Latest news with #BellingshausenSea
Free Malaysia Today
a day ago
- Science
- Free Malaysia Today
Emperor penguin populations declining faster than expected
Some emperor penguin colonies have lost all their chicks from thinning ice plunging hatchlings into the sea before they were old enough. (Envato Elements pic) PARIS : Emperor penguin populations in Antarctica have shrunk by almost a quarter as global warming transforms their icy habitat, according to new research today that warned the losses were far worse than previously imagined. Scientists monitoring the world's largest penguin species used satellites to assess sixteen colonies in the Antarctic Peninsula, Weddell Sea and Bellingshausen Sea, representing nearly a third of the global emperor penguin population. What they found was 'probably about 50% worse' than even the most pessimistic estimate of current populations using computer modelling, said Peter Fretwell, who tracks wildlife from space at the British Antarctic Survey (BAS). Researchers know that climate change is driving the losses but the speed of the declines is a particular cause for alarm. The study, published in the journal Nature Communications: Earth & Environment, found that numbers declined 22% in the 15 years to 2024 for the colonies monitored. This compares with an earlier estimate of a 9.5% reduction across Antarctica as a whole between 2009 and 2018. Warming is thinning and destabilising the ice under the penguins' feet in their breeding grounds. In recent years some colonies have lost all their chicks because the ice has given way beneath them, plunging hatchlings into the sea before they were old enough to cope with the freezing ocean. Fretwell said the new research suggests penguin numbers have been declining since the monitoring began in 2009. That is even before global warming was having a major impact on the sea ice, which forms over open water adjacent to land in the region. But he said the culprit is still likely to be climate change, with warming driving other challenges for the penguins, such as higher rainfall or increasing encroachment from predators. 'Emperor penguins are probably the most clear-cut example of where climate change is really showing its effect,' said Fretwell. 'There's no fishing. There's no habitat destruction. There's no pollution which is causing their populations to decline.' 'It's just the temperatures in the ice on which they breed and live, and that's really climate change.' Emperor penguins, aka Aptenodytes forsteri, number about a quarter of a million breeding pairs, all in Antarctica, according to a 2020 study. A baby emperor penguin emerges from an egg kept warm in winter by a male, while the female in a breeding pair embarks on a two-month fishing expedition. When she returns to the colony, she feeds the hatchling by regurgitating. To survive on their own, chicks must develop waterproof feathers, a process that typically starts in mid-December. Fretwell said there is hope that the penguins may go further south in the future but added that it is not clear 'how long they're going to last out there'. Computer models have projected that the species will be near extinction by the end of the century if humans do not slash their planet-heating emissions. The latest study suggests the picture could be even worse. 'We may have to rethink those models now with this new data,' said Fretwell. 'We really do need to look at the rest of the population to see if this worrying result transfers around the continent,' he added. But he stressed there was still time to reduce the threat to the penguins. 'We've got this really depressing picture of climate change and falling populations even faster than we thought but it's not too late,' he said. 'We're probably going to lose a lot of emperor penguins along the way but if people do change, and if we do reduce or turn around our climate emissions, then then we will save the emperor penguin.'
RNZ News
a day ago
- Science
- RNZ News
Emperor penguin populations in Antarctica declining faster than expected
Photo: AFP / Biosphoto By Kelly Macnamara , AFP Emperor penguin populations in Antarctica have shrunk by almost a quarter as global warming transforms their icy habitat, according to new research on Tuesday that warned the losses were far worse than previously imagined. Scientists monitoring the world's largest penguin species used satellites to assess sixteen colonies in the Antarctic Peninsula, Weddell Sea and Bellingshausen Sea, representing nearly a third of the global emperor penguin population. What they found was "probably about 50-percent worse" than even the most pessimistic estimate of current populations using computer modelling, said Peter Fretwell, who tracks wildlife from space at the British Antarctic Survey (BAS). Researchers know that climate change is driving the losses but the speed of the declines is a particular cause for alarm. The study, published in the journal Nature Communications: Earth & Environment , found that numbers declined 22 percent in the 15 years to 2024 for the colonies monitored. This compares with an earlier estimate of a 9.5-percent reduction across Antarctica as a whole between 2009 and 2018. Warming is thinning and destabilising the ice under the penguins' feet in their breeding grounds. In recent years some colonies have lost all their chicks because the ice has given way beneath them, plunging hatchlings into the sea before they were old enough to cope with the freezing ocean. Fretwell said the new research suggests penguin numbers have been declining since the monitoring began in 2009. That is even before global warming was having a major impact on the sea ice, which forms over open water adjacent to land in the region. But he said the culprit is still likely to be climate change, with warming driving other challenges for the penguins, such as higher rainfall or increasing encroachment from predators. "Emperor penguins are probably the most clear-cut example of where climate change is really showing its effect," Fretwell told AFP. "There's no fishing. There's no habitat destruction. There's no pollution which is causing their populations to decline. "It's just the temperatures in the ice on which they breed and live, and that's really climate change." Some colonies have lost all their chicks in recent years because the ice has given way beneath them. Photo: AFP / Biosphoto Emperor penguins, aka Aptenodytes forsteri, number about a quarter