Climate change as an emerging threat to Emperor penguins

• Main Authors: Coetzee, Bernard W.T., Chown, Steven L.
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: Antarctic Environments Portal 2014
• Subjects: Antarctic; The Antarctic; Antarc*; Aptenodytes forsteri; Emperor penguins; Sea ice
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.18124/d4z59t; https://www.environments.aq/emerging-issues/climate-change-as-an-emerging-threat-to-emperor-penguins/

The Emperor Penguin (Aptenodytes forsteri) is uniquely adapted to breed in the Antarctic winter, mainly on stable sea-ice. Climate change may negatively impact the species by changing the extent, formation and persistence of sea-ice. However, many factors may influence Emperor Penguin population success, and different colonies in different areas can have opposing population changes. The current published evidence indicates that understanding of the influence of climate change on Emperor Penguin populations is not yet fully developed. At present, following the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) guidance on descriptions of uncertainty, the available evidence can be considered limited to medium, but with high agreement. Thus, negative climate change-related impacts on the Emperor Penguin can be considered likely.