Emperor penguins show dramatic decline in one region of Antarctica, satellite photos show

Washington – The Emperor Penguin population in part of Antarctica seems to decrease faster than we thought previously, according to a new analysis of satellite imagery published on Tuesday.

The estimated population of 16 penguin colonies – visible in satellite photos taken between 2009 and 2024 – had decreased by 22% during this period, mainly due to climate change which reduces the amount of sea ice available. We do not know if this drop is seen through the continent, said scientists.

“Sea ice cream is very important for penguins because they reproduce on sea ice and feed on sea ice,” said Peter Fretwell with British Antarctic Survey, who helped analyze the data.

Scientists previously estimated that the total Emperor penguin population had decreased by around 10% throughout Antarctica in the last decade and a half. The latest survey included a region covering the Antarctic Peninsula, the Weddell Sea and the Bellingshausen Sea.

“It is absolutely alarming that the figures are worse than expected,” said Daniel Zitterbart, researcher at Penguin at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, who was not involved in the study.

There are uncertainties in the last estimate. The analysis is based on a calculation of how penguins are densely grouped in each area where they are detected in a single satellite photo taken each year.

The colonies studied represent approximately 30% of the total population of the emperor’s penguins, who lives in Antarctica. The loss of stable sea ice can affect penguins so as to shrink their breeding grounds.

“More predators like Leopard Seals and Orcas may be able to get closer to the colonies if sea ice breaks earlier in the year,” said Fretwell.

Warming ocean temperatures and changing precipitation models can also have an impact on the survival of penguin chicks, he added.