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Emperors in Danger

July 13, 2017

Since the 1950s, scientists have known that emperor penguins may be threatened by retreating sea ice posed by warming temperatures and other climatic changes. WHOI biologist Stephanie Jenouvrier led a team that modeled the dispersal patterns of the penguins, In a study published in Biological Conservation in June 2017, the scientists showed that even if penguins migrate to new homes to escape climate change effects, they’ll still face devastating population declines by 2100. Jenouvrier says the results demonstrate that emperor penguins deserve protection under the Endangered Species Act. She plans further research to understand how penguins will continue to adapt to shifting conditions. (Photo by Mak Saito, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)