Most Penguin Populations Continue to Decline, Biologists Warn
Penguin biologists from around the world, who are gathered in Boston the week of September 6, warn that ten of the planet’s eighteen penguin species have experienced further serious population declines. The effects of climate change, overfishing, chronic oil pollution and predation by introduced mammals are among the major factors cited repeatedly by penguin scientists as contributing to these population drops. Prior to the conference, thirteen of these penguin species were already classified as endangered or threatened. Some penguin species may face extinction in this century.
More than 180 penguin biologists, government officials, conservation advocates, and zoo and aquarium professionals from 22 nations have convened in Boston for the five day International Penguin Conference, which is being hosted this year by the New England Aquarium. The conference is held every three to four years, and this is the first time that it has been held in the Northern Hemisphere.
Penguins are found exclusively in the Southern Hemisphere with a single species on the Galapagos Islands at the Equator to four Antarctic penguin species that are most well known to the public, yet 13 other species also live in South America, southern Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and on the many sub-Antarctic islands. Throughout their ranges, nearly all of penguin species are in significant decline or under duress due to a host of common factors.
Climate Change Concerns
The effects of climate change on different penguin species has been the topic of many of the scientists’s papers and presentations. Many penguin species are highly dependent on small schooling fish for food. These masses of anchovies, sardines and other small finfish are seasonally brought to many penguin habitats by cold water currents. In years with El Nino events in the Pacific, there has been a dramatic warming of sea surface temperatures which effectively blocked cold water currents coming up the western coast of South America. Consequently, Galapagos penguins and Humboldt penguins, which are found on the coasts of Peru and Chile, have suffered due to reduced food availability, which principally affects the survival of the young. Galapagos penguins stand a 30% probability of becoming extinct in this century and Humboldt penguins have been classified by the Peruvian government as endangered.
Earlier this year, African penguins, found in Namibia and South Africa, were reclassified internationally as endangered as many breeding colonies in the western part of their range have disappeared. Important food bearing cold water currents have shifted and are now routinely found much further offshore. The increased roundtrip commuting distance for African penguins to obtain food has been devastating to their population.
Scientists are closely watching the potential effects on several Antarctic penguin species that are highly dependent on the presence of sea ice for breeding, foraging and molting. Emperor penguins, which were the subject of “March of the Penguins,” could see major population declines by 2100, if they do not adapt, migrate and change the timing of their growth stages.
Adelie penguin colonies in the Antarctic’s Ross Sea have coped for several years with two super-sized icebergs that have grounded there and created an enormous physical barrier. It has resulted in lower breeding rates and the migration of many animals out of the area.
Sea ice also creates an important nursey cover for juvenile krill which feed on ice algae. Krill is the primary fuel at the base the Antarctic food chain. Reduced sea ice cover has led to a dramtic decline in krill and will likely lead to a decline in many wildlife populations further up the food chain that relies on krill as its foundation food source.
The effects of climate change on penguins are very real. Many environmental conditions are changing and much less predictable. For penguins living in harsh conditions, the ability to properly time when to migrate, nest, mate and seek food are critical decisions often with a very small margin for error, both for both individual animals and entire species.
Overfishing and Bycatch
As fishing efforts around the globe have multipled several fold over the last few decades, penguins are now competing with people for enough food. The large scale harvesting of anchovy and sardine stocks have directly reduced the prey available to many penguin species including Macaroni and Chinstrap penguins in the South Atlantic. Combined with the effects of climate change on the locations of fish stocks, reduced food availability leads to higher starvation rates, increased vulnerabilty to disease and lower breeding success.
Thousands of penguins are also killed annually when caught in fixed fishing nets.
Chronic Oiling
Large scale oil spills make worlwide headlines, but chronic petroleum pollution has killed thousands of penguins particularly off the coasts of South America and South Africa. The most common sources are illegal operational dumping from ships, long term leaks from sunken ships and some land-based discharges. Better legislation and law enforcement efforts can yield positive results. The incidence of oiling of Magellanic penguins off the coast of Argentina has decline signficantly in recent years due to increased public awareness and enforcement.
Introduced Mammalian Predators
Many penguin species evolved in extremely remote settings devoid of any mammal predators.. Prior to the arrival of humans, New Zealand’s only mammals were bats. Now, introduced weasels have had a large impact on the the small populations of Yellow-Eyed and Fiordland penguins. In Australia and Argentina, the arrival of foxes have had impacts while feral cats in the Galapagos have reduced penguin populations there.
The goal of the 7th International Penguin Conference is to present ongoing research, identify current and emerging conservations issues and create action plans that will help create a strategic global effort on behalf of these threatened species.
Short URL: http://chandadavis.net/?p=2415
Portia Porter
Title:Most Penguin Populations Continue to Decline, Biologists Warn
Author:New England Aquarium
Source:Science Daily
On September 6 penguin biologists said that 10 of the 18 species of penguin have experienced further serious population declines.It was cause by climate change and oil pollution.
