Adelie penguins are the smallest of the penguins that inhabit the Antarctic. Because they are dependent on ice for both living and to find their food sources, global warming which reduces the area of ice pack is a real threat to their continued existence.

The Food Chain

Consider the food chain and how it impacts the Adelie penguin. Lower pack ice is necessary for the formation of sea algae because it is nutrient-rich. Antarctic krill feed on sea algae, and the penguin subsists on krill, which represents 99% of its diet.

If the amount of ice is reduced, so is the amount of algae and the number of krill to sustain the population of penguins.

The Adelie Penguins’ Home

The extreme cold waters of Antarctica and the Ross Sea are home to Adelie penguins. It is currently estimated that there are some 177 colonies living on the Antarctica ice pack.

These aquatic birds are perfectly suited to his environment and require both ice for living and foraging, and thick, rocky tundra offshore for nesting. Adelie penguins live in the Antarctic alongside others of their kind, seals, and whales. Natural predators include the sea leopard and brown skaus.

Over the past 25 – 50 years, significant declines in the population of Adelie penguin colonies have been recorded. Some researchers estimate that 65% of their numbers have been lost. Whilst there are still millions of Adelie penguins in existence today, the outlook for the future survival of this species is grim.

Habitat Threat

The largest threat to the survival of the Adelie penguin is loss of habitat due to global warming. Worldwide human populations are continually adding CO2 to the atmosphere and this, in turn, is causing appreciable differences in temperature.

Countries like China and the U.S. are the worst offenders and their actions affect more than just the immediate regions. The most negatively affected areas are those in glacial zones since ice needs consistent, sub-zero temperatures to form.

As air and water temperatures continually rise, however slowly over a period of years, the ice pack melts and a significant reduction in area occurs. In fact, higher air temperature allows it to hold more moisture, resulting in more snow, and deteriorating the condition of the frozen tundra where the Adelie penguin migrates to breed. This also contributes to quicker melting of the existing ice pack.

The effect of global warming on the Adelie penguin is twofold: loss of habitat and loss of food source. Because these aquatic birds are so utterly dependent on ice mass for survival, the future of the species is uncertain at best.

Find out about the different species of penguins and our Q&A about Adelie Penguins.