Penguins Global Warming

A World Centered on Sea Ice Is Changing Swiftly at the Poles

But these iconic symbols of global warming are merely the pinnacle of polar marine ecosystems whose foundations rest, above all, on one thing: the widespread, seasonal formation and retreat of sea ice. And as temperatures rise in the Arctic and along the Antarctic Peninsula faster than anywhere else on earth, evidence is growing that the sea ice's retreat is altering a food chain that supports a wide array of marine life, from single-celled phytoplankton to gray whales. This intricate web of life — whose annual cycle of reproduction is kick-started every spring and summer by the retreat of sea ice and ensuing phytoplankton blooms — is facing profound shifts in that timing, upending many long-established interactions. Some creatures will benefit from the shifts, and others will lose. But one thing is certain: Many forms of polar marine life that have evolved over millions of years to live in a relatively stable, sea-ice dominated world are now facing a new, swiftly changing reality. The changes in the Southern Ocean in that region are indicative of the cascade of events that ripple through polar oceans as sea ice melts. Winter air temperatures along the northwestern Antarctic Peninsula have risen by 11 degrees F in the past 60 years, and sea surface temperatures have risen by about 1 degree F — a slight but significant change. As a result of these increases, sea ice now blankets the Southern Ocean off the western Antarctic Peninsula nearly three fewer months a year than 30 years ago. For eons, the marine world in this region has come to life every spring as sea ice retreats, exposing the ocean to the sun’s rays. Marine algae, or phytoplankton, trapped in the ice and floating in the water column have burst into life as the sun catalyzes the photosynthetic process. In addition, melting freshwater from the sea ice formed a buoyant cap atop the heavier salt water, trapping the algae in the upper layer of the ocean, where it was exposed to the sun’s rays and bloomed. Now, however, Montes Hugo and his colleagues are detecting major changes at the base of the food chain — the phytoplankton — that appear to be working their way up to top predators, including Adélie penguins. Using various records — including satellite-based remote-sensing technology that measures the chlorophyll (an indication of phytoplankton) in the water — Montes-Hugo compared phytoplankton production during two periods: 1978 to 1986, and 1998 to 2006.

Penguins (Global Warming)

FROM THE TROPICS to Antarctica, penguins depend on predictable regions of high ocean productivity where their prey aggregate. There are between 16 and 19 species of penguins, all generally restricted to the southern hemisphere, with the greatest species diversity found in New Zealand. Changes in precipitation, sea ice, ocean temperature and productivity, and prey distributions associated with global climate warming are affecting penguins and changing their distribution and abundance. Bird Life International includes climate change among the threats for seven of 10 species of penguin listed as endangered or vulnerable.

Changes in precipitation, sea ice, and ocean temperature associated with global warming are affecting penguins.

The global climate signal is strongest in the Antarctic Peninsula, where air temperature has increased, glaciers have retreated, and ice shelves have collapsed. Adelie and Emperor penguins, the most ice-associated and southerly of the penguin species, are suffering more reproductive failures because of increases in rain and snow, early breakup of ice, and blocking of colony access by icebergs. Gentoo and Chinstap penguins, more northerly and less ice-tolerant, have extended their ranges farther south, but suffer more failures because of increased precipitation. Snow covers nest sites and rain soaks the down of chicks, which then freeze. King penguins, the second largest species, harvested during the whaling era for their oil, have increased and expanded their range northward.

Many of the temperate species of penguins are in decline because of human perturbations including harvest, accidental capture by fisheries, petroleum pollution, breeding habitat destruction, and climate variation that changes the distribution and abundance of their prey. Temperate penguins also suffer from increases in rainfall or air temperatures, as young chicks cannot regulate their body temperatures when their down is wet. Increased frequency of El Nino events associated with global warming reduced Galapagos penguins to about half of what they were in the 1970s. During El Nino, the water warms, ocean productivity declines, and penguins quit breeding, and under the strongest and longest events, penguins die. Peruvian penguins declined after the 1972 El Nino and have never recovered, in large part because the anchovy fishery, the second largest fishery in the world after Alaskan Pollack, harvests much of their prey to make fishmeal.

I hope global warming kills these penguins so I don't have to watch Happy Feet again

the consequences of global warming: swimming from to in search of food:

The Encyclopedia of Global Warming Science and Technology

Penguin populations are declining around the world, and global warming seems to be a major cause. Ten of the world's 17 penguin species already have been ...

The Life Cycle of an Emperor Penguin

J^* W. -*-* W. Global warming One of the biggest threats to emperor penguins is global wanning. Global warming is a rise in the average temperature of Earth ...

Penguins, The Ultimate Question and Answer Book

Global warming is also thought to have contributed to the decline of the Yellow- eyed Penguin. Warm periods recently have reduced the extent of sea-ice in ...

The A-Z of Global Warming

Penguins Just as the icons of the Arctic, polar bears, are feeling the heat from global warming, so are the penguins of the Antarctic. ...

Global Warming For Dummies

Emperor penguins, the movie stars of March of the Penguins and Happy Feet, ... thanks to global warming: Fewer deaths from exposure to extreme cold in ...