of a million breeding pairs, all in Antarctica, according to a 2020 study. A baby emperor penguin emerges from an egg kept warm in winter by a male, while the female in a breeding pair embarks on a two-month fishing expedition. When she returns to the colony, she feeds the hatchling by regurgitating and then both parents take turns to forage. To survive on their own, chicks must develop waterproof feathers, a process that typically starts in mid-December. The new research uses high-resolution satellite imagery during the months of October and November, before the region is plunged into winter darkness. Fretwell said future research could use other types of satellite monitoring, like radar or thermal imaging, to capture populations in the darker months, as well as expand to the other colonies. "We really do need to look at the rest of the population to see if this worrying result transfers around the continent," he said, adding however that the colonies studied were considered representative. He said there is hope that the penguins may go further south to colder regions in the future but added that it is not clear "how long they're going to last out there". Computer models have projected that the species will be near extinction by the end of the century if humans do not slash their planet-heating emissions. The latest study suggests the picture could be even worse. "We may have to rethink those models now with this new data," said Fretwell. But he stressed there was still time to reduce the threat to the penguins. "We've got this really depressing picture of climate change and falling populations even faster than we thought but it's not too late," he said. "We're probably going to lose a lot of emperor penguins along the way but if people do change, and if we do reduce or turn around our climate emissions, then then we will save the emperor penguin." - AFP
Malay Mail
a day ago
- Science
- Malay Mail
‘Worrying result' for Antarctic emperor penguins as populations plummet faster than expected
PARIS, June 11 — Emperor penguin populations in Antarctica have shrunk by almost a quarter as global warming transforms their icy habitat, according to new research yesterday that warned the losses were far worse than previously imagined. Scientists monitoring the world's largest penguin species used satellites to assess sixteen colonies in the Antarctic Peninsula, Weddell Sea and Bellingshausen Sea, representing nearly a third of the global emperor penguin population. What they found was 'probably about 50 per cent worse' than even the most pessimistic estimate of current populations using computer modelling, said Peter Fretwell, who tracks wildlife from space at the British Antarctic Survey (BAS). Researchers know that climate change is driving the losses but the speed of the declines is a particular cause for alarm. The study, published in the journal Nature Communications: Earth & Environment, found that numbers declined 22 per cent in the 15 years to 2024 for the colonies monitored. This compares with an earlier estimate of a 9.5-per cent reduction across Antarctica as a whole between 2009 and 2018. Warming is thinning and destabilising the ice under the penguins' feet in their breeding grounds. In recent years some colonies have lost all their chicks because the ice has given way beneath them, plunging hatchlings into the sea before they were old enough to cope with the freezing ocean. Fretwell said the new research suggests penguin numbers have been declining since the monitoring began in 2009. That is even before global warming was having a major impact on the sea ice, which forms over open water adjacent to land in the region. But he said the culprit is still likely to be climate change, with warming driving other challenges for the penguins, such as higher rainfall or increasing encroachment from predators. 'Emperor penguins are probably the most clear-cut example of where climate change is really showing its effect,' Fretwell told AFP. 'There's no fishing. There's no habitat destruction. There's no pollution which is causing their populations to decline. 'It's just the temperatures in the ice on which they breed and live, and that's really climate change.' 'Worrying result' Emperor penguins, aka Aptenodytes forsteri, number about a quarter of a million breeding pairs, all in Antarctica, according to a 2020 study. A baby emperor penguin emerges from an egg kept warm in winter by a male, while the female in a breeding pair embarks on a two-month fishing expedition. When she returns to the colony, she feeds the hatchling by regurgitating and then both parents take turns to forage. To survive on their own, chicks must develop waterproof feathers, a process that typically starts in mid-December. The new research uses high resolution satellite imagery during the months of October and November, before the region is plunged into winter darkness. Fretwell said future research could use other types of satellite monitoring, like radar or thermal imaging, to capture populations in the darker months, as well as expand to the other colonies. 'We really do need to look at the rest of the population to see if this worrying result transfers around the continent,' he said, adding however that the colonies studied were considered representative. He said there is hope that the penguins may go further south to colder regions in the future but added that it is not clear 'how long they're going to last out there'. Computer models have projected that the species will be near extinction by the end of the century if humans do not slash their planet-heating emissions. The latest study suggests the picture could be even worse. 'We may have to rethink those models now with this new data,' said Fretwell. But he stressed there was still time to reduce the threat to the penguins. 'We've got this really depressing picture of climate change and falling populations even faster than we thought but it's not too late,' he said. 'We're probably going to lose a lot of emperor penguins along the way but if people do change, and if we do reduce or turn around our climate emissions, then then we will save the emperor penguin.' — AFP
CBS News
2 days ago
- Science
- CBS News
Emperor penguin population decline may be "worse than the worst-case projections," scientists warn
