Global Warming: King Penguin Paying The Price

Are we robbing the wildlife again of the earth? First, we snatched their home and now we are taking their right to life. We talk about green earth and about saving it, but our lack of unity has only led to destruction. We are trying, but the disasters are putting the lives of wildlife faster than we are. Will the wildlife be able to adapt to the changes or fall victim to them?

Are we robbing the wildlife again of the earth? First, we snatched their home and now we are taking their right to life. We talk about green earth and about saving it, but our lack of unity has only led to destruction. We are trying, but the disasters are putting the lives of wildlife faster than we are. Will the wildlife be able to adapt to the changes or fall victim to them?     

Today, we come to talk not about a wide range but one species, in general, that's falling behind even though its adaptation skills are quite impressive. When one hears the word Penguin,  it makes our mind filled with cute images of them toddling on the ice. Whether it is children or the elderly, everyone has developed a fondness for this cute creature. 

Today, we come to talk not about a wide range but one species, in general, that's falling behind even though its adaptation skills are quite impressive. When one hears the word Penguin,  it makes our mind filled with cute images of them toddling on the ice. Whether it is children or the elderly, everyone has developed a fondness for this cute creature. 

But a species of theirs is on the verge of extinction again, after rebounding from hunting. King penguins wearing their black and white tuxedos with vivid orange trimming on their necks and beaks are the species that are being robbed of the right to life and reproduction.

   The hundreds of king penguins that throng the remote ‘Possession Island’  every   year,       are being persecuted to the point of  extinction. The obstacle that the species must             overcome is climate change. They are victims of Global Warming. They are in a race              against time and will fall fast making them extinct in a matter of time. 

   Penguins have a significant role to play in both marine and terrestrial ecosystems. They       are a vital part of the Antarctic food chain. In polar climates, predators like leopard seals       and seabirds as well as foxes, leopards, and even crabs eat penguins- adults, young, and       eggs. Wherever they hunt, they have an impact on prey stocks by pursuing fish, squid,         and krill. They  transport nutrients from the land to the water and add nutrients to both       with their waste. As they dig their nests into the  ground,  several types of burrowing           animals can alter the landscape.

Penguin expert Robin Cristofari of the University of Turku in Finland observes a colony gathered in a bay on Possession Island. He was the primary author of a 2018 study that concluded that by the end of the century, global warming would have wiped out 70% of all king penguins worldwide. According to Cristofari, we are not concerned about the species being extinct in the next 50 years. However, he warned that their way of life might be gravely disturbed.

But is it really not a matter worth worrying about? Or is it just an issue we don't want to talk about enough about? Whatever, it is global warming is a matter of grave concern cause today, it's their children and before we know it our children might be on the list.                              

King Penguins In A Sea of Danger

Increasing temperatures and overfishing in the pristine waters surrounding the Antarctic, according to a recent study published in the journal Nature Climate Change, might drive king penguin populations to the verge of extinction by the end of the century. The greatest king penguin colony on Earth has decreased by about 90% over the past three decades, according to researchers. When scientists last visited the isolated French island of Île aux Cochons, which is located around halfway between the point of Africa and Antarctica, the island was covered in 2 million penguins. However, new satellite imagery and photos from a chopper suggest that the population has fallen, with only 200,000 people left.

Climate change could be a factor, according to scientists. The southern Indian Ocean warmed in 1997 as a result of a particularly potent El Nino weather event, momentarily pushing the fish and squid that king penguins depend on the south and out of their range for foraging. For all of the king penguin colonies in the area, this led to population reduction and subpar breeding performance. Global warming has the potential to amplify El Nino outbreaks. According to previous research, if climate change continues on its current course, the Crozet islands, an archipelago that includes Île aux Cochons, will likely become uninhabitable for king penguins by the middle of the century.

Perfect Conditions Leading To Hindrance

Reproductive success is directly related to the distance from the polar front. But as global warming caused by human activity warms the planet, the arctic front is shifting southward, the Crozet archipelago which is typically 350 kilometers south of the polar front in January, can go up to 750 km away, and king penguins may soon be forced to abandon the Crozet Islands.

The breeding ground size in 1982, 2005 and 2015. (Henry Weimerskirch) (Credit: ScienceAlert)

The perfect environment that favored them at one point, has become the reason for their extinction now. Scientists have found the impact of global warming on their environment.

^{Breeding System can be explained by the fact that marine species, which can only thrive at a specific range of temperatures, are hampered by increasing temperatures. (Credit: Facts.Net)}

The warming of the Southern Ocean will pose a severe threat to the populations of king penguins, with the IPCC projecting an average temperature increase of roughly 0.2°C per decade for the following two decades. The survival of the penguins? Will they change to the upcoming climate?

The slightly under one meter (three feet) tall creature, is trying its best to adapt to the changes but the rate at which global warming is taking over is faster than its pace. Though we might not want to admit it, the main reason for Global Warming is we, humans.