Emperor penguins may be extinct by the next century, reveals study
If you are familiar with the penguin world, you certainly know about emperor penguins. After all they are majestic and are the tallest of all living penguin species. Unfortunately, that may not be the case for long as they are almost on the brink of extinction. In fact, a recent study shows that they could disappear by the 22nd century alongside other land-based Antarctic species, unless greater and proactive conservation efforts are put in place.
As you can probably guess, it’s climate change that posits the biggest and most immediate threat to the emperor penguins and restricting global warming is the ultimate and most effective way to secure their future.
The study that has been published as a research paper in the journal Plus Biology also states that USD 23 million annually would be enough to implement 10 key strategies to reduce threats to two-third of Antarctica’s unique biodiversity such as flowering plants, hardy moss, lichens, several microbes, invertebrates like the nematode worm, thousands of breeding seabirds, including emperor penguins and Adelie penguins.
Sources cite that as many as 100 scientists, environmentalists and politicians from 28 global institutions and 12 nations have joined hands on this latest research that revealed that out of all the Antarctic species, it’s the emperor penguin that faces the highest threat of extinction.
Okay, but how exactly are they in danger? Well, emperor penguins prefer the terrestrial environment and global heating has been expanding Antarctica’s ice-free regions. So, with each passing day, the species have lesser ground to occupy and thrive on. Moreover, tourist expeditions to the continent have also been polluting and disrupting the natural order, making the species further vulnerable to extinction.
The worst-case scenario predicted so far says that 97 per cent of Antarctic terrestrial species would perish between today and 2100 if conservation efforts are not improved. The best-case scenario would see 37 per cent of them disappear. However, the most likely situation will be that 65 per cent would decline by 2100 and that would definitely include the emperor penguins as it’s the one species that heavily depend on ice and dry soils for breeding.
Okay, so what should be done to counter this? Well, for starters, climate change should be mitigated with a reduction of 2 degree Celsius. What else? Well, shifting the non-native species elsewhere and controlling spread of disease among the native species should be prioritised, not to forget extra focus to be given on managing and protecting such species regularly and proactively.
Experts suggest that a combination of regional as well as global conservation efforts are much required to save the emperor penguins from extinction.