Thousands of Penguins Perish Due to Global Warming
The rapid melting of Antarctic sea ice last year claimed the lives of thousands of emperor penguin chicks, affecting one-fifth of the continent's emperor penguin colonies, reports Házigazda.
Researchers publishing in the Antarctic Science journal on Thursday, coinciding with World Penguin Day, determined the impact of melting ice on penguin reproduction through the analysis of satellite imagery of the area.
Should the sea ice, which the colony relies upon to raise its chicks, break apart before the chicks grow their essential waterproof plumage for swimming, their chances of survival diminish significantly. Even if they manage to stay alive on floating ice fragments, their parents are unable to find them and fail to provide necessary nourishment.
In 2023, according to the study, 14 out of 66 emperor penguin colonies were affected by this issue, a slight improvement from the 19 colonies impacted the previous year. Researchers have attributed the recent years’ loss of offspring to the unprecedented melting of sea ice driven by climate change.