Institute at Nelson Mandela University, which led the study. She told Reuters news agency the organization had found that noise levels in the area had doubled since the refueling activities began. Scientists say high noise levels affect the ability of ocean animals to find and catch other animals for food. Noise also makes it more difficult for the animals to communicate with each other and map travel paths. This year we are at 1,200 breeding pairs at St Croix from 8,500 pairs in 2016, Pichegru said. I was counting the dead birds every month on the beach of the bay. The study recently appeared in the publication Science of the Total Environment. The researchers said the study is the first to explore the effects of ocean traffic noise pollution on a seabird.
Title: Endangered South African Penguins Driven Away by Shipping Noise
Content: <div id='article-page'><div id='article-content' data-media-url='//news-app-staging.s3.amazonaws.com' data-base-url='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5627/A22.wav' data-capture-url='//staging.analytics.lingraphica.com/events/capture_news' data-article-title='Endangered South African Penguins Driven Away by Shipping Noise' data-article-id='6198'><script src='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/javascripts/getscripts.js'></script><link rel='stylesheet' href='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/stylesheets/article.css' type='text/css' /><div class='article'><p><span data-start-time='0' data-end-time='10188'>Penguins in South Africa are being driven from their native environment because of noise from shipping activities.</span> <span data-start-time='10188' data-end-time='18771'>The African penguin lives on St. Croix island off the east coast of South Africa. </span> <span data-start-time='18771' data-end-time='22646'>The animals are already endangered. </span> <span data-start-time='22646' data-end-time='34958'>But a new study has found that African penguins are leaving their natural environment to escape noisy ship refueling operations.</span> <span data-start-time='34958' data-end-time='42354'>The island once held the world’s largest reproducing colony of the animals. </span> <span data-start-time='42354' data-end-time='56167'>But the population has dropped sharply since South Africa started permitting ships in the area to refuel at sea six years ago, the study found.</span> <span data-start-time='56167' data-end-time='68250'>Lorien Pichegru is acting director of the Coastal and Marine Research Institute at Nelson Mandela University, which led the study. </span> <span data-start-time='68250' data-end-time='81458'>She told Reuters news agency the organization had found that noise levels in the area had doubled since the refueling activities began.</span> <span data-start-time='81458' data-end-time='92667'>Scientists say high noise levels affect the ability of ocean animals to find and catch other animals for food. </span> <span data-start-time='92667' data-end-time='103563'>Noise also makes it more difficult for the animals to communicate with each other and map travel paths.</span> <span data-start-time='103563' data-end-time='116646'>This year we are at 1,200 breeding pairs at St Croix from 8,500 pairs in 2016, Pichegru said. </span> <span data-start-time='116646' data-end-time='122604'>I was counting the dead birds every month on the beach of the bay.</span> <span data-start-time='122604' data-end-time='129438'>The study recently appeared in the publication Science of the Total Environment. </span> <span data-start-time='129438' data-end-time='140125'>The researchers said the study is the first to explore the effects of ocean traffic noise pollution on a seabird.</span> </p></div><div class='control-buttons-sticky' style='display:none;'><div class='control-buttons'><button title='Back' class='back' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Play' class='play' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Pause' class='pause' style='display:none;'></button><button title='Forward' class='forward' disabled='disabled'></button><button class='finished-reading' style='display:none;'>Done</button></div></div></div><div id='article-media'><div id='media-image'><img src='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5627/A22.jpeg'/></div></div><div id='question-content' style='display:none;'><div class='vocabulary_question question-container' data-question-id=18830 data-hint-location='18771' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5627/which_of_the_following_is_a_definition_of_the_word_endangered.wav'>Which of the following is a definition of the word endangered?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='seriously at risk of extinction'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5627/seriously_at_risk_of_extinction.wav'><span>seriously at risk of extinction</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5627/an_attempt_to_achieve_a_goal.wav'><span>an attempt to achieve a goal</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5627/give_the_right_to_vote_to.wav'><span>give the right to vote to</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5627/capture_the_fascinated_attention_of.wav'><span>capture the fascinated attention of</span></div></div></div><div class='multiple_choice_question question-container' data-question-id=18831 data-hint-location='122604' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5627/in_which_journal_was_the_study_published.wav'>In which journal was the study published?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='Science of the Total Environment'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5627/science_of_the_total_environment.wav'><span>Science of the Total Environment</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5627/science_of_the_penguin_life.wav'><span>Science of the Penguin Life</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5627/science_of_violence_and_penguins.wav'><span>Science of Violence and Penguins</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5627/science_of_the_noise.wav'><span>Science of the Noise</span></div></div></div><div class='sentence_completion_question question-container' data-question-id=18832 data-hint-location='92667' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5627/_blank__also_makes_it_more_difficult_for_the_animals_to_communicate_with_each_other_and_map_travel_paths.wav'><span class='blank'>Noise</span> also makes it more difficult for the animals to communicate with each other and map travel paths.</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='Noise'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5627/noise.wav'><span>Noise</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5627/nose.wav'><span>Nose</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5627/niece.wav'><span>Niece</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5627/noose.wav'><span>Noose</span></div></div></div><div class='question-buttons'><button class='skip-button'></button><button class='hint-button'></button><button class='speak-button'></button></div></div></div>
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