The Effects of Global Warming on Penguins
Whatever the cause, researchers seem to agree the Earth has been getting warmer. In Antarctica, where some species of penguin live, the average temperature has increased 9 degrees Fahrenheit in the just the last 50 years. This has prompted the study of how climate change affects wildlife, including penguins. It appears the total number of some penguin species has been on the decrease, likely due at least in part to global warming.
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Types of Penguins
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More than a dozen different types of penguins are dispersed primarily throughout the southern hemisphere. Though not all penguins live on Antarctica, some do. These penguins, namely the Adelie, emperor and chinstrap penguins are among the most effected by global warming. Populations of other types of penguins like the rockhopper that populate islands in the southern hemisphere are also in decline.
Disappearing Penguins
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While it's difficult to clearly identify the exact cause, the number of penguins in the world has been going down for several decades. According to National Geographic News, the population of rockhopper penguins on one island alone has dropped from 1.4 million around 1950 to just 100,000 today. In 2002, National Geographic News reported that the number of emperor penguins had been cut in half during roughly the same period. Adelie penguins, which live only on Antarctica, are among the most effected with some colonies reduced by 70 percent.
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Melting Sea Ice
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The most immediate effect of global warming is Antarctic ice that melts earlier in the spring and does not extend as far in the winter. Higher temperatures also cause large chunks of ice to break off ice shelves and glaciers to become icebergs. In 2004, a dramatic scene played out as a huge iceberg blocked Antarctica's McMurdo Sound, forcing thousands of penguins to trek 112 miles to reach the sea where they breed.
Complex Interactions
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The literal melting of their habitat most affects penguins because it disrupts their food supply. Penguins rely on krill, a shrimp-like animal, as their staple food. Melting sea ice destroys krill larvae and reduces the available food for penguins. The krill that do mature largely feed on algae that builds on ice. Less ice means less algae, which leads to less krill. As this cycle of warming continues, the result has been fewer penguins.
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References
- Penguin World; Distribution Map
- National Georgraphic News; Penguin Decline Due to Global Warming?; John Roach; Sept. 13, 2004
- National Georgraphic News; Penguin Decline in Antarctica Linked With Climate Change; John Roach; May 9, 2001
- Common Dreams; Antarctica Becomes Too Hot for the Penguins; Geoffrey Lean; Feb. 3, 2002
- Defenders of Wildlife; Global Warming and Penguins
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