John Reed
4th Period
Source: http://chandadavis.net/?p=2415
Title: Most Penguin Populations Continue to Decline, Biologists Warn
Author: unknown
Date: Tuesday, September 14th, 2010
FIVE MAJOR FACTS:
1. At the 7th International Penguin Conference in Boston, penguin biologists were presented reasons why eighteen penguin populations are being threatened with population declines and possible extinctions.
2. Due to climate changes created by the Pacific El Nino, cold water currents have moved or stopped and penguins are starving to death because these cold water currents carry essential small finfish food supply to the penguins.
3. Penguins populations, such as the Macaroni and Chinstrap Penguins, are decreasing because these penguins can’t find enough food in the South Atlantic Ocean due to overfishing of anchovy and sardines, and the penguins are dying from being caught in fishing nets.
4. Thousands of penguins off the coasts of South America and South Africa have died due to oil spills, thus creating the need for more public awareness and tougher laws against oil dumping in the oceans.
5. The Yellow-Eyed and Fiordland Penguin populations are becoming prey to weasel predators and Galapagos penguins are being eatened by foxes and feral cats.
1. This article is about the declining penguin population all over the world from climate change, overfishing, bycatch, chronic oiling, and introduced mammalian predators. Penguin scientists from all over the world are holding their 7th International Penguin Conference to discuss these issues and how to help these suffering creatures.
2. One important fact is that ten of the eighteen penguin populations have faced more serious population declines recently, and that thirteen of the eighteen species of penguins are either classified as endangered or threatened.
3. The author believes that large scale oil spills have decreased penguin population along with human’s multiplying fishing efforts. This leaves the penguins competing with us for food. The author is saying that a lot of the reasons penguins are becoming endangered is because of humans.
4. I learned that things such as climate change, careless fishing, over fishing, and oil spills caused a huge drop in penguin population, and a lot of the species are on the track to becoming extinct eventually.
5. I would share how we as people hurt these animals (sometimes unintentionally) to bring awareness to the things we do that need to be stopped to save the penguins. I would also share all of the terrible things that penguins are having to face (food shortages, oil in the water, being caught in fishing nets) to people so they might have sympathy for the penguins and try to change what we are doing to them.
*penguin species depend on small schooling fish for food.
*almost all species of penguin are on the decline.
*pollution has killed thousands of penguins species.
* for penguins living in harsh conditions are not easy.
*some penguin species may face extinction.
1. Penguin biologist around the world met in boston on september 6th
2. Penguin are found in the Southern Hemisphere
3. Most penguin species are highly dependent on small schooling fish for food
4.Penguins are now competing with humans for enough food
5.the goal of the 7th International Penguin Conference is to create action plans that with help the threatened species of penguin.
*The decreasing number of the penguin populaton has different effect on each species of penguin
*oil spills also have a heavy tole on penguin because it limits there resources
*penguins have to compete with humans for food
~ many penguin species in the Southern Hemisphere are in major decline and duress from a group of common factors
~ the climate changes effects the penguin species differently . Many of the species are very dependent on sea ice for breeding , forafing , and molting , but sea ice has made a terride decline in krill , that feeds on ice algae , which might lead to a decline in several wildlife populations
~ several penguin species compete with humans for enough food . The climate change on the locations of fish stocks uncreased weakness to disease and lower breeding succes
~ chronic petroleum pollution has killed a majority of penguins off the coasts of South America and South Africa . Some of the causes are from long term leaks from Sunken ships and illegal operational dumping from ships .
~ The arrive of mammals have declined one penguin populations in places like New Zealand , Austraila , Argentina , and Galapagos .
1.Most penguin populations continue to decline.
2.There is no auther listed.
3.Most penguin bioligests from around the worold meat in boston the weak of september 6th.
4.
5.Penguins are being taken to places where people can help them.
Source: http://chandadavis.net/?p=2415
Title: Most Penguin Populations Continue to Decline, Biologists Warn
Author: unknown
Date: Tuesday, September 22th, 2010
5 Major Facts
1.Ten of the 18 panguin specie are in decline and most of them are endangered.
2.panguins live not in just the artic circle but in New Zealand, Ausraila, and Galapagos…
3.Penguin biologist around the world are meeting in boston on september 6th
4.The decreasing number of the penguin populaton has different effect on each species of penguin.
5.The effects of climate change on different penguin species has been the topic of many of the scientists’s papers and presentations.
Sea Monsters Made Great Mothers by Nadia Drake
1.Scientists found the fossil of a pregnant plesiosaur that died aproximately 78 million years ago.
2.Surprizingly the aquatic reptiles gave birth to live young.
3.The babies were more than 40% of the mother’s length at birth.
4.Plesiosaurs were viviprous and birthed their young at sea.
5.The babies were bitrhted only one at a time because they were so big.
The decreasing number of penguin population has a different effect on each type of penguin. Oil spills have a large toll on penguins because it limits their resources. Climate change also has effect on penguin population.