Over the years, more and more species are added to the list of endangered animals and this time it would be the emperor penguin, which could be at risk of disappearing.
This species is in a state of vulnerability that could reduce its reproduction to the point of its extinction and today we will tell you what the reason for this would be.
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Why might the emperor penguin disappear?
According to an investigation by Chilean Antarctic Institute (INACH), The emperor penguin could disappear due to the reduction of sea ice on which this bird depends to reproduce and shed its fur.
The study analyzed the amount of sea ice found around 10 emperor penguin colonies, comparing data from 1985 to the present, and observed that on a total of 37 occasions the sea ice cover decreased to critical levels.
“This animal is the only species that reproduces during the Antarctic winter and is the only bird that does so on sea ice.
“The results of this study suggest that it is rapidly losing its habitat, so if we do not act in time to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, this species could become extinct during this century due to climate change,” said the main author of the study and researcher at the INACH Scientific Department, Dr. Lucas Krüger.
The research also revealed that these conditions affected the availability of sea ice at the breeding sites of nine of the 10 emperor penguin colonies.
How to save the emperor penguin?
The researchers explained in the study that one of the ways in which the emperor penguin could be saved is through the development of new marine protected areas around the colonies of this species.
Likewise, they pointed out the need to mitigate the climate crisis such as reducing greenhouse gases and protecting marine areas.
Of the 20 species of penguins that exist in the world, the emperor is the one that depends most on ice because its main food is krill, a crustacean, similar to shrimp.
In addition, krill also need the nutrients they obtain from sea ice shelves to complete their reproductive cycle.
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“It is very important to have this new knowledge because it is giving us a very clear signal of how the planet is changing and how our actions are causing and accelerating it. Climate change is affecting ecosystems and our environment in general,” concluded the author of the article and INACH researcher, Dr. César Cárdenas.