ANTARCTIC'S WARNING SIGNS : CLIMATE CHANGE ALARM BELLS AS PENGUIN SURVIVAL IS AT STAKE

photo:seekinggreener.com

The polar regions are among the most affected by climate change.  Even as the rest of the world suffers long droughts and increased temperatures, and just about every climatic oddity in between, the icy regions to our north and south are the ones who are bearing the brunt of the change.

The environment of polar regions and all its living beings rely on the continents' ability to keep its icy cover intact.  All the animals that live there have adapted to its condition. Their behavior, feeding and mating habits are all tied to the extreme environment.

But climate change is making quick progress in these regions, and slowly, but inexorably the icy expanse that covers them is shrinking.  The waters off of Antarctica, for one, are also getting warmer.  And that spells trouble for the 18 species of penguins that rely on the frigid water's krill population to survive. 

And that is causing the penguin population to quickly shrink.  

People are mostly unaware of this.  They are focused on animals that are often in the news and highly endangered, like lions and elephants.  But the world at large is also not aware of how quickly the penguin population is shrinking.   

And as the integrity of the icy continent and its population is compromised, so is the rest of the world.  The destruction of the only pristine wilderness left in the world is a frightening indicator of what is in store for the planet.

Observers in Antarctica, who have documented the changes in the penguin's population, have seen a massive change in their numbers.  Some populations, like chinstrap penguins have seen a 50% decline.

And that is because krill declines as ice declines.  Algae that live on top and beneath the ice in Antarctica provide food for the krill that amass beneath it.  As the ice sheet disappears and shrinks southward the krill retreats with it, further and further south, to follow its dwindling food source.  

Krill is also the main food source for other animals, like seals and whales. These populations are also dwindling from the impact of climate change.  

Researchers are pointing out that past oscillations in weather patterns have caused disruptions, but they happened during long periods of time.  The changes that are seen now are very, very fast and the environment is not coping with the changes.  That also is a clear indicator that we, as humans, are responsible for climate change, and that the changes we are seeing are not a normal variation of the climate.

A further stressor on the food chain is the harvesting of krill, used mostly in fish farming, since fishermen are pushing their boats further south each year.

Another problem is that the lack of ice and warmer temperatures could cause a higher incidence of disease among penguins. One of the diseases which could find its way to Antarctica is avian pathogens, as the climate warms.  

Source: NBC 3.11.13