Scientific cooperation with the Gdańsk Zoo

As part of the international project “Trophodynamics of pollutants in captive penguins based on the analysis of feathers, feces, and eggs”, conducted by the Faculty of Chemistry at Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań in collaboration with the Centre for Molecular and Environmental Biology at the University of Minho (Portugal), a scientific cooperation has been established with the Gdańsk Zoo.

On April 15, 2026, Dr Juliana Souza-Kasprzyk carried out a technical visit to the zoo, in cooperation with Dr Anna Żyłko, animal welfare inspector, during which samples of feathers, feces, and non-viable eggs from African penguins were received.

In addition, the project includes the analysis of the penguins’ diet (fish), allowing the investigation of contaminant transfer through food, their absorption by the organisms, and subsequent excretion or incorporation into different biological matrices. The collected samples will be used to assess the accumulation of inorganic and organic contaminants, contributing to a better understanding of their impact on the health of these birds.

The use of non-invasive methods ensures animal welfare and aims to generate new scientific data on contaminant accumulation in penguins kept in zoos. The results will be used in scientific publications, with the participation of the Gdańsk Zoo.

This collaboration is part of a broader cooperation network between institutions in Poland and Portugal, strengthening the international and interdisciplinary character of the research, as well as the development of sustainable approaches to environmental monitoring.