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https://theconversation.com/emperor-penguins-face-a-bleak-future-but-some-colonies-will-do-better-than-others-in-diverse-sea-ice-conditions-214625>
"The long-term future looks bleak for Emperor penguins, but our new research
shows some birds may be able to survive in certain conditions, depending on
where they live, at least for the next few decades.
Over the past two years, Antarctic sea ice has declined dramatically, prompting
scientists to suggest it could reach a “new state”.
A study based on satellite images shows that sea ice broke out early in
Antarctica’s Bellingshausen Sea in 2022, potentially resulting in breeding
failures across several Emperor penguin colonies in that region.
Our research shows Emperors form colonies in surprisingly diverse environmental
conditions that vary depending on location around the continent. Within each of
these regions, there is little difference between where birds make their homes
and other sites, suggesting they could shift if they had to. This provides a
ray of hope in an otherwise bleak outlook.
Emperor penguins may be the only birds to rarely set foot on land. They are
unique among penguin species in that they breed on sea ice during the harsh
Antarctic winter.
We know that they need “fast ice” – the coastal sea ice attached to the
Antarctic continent or ice shelves. But they actually inhabit a range of
fast-ice locations that differ in the timing of ice formation, how much ice
forms and breaks, and even how close they get to other penguin species.
Depending on where they are along the Antarctic coast, Emperors make use of the
habitat available to them. Their behaviour may be flexible enough to allow some
colonies to cope better in a warming world."
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
