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Hundreds of Thousands of Penguins Vanish From World's Largest Colony in Antarctic Shift
M
Moneycontrol•08-10-2026, 11:15
Hundreds of Thousands of Penguins Vanish From World's Largest Colony in Antarctic Shift
- •A study by the British Antarctic Survey found that Zavodovski Island lost about 63 percent of its chinstrap penguins between 2011 and 2025.
- •The chinstrap population dropped from 1.09 million to 402,000 breeding individuals, resulting in over 680,000 penguins disappearing.
- •Scientists attribute the decline primarily to warming ocean conditions pushing Antarctic krill farther south and away from breeding grounds.
- •Researchers ruled out the 2016 eruption of the Mount Curry volcano as the main cause because the population drop began before the event.
- •Macaroni penguins on the island increased from 338,000 to 433,000 during the same period, likely due to having a broader diet.
Key Questions Answered
A study by the British Antarctic Survey found that Zavodovski Island lost about 63% of its chinstrap penguins between 2011 and 2025 due to climate-driven ocean changes. Warming waters are pushing Antarctic krill, their primary food source, farther south toward colder regions, disrupting their food supply.
No, scientists concluded that volcanic activity was unlikely to be the main cause. The population decline had already begun before Mount Curry erupted in 2016 and continued steadily afterward.
While chinstrap penguin numbers collapsed, macaroni penguins increased from about 338,000 in 2011 to 433,000 in 2025. Scientists believe their broader diet helps them cope better when krill availability shifts.
