To overseas visitors, the Phillip Island Penguins are almost as well known as the koala and the kangaroo. Yet hundreds are killed each year by laziness and greed.

Oil spills around the world, too often, leave birds and marine life suffering and dying. But the oil covering this little penguin's coat, was dumped into the sea on purpose. Ship operators illegally offload the residues and oily sludge from their ship's bunker tanks to save time and money.

Every month, up to 20 birds were returning to the Phillip Island penguin colony covered in oil, then in 1995 the numbers shot up to 60, so Australia's science agency, CSIRO, was asked to help look for the culprits.

" The first thing we have to do is to get the oil off the sample either the swab or the feathers and we do this by using a solvent called Hexane. And the components that we're interested in actually come through with the solvents so we end up with a very nice clean sample."

The tiny traces left behind, are bombarded with electrons, to separate the various components, and form a fingerprint of the oil. As all processed oils have different features, this can show exactly where the oil comes from.

"And what we 're hoping is that by showing this, we can at least explain to people who are responsible for this, that their actions are having an affect."

It's hoped that by tracking down the culprits, illegal dumping may stop, saving the lives of hundreds of penguins each year.

Long version of Penguins in Peril

Andy Revill
CSIRO Marine Laboratories
Castray Esplanade, Hobart 7000

Andy.Revill@csiro.au