Satellite mapping technology has discovered a new colony of emperor penguins in Antarctica, where they are highly threatened by global warming, British scientists announced on Friday.
Researchers spotted this colony of about 500 individuals by the dark stains their droppings had left on the ice, which were clearly visible from space, the British Antarctic Survey said in a statement.
The new colony brings the number of emperor penguin groups identified along the Antarctic coast to 66, half of which have been located from satellite imagery.
“It is an exciting discovery (…) but while it is good news (…), this colony is small and located in an area severely affected by melting ice,” explained Professor Peter Fretwell, who conducted the research.
Scientists have developed this project to identify penguin colonies thanks to a satellite system integrated into the European Copernicus climate change programme.
The largest of the penguins, the emperor penguin lives and breeds only in Antarctica and was recently classified as an endangered species by the US Wildlife Administration.
Climate change and Antarctic melting are threatening their breeding grounds, while ocean acidification is affecting the crustacean populations they feed on.
Scientists predict that at the current rate of global warming, almost all emperor penguins could be gone by the end of this century.