Emperor penguin populations in Antarctica could experience a serious decline by the end of the century as a result of climate change.
This is the conclusion reached by a team of researchers coordinated by biologist Stephanie Jenouvrier, from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, in the USA, who has reflected the conclusions of her study on the future of this species in the journal Nature Climate Change .
According to these experts, the livelihood of emperor penguins depends extraordinarily on the state of the sea ice. The significant decrease in its concentrations expected within a few decades will reduce the size of two out of every three colonies to less than half.
“If the sea ice disappears at the rate anticipated by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, we will find this scenario,” says Jenouvrier. “None of the colonies, not even those further south in the Ross Sea, will be a safe haven for these birds in the late 21st century.”
This essay is part of a long-term investigation that has as its object the study of these penguins, especially those of Tierra Adelia, in the east of the frozen continent. “It is not easy to find out the role that sea ice plays in this process,” says Jenouvrier.
“If there is too much, the parents have to travel long distances to get sustenance and bring it back to feed the young. If it is very little, the krill habitat, which these animals feed on to a great extent, is reduced ”.
The study has taken into account both phenomena and has shown that although some colonies could experience an improvement during a few years, only a significant change could prevent the reduction of populations.
