'Grave indicator': Penguins' survival at stake as Antarctic ice disappears

[Desertphile]

'Grave indicator': Penguins' survival at stake as Antarctic ice
disappears

http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/03/11/17239373-grave-indicator-penguins-survival-at-stake-as-antarctic-ice-disappears

NBC News Correspondent Kerry Sanders recently returned from
Antarctica, where he chronicled the dramatic changes in the world's
last wilderness. Below is his main report; you also can click on the
map above for more dispatches from across the breathtaking seventh
continent.

By Kerry Sanders, Correspondent, NBC News

ANTARCTIC PENINSULA -- There are serious changes taking place here at
the bottom of the world.

Increasingly, experts say, the ice is disappearing at a disturbing
rate in the Antarctic Peninsula and that in turn impacts the future --
and perhaps the very existence -- of at least half of the world’s 18
penguin species, who depend on ice and frigid waters that support
krill, the penguin diet mainstay.

“When cheetahs or lions get hunted, or elephants decline, there’s a
big uproar. And I think, because you see penguins in large numbers [in
some places] people are ignoring the larger rate of their decline,”
said Oxford University penguinologist Tom Hart. “The general public
doesn't realize the penguins are declining so fast.”

But it’s not just the penguins we have to worry about, Hart says, it’s
the health of the planet itself.

“The last wilderness on Earth is impacted by us now,” he said,
describing the region’s decline as a “grave indicator” of what’s to
come.

Life’s cycle disrupted for Antarctica’s penguins
It’s the end of the breeding cycle for most penguins here as summer
comes to a close. The Gentoos, Adelies and Chinstraps are nudging
their newborns from the rocks of Antarctica’s peninsula toward the
waters of the Southern Ocean.

Experts say about 50 percent of the eggs will produce a penguin chick
that makes it to sea. And about half of those will survive the hungry
predators below, as they plunge into the frigid waters for their first
swim. Leopard seals are lurking -- and for the newborns, avoiding
their mortal enemy is not easy. Many will die. Those that do survive
are subject to climate change that is threatening their food supply.

Hart has spent nearly a decade studying the creatures that have
captured the world’s imagination for centuries. Each year, for three
to four months, he positions himself along the Antarctic coast to
observe, measure and chart penguin colonies. Some colonies have been
followed since polar explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton and his men headed
here some 100 years ago.

“When you look at all penguins they are largely in trouble,” said
Hart. “We're so concerned because we're seeing massive changes to
their populations. They’re probably not going to go extinct anytime
soon, but the environment is changing very fast.

Chinstraps populations seem to have declined up to 50 percent in the
last 30 years,” he added.

Hart, like most experts, is cautious to speak in absolutes because the
harsh environment here makes it difficult to get a clear picture of
what’s happening. Experts use time-lapse cameras and sit at
computers, laboriously counting penguins one by one to compare colony
sizes from year to year.

[....]

[jillery]

On Mon, 11 Mar 2013 10:15:54 -0600, Desertphile

Post by Desertphile
'Grave indicator': Penguins' survival at stake as Antarctic ice
disappears
http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/03/11/17239373-grave-indicator-penguins-survival-at-stake-as-antarctic-ice-disappears
NBC News Correspondent Kerry Sanders recently returned from
Antarctica, where he chronicled the dramatic changes in the world's
last wilderness. Below is his main report; you also can click on the
map above for more dispatches from across the breathtaking seventh
continent.
By Kerry Sanders, Correspondent, NBC News
ANTARCTIC PENINSULA -- There are serious changes taking place here at
the bottom of the world.
Increasingly, experts say, the ice is disappearing at a disturbing
rate in the Antarctic Peninsula and that in turn impacts the future --
and perhaps the very existence -- of at least half of the world’s 18
penguin species, who depend on ice and frigid waters that support
krill, the penguin diet mainstay.
“When cheetahs or lions get hunted, or elephants decline, there’s a
big uproar. And I think, because you see penguins in large numbers [in
some places] people are ignoring the larger rate of their decline,”
said Oxford University penguinologist Tom Hart. “The general public
doesn't realize the penguins are declining so fast.”
But it’s not just the penguins we have to worry about, Hart says, it’s
the health of the planet itself.
“The last wilderness on Earth is impacted by us now,” he said,
describing the region’s decline as a “grave indicator” of what’s to
come.
Life’s cycle disrupted for Antarctica’s penguins
It’s the end of the breeding cycle for most penguins here as summer
comes to a close. The Gentoos, Adelies and Chinstraps are nudging
their newborns from the rocks of Antarctica’s peninsula toward the
waters of the Southern Ocean.
Experts say about 50 percent of the eggs will produce a penguin chick
that makes it to sea. And about half of those will survive the hungry
predators below, as they plunge into the frigid waters for their first
swim. Leopard seals are lurking -- and for the newborns, avoiding
their mortal enemy is not easy. Many will die. Those that do survive
are subject to climate change that is threatening their food supply.
Hart has spent nearly a decade studying the creatures that have
captured the world’s imagination for centuries. Each year, for three
to four months, he positions himself along the Antarctic coast to
observe, measure and chart penguin colonies. Some colonies have been
followed since polar explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton and his men headed
here some 100 years ago.
“When you look at all penguins they are largely in trouble,” said
Hart. “We're so concerned because we're seeing massive changes to
their populations. They’re probably not going to go extinct anytime
soon, but the environment is changing very fast.
Chinstraps populations seem to have declined up to 50 percent in the
last 30 years,” he added.
Hart, like most experts, is cautious to speak in absolutes because the
harsh environment here makes it difficult to get a clear picture of
what’s happening. Experts use time-lapse cameras and sit at
computers, laboriously counting penguins one by one to compare colony
sizes from year to year.
[....]

The loss of Antarctic ice is fairly well documented. I can see where
documenting that ice loss equates to reductions in penguin populations
is more of a challenge.

Do the penguin populations on the southern tips of Africa and South
America also depend on Antarctic ice?

[Richard Norman]

Post by jillery
On Mon, 11 Mar 2013 10:15:54 -0600, Desertphile

Post by Desertphile
'Grave indicator': Penguins' survival at stake as Antarctic ice
disappears
http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/03/11/17239373-grave-indicator-penguins-survival-at-stake-as-antarctic-ice-disappears
NBC News Correspondent Kerry Sanders recently returned from
Antarctica, where he chronicled the dramatic changes in the world's
last wilderness. Below is his main report; you also can click on the
map above for more dispatches from across the breathtaking seventh
continent.
By Kerry Sanders, Correspondent, NBC News
ANTARCTIC PENINSULA -- There are serious changes taking place here at
the bottom of the world.
Increasingly, experts say, the ice is disappearing at a disturbing
rate in the Antarctic Peninsula and that in turn impacts the future --
and perhaps the very existence -- of at least half of the world’s 18
penguin species, who depend on ice and frigid waters that support
krill, the penguin diet mainstay.
“When cheetahs or lions get hunted, or elephants decline, there’s a
big uproar. And I think, because you see penguins in large numbers [in
some places] people are ignoring the larger rate of their decline,”
said Oxford University penguinologist Tom Hart. “The general public
doesn't realize the penguins are declining so fast.”
But it’s not just the penguins we have to worry about, Hart says, it’s
the health of the planet itself.
“The last wilderness on Earth is impacted by us now,” he said,
describing the region’s decline as a “grave indicator” of what’s to
come.
Life’s cycle disrupted for Antarctica’s penguins
It’s the end of the breeding cycle for most penguins here as summer
comes to a close. The Gentoos, Adelies and Chinstraps are nudging
their newborns from the rocks of Antarctica’s peninsula toward the
waters of the Southern Ocean.
Experts say about 50 percent of the eggs will produce a penguin chick
that makes it to sea. And about half of those will survive the hungry
predators below, as they plunge into the frigid waters for their first
swim. Leopard seals are lurking -- and for the newborns, avoiding
their mortal enemy is not easy. Many will die. Those that do survive
are subject to climate change that is threatening their food supply.
Hart has spent nearly a decade studying the creatures that have
captured the world’s imagination for centuries. Each year, for three
to four months, he positions himself along the Antarctic coast to
observe, measure and chart penguin colonies. Some colonies have been
followed since polar explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton and his men headed
here some 100 years ago.
“When you look at all penguins they are largely in trouble,” said
Hart. “We're so concerned because we're seeing massive changes to
their populations. They’re probably not going to go extinct anytime
soon, but the environment is changing very fast.
Chinstraps populations seem to have declined up to 50 percent in the
last 30 years,” he added.
Hart, like most experts, is cautious to speak in absolutes because the
harsh environment here makes it difficult to get a clear picture of
what’s happening. Experts use time-lapse cameras and sit at
computers, laboriously counting penguins one by one to compare colony
sizes from year to year.
[....]

