<
https://www.positive.news/environment/the-researchers-working-to-protect-antarctic-penguins/>
"The Antarctic tundras are home to a range of species that have adapted in
fascinating ways to the frozen conditions. The climate crisis means that
thousands of penguins are now at risk, but efforts are under way to protect
them.
Fieldwork assistant Natacha Planque works daily in -50°C conditions and winds
that reach more than 100km per hour, studying the lives of emperor and Adélie
penguins on the Pointe Géologie archipelago.
From the Dumont d’Urville (DDU) Station, Planque and her team monitor 25
islands by helicopter and on foot, conducting annual counts of both species of
penguins. They work with the Centre d’Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, Institut
Polaire Français, and receive support from WWF. Planque explained that they
counted 38,000 nesting Adélie couples and 34,000 chicks in 2024. The numbers
have been rising in Pointe Géologie since 1985.
However, data from the WWF shows that the impacts of climate change have caused
a 65% decline of Adélie penguin populations in the Antarctic Peninsula over the
past 25 years.
The loss of ice has caused a decline in krill, the penguins’ main food source,
and warmer temperatures are thought to affect egg hatching times. There has
been a mass breeding failure of emperor penguins in recent years.
“The data is stark, and emperors are in decline, but seeing these iconic birds
marching through the wilderness fills me with wonder,” Planque says.
Tracking the penguins’ reproductive success involves collecting and counting
emperor penguin eggs that have failed to hatch; in 2024 she collected 100, and
by measuring the length, width and mass of each egg, studied the effects of the
environmental conditions.
For the eggs that do hatch, a new challenge emerges. “In August, the chicks
leave the brood pouch. They run through the colony, with their parents running
after them and trying not to lose them!” says Planque. “But sadly, some emperor
penguins can be seen wandering around the colony after returning from the sea,
looking for a chick that simply isn’t there.”
She continues: “Driven by a maternal instinct, the chick-less adults set out to
get one! And more than 20 adults can be seen trying to steal a single chick.
Sometimes, they win. But sadly, they seldom manage to keep the chick alive.”
To keep an eye on the penguin populations, Planque’s team tags and monitors 300
emperor penguin chicks on Pointe Géologie each year, using tracking devices
called pit-tags. This allows them to be monitored year-round with minimal
disturbance."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
