December 4, 1998
Web posted at: 2:25 PM EST

By Environmental News Network staff

Researchers look to penguin populations as indicator species that reflects the health of our oceans and, in a larger sense, our planet.

(ENN) -- Penguin researchers from around the world are meeting today in Boston and the news they bring isn't good -- there has been an alarming decline among many of the world's penguin populations.

A number of conservation groups pooled their resources to produce a report that says nine penguin species should now be endangered or vulnerable and two more species to be near threatened. Previously, only five of the total 17 penguin species were considered threatened. The report was released today by penguin biologists representing the IUCN-The World Conservation Union and the New England Aquarium.

Researchers look to penguin populations as indicator species that reflect the health of our oceans and, in a larger sense, our planet. The fact that many penguin species can no longer sustain their populations suggests a sick planet, the report says.

Penguins are being battered on all sides -- threatened by oil spills, habitat destruction, the overfishing of their food supplies and even the weather. The rising sea surface temperatures caused by El Niņo are creating problems for certain penguin populations.

In busy shipping areas, oil spills damage penguins' feathers, causing them to lose their insulating, water-repellent quality. The penguin may freeze or starve if it can't swim to catch food. Also, ever-increasing coastal use and development often invades penguin nesting areas, displacing breeding adults and sometimes leading to chick mortality.

Two of the threatened species, Humboldt and Galapagos, have been strongly affected by the unusual water currents caused by El Niņo. El Niņo's warmer waters displace or kill the fish these penguins eat. There was a 70 percent decrease in the breeding population of both these species following the 1982-1983 El Niņo episode and the current El Niņo weather pattern is causing a similar disturbance.

Of all species of penguins on the planet, only those in the Antarctic do not seem to be facing immediate and documented declines in populations. The Antarctic region is closely regulated and managed, both environmentally and economically. However, penguins in this region are also adversely affected by fishing and tourism. Their numbers have not dropped significantly enough to warrant listing as endangered or vulnerable. Antarctic species need continued diligent watching and management to maintain their populations.

Following the Third International Penguin Conference in Cape Town, South Africa, a Penguin Conservation and Assessment Management Plan workshop was held in September 1996. Thirty-seven penguin experts from 10 countries participated in the event, which was hosted by the Conservation Breeding Specialist Group of the IUCN, and sponsored by Sea World Inc. and the New England Aquarium. It's been two years since that workshop, and the final report is what is being released today.

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