The loss of Antarctic ice is fairly well documented. I can see where
documenting that ice loss equates to reductions in penguin populations
is more of a challenge.
Do the penguin populations on the southern tips of Africa and South
America also depend on Antarctic ice?

The news story mentions "at least half of the world’s 18 penguin
species." There are 7 species of penguins that breed in South
American (including the Galapagos) and one in South Africa. The
article is talking about other species, although some of the South
American species also live on other Southern ocean islands and even
the tip of the Antarctic peninsula.

[jillery]

On Mon, 11 Mar 2013 13:45:29 -0700, Richard Norman

Post by Richard Norman

Post by jillery
On Mon, 11 Mar 2013 10:15:54 -0600, Desertphile

Post by Desertphile
'Grave indicator': Penguins' survival at stake as Antarctic ice
disappears
http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/03/11/17239373-grave-indicator-penguins-survival-at-stake-as-antarctic-ice-disappears
NBC News Correspondent Kerry Sanders recently returned from
Antarctica, where he chronicled the dramatic changes in the world's
last wilderness. Below is his main report; you also can click on the
map above for more dispatches from across the breathtaking seventh
continent.
By Kerry Sanders, Correspondent, NBC News
ANTARCTIC PENINSULA -- There are serious changes taking place here at
the bottom of the world.
Increasingly, experts say, the ice is disappearing at a disturbing
rate in the Antarctic Peninsula and that in turn impacts the future --
and perhaps the very existence -- of at least half of the world’s 18
penguin species, who depend on ice and frigid waters that support
krill, the penguin diet mainstay.
“When cheetahs or lions get hunted, or elephants decline, there’s a
big uproar. And I think, because you see penguins in large numbers [in
some places] people are ignoring the larger rate of their decline,”
said Oxford University penguinologist Tom Hart. “The general public
doesn't realize the penguins are declining so fast.”
But it’s not just the penguins we have to worry about, Hart says, it’s
the health of the planet itself.
“The last wilderness on Earth is impacted by us now,” he said,
describing the region’s decline as a “grave indicator” of what’s to
come.
Life’s cycle disrupted for Antarctica’s penguins
It’s the end of the breeding cycle for most penguins here as summer
comes to a close. The Gentoos, Adelies and Chinstraps are nudging
their newborns from the rocks of Antarctica’s peninsula toward the
waters of the Southern Ocean.
Experts say about 50 percent of the eggs will produce a penguin chick
that makes it to sea. And about half of those will survive the hungry
predators below, as they plunge into the frigid waters for their first
swim. Leopard seals are lurking -- and for the newborns, avoiding
their mortal enemy is not easy. Many will die. Those that do survive
are subject to climate change that is threatening their food supply.
Hart has spent nearly a decade studying the creatures that have
captured the world’s imagination for centuries. Each year, for three
to four months, he positions himself along the Antarctic coast to
observe, measure and chart penguin colonies. Some colonies have been
followed since polar explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton and his men headed
here some 100 years ago.
“When you look at all penguins they are largely in trouble,” said
Hart. “We're so concerned because we're seeing massive changes to
their populations. They’re probably not going to go extinct anytime
soon, but the environment is changing very fast.
Chinstraps populations seem to have declined up to 50 percent in the
last 30 years,” he added.
Hart, like most experts, is cautious to speak in absolutes because the
harsh environment here makes it difficult to get a clear picture of
what’s happening. Experts use time-lapse cameras and sit at
computers, laboriously counting penguins one by one to compare colony
sizes from year to year.
[....]

The loss of Antarctic ice is fairly well documented. I can see where
documenting that ice loss equates to reductions in penguin populations
is more of a challenge.
Do the penguin populations on the southern tips of Africa and South
America also depend on Antarctic ice?

The news story mentions "at least half of the world’s 18 penguin
species." There are 7 species of penguins that breed in South
American (including the Galapagos) and one in South Africa. The
article is talking about other species, although some of the South
American species also live on other Southern ocean islands and even
the tip of the Antarctic peninsula.

So is that a "no"?

[Richard Norman]

Post by jillery
On Mon, 11 Mar 2013 13:45:29 -0700, Richard Norman

Post by Richard Norman

Post by jillery
On Mon, 11 Mar 2013 10:15:54 -0600, Desertphile

Post by Desertphile
'Grave indicator': Penguins' survival at stake as Antarctic ice
disappears
http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/03/11/17239373-grave-indicator-penguins-survival-at-stake-as-antarctic-ice-disappears
NBC News Correspondent Kerry Sanders recently returned from
Antarctica, where he chronicled the dramatic changes in the world's
last wilderness. Below is his main report; you also can click on the
map above for more dispatches from across the breathtaking seventh
continent.
By Kerry Sanders, Correspondent, NBC News
ANTARCTIC PENINSULA -- There are serious changes taking place here at
the bottom of the world.
Increasingly, experts say, the ice is disappearing at a disturbing
rate in the Antarctic Peninsula and that in turn impacts the future --
and perhaps the very existence -- of at least half of the world’s 18
penguin species, who depend on ice and frigid waters that support
krill, the penguin diet mainstay.
“When cheetahs or lions get hunted, or elephants decline, there’s a
big uproar. And I think, because you see penguins in large numbers [in
some places] people are ignoring the larger rate of their decline,”
said Oxford University penguinologist Tom Hart. “The general public
doesn't realize the penguins are declining so fast.”
But it’s not just the penguins we have to worry about, Hart says, it’s
the health of the planet itself.
“The last wilderness on Earth is impacted by us now,” he said,
describing the region’s decline as a “grave indicator” of what’s to
come.
Life’s cycle disrupted for Antarctica’s penguins
It’s the end of the breeding cycle for most penguins here as summer
comes to a close. The Gentoos, Adelies and Chinstraps are nudging
their newborns from the rocks of Antarctica’s peninsula toward the
waters of the Southern Ocean.
Experts say about 50 percent of the eggs will produce a penguin chick
that makes it to sea. And about half of those will survive the hungry
predators below, as they plunge into the frigid waters for their first
swim. Leopard seals are lurking -- and for the newborns, avoiding
their mortal enemy is not easy. Many will die. Those that do survive
are subject to climate change that is threatening their food supply.
Hart has spent nearly a decade studying the creatures that have
captured the world’s imagination for centuries. Each year, for three
to four months, he positions himself along the Antarctic coast to
observe, measure and chart penguin colonies. Some colonies have been
followed since polar explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton and his men headed
here some 100 years ago.
“When you look at all penguins they are largely in trouble,” said
Hart. “We're so concerned because we're seeing massive changes to
their populations. They’re probably not going to go extinct anytime
soon, but the environment is changing very fast.
Chinstraps populations seem to have declined up to 50 percent in the
last 30 years,” he added.
Hart, like most experts, is cautious to speak in absolutes because the
harsh environment here makes it difficult to get a clear picture of
what’s happening. Experts use time-lapse cameras and sit at
computers, laboriously counting penguins one by one to compare colony
sizes from year to year.
[....]

The loss of Antarctic ice is fairly well documented. I can see where
documenting that ice loss equates to reductions in penguin populations
is more of a challenge.
Do the penguin populations on the southern tips of Africa and South
America also depend on Antarctic ice?

The news story mentions "at least half of the world’s 18 penguin
species." There are 7 species of penguins that breed in South
American (including the Galapagos) and one in South Africa. The
article is talking about other species, although some of the South
American species also live on other Southern ocean islands and even
the tip of the Antarctic peninsula.

