Antarctica penguin deaths
From 2010 to 2016 the giant iceberg B09B has been responsible for the near annihilation of a 150,000 penguin colony.
The media widely reported this as the "death of 150,000 penguins."[1] in Antarctica.[2] The iceberg was the size of Rome,[3] measuring 1,120 square miles.[4] The Adélie penguins there face being wiped out after iceberg became lodged in their bay.[5] In an article in Antarctic Science, researchers wrote: "The arrival of iceberg B09B in Commonwealth Bay, East Antarctica, and subsequent fast ice expansion has dramatically increased the distance Adélie penguins breeding at Cape Denison must travel in search of food".[6]
The authors released this update:
"It is important to recognise that this study[7] focuses on the Adélie penguin colonies at Cape Denison and the MacKellar Islets, which has been well known, and importantly, well studied over the past century. The study reported here identified that the impact of the iceberg B09B on the penguins since 2010. The number of penguins breeding at these colonies has declined markedly since estimates were first made 100 years ago. However our study concerns only the impact B09B and the associated fast ice that has built up between it and the land since the iceberg stranded in 2010. The penguins now have to commute about 65 km between colonies where they breed and the sea where they can feed. Many fewer penguins are now returning to the colonies to attempt to breed and of those that do return most fail to rear their chicks. We found hundreds of abandoned eggs and thousands of dead chicks. We did not suggest that thousands of adult penguins have died as some media reports suggest. In fact it is unlikely many if any adult penguins have died as a result of this stranding event. We found very few, perhaps no pre-breeding birds at Cape Denison and, if as we predict, few if any young birds prospecting for a place to breed in future are visiting these colonies the local colonies could become extinct within the breeding life of an Adelie penguins (<16 years) if young birds do not replace the old established breeders as they come to the end of their lives."
"This iceberg stranding event only affects Adelie penguins in the Commonwealth Bay area, the millions of Adelie penguins breeding around the rest of Antarctica are not affected."[8]
This report was subsequently disputed and corrected by Antarctic experts who regretted the dramatic tone used by the journalists that led to over-simplification in the interpretation of the iceberg effect. The penguins that could not be found on the colony blocked by the iceberg are not dead. They probably relocated elsewhere in search of a new place to breed.[9]
References[edit]
- ↑ Pearlman, Jonathan (2016-02-12). "Giant iceberg in Antarctica kills off 150,000 penguins". Telegrapéh.co.uk. Retrieved 2016-02-14.
- ↑ "150,000 penguins die after giant iceberg renders colony landlocked". the Guardian. 2016-02-13. Retrieved 2016-02-14.
- ↑ "An Iceberg The Size Of Rome Has Killed 150,000 Penguins". The Huffington Post. 2016-02-13. Retrieved 2016-02-14.
- ↑ Offensive, Marking Them (2016-02-14). "150,000 penguins killed after colossal iceberg in Antarctica leaves colony landlocked". The Times of India. Retrieved 2016-02-14.
- ↑ "150,000 penguins have been killed after a colossal iceberg left them trapped". The Independent. 2016-02-13. Retrieved 2016-02-14.
- ↑ Burke, Dave (2016-02-13). "A giant iceberg has killed 150,000 penguins, say scientists". Metro. Retrieved 2016-02-14.
- ↑ Wilson, Kerry-Jayne; Turney, Chris S.M. (February 2016). Plus co-authors Christopher J. Fogwill, Estelle Blair. "The impact of the giant iceberg B09B on population size and breeding success of Adélie penguins in Commonwealth Bay, Antarctica". Antarctic Science. doi:10.1017/s0954102015000644. Retrieved 19 February 2016.
- ↑ https://www.facebook.com/bluepenguintrust/posts/835989556522962
- ↑ http://www.scar.org/2016/840-no-150-000-adelie-penguins-did-not-die-overnight
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