|
. | . |
|
by Staff Writers Paris (AFP) June 12, 2014 Penguin species in the Antarctic that once benefited from rising temperatures are now in decline due to warming gone too far, scientists said Thursday. Previous scientific research was unable to determine why populations of Adelie and chinstrap penguins are in decline, while gentoo penguins are increasing in numbers. In the new study, biologists said that all three species expanded after the last Ice Age ended around 11,000 years ago, but rising temperatures being seen today are threatening their food supply. "There was less ice around Antarctica, which was good for these penguins, as it opened up new breeding habitats," Gemma Clucas of the University of Southampton's Ocean and Earth Sciences department told AFP. "However, what we're seeing now is that climate change is resulting in even less ice, and this is now bad for Adelies and chinstraps because they no longer have enough food." Adelie and chinstrap penguins eat mainly krill, small shrimp-like animals, which in turn feed on algae under the declining ice. Gentoos, on the other hand, have a more varied diet, which includes fish and squid less affected by warmer seas. "What we are seeing is a 'reversal of fortunes' where increased warming is no longer good for two out of the three species of Antarctic Peninsula penguins," added co-author Michael Polito from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. "This research shows quite clearly how a single environmental change, in this case warming, can have different consequences over time." The study was published in the Nature journal Scientific Reports.
Related Links Climate Science News - Modeling, Mitigation Adaptation
|
|
The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2014 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. Privacy Statement All images and articles appearing on Space Media Network have been edited or digitally altered in some way. Any requests to remove copyright material will be acted upon in a timely and appropriate manner. Any attempt to extort money from Space Media Network will be ignored and reported to Australian Law Enforcement Agencies as a potential case of financial fraud involving the use of a telephonic carriage device or postal service. |