So is that a "no"?

It is complicated. Direct dependence on Antarctic ice is a "no"
because none of these live or breed or feed in icy Antarctic waters.
Dependence on oceanic currents producing the ecological conditions to
support their feeding is a "yes". By that I mean that cold antarctic
water currents moving northward sink below warmer subantarctic water
in a region called the "antarctic convergence" which is a region of
high ecological productivity. South American and South African
penguins living north of the convergence don't depend at all on
Antarctic ice but do depend on the productivity of the convergence.
The convergence, itself, is a major physical and biological barrier
isolating Antarctica proper and the "Southern Ocean" (along with some
oceanic islands) from the southern regions of the Atlantic, Pacific,
and Indian oceans. (Note: some workers may disagree about the
definition of the southern ocean but not about the convergence as a
significance line of demarcation.)

[jillery]

On Mon, 11 Mar 2013 15:16:06 -0700, Richard Norman

Post by Richard Norman

Post by jillery
On Mon, 11 Mar 2013 13:45:29 -0700, Richard Norman

Post by Richard Norman

Post by jillery
On Mon, 11 Mar 2013 10:15:54 -0600, Desertphile

Post by Desertphile
'Grave indicator': Penguins' survival at stake as Antarctic ice
disappears
http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/03/11/17239373-grave-indicator-penguins-survival-at-stake-as-antarctic-ice-disappears
NBC News Correspondent Kerry Sanders recently returned from
Antarctica, where he chronicled the dramatic changes in the world's
last wilderness. Below is his main report; you also can click on the
map above for more dispatches from across the breathtaking seventh
continent.
By Kerry Sanders, Correspondent, NBC News
ANTARCTIC PENINSULA -- There are serious changes taking place here at
the bottom of the world.
Increasingly, experts say, the ice is disappearing at a disturbing
rate in the Antarctic Peninsula and that in turn impacts the future --
and perhaps the very existence -- of at least half of the world’s 18
penguin species, who depend on ice and frigid waters that support
krill, the penguin diet mainstay.
“When cheetahs or lions get hunted, or elephants decline, there’s a
big uproar. And I think, because you see penguins in large numbers [in
some places] people are ignoring the larger rate of their decline,”
said Oxford University penguinologist Tom Hart. “The general public
doesn't realize the penguins are declining so fast.”
But it’s not just the penguins we have to worry about, Hart says, it’s
the health of the planet itself.
“The last wilderness on Earth is impacted by us now,” he said,
describing the region’s decline as a “grave indicator” of what’s to
come.
Life’s cycle disrupted for Antarctica’s penguins
It’s the end of the breeding cycle for most penguins here as summer
comes to a close. The Gentoos, Adelies and Chinstraps are nudging
their newborns from the rocks of Antarctica’s peninsula toward the
waters of the Southern Ocean.
Experts say about 50 percent of the eggs will produce a penguin chick
that makes it to sea. And about half of those will survive the hungry
predators below, as they plunge into the frigid waters for their first
swim. Leopard seals are lurking -- and for the newborns, avoiding
their mortal enemy is not easy. Many will die. Those that do survive
are subject to climate change that is threatening their food supply.
Hart has spent nearly a decade studying the creatures that have
captured the world’s imagination for centuries. Each year, for three
to four months, he positions himself along the Antarctic coast to
observe, measure and chart penguin colonies. Some colonies have been
followed since polar explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton and his men headed
here some 100 years ago.
“When you look at all penguins they are largely in trouble,” said
Hart. “We're so concerned because we're seeing massive changes to
their populations. They’re probably not going to go extinct anytime
soon, but the environment is changing very fast.
Chinstraps populations seem to have declined up to 50 percent in the
last 30 years,” he added.
Hart, like most experts, is cautious to speak in absolutes because the
harsh environment here makes it difficult to get a clear picture of
what’s happening. Experts use time-lapse cameras and sit at
computers, laboriously counting penguins one by one to compare colony
sizes from year to year.
[....]

The loss of Antarctic ice is fairly well documented. I can see where
documenting that ice loss equates to reductions in penguin populations
is more of a challenge.
Do the penguin populations on the southern tips of Africa and South
America also depend on Antarctic ice?

The news story mentions "at least half of the world’s 18 penguin
species." There are 7 species of penguins that breed in South
American (including the Galapagos) and one in South Africa. The
article is talking about other species, although some of the South
American species also live on other Southern ocean islands and even
the tip of the Antarctic peninsula.

So is that a "no"?

It is complicated. Direct dependence on Antarctic ice is a "no"
because none of these live or breed or feed in icy Antarctic waters.
Dependence on oceanic currents producing the ecological conditions to
support their feeding is a "yes". By that I mean that cold antarctic
water currents moving northward sink below warmer subantarctic water
in a region called the "antarctic convergence" which is a region of
high ecological productivity. South American and South African
penguins living north of the convergence don't depend at all on
Antarctic ice but do depend on the productivity of the convergence.
The convergence, itself, is a major physical and biological barrier
isolating Antarctica proper and the "Southern Ocean" (along with some
oceanic islands) from the southern regions of the Atlantic, Pacific,
and Indian oceans. (Note: some workers may disagree about the
definition of the southern ocean but not about the convergence as a
significance line of demarcation.)

The reason for my question is that if outlying penguin populations
depend on Antarctic ice, I would expect their populations to be
affected first and more severely as the sea ice shrinks, than penguin
populations on Antarctica proper. And studying outlying penguin
populations might be logistically simpler. And since the article made
a point of the difficulties in collecting data, I thought it was worth
asking. But I am no expert.

[Richard Norman]

Post by jillery
On Mon, 11 Mar 2013 15:16:06 -0700, Richard Norman

Post by Richard Norman

Post by jillery
On Mon, 11 Mar 2013 13:45:29 -0700, Richard Norman

Post by Richard Norman

Post by jillery
On Mon, 11 Mar 2013 10:15:54 -0600, Desertphile

Post by Desertphile
'Grave indicator': Penguins' survival at stake as Antarctic ice
disappears
http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/03/11/17239373-grave-indicator-penguins-survival-at-stake-as-antarctic-ice-disappears
NBC News Correspondent Kerry Sanders recently returned from
Antarctica, where he chronicled the dramatic changes in the world's
last wilderness. Below is his main report; you also can click on the
map above for more dispatches from across the breathtaking seventh
continent.
By Kerry Sanders, Correspondent, NBC News
ANTARCTIC PENINSULA -- There are serious changes taking place here at
the bottom of the world.
Increasingly, experts say, the ice is disappearing at a disturbing
rate in the Antarctic Peninsula and that in turn impacts the future --
and perhaps the very existence -- of at least half of the world’s 18
penguin species, who depend on ice and frigid waters that support
krill, the penguin diet mainstay.
“When cheetahs or lions get hunted, or elephants decline, there’s a
big uproar. And I think, because you see penguins in large numbers [in
some places] people are ignoring the larger rate of their decline,”
said Oxford University penguinologist Tom Hart. “The general public
doesn't realize the penguins are declining so fast.”
But it’s not just the penguins we have to worry about, Hart says, it’s
the health of the planet itself.
“The last wilderness on Earth is impacted by us now,” he said,
describing the region’s decline as a “grave indicator” of what’s to
come.
Life’s cycle disrupted for Antarctica’s penguins
It’s the end of the breeding cycle for most penguins here as summer
comes to a close. The Gentoos, Adelies and Chinstraps are nudging
their newborns from the rocks of Antarctica’s peninsula toward the
waters of the Southern Ocean.
Experts say about 50 percent of the eggs will produce a penguin chick
that makes it to sea. And about half of those will survive the hungry
predators below, as they plunge into the frigid waters for their first
swim. Leopard seals are lurking -- and for the newborns, avoiding
their mortal enemy is not easy. Many will die. Those that do survive
are subject to climate change that is threatening their food supply.
Hart has spent nearly a decade studying the creatures that have
captured the world’s imagination for centuries. Each year, for three
to four months, he positions himself along the Antarctic coast to
observe, measure and chart penguin colonies. Some colonies have been
followed since polar explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton and his men headed
here some 100 years ago.
“When you look at all penguins they are largely in trouble,” said
Hart. “We're so concerned because we're seeing massive changes to
their populations. They’re probably not going to go extinct anytime
soon, but the environment is changing very fast.
Chinstraps populations seem to have declined up to 50 percent in the
last 30 years,” he added.
Hart, like most experts, is cautious to speak in absolutes because the
harsh environment here makes it difficult to get a clear picture of
what’s happening. Experts use time-lapse cameras and sit at
computers, laboriously counting penguins one by one to compare colony
sizes from year to year.
[....]

