Baby Penguins

Written By Justin Merriman

 A baby Gentoo penguin is weighed at the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium in Highland Park on Thursday, July 14, 2016. The zoo had four Gentoo penguin babies this year to three sets of parents. The oldest was born on May 31, with the youngest born on June 12 & 14.

 Penguin keepers Katy Wozniak, 39, of Gisonia, (left) and Jessica Ries, 25, of Munhall, right, hold two of the baby Gentoo penguins before checking their weights.

 Two sibling baby Gentoo penguins sit together in their nest.

 A baby Gentoo penguin sits in the nursery at the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium. With an estimate of 387,000 breeding pairs worldwide, Gentoo penguins have been given a near threatened status on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List.

 Gentoo penguins stand in the exhibit at the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium. The zoo's newborn Gentoo penguins still have some time until they fledge and are able to join the rest of the penguins in the exhibit.

Keeper Katy Wozniak, 39, of Gisonia, clean out the nursery where baby Gentoo penguins sit on their nests at the zoo.

Justin Merriman

Justin Merriman is a freelance photojournalist, commercial photographer, licensed drone pilot, and filmmaker based in Pittsburgh. His career began in Southwestern Pennsylvania, where he worked as a newspaper photographer dedicated to community storytelling and politics. Since then, his work has been recognized with regional, national, and international awards and has appeared in publications around the world.

After covering the crash of United Flight 93 in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, on September 11, 2001, Merriman committed to documenting the U.S. military’s War on Terror, reporting from Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq, and across the United States. His international assignments have also included life in Fidel Castro’s Cuba, India’s campaign to eradicate polio, the aftermath of Haiti’s 2010 earthquake, Pope Benedict XVI’s visit to Cuba in 2012, the 2013 conclave that elected Pope Francis in Rome, the second anniversary of Egypt’s revolution, Russia’s 2014 invasion of Crimea, and the uncertain future of Guantanamo Bay in 2015. That same year, he traveled the full U.S.–Mexico border to document immigration issues.

In addition to photography, Merriman works as a director and filmmaker, creating recent films on refugees in Turkey, Jordan, India, and South Africa.

Closer to home, he frequently covers stories across Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia, focusing on the intersections of economic, environmental, and political life. Most recently, he reported on the Norfolk Southern train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, and its impact on the community.

Born in Greensburg, Pennsylvania, Merriman graduated from the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg with a B.A. in English Writing. In 2009, the university awarded him its prestigious Alumnus of Distinction award. He is a founding member of Argo Collective, a group of photographers sharing diverse visions of America. He lives outside Pittsburgh with his wife, Stephanie Strasburg, a photojournalist with PublicSource.

http://www.justinmerriman.com
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