Penguins, Humpbacks and Antarctic Changes

Adelie Penguin, Antarctica, photo by Bill Fintel

Adelie Penguins feed primarily on krill. Krill depend on sea ice to assist in growing their phytoplankton food. Hence, as sea ice coverage shrinks, Adelies are having less success raising their young. From the title link:

"Krill form the basis of the marine food web, supporting organisms ranging from fish and penguins to whales. Krill feed on phytoplankton -- basically, ice algae -- that grow lushly on the undersides of ice floes.

These tiny crustaceans are specially adapted to graze for the tiny plants among the ice crystals. But in the last few decades, winter ice has formed later in the season and has covered less area and spring melt comes earlier. Without ice, krill's feeding is disrupted and populations fall."

This change in seasonal sea ice coverage has also affected Humpback Whales, temporarily for the better, but probably not for their long term good. See: Whale of a find: Krill feast in Antarctica

Keeping track of our Earth in detail via satellites, is truly amazing. For Arctic and Antarctic ice mass monitoring, thank GRACE.

Humpback Whale, Antarctica, photo by Bill Fintel