The loss of Antarctic ice is fairly well documented. I can see where
documenting that ice loss equates to reductions in penguin populations
is more of a challenge.
Do the penguin populations on the southern tips of Africa and South
America also depend on Antarctic ice?

The news story mentions "at least half of the world’s 18 penguin
species." There are 7 species of penguins that breed in South
American (including the Galapagos) and one in South Africa. The
article is talking about other species, although some of the South
American species also live on other Southern ocean islands and even
the tip of the Antarctic peninsula.

So is that a "no"?

It is complicated. Direct dependence on Antarctic ice is a "no"
because none of these live or breed or feed in icy Antarctic waters.
Dependence on oceanic currents producing the ecological conditions to
support their feeding is a "yes". By that I mean that cold antarctic
water currents moving northward sink below warmer subantarctic water
in a region called the "antarctic convergence" which is a region of
high ecological productivity. South American and South African
penguins living north of the convergence don't depend at all on
Antarctic ice but do depend on the productivity of the convergence.
The convergence, itself, is a major physical and biological barrier
isolating Antarctica proper and the "Southern Ocean" (along with some
oceanic islands) from the southern regions of the Atlantic, Pacific,
and Indian oceans. (Note: some workers may disagree about the
definition of the southern ocean but not about the convergence as a
significance line of demarcation.)

The reason for my question is that if outlying penguin populations
depend on Antarctic ice, I would expect their populations to be
affected first and more severely as the sea ice shrinks, than penguin
populations on Antarctica proper. And studying outlying penguin
populations might be logistically simpler. And since the article made
a point of the difficulties in collecting data, I thought it was worth
asking. But I am no expert.

Us northern hemispherites are not usually aware of just how much more
tropical and temperate the southern continents of Africa and South
America are. The tip of South Africa is at about the same latitude as
Los Angeles or Rabat, Morocco. The tip of South America is farther
from the south pole than is Copenhagen to the north pole. Ushuaia
near the southern tip of South America gets just a couple degrees
below freezing at the peak winter season with barely a half dozen snow
days per month. Cape Town, South Africa, has a "Mediterranean"
climate.

I am no expert either but I happen to have visited both places and
seen the penguins there. I also visited the Galapagos and the
Antarctic peninsula so I have seen an awful lot of penguins and, being
a biologist, was inordinately interested in their ecology.

[jillery]

On Mon, 11 Mar 2013 18:57:14 -0700, Richard Norman

Post by Richard Norman

Post by jillery
On Mon, 11 Mar 2013 15:16:06 -0700, Richard Norman

Post by Richard Norman

Post by jillery
On Mon, 11 Mar 2013 13:45:29 -0700, Richard Norman

Post by Richard Norman

Post by jillery
On Mon, 11 Mar 2013 10:15:54 -0600, Desertphile

Post by Desertphile
'Grave indicator': Penguins' survival at stake as Antarctic ice
disappears
http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/03/11/17239373-grave-indicator-penguins-survival-at-stake-as-antarctic-ice-disappears
NBC News Correspondent Kerry Sanders recently returned from
Antarctica, where he chronicled the dramatic changes in the world's
last wilderness. Below is his main report; you also can click on the
map above for more dispatches from across the breathtaking seventh
continent.
By Kerry Sanders, Correspondent, NBC News
ANTARCTIC PENINSULA -- There are serious changes taking place here at
the bottom of the world.
Increasingly, experts say, the ice is disappearing at a disturbing
rate in the Antarctic Peninsula and that in turn impacts the future --
and perhaps the very existence -- of at least half of the world’s 18
penguin species, who depend on ice and frigid waters that support
krill, the penguin diet mainstay.
“When cheetahs or lions get hunted, or elephants decline, there’s a
big uproar. And I think, because you see penguins in large numbers [in
some places] people are ignoring the larger rate of their decline,”
said Oxford University penguinologist Tom Hart. “The general public
doesn't realize the penguins are declining so fast.”
But it’s not just the penguins we have to worry about, Hart says, it’s
the health of the planet itself.
“The last wilderness on Earth is impacted by us now,” he said,
describing the region’s decline as a “grave indicator” of what’s to
come.
Life’s cycle disrupted for Antarctica’s penguins
It’s the end of the breeding cycle for most penguins here as summer
comes to a close. The Gentoos, Adelies and Chinstraps are nudging
their newborns from the rocks of Antarctica’s peninsula toward the
waters of the Southern Ocean.
Experts say about 50 percent of the eggs will produce a penguin chick
that makes it to sea. And about half of those will survive the hungry
predators below, as they plunge into the frigid waters for their first
swim. Leopard seals are lurking -- and for the newborns, avoiding
their mortal enemy is not easy. Many will die. Those that do survive
are subject to climate change that is threatening their food supply.
Hart has spent nearly a decade studying the creatures that have
captured the world’s imagination for centuries. Each year, for three
to four months, he positions himself along the Antarctic coast to
observe, measure and chart penguin colonies. Some colonies have been
followed since polar explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton and his men headed
here some 100 years ago.
“When you look at all penguins they are largely in trouble,” said
Hart. “We're so concerned because we're seeing massive changes to
their populations. They’re probably not going to go extinct anytime
soon, but the environment is changing very fast.
Chinstraps populations seem to have declined up to 50 percent in the
last 30 years,” he added.
Hart, like most experts, is cautious to speak in absolutes because the
harsh environment here makes it difficult to get a clear picture of
what’s happening. Experts use time-lapse cameras and sit at
computers, laboriously counting penguins one by one to compare colony
sizes from year to year.
[....]

The loss of Antarctic ice is fairly well documented. I can see where
documenting that ice loss equates to reductions in penguin populations
is more of a challenge.
Do the penguin populations on the southern tips of Africa and South
America also depend on Antarctic ice?

The news story mentions "at least half of the world’s 18 penguin
species." There are 7 species of penguins that breed in South
American (including the Galapagos) and one in South Africa. The
article is talking about other species, although some of the South
American species also live on other Southern ocean islands and even
the tip of the Antarctic peninsula.

So is that a "no"?

It is complicated. Direct dependence on Antarctic ice is a "no"
because none of these live or breed or feed in icy Antarctic waters.
Dependence on oceanic currents producing the ecological conditions to
support their feeding is a "yes". By that I mean that cold antarctic
water currents moving northward sink below warmer subantarctic water
in a region called the "antarctic convergence" which is a region of
high ecological productivity. South American and South African
penguins living north of the convergence don't depend at all on
Antarctic ice but do depend on the productivity of the convergence.
The convergence, itself, is a major physical and biological barrier
isolating Antarctica proper and the "Southern Ocean" (along with some
oceanic islands) from the southern regions of the Atlantic, Pacific,
and Indian oceans. (Note: some workers may disagree about the
definition of the southern ocean but not about the convergence as a
significance line of demarcation.)

The reason for my question is that if outlying penguin populations
depend on Antarctic ice, I would expect their populations to be
affected first and more severely as the sea ice shrinks, than penguin
populations on Antarctica proper. And studying outlying penguin
populations might be logistically simpler. And since the article made
a point of the difficulties in collecting data, I thought it was worth
asking. But I am no expert.

