Tuesday 11 December 2007

"As the ice melts, these icons of the Antarctic will have to face an extremely tough battle to survive," said Emily Lewis-Brown, Marine and Climate Change Officer at WWF-UK.

The report, Antarctic Penguins and Climate Change, shows that overfishing and a reduction in sea ice are threatening four populations of penguins that breed on the Antarctic continent - the emperor, gentoo, chinstrap, and Adélie.

Global warming is melting the sea ice and taking away precious nesting grounds on which some penguins raise their young, while food has become increasingly scarce because of warming and overfishing.

"One of the coldest environments in the world is actually seeing some of the fastest rates of global warming, and unless action is taken to reduce global CO₂ emissions, the future of many Antarctic species looks bleak," Lewis-Brown added.

The Antarctic Peninsula is warming five times faster than the average rate of global warming and the vast Southern Ocean has warmed to a depth of 3,000m.

Four penguin populations threatened
Sea ice - ice that forms from sea water - covers a 40% smaller area than it did 26 years ago off the West Antarctic Peninsula.

This decrease has led to reduced numbers of krill, the main source of food for chinstrap penguins. The number of chinstraps has decreased by as much as 30-66% in some colonies, as reduced food has made it more difficult for the young to survive.

It is the same reason why gentoo penguins are endangered. They are increasingly dependent on the declining krill stocks as overfishing kills off their usual food sources.

The emperor penguin, the largest and most majestic penguin in the world, has seen some of its colonies halved in number over the past half century. Warmer winter temperatures and stronger winds have forced the penguins to raise their chicks on increasingly thin sea ice. For many years sea ice has broken off early and many eggs and chicks have been blown away before they were ready to survive on their own.

On the north-western coast of the Antarctic Peninsula, where warming has been the most dramatic, populations of Adélie penguins have dropped by 65% over the past 25 years. Not only has food become scarcer with the disappearance of sea ice, but the Adélie's cousins, the gentoos and chinstraps have also invaded the region to take advantage of warmer temperatures. Scientists are worried for the Adélie penguin, which needs land that is free of snow and ice to raise its young.

Emily Lewis-Brown added: "The UN climate change summit underway in Bali must agree a process now which results in comprehensive, ambitious, and fair global emission reduction targets beyond the current phase of Kyoto, which ends in 2012. It's vital that governments agree upon a clear, shared vision to keep global warming to less than 2°C above pre-industrial levels."

WWF targets southern seas
WWF-UK recently launched its Antarctic and Southern Oceans Initiative to try to save this remote and unique region in the face of increasing threats to its fragile habitats. By identifying and designating a network of marine protected areas, WWF hopes to reduce the impact of other pressures in the region, such as fisheries and tourism, helping the ecosystem to adapt to rising temperatures. Global action to protect Antarctica and a successful outcome from the UN Bali Climate Change Summit are vital for ensuring the future of these penguins.

See wwf.org.uk/antarcticappeal for further details.

The report, Antarctic Penguins and Climate Change, was produced in partnership with Dr David Ainley, expert scientist on Adélie penguins and climate change. More information on the research can be found at www.penguinscience.com