By Le Figaro with AFP
Posted 5 hours ago, updated 3 hours ago
On January 20, 2023, a new colony of emperor penguins was discovered in Antarctica. Bernard Breton / stock.adobe.com
Satellite imagery has made it possible to see traces of this species, which is threatened by melting pack ice.
British scientists announced on Friday January 20 that they have identified a new colony of emperor penguins in Antarctica using satellite imagery of the continent, where the species is highly threatened by global warming.
The research team discovered the colony of 500 members thanks to the dark spots left by the excrement of these animals on the ice floe, clearly visible from space, the British Antarctic Survey, a British research organization, explains in a press release.
“Region severely affected by melting pack ice”
This new colony brings the number of groups of emperor penguins identified along the Antarctic coast to 66, half of which have now been spotted thanks to satellite imagery. ‘This is an exciting discovery (…) but while it is also good news (…) this colony is small and located in an area severely affected by the melting of the pack ice,’ said Professor Peter Fretwell after making the discovery from this research for the British Antarctic Survey.
The emperor penguin, the largest penguin species that lives and breeds only in Antarctica, was recently listed as an endangered species by the US Wildlife Administration. Global warming and melting sea ice are threatening the penguin’s breeding grounds, while ocean acidification is threatening certain species of crustaceans on which it feeds.
Also readThe Emperor Penguin, Symbol of Antarctica
Scientists estimate that with current global warming, almost all emperor penguins could be extinct by the end of the century. Scientists worked on this project to identify penguin colonies using a satellite mission developed as part of Europe’s Copernicus climate change program.
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