Us northern hemispherites are not usually aware of just how much more
tropical and temperate the southern continents of Africa and South
America are. The tip of South Africa is at about the same latitude as
Los Angeles or Rabat, Morocco. The tip of South America is farther
from the south pole than is Copenhagen to the north pole. Ushuaia
near the southern tip of South America gets just a couple degrees
below freezing at the peak winter season with barely a half dozen snow
days per month. Cape Town, South Africa, has a "Mediterranean"
climate.
I am no expert either but I happen to have visited both places and
seen the penguins there. I also visited the Galapagos and the
Antarctic peninsula so I have seen an awful lot of penguins and, being
a biologist, was inordinately interested in their ecology.

So are these outlying penguin population dependent on the Antarctic
convergence or not? And is the position of the Antarctic convergence
correlated with the extent of Antarctic sea ice or not?

[Richard Norman]

Post by jillery
On Mon, 11 Mar 2013 18:57:14 -0700, Richard Norman

Post by Richard Norman

Post by jillery
On Mon, 11 Mar 2013 15:16:06 -0700, Richard Norman

Post by Richard Norman

Post by jillery
On Mon, 11 Mar 2013 13:45:29 -0700, Richard Norman

Post by Richard Norman

Post by jillery
On Mon, 11 Mar 2013 10:15:54 -0600, Desertphile

Post by Desertphile
'Grave indicator': Penguins' survival at stake as Antarctic ice
disappears
http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/03/11/17239373-grave-indicator-penguins-survival-at-stake-as-antarctic-ice-disappears
NBC News Correspondent Kerry Sanders recently returned from
Antarctica, where he chronicled the dramatic changes in the world's
last wilderness. Below is his main report; you also can click on the
map above for more dispatches from across the breathtaking seventh
continent.
By Kerry Sanders, Correspondent, NBC News
ANTARCTIC PENINSULA -- There are serious changes taking place here at
the bottom of the world.
Increasingly, experts say, the ice is disappearing at a disturbing
rate in the Antarctic Peninsula and that in turn impacts the future --
and perhaps the very existence -- of at least half of the world’s 18
penguin species, who depend on ice and frigid waters that support
krill, the penguin diet mainstay.
“When cheetahs or lions get hunted, or elephants decline, there’s a
big uproar. And I think, because you see penguins in large numbers [in
some places] people are ignoring the larger rate of their decline,”
said Oxford University penguinologist Tom Hart. “The general public
doesn't realize the penguins are declining so fast.”
But it’s not just the penguins we have to worry about, Hart says, it’s
the health of the planet itself.
“The last wilderness on Earth is impacted by us now,” he said,
describing the region’s decline as a “grave indicator” of what’s to
come.
Life’s cycle disrupted for Antarctica’s penguins
It’s the end of the breeding cycle for most penguins here as summer
comes to a close. The Gentoos, Adelies and Chinstraps are nudging
their newborns from the rocks of Antarctica’s peninsula toward the
waters of the Southern Ocean.
Experts say about 50 percent of the eggs will produce a penguin chick
that makes it to sea. And about half of those will survive the hungry
predators below, as they plunge into the frigid waters for their first
swim. Leopard seals are lurking -- and for the newborns, avoiding
their mortal enemy is not easy. Many will die. Those that do survive
are subject to climate change that is threatening their food supply.
Hart has spent nearly a decade studying the creatures that have
captured the world’s imagination for centuries. Each year, for three
to four months, he positions himself along the Antarctic coast to
observe, measure and chart penguin colonies. Some colonies have been
followed since polar explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton and his men headed
here some 100 years ago.
“When you look at all penguins they are largely in trouble,” said
Hart. “We're so concerned because we're seeing massive changes to
their populations. They’re probably not going to go extinct anytime
soon, but the environment is changing very fast.
Chinstraps populations seem to have declined up to 50 percent in the
last 30 years,” he added.
Hart, like most experts, is cautious to speak in absolutes because the
harsh environment here makes it difficult to get a clear picture of
what’s happening. Experts use time-lapse cameras and sit at
computers, laboriously counting penguins one by one to compare colony
sizes from year to year.
[....]

The loss of Antarctic ice is fairly well documented. I can see where
documenting that ice loss equates to reductions in penguin populations
is more of a challenge.
Do the penguin populations on the southern tips of Africa and South
America also depend on Antarctic ice?

The news story mentions "at least half of the world’s 18 penguin
species." There are 7 species of penguins that breed in South
American (including the Galapagos) and one in South Africa. The
article is talking about other species, although some of the South
American species also live on other Southern ocean islands and even
the tip of the Antarctic peninsula.

So is that a "no"?

It is complicated. Direct dependence on Antarctic ice is a "no"
because none of these live or breed or feed in icy Antarctic waters.
Dependence on oceanic currents producing the ecological conditions to
support their feeding is a "yes". By that I mean that cold antarctic
water currents moving northward sink below warmer subantarctic water
in a region called the "antarctic convergence" which is a region of
high ecological productivity. South American and South African
penguins living north of the convergence don't depend at all on
Antarctic ice but do depend on the productivity of the convergence.
The convergence, itself, is a major physical and biological barrier
isolating Antarctica proper and the "Southern Ocean" (along with some
oceanic islands) from the southern regions of the Atlantic, Pacific,
and Indian oceans. (Note: some workers may disagree about the
definition of the southern ocean but not about the convergence as a
significance line of demarcation.)

The reason for my question is that if outlying penguin populations
depend on Antarctic ice, I would expect their populations to be
affected first and more severely as the sea ice shrinks, than penguin
populations on Antarctica proper. And studying outlying penguin
populations might be logistically simpler. And since the article made
a point of the difficulties in collecting data, I thought it was worth
asking. But I am no expert.

Us northern hemispherites are not usually aware of just how much more
tropical and temperate the southern continents of Africa and South
America are. The tip of South Africa is at about the same latitude as
Los Angeles or Rabat, Morocco. The tip of South America is farther
from the south pole than is Copenhagen to the north pole. Ushuaia
near the southern tip of South America gets just a couple degrees
below freezing at the peak winter season with barely a half dozen snow
days per month. Cape Town, South Africa, has a "Mediterranean"
climate.
I am no expert either but I happen to have visited both places and
seen the penguins there. I also visited the Galapagos and the
Antarctic peninsula so I have seen an awful lot of penguins and, being
a biologist, was inordinately interested in their ecology.

So are these outlying penguin population dependent on the Antarctic
convergence or not? And is the position of the Antarctic convergence
correlated with the extent of Antarctic sea ice or not?

I already said it is complicated. Clearly the Galapagos penguins,
living at the equator, have no connection to Antarctic sea ice and the
South African penguins are similarly very far removed.

The South American penguins are dependent on the food chain that
itself is strongly influenced by the Antarctic convergence even if
they feed somewhat far from the actual convergence. A reduction in
that food supply causes them to travel farther to feed, increasing the
time needed before they can return to their nest where their starving
mate is waiting. It is also true that human factors like oil
pollution and nesting habitat destruction are probably far greater
influences.

It also depends on whether you mean a direct consequence of changes in
Antarctic ice or, instead, a direct consequence of climate changes
which result in changes in Antarctic ice as well as many other
effects.

As to your last question I quote from "Antarctica, Continent of Ice"
http://www.marinebio.net/marinescience/04benthon/AAcontinent.htm

"Antarctica can be defined in three ways. The first way is the outline
of the continental land mass and its permanent ice. The second is to
use the Antarctic Circle (at latitude 66.5 degrees south) and consider
everything south of that latitude to be Antarctica. The third way is
perhaps the best for considering the entire Antarctic as an ecosystem
- this is to use the Antarctic Convergence as the defining line. The
Antarctic Convergence occurs in the ocean surrounding Antarctica and
is where very cold (low salinity) Antarctic water, flowing away from
the continent and constantly cooled by the ice on the continent, meets
with the southernmost parts of the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian
Oceans. The Antarctic water is denser, because it is so cold, and
sinks, creeping north across the ocean bottoms. South of this
convergence not only is the ocean water colder but the air is
distinctly colder and drier than north of the convergence. Most of the
life forms found in Antarctica depend on the ocean within the
Antarctic Convergence so using this as a definition for Antarctica
encompasses the entire physical area that is important for the complex
ecosystem that is found there. The convergence moves north during the
Antarctic winter, and south in the Antarctic summer - in response to
the freezing and thawing of the sea ice. This Convergence is a
biological barrier to organisms both in the ocean and the air because
of the big temperature difference."

