State of Antarctic Penguins 2017
For the first time in 24 years, this report comprehensively summarizes the status — population size and population trends — of Antarctica’s five penguin species, continent-wide and in key regions. These species total at least 5.7 million breeding pairs nesting at 660 or more sites across the entire Antarctic continent. This report uses the most current scientific data, including 3,176 records from 101 sources of on-the-ground colony counts and satellite photo analyses. Key findings include some big changes, such as Adélies and chinstraps declining, and gentoos increasing, in the Antarctic Peninsula. With the exception of the Arctic region, the Antarctic Peninsula has warmed faster than anywhere else in the world. The report also notes key concerns, including ice sheet and glacier collapses both in West Antarctica and East Antarctica, which potentially affect penguin populations.