Swansong for Emperors?

“WE DON'T OWN THE PLANET EARTH, WE BELONG TO IT AND WE MUST SHARE IT WITH OUR WILDLIFE.” - STEVE IRWIN
KEEPING THESE WORDS IN MIND, IT IS IMPORTANT FOR THE HUMAN RACE TO KEEP THEIR ACTIONS IN CHECK AND THINK ABOUT THE DETRIMENTAL IMPACT THEIR ACTIVITIES HAVE ON OUR ENVIRONMENT, OUR WILDLIFE AND - OURSELVES.

Visions of a lavish indoor garden with no shortage of space filled my mind, but arriving at the Mohanti’s home in South Kolkata, I was pleasantly surprised.

Recent studies have shown that rapid climate change leads to glacial calving and sea ice loss ensuing an accelerated risk of extinction of innumerable species. Not long ago, Polar Bears were listed as vulnerable to extinction by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), climate change being the key factor in their decline. Due to an environmentally-ill approach on our end, Emperor Penguins are now queued to be added to the list of endangered species.

In an article released by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution on August 3, it was established that Emperor Penguins are on the verge of extinction under the US Endangered Species Act. This was a study led by an associate scientist and seabird ecologist at the institution, Stephanie Jenouvrier.

The study explains the intra-species dynamics of emperor penguin colonies, the behavioural study of the colonies when exposed to different greenhouse emissions. For this, climate-dependent meta-population model was used, which used observational satellite records of colonies to study the effect of extreme climate alterations on these colonies- a process never used before.

Emperor Penguins survive in a goldilocks zone — not too much or too little ice, they thrive on Antarctica’s coastlines in icy conditions intolerable for humans. Yet, like Goldilocks, they have a narrow comfort zone.

Emperor Penguins survive in a goldilocks zone — not too much or too little ice, they thrive on Antarctica’s coastlines in icy conditions intolerable for humans. Yet, like Goldilocks, they have a narrow comfort zone: If there’s too much sea ice, trips to bring food from the ocean become long and arduous, and their chicks may starve. With too little sea ice, the chicks are at risk of drowning. Climate change is now putting that delicate balance and potentially the entire species at risk.

Many studies have pointed out that extreme changes often tend to impact the resiliency, prolixity and representation of Emperor Penguins. The melting of the sea ice, which is an essential requirement for emperor penguins to breed their chicks, reduces population of the prey species and can dramatically reduce the colonies, so as to become quasi-extinct by 2100.

Emperor Penguins are heavily dependent upon sea ice for breeding, moulting and feeding. It is safe to say that their entire life cycle depends on sea ice. Thus, if greenhouse gas emission continues to rise, it will further increase the global temperature thereby endangering the species. Population of these birds would slowly diminish by 2040, eventually leading to their extinction.

Emperor Penguins are an integral part of the Antarctic food chain. By protecting them we can contribute towards a better ocean environment, which is beneficial for other ocean life that depends on it. Needless to say, the future of these species depend on the right choices we make today.