An excellent presentation of the variety of factors that are involved
in the answer to your questions, especially factors influencing
populations of temperate zone penguins, is "Penguins as Marine
Sentinels"
http://www.aibs.org/bioscience-press-releases/resources/Boersma.pdf

[jillery]

On Tue, 12 Mar 2013 08:53:36 -0700, Richard Norman
<***@comcast.net> wrote:

[...]

Post by Richard Norman

Post by jillery

Post by Richard Norman
I am no expert either but I happen to have visited both places and
seen the penguins there. I also visited the Galapagos and the
Antarctic peninsula so I have seen an awful lot of penguins and, being
a biologist, was inordinately interested in their ecology.

So are these outlying penguin population dependent on the Antarctic
convergence or not? And is the position of the Antarctic convergence
correlated with the extent of Antarctic sea ice or not?

I already said it is complicated.

You also "already said" they are dependent on the Antarctic
convergence.

Post by Richard Norman
Clearly the Galapagos penguins,
living at the equator, have no connection to Antarctic sea ice and the
South African penguins are similarly very far removed.

I specifically identified two groups, and deliberately did not include
those from the Galapagos.

Post by Richard Norman
The South American penguins are dependent on the food chain that
itself is strongly influenced by the Antarctic convergence even if
they feed somewhat far from the actual convergence. A reduction in
that food supply causes them to travel farther to feed, increasing the
time needed before they can return to their nest where their starving
mate is waiting. It is also true that human factors like oil
pollution and nesting habitat destruction are probably far greater
influences.
It also depends on whether you mean a direct consequence of changes in
Antarctic ice or, instead, a direct consequence of climate changes
which result in changes in Antarctic ice as well as many other
effects.
As to your last question I quote from "Antarctica, Continent of Ice"
http://www.marinebio.net/marinescience/04benthon/AAcontinent.htm
"Antarctica can be defined in three ways. The first way is the outline
of the continental land mass and its permanent ice. The second is to
use the Antarctic Circle (at latitude 66.5 degrees south) and consider
everything south of that latitude to be Antarctica. The third way is
perhaps the best for considering the entire Antarctic as an ecosystem
- this is to use the Antarctic Convergence as the defining line. The
Antarctic Convergence occurs in the ocean surrounding Antarctica and
is where very cold (low salinity) Antarctic water, flowing away from
the continent and constantly cooled by the ice on the continent, meets
with the southernmost parts of the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian
Oceans. The Antarctic water is denser, because it is so cold, and
sinks, creeping north across the ocean bottoms. South of this
convergence not only is the ocean water colder but the air is
distinctly colder and drier than north of the convergence. Most of the
life forms found in Antarctica depend on the ocean within the
Antarctic Convergence so using this as a definition for Antarctica
encompasses the entire physical area that is important for the complex
ecosystem that is found there. The convergence moves north during the
Antarctic winter, and south in the Antarctic summer - in response to
the freezing and thawing of the sea ice. This Convergence is a
biological barrier to organisms both in the ocean and the air because
of the big temperature difference."
An excellent presentation of the variety of factors that are involved
in the answer to your questions, especially factors influencing
populations of temperate zone penguins, is "Penguins as Marine
Sentinels"
http://www.aibs.org/bioscience-press-releases/resources/Boersma.pdf

Thank's anyway, but I looked it for myself.

[Richard Norman]

Post by jillery
On Tue, 12 Mar 2013 08:53:36 -0700, Richard Norman
[...]

Post by Richard Norman

Post by jillery

Post by Richard Norman
I am no expert either but I happen to have visited both places and
seen the penguins there. I also visited the Galapagos and the
Antarctic peninsula so I have seen an awful lot of penguins and, being
a biologist, was inordinately interested in their ecology.

So are these outlying penguin population dependent on the Antarctic
convergence or not? And is the position of the Antarctic convergence
correlated with the extent of Antarctic sea ice or not?

I already said it is complicated.

You also "already said" they are dependent on the Antarctic
convergence.

Post by Richard Norman
Clearly the Galapagos penguins,
living at the equator, have no connection to Antarctic sea ice and the
South African penguins are similarly very far removed.

I specifically identified two groups, and deliberately did not include
those from the Galapagos.

Post by Richard Norman
The South American penguins are dependent on the food chain that
itself is strongly influenced by the Antarctic convergence even if
they feed somewhat far from the actual convergence. A reduction in
that food supply causes them to travel farther to feed, increasing the
time needed before they can return to their nest where their starving
mate is waiting. It is also true that human factors like oil
pollution and nesting habitat destruction are probably far greater
influences.
It also depends on whether you mean a direct consequence of changes in
Antarctic ice or, instead, a direct consequence of climate changes
which result in changes in Antarctic ice as well as many other
effects.
As to your last question I quote from "Antarctica, Continent of Ice"
http://www.marinebio.net/marinescience/04benthon/AAcontinent.htm
"Antarctica can be defined in three ways. The first way is the outline
of the continental land mass and its permanent ice. The second is to
use the Antarctic Circle (at latitude 66.5 degrees south) and consider
everything south of that latitude to be Antarctica. The third way is
perhaps the best for considering the entire Antarctic as an ecosystem
- this is to use the Antarctic Convergence as the defining line. The
Antarctic Convergence occurs in the ocean surrounding Antarctica and
is where very cold (low salinity) Antarctic water, flowing away from
the continent and constantly cooled by the ice on the continent, meets
with the southernmost parts of the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian
Oceans. The Antarctic water is denser, because it is so cold, and
sinks, creeping north across the ocean bottoms. South of this
convergence not only is the ocean water colder but the air is
distinctly colder and drier than north of the convergence. Most of the
life forms found in Antarctica depend on the ocean within the
Antarctic Convergence so using this as a definition for Antarctica
encompasses the entire physical area that is important for the complex
ecosystem that is found there. The convergence moves north during the
Antarctic winter, and south in the Antarctic summer - in response to
the freezing and thawing of the sea ice. This Convergence is a
biological barrier to organisms both in the ocean and the air because
of the big temperature difference."
An excellent presentation of the variety of factors that are involved
in the answer to your questions, especially factors influencing
populations of temperate zone penguins, is "Penguins as Marine
Sentinels"
http://www.aibs.org/bioscience-press-releases/resources/Boersma.pdf

Thank's anyway, but I looked it for myself.

You are quite welcome.

[Walter Bushell]

Post by Desertphile
'Grave indicator': Penguins' survival at stake as Antarctic ice
disappears
http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/03/11/17239373-grave-indicator-penguin
s-survival-at-stake-as-antarctic-ice-disappears
NBC News Correspondent Kerry Sanders recently returned from
Antarctica, where he chronicled the dramatic changes in the world's
last wilderness. Below is his main report; you also can click on the
map above for more dispatches from across the breathtaking seventh
continent.
By Kerry Sanders, Correspondent, NBC News
ANTARCTIC PENINSULA -- There are serious changes taking place here at
the bottom of the world.
Increasingly, experts say, the ice is disappearing at a disturbing
rate in the Antarctic Peninsula and that in turn impacts the future --
and perhaps the very existence -- of at least half of the world’s 18
penguin species, who depend on ice and frigid waters that support
krill, the penguin diet mainstay.
“When cheetahs or lions get hunted, or elephants decline, there’s a
big uproar. And I think, because you see penguins in large numbers [in
some places] people are ignoring the larger rate of their decline,”
said Oxford University penguinologist Tom Hart. “The general public
doesn't realize the penguins are declining so fast.”
But it’s not just the penguins we have to worry about, Hart says, it’s
the health of the planet itself.
“The last wilderness on Earth is impacted by us now,” he said,
describing the region’s decline as a “grave indicator” of what’s to
come.
Life’s cycle disrupted for Antarctica’s penguins
It’s the end of the breeding cycle for most penguins here as summer
comes to a close. The Gentoos, Adelies and Chinstraps are nudging
their newborns from the rocks of Antarctica’s peninsula toward the
waters of the Southern Ocean.
Experts say about 50 percent of the eggs will produce a penguin chick
that makes it to sea. And about half of those will survive the hungry
predators below, as they plunge into the frigid waters for their first
swim. Leopard seals are lurking -- and for the newborns, avoiding
their mortal enemy is not easy. Many will die. Those that do survive
are subject to climate change that is threatening their food supply.
Hart has spent nearly a decade studying the creatures that have
captured the world’s imagination for centuries. Each year, for three
to four months, he positions himself along the Antarctic coast to
observe, measure and chart penguin colonies. Some colonies have been
followed since polar explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton and his men headed
here some 100 years ago.
“When you look at all penguins they are largely in trouble,” said
Hart. “We're so concerned because we're seeing massive changes to
their populations. They’re probably not going to go extinct anytime
soon, but the environment is changing very fast.
Chinstraps populations seem to have declined up to 50 percent in the
last 30 years,” he added.
Hart, like most experts, is cautious to speak in absolutes because the
harsh environment here makes it difficult to get a clear picture of
what’s happening. Experts use time-lapse cameras and sit at
computers, laboriously counting penguins one by one to compare colony
sizes from year to year.
[....]

