What effects do African penguins have on their ecosystem?

Answer 1

African penguins are an essential part of the food chain. They help control populations of small fish species and provide food for larger predators. Their guano also provides natural fertilizer for algae and ocean plants. These days, the ecosystem is having a big impact on the penguins. The ocean currents are shifting causing the fish the penguins eat to have to swim farther and longer to find fish. This is making it harder for them to raise their chicks and build up their fat for their feather molt. The last two years, hundreds of penguin chicks have been abandoned by their parents who had to swim off to find food. A wildlife rescue group in South Africa called SANCCOB was able to take the chicks in and hand raise them for release back into the wild. Erin Brown - African Penguin Keeper at the Memphis Zoo