Thousands of emperor penguin chicks across four colonies in Antarctica are believed to have died because of record-low sea ice levels that caused a “catastrophic breeding failure” in late 2022, according to new research. Analysis of satellite images showed the break-up of usually stable sea ice and the disappearance of the colonies at a time […]
Tag: Emperor Penguin
Emperor penguins listed as endangered by US because of climate crisis
The emperor penguin, the tallest and bulkiest of all the world’s penguins, has been officially declared a threatened species by the US government due to the existential risk posed to the birds by the climate crisis. The penguins, which are endemic to Antarctica, face almost complete annihilation from the loss of sea ice over the […]
What Will Happen to the Penguin Population as Climate Change Worsens?
The effects of climate change are seemingly infinite. It feels like every day brings news of another dwindling population or wiped out plant species. When times get tough, watching videos of dawdling penguins can make the earth seem a little kinder. Unfortunately, penguins are not immune to climate change, and their population numbers and food supplies […]
Fish-feed industry turns to krill, with unknown effects on the Antarctic ecosystem
MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay/PUNTA ARENAS, Chile/PORDENONE, Italy — A mountain of krill meal has been packed inside a huge warehouse: divided into bags and stacked in hundreds of piles that stretch almost to the ceiling. The warehouse is near the port of Montevideo, the capital of Uruguay, inside the main logistics center of Aker BioMarine, a Norwegian […]
Antarctic researchers gain insights from on high as they count seals from space
Researchers believe they have accurately estimated Antarctica’s Weddell seal population for the first time – using images from space and the eyes of hundreds of thousands of citizen scientists. Weddell seals are a key indicator species in the Southern Ocean, for both sea ice fluctuations and shifts in the food web. They can live up […]
What Will Happen to the Penguin Population as Climate Change Worsens?
The effects of climate change are seemingly infinite. It feels like every day brings news of another dwindling population or wiped out plant species. When times get tough, watching videos of dawdling penguins can make the earth seem a little kinder. Unfortunately, penguins are not immune to climate change, and their population numbers and food supplies […]
Melting ice imperils 98 percent of Emperor penguin colonies by 2100
WASHINGTON — With climate change threatening the sea ice habitat of Emperor penguins, the US Fish and Wildlife Service on Tuesday announced a proposal to list the species as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. “The lifecycle of Emperor penguins is tied to having stable sea ice, which they need to breed, to feed and […]
As ice melts, emperor penguins march toward extinction
First, a black dot appears in the distance. More dots join, forming meandering lines across the newly white icescape. “Then all of a sudden, you hear the first calls,” photographer Stefan Christmann says. That’s when it really hits him: “Wow. The birds are coming back.” It’s late March in Atka Bay, in Antarctica’s Queen Maud […]