<Bold> <It¹s Not the Same Without Pelicans </bold>

It¹s not the same without pelicans, you know?
I mean, dinosaursŠ Well, they¹re too big to missŠ
And besides, it was their own fault.
But we all grew up with pelicans!
I hope the ducks hold out. -- Henry Gibson (on Laugh In which some of
you geezers might remember.)


I hope they bury Mr. Gibson holding a big flower.

[jonathan]

Post by Walter Bushell

Post by Desertphile
'Grave indicator': Penguins' survival at stake as Antarctic ice
disappears
http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/03/11/17239373-grave-indicator-penguin
s-survival-at-stake-as-antarctic-ice-disappears
NBC News Correspondent Kerry Sanders recently returned from
Antarctica, where he chronicled the dramatic changes in the world's
last wilderness. Below is his main report; you also can click on the
map above for more dispatches from across the breathtaking seventh
continent.
By Kerry Sanders, Correspondent, NBC News
ANTARCTIC PENINSULA -- There are serious changes taking place here at
the bottom of the world.
Increasingly, experts say, the ice is disappearing at a disturbing
rate in the Antarctic Peninsula and that in turn impacts the future --
and perhaps the very existence -- of at least half of the world's 18
penguin species, who depend on ice and frigid waters that support
krill, the penguin diet mainstay.
"When cheetahs or lions get hunted, or elephants decline, there's a
big uproar. And I think, because you see penguins in large numbers [in
some places] people are ignoring the larger rate of their decline,"
said Oxford University penguinologist Tom Hart. "The general public
doesn't realize the penguins are declining so fast."
But it's not just the penguins we have to worry about, Hart says, it's
the health of the planet itself.
"The last wilderness on Earth is impacted by us now," he said,
describing the region's decline as a "grave indicator" of what's to
come.
Life's cycle disrupted for Antarctica's penguins
It's the end of the breeding cycle for most penguins here as summer
comes to a close. The Gentoos, Adelies and Chinstraps are nudging
their newborns from the rocks of Antarctica's peninsula toward the
waters of the Southern Ocean.
Experts say about 50 percent of the eggs will produce a penguin chick
that makes it to sea. And about half of those will survive the hungry
predators below, as they plunge into the frigid waters for their first
swim. Leopard seals are lurking -- and for the newborns, avoiding
their mortal enemy is not easy. Many will die. Those that do survive
are subject to climate change that is threatening their food supply.
Hart has spent nearly a decade studying the creatures that have
captured the world's imagination for centuries. Each year, for three
to four months, he positions himself along the Antarctic coast to
observe, measure and chart penguin colonies. Some colonies have been
followed since polar explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton and his men headed
here some 100 years ago.
"When you look at all penguins they are largely in trouble," said
Hart. "We're so concerned because we're seeing massive changes to
their populations. They're probably not going to go extinct anytime
soon, but the environment is changing very fast.
Chinstraps populations seem to have declined up to 50 percent in the
last 30 years," he added.
Hart, like most experts, is cautious to speak in absolutes because the
harsh environment here makes it difficult to get a clear picture of
what's happening. Experts use time-lapse cameras and sit at
computers, laboriously counting penguins one by one to compare colony
sizes from year to year.
[....]

<Bold> <It¹s Not the Same Without Pelicans </bold>
It¹s not the same without pelicans, you know?
I mean, dinosaursS Well, they¹re too big to missS
And besides, it was their own fault.
But we all grew up with pelicans!
I hope the ducks hold out. -- Henry Gibson (on Laugh In which some of
you geezers might remember.)
I hope they bury Mr. Gibson holding a big flower.

I've seen several reruns, loved it, what a time capsule that show is!
My favoite part was Goldie Hawn shaking her little fanny
in that swim suit! Youch!

Goldie Hawn Bikini Dancing

Post by Walter Bushell
--
Gambling with Other People's Money is the opium of the fiscal industry.
me -- in the spirit of Karl and Groucho Marx

[jonathan]

Post by Desertphile
'Grave indicator': Penguins' survival at stake as Antarctic ice
disappears
http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/03/11/17239373-grave-indicator-penguins-survival-at-stake-as-antarctic-ice-disappears
NBC News Correspondent Kerry Sanders recently returned from
Antarctica, where he chronicled the dramatic changes in the world's
last wilderness. Below is his main report; you also can click on the
map above for more dispatches from across the breathtaking seventh
continent.

I've read that a small increase in temps at the mid latitudes
is amplified in the poles. So we should see the effects of
global warning first in the poles. They say the first effects
we'll see isn't so much temperature increases, but changes
in weather patterns from the disruptions in ocean currents
from all the ice melting.

Post by Desertphile
By Kerry Sanders, Correspondent, NBC News
ANTARCTIC PENINSULA -- There are serious changes taking place here at
the bottom of the world.
Increasingly, experts say, the ice is disappearing at a disturbing
rate in the Antarctic Peninsula and that in turn impacts the future --
and perhaps the very existence -- of at least half of the world's 18
penguin species, who depend on ice and frigid waters that support
krill, the penguin diet mainstay.
"When cheetahs or lions get hunted, or elephants decline, there's a
big uproar. And I think, because you see penguins in large numbers [in
some places] people are ignoring the larger rate of their decline,"
said Oxford University penguinologist Tom Hart. "The general public
doesn't realize the penguins are declining so fast."
But it's not just the penguins we have to worry about, Hart says, it's
the health of the planet itself.
"The last wilderness on Earth is impacted by us now," he said,
describing the region's decline as a "grave indicator" of what's to
come.
Life's cycle disrupted for Antarctica's penguins
It's the end of the breeding cycle for most penguins here as summer
comes to a close. The Gentoos, Adelies and Chinstraps are nudging
their newborns from the rocks of Antarctica's peninsula toward the
waters of the Southern Ocean.
Experts say about 50 percent of the eggs will produce a penguin chick
that makes it to sea. And about half of those will survive the hungry
predators below, as they plunge into the frigid waters for their first
swim. Leopard seals are lurking -- and for the newborns, avoiding
their mortal enemy is not easy. Many will die. Those that do survive
are subject to climate change that is threatening their food supply.
Hart has spent nearly a decade studying the creatures that have
captured the world's imagination for centuries. Each year, for three
to four months, he positions himself along the Antarctic coast to
observe, measure and chart penguin colonies. Some colonies have been
followed since polar explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton and his men headed
here some 100 years ago.
"When you look at all penguins they are largely in trouble," said
Hart. "We're so concerned because we're seeing massive changes to
their populations. They're probably not going to go extinct anytime
soon, but the environment is changing very fast.
Chinstraps populations seem to have declined up to 50 percent in the
last 30 years," he added.
Hart, like most experts, is cautious to speak in absolutes because the
harsh environment here makes it difficult to get a clear picture of
what's happening. Experts use time-lapse cameras and sit at
computers, laboriously counting penguins one by one to compare colony
sizes from year to year.
[....]
--
Nemo me impune lacessit.
"It is the nature of the human species to reject what is true but unpleasant,
and to embrace what is obviously false but comforting." -- H. L. Menckin

