Penguins require sea ice habitats - their lives depend on it for survival.
Credits:
Grant Ballard
In October, the Northern Hemisphere prepares for winter; in Antarctica,
summer has begun. After six months of darkness, the sun rises, spilling
light on the coldest environment on earth. The Antarctic winter (March
through September) over, the Adélie Penguins of the Ross Sea migrate to the colony to nest and rear chicks.
“Penguins are very territorial and can be aggressive if you get too close," explains Dr. David Ainley, Ph.D. Animal Behavior/Ecology Senior Marine Wildlife Ecologist at H.T. Harvey & Associates Ecological Consultants. “Sitting quietly away from their territories, penguins will come to you. They are very curious.”
The largest of the Antarctic Penguin species, Emperor Penguins (Aptenodytes forsteri), and the smaller Adélie Penguins (Pygoscelis adeliae), both require sea ice habitats - their lives depend on it for survival.
Icebergs lock-in sea ice. Warming temperatures and stronger winds, break sea ice apart, so penguins can easily swim to find food instead of walking. In some parts of Antarctica, where sea ice is increasing, so are penguin populations. In other areas of Antarctica, sea ice and penguins are disappearing. Global warming causes ice sheets to melt, increasing sea level, and prompting penguins to move farther south in search of new habitats.
“Penguins are victims of human behavior,” Dr. Ainley states unequivocally. Climate change has impacted and altered the lives of penguins, however, these Antarctic birds are not considered endangered. “When their preferred habitat becomes unlivable, penguins are moving to locations where they can continue to exist.”
“Sea ice is very sensitive to temperature,” Dr. Ainley confirms. “Entire ecosystems, both in the Arctic and Antarctic, from microbes up the food web to the top, are dependent on the existence of sea ice.”
To prevent the current trends of global warming, Dr. Ainley advocates conversion to and subsidization of renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, geothermal, and biomass.
Unfortunately, this alone will not alleviate the devastating impact of human-induced climate change on both Antarctic sea mammals and birds. Industrial activities in Antarctica have also contributed to the adverse changes in the Arctic environment.
Although seal and whale populations are recovering from years of exploitation and mining is prohibited under the Madrid Protocol, tourism, hunting, large-scale fishing operations, sewage contamination, and oil spills, like the one that occurred in May 2012, collectively endanger Antarctica and its ecosystem.
“Antarctic ecosystems are telling humans that life as we know it, in the face of dramatic climate change, is going to require moving and changes in other sorts of behavior in order to cope,” Dr. Ainley states. “Major climate change is underway and very real. This is not debatable.”
Click here to visit PenguinScience.com.
source
Dr. David Ainley explains how climate change is affecting the entire ecosystem in Antarctica. Credit: www.PenguinScience.com
“Penguins are very territorial and can be aggressive if you get too close," explains Dr. David Ainley, Ph.D. Animal Behavior/Ecology Senior Marine Wildlife Ecologist at H.T. Harvey & Associates Ecological Consultants. “Sitting quietly away from their territories, penguins will come to you. They are very curious.”
The largest of the Antarctic Penguin species, Emperor Penguins (Aptenodytes forsteri), and the smaller Adélie Penguins (Pygoscelis adeliae), both require sea ice habitats - their lives depend on it for survival.
Icebergs lock-in sea ice. Warming temperatures and stronger winds, break sea ice apart, so penguins can easily swim to find food instead of walking. In some parts of Antarctica, where sea ice is increasing, so are penguin populations. In other areas of Antarctica, sea ice and penguins are disappearing. Global warming causes ice sheets to melt, increasing sea level, and prompting penguins to move farther south in search of new habitats.
“Penguins are victims of human behavior,” Dr. Ainley states unequivocally. Climate change has impacted and altered the lives of penguins, however, these Antarctic birds are not considered endangered. “When their preferred habitat becomes unlivable, penguins are moving to locations where they can continue to exist.”
“Sea ice is very sensitive to temperature,” Dr. Ainley confirms. “Entire ecosystems, both in the Arctic and Antarctic, from microbes up the food web to the top, are dependent on the existence of sea ice.”
To prevent the current trends of global warming, Dr. Ainley advocates conversion to and subsidization of renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, geothermal, and biomass.
Unfortunately, this alone will not alleviate the devastating impact of human-induced climate change on both Antarctic sea mammals and birds. Industrial activities in Antarctica have also contributed to the adverse changes in the Arctic environment.
Although seal and whale populations are recovering from years of exploitation and mining is prohibited under the Madrid Protocol, tourism, hunting, large-scale fishing operations, sewage contamination, and oil spills, like the one that occurred in May 2012, collectively endanger Antarctica and its ecosystem.
“Antarctic ecosystems are telling humans that life as we know it, in the face of dramatic climate change, is going to require moving and changes in other sorts of behavior in order to cope,” Dr. Ainley states. “Major climate change is underway and very real. This is not debatable.”
Click here to visit PenguinScience.com.
source
Dr. David Ainley explains how climate change is affecting the entire ecosystem in Antarctica. Credit: www.PenguinScience.com
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