New satellite images have revealed previously undiscovered locations where emperor penguins reside.

Emperor penguins, considered “near threatened” with extinction, are the world’s largest penguins. They raise their chicks in Antarctic winter on patches of frozen sea ice. But if the ice breaks up before the chicks have fledged, most will die.

According to a recent study, some emperor penguins are relocating their colonies due to the melting ice caused by climate change, which poses a threat to their breeding areas. This research was published on Wednesday.

According to Peter Fretwell, a researcher at the British Antarctic Survey, a penguin colony near Halley Bay has shifted approximately 30 kilometers (19 miles) towards the east. This move was prompted by unstable conditions starting in 2016, which made their previous location dangerous.

The emperor penguins are determined to search for more permanent sea ice, according to his statement.

According to Fretwell, the four recently discovered colonies have likely been in existence for a long time, but were not previously observed by scientists. He noted that these colonies are mostly small, with fewer than 1,000 breeding pairs each. Currently, there are a total of 66 known emperor penguin colonies.

According to Fretwell, the recent discovery of colonies does not significantly alter the total population estimate, which is currently less than 300,000 breeding pairs. However, it does provide valuable insight into the movements of penguins.

There is uncertainty regarding whether the recently discovered colonies could potentially be splinter groups from larger colonies. Daniel Zitterbart, a penguin expert at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution who was not part of the research, mentioned this.

However, it is evident that the locations where penguins breed are constantly changing and with a warmer climate, there will be an increase in the number of penguins migrating, according to him.

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The Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group provides support to the Associated Press Health and Science Department. The AP is solely responsible for all of the content.

Source: wral.com