[Ron O]

Post by Desertphile
'Grave indicator': Penguins' survival at stake as Antarctic ice
disappears
http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/03/11/17239373-grave-indicato...
NBC News Correspondent Kerry Sanders recently returned from
Antarctica, where he chronicled the dramatic changes in the world's
last wilderness. Below is his main report; you also can click on the
map above for more dispatches from across the breathtaking seventh
continent.
By Kerry Sanders, Correspondent, NBC News
ANTARCTIC PENINSULA -- There are serious changes taking place here at
the bottom of the world.
Increasingly, experts say, the ice is disappearing at a disturbing
rate in the Antarctic Peninsula and that in turn impacts the future --
and perhaps the very existence -- of at least half of the world’s 18
penguin species, who depend on ice and frigid waters that support
krill, the penguin diet mainstay.
“When cheetahs or lions get hunted, or elephants decline, there’s a
big uproar. And I think, because you see penguins in large numbers [in
some places] people are ignoring the larger rate of their decline,”
said Oxford University penguinologist Tom Hart.  “The general public
doesn't realize the penguins are declining so fast.”
But it’s not just the penguins we have to worry about, Hart says, it’s
the health of the planet itself.
“The last wilderness on Earth is impacted by us now,” he said,
describing the region’s decline as a “grave indicator” of what’s to
come.
Life’s cycle disrupted for Antarctica’s penguins
It’s the end of the breeding cycle for most penguins here as summer
comes to a close. The Gentoos, Adelies and Chinstraps are nudging
their newborns from the rocks of Antarctica’s peninsula toward the
waters of the Southern Ocean.
Experts say about 50 percent of the eggs will produce a penguin chick
that makes it to sea. And about half of those will survive the hungry
predators below, as they plunge into the frigid waters for their first
swim. Leopard seals are lurking -- and for the newborns, avoiding
their mortal enemy is not easy. Many will die. Those that do survive
are subject to climate change that is threatening their food supply.
Hart has spent nearly a decade studying the creatures that have
captured the world’s imagination for centuries. Each year, for three
to four months, he positions himself along the Antarctic coast to
observe, measure and chart penguin colonies. Some colonies have been
followed since polar explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton and his men headed
here some 100 years ago.
“When you look at all penguins they are largely in trouble,” said
Hart.  “We're so concerned because we're seeing massive changes to
their populations. They’re probably not going to go extinct anytime
soon, but the environment is changing very fast.
Chinstraps populations seem to have declined up to 50 percent in the
last 30 years,” he added.
Hart, like most experts, is cautious to speak in absolutes because the
harsh environment here makes it difficult to get a clear picture of
what’s happening.  Experts use time-lapse cameras and sit at
computers, laboriously counting penguins one by one to compare colony
sizes from year to year.
[....]
--
Nemo me impune lacessit.
"It is the nature of the human species to reject what is true but unpleasant,
and to embrace what is obviously false but comforting." -- H. L. Menckin

In the case of penquins if the ice disappears in the antarctica the
only thing that they will suffer is over crowding in their nesting
areas. Their migrations over the ice should get shorter and they want
to nest over stable land anyway instead of meltable ice.

I'd look into increases in predators, and the human krill harvest and
increasing whale population. The penguins likely benefited from the
near extinction of the whales with the subsequent boom in their food
supplies. They may have been over populated for the last few decades,
and you would expect their predators to increase during that time
period (think about rabbit and bobcat population cycles).

Ron Okimoto

[Desertphile]

Post by Ron O

Post by Desertphile
'Grave indicator': Penguins' survival at stake as Antarctic ice
disappears
http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/03/11/17239373-grave-indicato...
NBC News Correspondent Kerry Sanders recently returned from
Antarctica, where he chronicled the dramatic changes in the world's
last wilderness. Below is his main report; you also can click on the
map above for more dispatches from across the breathtaking seventh
continent.

In the case of penquins if the ice disappears in the antarctica the
only thing that they will suffer is over crowding in their nesting
areas. Their migrations over the ice should get shorter and they want
to nest over stable land anyway instead of meltable ice.

A few penguine populations at Antarctic have already dissapeared. The
Best Birds can adapt if given time, but there isn't enough time.

Post by Ron O
I'd look into increases in predators, and the human krill harvest and
increasing whale population. The penguins likely benefited from the
near extinction of the whales with the subsequent boom in their food
supplies. They may have been over populated for the last few decades,
and you would expect their predators to increase during that time
period (think about rabbit and bobcat population cycles).
Ron Okimoto

[MarkA]

'Grave indicator': Penguins' survival at stake as Antarctic ice disappears
http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/03/11/17239373-grave-indicator-penguins-survival-at-stake-as-antarctic-ice-disappears
NBC News Correspondent Kerry Sanders recently returned from Antarctica,
where he chronicled the dramatic changes in the world's last wilderness.
Below is his main report; you also can click on the map above for more
dispatches from across the breathtaking seventh continent.
By Kerry Sanders, Correspondent, NBC News

It seems inevitable that many species will become extinct in the decades
to come as a direct result of AGW. It is a consequence of human
short-sightedness, greed, and stupidity. However, mass extinctions have
happened before, and will no doubt continue to happen. As long as the
environment is capable of sustaining *some* form of life, life will be
there.

[Walter Bushell]

Post by MarkA

'Grave indicator': Penguins' survival at stake as Antarctic ice disappears
http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/03/11/17239373-grave-indicator-pengu
ins-survival-at-stake-as-antarctic-ice-disappears
NBC News Correspondent Kerry Sanders recently returned from Antarctica,
where he chronicled the dramatic changes in the world's last wilderness.
Below is his main report; you also can click on the map above for more
dispatches from across the breathtaking seventh continent.
By Kerry Sanders, Correspondent, NBC News

It seems inevitable that many species will become extinct in the decades
to come as a direct result of AGW. It is a consequence of human
short-sightedness, greed, and stupidity. However, mass extinctions have
happened before, and will no doubt continue to happen. As long as the
environment is capable of sustaining *some* form of life, life will be
there.

But will we?

[Bob Casanova]

On Thu, 21 Mar 2013 21:46:07 -0400, the following appeared

Post by Walter Bushell

Post by MarkA

'Grave indicator': Penguins' survival at stake as Antarctic ice disappears
http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/03/11/17239373-grave-indicator-pengu
ins-survival-at-stake-as-antarctic-ice-disappears
NBC News Correspondent Kerry Sanders recently returned from Antarctica,
where he chronicled the dramatic changes in the world's last wilderness.
Below is his main report; you also can click on the map above for more
dispatches from across the breathtaking seventh continent.
By Kerry Sanders, Correspondent, NBC News

It seems inevitable that many species will become extinct in the decades
to come as a direct result of AGW. It is a consequence of human
short-sightedness, greed, and stupidity. However, mass extinctions have
happened before, and will no doubt continue to happen. As long as the
environment is capable of sustaining *some* form of life, life will be
there.

But will we?

Probably, although maybe not as a technological species.
Humans, along with rats and roaches, are incredibly
adaptable, and it would almost certainly take an
everything-but-bacteria extinction event to get us all.

[a***@hotmail.co.uk]

Post by MarkA

'Grave indicator': Penguins' survival at stake as Antarctic ice disappears
http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/03/11/17239373-grave-indicato...
NBC News Correspondent Kerry Sanders recently returned from Antarctica,
where he chronicled the dramatic changes in the world's last wilderness.
Below is his main report; you also can click on the map above for more
dispatches from across the breathtaking seventh continent.
By Kerry Sanders, Correspondent, NBC News

It seems inevitable that many species will become extinct in the decades
to come as a direct result of AGW.  It is a consequence of human
short-sightedness, greed, and stupidity.  However, mass extinctions have
happened before, and will no doubt continue to happen.  As long as the
environment is capable of sustaining *some* form of life, life will be
there.

The planet has been a lot warmer in the past than it is now. Any
species that can't adapt to climate changes will go extinct, now as
then. It's evolution, folks, get used to it.