Unprecedented Breeding Crisis Strikes Antarctic Emperor Penguin Colonies

In 2022, a distressing crisis unfolded within the emperor penguin colonies of Antarctica, as breeding failures of an extraordinary magnitude gripped these iconic birds. This tragic event has been attributed to the loss of sea ice, serving as a stark reminder of the pressing danger posed by global warming. Swift and decisive action is imperative to avert further catastrophic consequences.

In the year 2022, a region of Antarctica experienced an unparalleled breeding failure among its emperor penguin colonies due to the complete loss of sea ice. This event corroborates predictions that if current trends of global warming persist, over 90% of these remarkable colonies will face near-extinction by the close of this century.

Recently published in the journal Communications Earth & Environment, a study conducted by researchers from the British Antarctic Survey sheds light on this disconcerting issue. The research underscores a high likelihood that no fledgling chicks survived within four out of five well-known emperor penguin colonies situated in the central and eastern Bellingshausen Sea region. The analysis hinged on satellite images that unveiled the absence of sea ice at the penguins’ breeding habitats, a situation that unfolded before the chicks could even develop the essential waterproof feathers.

Emperor penguins are intricately tied to stable sea ice, notably ‘land-fast’ ice that remains affixed to the shoreline, for the majority of their annual cycle—from April to January. Upon arriving at their chosen breeding sites, typically during the Antarctic winter spanning May to June, these penguins lay their eggs. After a 65-day incubation period, the eggs hatch, and the chicks remain until summer, which falls between December and January.

As of the onset of December 2022, the extent of Antarctic sea ice had reached a record low that matched the levels of the previous year, 2021. The most severe decline was witnessed in the central and eastern Bellingshausen Sea region, situated west of the Antarctic Peninsula. In November 2022, this region experienced a staggering 100% loss of sea ice.

The lead author of the study, Dr. Peter Fretwell, remarked on the unprecedented nature of the emperor penguin breeding failure, emphasizing the dire implications of the loss of sea ice during the Antarctic summer. He highlighted the heightened vulnerability of emperor penguins within a warming climate and the prospects of more frequent and widespread sea ice loss events in the future.

Over the past seven years, Antarctica has encountered a marked reduction in sea ice coverage. By the conclusion of December 2022, the extent of sea ice had reached the lowest point documented in the 45-year satellite record. In the Bellingshausen Sea—home to the penguin colonies scrutinized in the study—sea ice did not begin to reform until late April 2023.

As of August 20, 2023, the deviation from historical norms has intensified. The sea ice extent was recorded to be 2.2 million km² lower than the 1981-2022 median (17.9 million km²). This substantial deviation exceeded the previous record winter low observed on August 20, 2022, which measured 17.1 million km². To provide context, this missing area is larger than Greenland or approximately ten times the size of the United Kingdom.

Dr. Caroline Holmes, a polar climate scientist at the British Antarctic Survey, noted the ongoing anomaly in sea ice extent during August 2023. In a period when oceans would typically be freezing over, substantial areas remain surprisingly devoid of ice. The complex variations in sea ice extent from year to year are influenced by natural atmospheric phenomena such as El Niño-Southern Oscillation, the strength of the southern hemisphere jet stream, and regional low-pressure systems.

While it will take sustained observation and modeling over several years to definitively attribute the current conditions to these factors, the trend of plummeting sea ice records and warming of the Southern Ocean’s subsurface strongly indicates that human-induced global warming is exacerbating these extreme events.

The urgency of the situation cannot be overstated. Climate models consistently project a decline in Antarctic sea ice, both under current circumstances and under projected future carbon dioxide emissions. Dr. Jeremy Wilkinson, a sea ice physicist at the British Antarctic Survey, starkly underscores the connection between sea ice loss and the perilous decline of ecosystems. He points out the alarming pace at which climate change is melting sea ice and how it might disappear from the Arctic by the 2030s. Additionally, the four lowest sea ice extents on record in Antarctica have occurred since 2016.

Given these dire circumstances, Dr. Wilkinson issues a compelling call to action for politicians to enact measures that curtail the impact of climate change. The time left for decisive action is rapidly dwindling.

For more comprehensive insights into this research, further details can be found in the article titled “Record low 2022 Antarctic sea ice led to catastrophic breeding failure of emperor penguins,” authored by Peter T. Fretwell, Aude Boutet, and Norman Ratcliffe, and published on August 24, 2023, in Communications Earth & Environment. The DOI for this publication is 10.1038/s43247-023-00927-x.

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More about Antarctic Penguin Breeding

• Antarctic Sea Ice Crisis: Emperor Penguin Colonies Suffer Catastrophic Breeding Failure
• Communications Earth & Environment Journal
• British Antarctic Survey
• Climate Change and Global Warming
• Effects of Sea Ice Loss on Wildlife
• Sustainable Practices for Climate Action
• Renewable Energy Solutions
• Global Efforts to Combat Climate Change