Friday 8 August 2014

A major study of all penguin populations

A major study of all penguin species suggests the birds are at continuing risk from habitat degradation. Writing in the journal, Conservation Biology, a group of internationally renowned scientists recommends the adoption of measures to mitigate against a range of effects including; food scarcity (where fisheries compete for the same resources), being caught in fishing nets, oil pollution and climate change. This could include the establishment of marine protected areas, although the authors acknowledge this might not always be practical. A number of other ecologically based management methods could also be implemented.

Populations of many penguin species have declined substantially over the past two decades. In 2013, eleven species were listed as 'threatened' by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), two as 'near threatened' and five as 'of least concern'. In order to understand how they might respond to further human impacts on the world's oceans the scientists examined all eighteen species, looking at different factors where human activity might interfere with their populations. Forty-nine scientists contributed to the overall process.



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