Only Two Penguin Chicks Survive Out of Colony of 40,000

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Sea Save Foundation

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A colony of 40,000 Adelie penguins in Antarctica has suffered a “catastrophic breeding event” as only two chicks have survived the breeding season. This is the second time in four years that such devastation has been observed. This hadn’t happened in the previous 50 years of observation. Many parent penguins had to travel up to 62 miles longer than usual on the sea ice to get to feeding grounds. Many are calling for a marine protected area to be established in East Antarctica.

Read more here (story #3).

adelie-penguin-chick.jpg
 
Terrible news. The article says that retreating sea ice and excessive rain are to blame and then recommends establishing a marine protected area. I'm not against the protected areas - the ones in Florida are fantastic and should be expanded. However I don't understand how that would help reduce rainfall or increase the sea ice shelf. Does anyone know how they made the connection that a protected area would somehow help with retreating sea ice and rainfall?
 
Could it provide funds to check on penguins and fly in supplemental food to save the other colonies?
 
Not saying this happened but if the reduced ice allowed increased commercial fishing near shore that could reduce the available food. A marine sanctuary could increase the available food supply.
 
From the article. Complex issue.

"The link between climate change and the sea-ice extent around Antarctica is not very clear. Sea ice has been increasing in recent years, which could be attributed to a rise in the amount of freshwater in the ocean around the continent caused by climate change. However, over the long term, climate change is expected to cause the sea ice to shrink dramatically.

“For the moment, sea ice is increasing and this is a problem for this species as it pushes the feeding place – the sea ice edge – farther away from their nesting place,” Ropert-Coudert said. “If it shrinks it would help but if it shrinks too much then the food chain they rely on may be impacted. Basically, as a creature of the sea ice they need an optimum sea-ice cover to thrive.” "
 
True, but seasonal sea ice is not as thick as the ice that is lost to global warming. On the plus side, wildlife protectors can chop large holes in thinner ice so that penguins do not have to travel as far to get to ocean and food. Only if this becomes a marine sanctuary can scientists discover if this is feasible or not. I like penguins, and I hope they do take a look at this option.
 
This is really sad. I hope that the death of so many chicks allowed the parents to survive to try again next year when, hopefully, conditions would have improved.
 
Terrible news. The article says that retreating sea ice and excessive rain are to blame and then recommends establishing a marine protected area. I'm not against the protected areas - the ones in Florida are fantastic and should be expanded. However I don't understand how that would help reduce rainfall or increase the sea ice shelf. Does anyone know how they made the connection that a protected area would somehow help with retreating sea ice and rainfall?

Here's another article that better explains the reasoning behind wanting to create a MPA around Terre Adelie.

Basically, in addition to retreating sea ice, penguins were competing with krill fisheries to find food.

From the article:
"The MPA proposal called for krill fisheries to be banned from the D’Urville Sea Mertz region to protect the foraging and breeding grounds of Adélie penguins."
 
Given the US is currently working toward reducing protected areas, it may not bode well for another sanctuary.
 
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