I'm happy to share another follow up to the research on Magellenic penguins in Punta Tombo, Argentina. The Summer of 2009 - 2010 (remember, we're talking about the Southern Hemisphere) was the first time researchers used a Yuma to collect data, instead of pen and paper. After talking with researcher Olivia Kane, I learned more about why the Yuma was such a welcome tool. Olivia says the Yuma made data gathering easier and data processing was much quicker.

Olivia explains the typical research year is six months of information gathering followed by six months of transcribing from field journals and notebooks. With the Yuma, information is now collected and entered into the database almost immediately. This saves months of data entry at the end of the season, and 20 hours of preparation time at the beginning of the season. Olivia says researchers now spend more time analyzing information.

With the Yuma's memory card slots, data can be backed up regularly eliminating any chance of lost data due to missing notebook pages. Using data collection software eliminates the risk of information being transcribed incorrectly, as it did with the pen and paper method. The information can also be sent back to the University of Washington every few days and reviewed in the office. Scientists can look at data in near real-time and catch any errors that may be present and have those in the field make corrections before the season ends. They can also recognize trends that are being recorded at the time and ask for further information in the same year rather than try and follow up on a trend the following year when it may no longer exist.

This is the first year researchers have worked with the Yuma. Olivia is excited to see the full potential of the Yuma, and they are developing more detailed software for next year.