Scientists Analyze Risks to 18 Species of Penguins as Populations Decline

Penguin populations are declining across the world, and it's more important than ever to take steps in order to preserve these birds. Now, scientists have taken a closer look at the risk factors impacting penguins in order to better target conservation efforts.

Over the past two decades, penguin populations have declined substantially in some species. For example, in 2013 eleven species were listed as "threatened" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Another two were listed as "near threatened" and only five were listed as "of least concern." In order to better understand how these penguins were being affected, though, the researchers decided to look at the risk factors impacting all 18 different species.

During the course of their research, the scientists considered all of the main issues affecting penguin populations. This included terrestrial habitat degradation, marine pollution, fisheries bycatch and resource competition, environmental variability, climate change and toxic algal poisoning and disease.

"Penguins and humans often compete for the same food, and some of our other actions also impinge upon penguins," said Phil Trathan, lead author of the new study, in a news release. "Our research highlights some of the issues of conservation and how we might protect biodiversity and the functioning of marine ecosystems."

Although it's difficult to design a large-scale marine conservation plan, there are some steps that the scientists found could be taken. For example, the use of spatial zoning could reduce the overlap of fisheries, oil rigs, and shipping lanes where areas of the ocean are used by penguins. In addition, the use of appropriate fishing methods could reduce accidental penguin bycatch.

The findings are important for not only showing what risks these penguins face, but also that steps can be taken to mitigate these risks. This is crucial for conservation efforts as these penguins continue to face challenges in the future.

The findings are published in the journal Conservation Biology.