Emperor penguin populations in Antartica may be declining faster than the most pessimistic predictions, scientists said after analyzing satellite images of a key part of the continent. The images, spanning from 2009 to 2024, suggest a decline of 22% in the Antarctic Peninsula, Weddell Sea and Bellingshausen Sea, according to researchers from the British Antarctic Survey and University of Southampton, who published their study in Nature on Tuesday. The 16 emperor penguin colonies in that part of Antartica represent a third of the global population. The estimated decline compares to an earlier estimate of a 9.5% reduction across Antarctica as a whole between 2009 and 2018. The researchers now have to see if their assessment in that region of Antartica is true for the rest of the continent. "There's quite a bit of uncertainty in this type of work and what we've seen in this new count isn't necessarily symbolic of the rest of the continent," Dr. Peter Fretwell, the lead author of the study, said in a statement. "But if it is — that's worrying because the decline is worse than the worst-case projections we have for emperors this century." While further analysis is needed, Fretwell told Agence France-Presse the colonies studied were considered representative. Researchers know that climate change is driving the losses, but the speed of the declines is a particular cause for alarm. Warming is thinning and destabilizing the ice under the penguins' feet in their breeding grounds. Emperor penguin (Aptenodytes forsteri) pair on sea ice, Larsen B Ice Shelf, Weddell Sea, Antarctica. Sergio Pitamitz/VW Pics/Universal Images Group via Getty Images In recent years some colonies have lost all their chicks because the ice has given way beneath them, plunging hatchlings into the sea before they were old enough to cope with the freezing ocean. Fretwell said the new research suggests penguin numbers have been declining since the monitoring began in 2009. That is even before global warming was having a major impact on the sea ice, which forms over open water adjacent to land in the region. But he said the culprit is still likely to be climate change, with warming driving other challenges for the penguins, such as higher rainfall or increasing encroachment from predators. "Emperor penguins are probably the most clear-cut example of where climate change is really showing its effect," Fretwell said. "There's no fishing. There's no habitat destruction. There's no pollution which is causing their populations to decline. It's just the temperatures in the ice on which they breed and live, and that's really climate change." Emperor penguins number about a quarter of a million breeding pairs, all in Antarctica, according to a 2020 study. A baby emperor penguin emerges from an egg kept warm in winter by a male, while the female in a breeding pair embarks on a two-month fishing expedition. When she returns to the colony, she feeds the hatchling by regurgitating and then both parents take turns to forage. To survive on their own, chicks must develop waterproof feathers, a process that typically starts in mid-December. The new research uses high resolution satellite imagery during the months of October and November, before the region is plunged into winter darkness. Fretwell said future research could use other types of satellite monitoring, like radar or thermal imaging, to capture populations in the darker months, as well as expand to the other colonies. He said there is hope that the penguins may go further south to colder regions in the future but added that it is not clear "how long they're going to last out there". Computer models have projected that the species will be near extinction by the end of the century if humans do not slash their planet-heating emissions. The latest study suggests the picture could be even worse. "We may have to rethink those models now with this new data," said Fretwell. But he stressed there was still time to reduce the threat to the penguins. "We've got this really depressing picture of climate change and falling populations even faster than we thought but it's not too late," he said. "We're probably going to lose a lot of emperor penguins along the way, but if people do change, and if we do reduce or turn around our climate emissions, then then we will save the emperor penguin."
CTV News
2 days ago
- Science
- CTV News
Emperor penguins show dramatic decline in one region of Antarctica, satellite photos show
This undated photo provided by the British Antarctic Survey in January 2024 shows adult emperor penguins with a chick near Halley Research Station in Antarctica. (British Antarctic Survey via AP) WASHINGTON — The population of emperor penguins in one part of Antarctica appears to be declining faster than previously thought, according to a new analysis of satellite imagery released Tuesday. The estimated population of 16 penguin colonies — visible in satellite photos taken between 2009 and 2024 – had declined 22 per cent during that period mainly because of climate change that's shrinking the amount of available sea ice. It's unclear whether this drop is seen across the continent, scientists said. 'Sea ice is very important for the penguins because they breed on sea ice and forage on sea ice,' said Peter Fretwell with British Antarctic Survey, who helped analyze the data. Scientists previously estimated that the total emperor penguin population declined about 10 per cent across all of Antarctica over the past decade and a half. The latest survey included a region covering the Antarctic Peninsula, Weddell Sea and Bellingshausen Sea. 'It's absolutely alarming that the numbers are so much worse than predicted,' said Daniel Zitterbart, a penguin researcher at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, who was not involved in the study. There are uncertainties in the latest estimate. The analysis relies on a calculation of how densely the penguins are clustered in each area where they're detected in a single satellite photo taken each year. The colonies studied represent about 30 per cent of the total emperor penguin population, which lives only in Antarctica. The loss of stable sea ice may be affecting the penguins in ways beyond shrinking their breeding grounds. 'More predators like leopard seals and orcas may be able to come in closer to the colonies if sea ice breaks up earlier in the year,' said Fretwell. Warming ocean temperatures and changing rainfall patterns may also impact the survival of penguin chicks, he added. ___ The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Christina Larson, The Associated Press
