Emperor penguins, the largest and most majestic of all penguins, are facing a bleak future as climate change threatens to wipe out most of their colonies by the end of the century, a new study warns.
The study, published in the journal Global Change Biology, used satellite imagery and computer models to track the fate of 54 emperor penguin colonies across Antarctica under different scenarios of greenhouse gas emissions.
What’s new about the study findings is that “this is the first major breeding failure of emperor penguins at a regional scale due to sea ice loss, and probably a sign of things to come,” study lead author Peter Fretwell of the British Antarctic Survey told USA TODAY.
“We have never seen emperor penguins fail to breed, at this scale, in a single season,” he added. “The loss of sea ice in this region during the Antarctic summer made it very unlikely that displaced chicks would survive.”
The researchers found that under a high-emissions scenario, where global temperatures rise by 3.5°C above pre-industrial levels by 2100, more than 90% of the colonies would be extinct. Even under a moderate-emissions scenario, where temperatures rise by 2°C, more than 80% of the colonies would be gone.
The main threat to the emperor penguins is the loss of sea ice, which they depend on for breeding, feeding and molting. The sea ice provides a stable platform for the penguins to lay their eggs, incubate them and raise their chicks. It also protects them from predators and gives them access to food sources such as krill and fish.
However, as the planet warms, the sea ice becomes thinner and more vulnerable to breaking apart due to storms and winds. This can have devastating consequences for the penguin chicks, which are not able to swim or survive in the frigid waters until they grow waterproof feathers.
The study recorded a significant decline in emperor penguin chicks in late 2022 due to extremely low levels of sea ice in the Bellingshausen Sea sector. This resulted in the collapse of four out of five colonies. The researchers approximated that numerous chicks perished either by drowning or freezing to death as the sea ice disintegrated before they were able to leave the nest.
Dr Peter Fretwell said the wipeout was a harbinger of things to come.”There is hope: we can cut our carbon emissions that are causing the warming. But if we don’t we will drive these iconic, beautiful birds to the verge of extinction.”
“This paper dramatically reveals the connection between sea ice loss and ecosystem annihilation,” said Jeremy Wilkinson, a sea ice physicist at the British Antarctic Survey. “Climate change is melting sea ice at an alarming rate.”
Speaking about the penguin study, published in the journal Nature Communications Earth & Environment, Wilkinson concluded, “It is another warning sign for humanity that we cannot continue down this path. Politicians must act to minimize the impact of climate change. There is no time left.”
The researchers called on governments and policymakers to take action in order to decrease emissions and safeguard the emperor penguins under the Endangered Species Act and the Antarctic Treaty System.
Relevant articles:
- Climate change: Thousands of penguins die in Antarctic ice breakup, BBC News, 24 August 2023
- Climate change hits emperor penguins: Chicks are dying and extinction looms, study finds, MSN, 24 August 2023
- Emperor Penguins Are Facing Annihilation From Climate Change, The Daily Beast, 24 August 2023
- Emperor Penguins Could Go Extinct By 2100 Due To Climate Change, Study Says, MSN, 24 August 2023