Penguins starve en masse

[Black Orchid]

Mass starvation has wiped out thousands of penguin chicks in Antarctica, with unusually thick sea ice forcing their parents to forage further for food in what conservationists have called a "catastrophic breeding failure".

French scientists, supported by WWF, have been studying a colony of 18,000 pairs of Adelie penguins in East Antarctica since 2010 and discovered only two chicks survived the most recent breeding season in early 2017.

WWF is calling for greater protection for the waters off East Antarctica to ensure penguins do not face added pressure of competition from fishing fleets for their main food source of krill.

I cannot even believe they would allow fishing fleets in there now. This area needs to be properly protected from these flea bag fishing fleets.

But they have been declining in the Antarctic region more generally where climate change has taken its toll, with shifting ice reducing habitat while warming seas affect their prey.

Four years ago, the same colony, which numbered 20,196 pairs at the time, failed to produce a single chick.

"This devastating event contrasts with the Disney image that many people might have of penguins. It's more like 'Tarantino does Happy Feet', with dead penguin chicks strewn across a beach in Adelie Land.

"The risk of opening up this area to exploratory krill fisheries, which would compete with the Adelie penguins for food as they recover from two catastrophic breeding failures in four years, is unthinkable.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/10 ... antarctic/

[Black Orchid]

Mass starvation has wiped out thousands of Adelie penguin chicks at an East Antarctic breeding colony, strengthening Australia’s push for a marine park in the region, scientists say.

French scientists today revealed that extensive sea ice — which makes it harder for the penguins to get out to sea and back with food — resulted in all but two chicks starving in the colony of 18,000 breeding pairs early this year.

The scientist behind the research said the push by Australia, France and the European Union for a 1 million sq km marine park in the region would assist the species to recover.

“The region is impacted by environmental changes that are linked to the breakup of the Mertz glacier since 2010,” said Yan Ropert-Coudert, senior penguin scientist at the French National Centre for Scientific Research.

“A marine protected area will not remedy these changes but it could prevent further impacts that direct anthropogenic pressures, such as tourism and proposed fisheries, could bring.”

Population decimated twice within the space of 4 years. 2 chicks out of almost 40,000?