Animals and Insects

A Lost 'Supercolony' Of Penguins Was Discovered In The Antarctic

The Adélie penguin was thought to have been facing a population decline, but researchers just found a huge, undiscovered population of the birds.

A Lost 'Supercolony' Of Penguins Was Discovered In The Antarctic
Rachael Herman, Louisiana State University, Stony Brook University
SMS

For years, scientists thought Adélie penguins — one of the most common species in the Antarctic Peninsula — faced a population decline. But with the help of some poop, researchers have found a huge new colony. 

In 2014, NASA researchers noticed an unusual amount of penguin droppings on the Danger Islands — a remote area that was not considered an important penguin habitat. The team wasn't sure how many penguins were there, so they set out to count them.

King Penguins Might Need To Move Or Face Starvation
King Penguins Might Need To Move Or Face Starvation

King Penguins Might Need To Move Or Face Starvation

Climate change may be influencing where the penguins' favorite food lives.

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When the team got to the islands, they found thousands of penguins nesting at the landing site. And when they sent up a drone to take pictures, they were surprised to find more than 1.5 million penguins living there. 

Now, researchers think parts of the islands should be considered for protected areas. They say as climate change gets worse and melts parts of the Antarctic, the Danger Islands could become a critical penguin breeding ground.