Based on satellite data, scientists have released a report indicating that the premature melting of Antarctic sea ice at the end of 2022 may have led to the death of as many as 10,000 penguin chicks.
According to Euronews, in specific locations, particularly in the Bellingshausen Sea, the ice where penguins built their nests began to fracture and break beneath them before their chicks could develop the mature waterproof plumage. Consequently, thousands of chicks met their demise, unable to dry their soaked feathers.
While similar tragedies have occurred in the past, and the penguin population has shown resilience by compensating for losses through changes in nesting areas, this recent event had an extensive impact. Among the 62 known colonies of emperor penguins, 19 colonies suffered negative consequences, and 13 colonies likely lost their entire offspring.
The scientists point out the challenge of identifying the primary factor contributing to this severe melting, whether it stems from human-induced warming or natural weather variations.
The phenomenon of La Niña is also mentioned, representing the opposite phase of the well-known El Niño. This can trigger anomalous climate effects.
In early July, El Niño made a return, displacing La Niña. This development could potentially lead to the restoration of southern polar ice and its stability, thereby creating safer conditions for penguin nesting. However, further confirmation is required to validate this possibility.
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