NSIDC Scientist Julienne Stroeve contributed to a study of emperor penguins published today in the online early edition of the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). The paper suggests that global warming will lead to the decline of the emperor penguin population in Terre Adélie, Antarctica.
Stroeve contributed observations and data to model future Antarctic sea ice conditions, based on several global warming scenarios developed by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Emperor penguins depend on seasonal sea ice for reproduction and feeding.
Most current projections indicate that Antarctic sea ice will shrink in the future because of climate change. The study shows that a decrease in sea ice in the Terre Adélie region would likely contribute to a dramatic decline in emperor penguin population by the end of the century.
To access the article, visit the PNAS Web site at http://www.pnas.org/content/early/recent.
For further information on the study and authors, visit the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution news Web page at http://www.whoi.edu/page.do?pid=7545.
For more information, please contact the NSIDC Press Office at +1 303.492.1497 or press@nsidc.org.