Pittsburgh Penguins Stay Healthy with Blulog
While the ice hockey team may be better-known Penguins in Pittsburgh, the penguins at the Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium are definitely the cuter ones! The 24 penguins in the PPG Aquarium (17 Gentoo and 7 Macaroni penguins) love to dive, swim, preen, and play in their climate-controlled enclosure. Their cute antics make them a popular draw with children and their parents who often press themselves against the glass to see them.
To keep the penguins healthy and active, the Aquarium staff schedule training and enrichment time with toys such as sprinklers and mirrors, as well as regular check-ups and medical procedures. Another big part of keeping the popular penguins healthy is maintaining the temperature and humidity of their environment.
“If conditions are out of their ideal range for an extended period of time, the penguins could develop a respiratory infection called Aspergillosis”
Penguins are sensitive to temperature and humidity. If conditions are out of their ideal range for an extended period of time, the penguins could develop a respiratory infection called Aspergillosis, or Asper. Aspergillosis is a fungal infection that can be severe and or even chronic. According to Stuart Clausen, Assistant Curator of Aquatic Life at the PPG Aquarium, “The penguin enclosure needs to have a humidity level below 50%, with the ideal humidity around 40%. Any higher and there is a risk of the penguins developing Asper.”
How Temperature Monitoring Systems Can Help
To help monitor and maintain a healthy environment for their fine feathered friends, the Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium uses Blulog RF temperature and humidity loggers. Two RF loggers monitor the temperature and humidity in the penguin enclosure itself, and one RF unit with a probe to monitor the water temperature.
“The penguin exhibit is ideally kept between 40° to 45° with a relative humidity in the low 40th percentile and the water temperature at 40° to 45° as well. The Blulog system allows us to monitor temperatures in real time and receive alerts if the temperatures or humidity levels are out of range,” says Clausen. The Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium is the first place that Clausen has worked with this type of technology. “I was introduced to the technology here. In previous jobs, all measurements were taken manually. With the Blulog system, I am able to have remote access to real-time data.”
Clausen also appreciates the access to full historical data in the BluConsole cloud-based dashboard. “We are able to compare historical data to real-time data and correlate trends with the animals to environmental trends such as temperature and humidity. It really helps with our husbandry protocols.” Clausen also stated that having the data centralized and accessible allows the Aquarium to be a more efficient operation. “We don’t have to depend on others to find historical information or take manual readings. All the information is in one place. Additionally, the Blulog system has been very reliable.”
The Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium is located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA and is open to visitors most days of the year. It is one of only six major zoo and aquarium combinations. The zoo sits on 77 acres of parkland where it exhibits more than 4000 animals, including 20 threatened or endangered species. You can learn more about the Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium at https://www.pittsburghzoo.org/
Bluline Solutions solves cold chain temperature excursion threats by offering its clients cloud connected IoT wireless sensor technologies. Our broad range of active and passive logger devices and sensing options means you can accurately measure what matters and not settle for an approximate or close enough measurement.
Live monitor temperature, humidity or door opening events with Blulog RF and access to your data using our complimentary web dashboard console or mobile app. If you transport temperature sensitive products using a contracted carrier, Blulog NFC technology will record temperatures during transportation and provide any registered system user immediate notification of goods arriving at the point of arrival with a date, time, temperature and geolocation stamp. Both Blulog RF and NFC technologies provide temperature breach notifications, allow report generation, and provide long term subscription free cloud-based data storage.
Blulog is ideal for use in temperature controlled environments, multiple modes of transportation, and commercial retail refrigeration sites. Be confident that your products and perishable items are kept safe and secure with Blulog. Learn more at www.blulinesolutions.com