NCIE
NCIE
Mass decline of baby emperor penguins in Antarctica: scientists predict disaster
Scientists have published satellite footage of the massive decline of baby emperor penguins in Antarctica. About 10,000 penguins, who did not manage to acquire waterproof feathers, went under the water when the ice literally broke up under them.
The event took place at the end of 2022, in the western part of the continent, near the Bellingshausen Sea.
According to scientists, little penguins, without proper feathers, simply sink to the bottom of the water like a stone, and those that are able to float to the surface of the water freeze. According to scientists, what happened could lead to a disaster. According to the classification of the International Union for Conservation of Nature, emperor penguins are already on the verge of high threat of extinction.
The rate of temperature increase in Antarctica exceeds all previous forecasts, and the ice platform for penguins is becoming more unreliable. In winter, it is not covered with thicker layers, and in summer it thins faster.
Scientists predict that the disaster will cause more than 90% of emperor penguin colonies to virtually disappear by the end of the century.
