World's Largest King Penguin Colony Collapses By 90%; Crozet Island Population1/3 Of World's Kings
The planet’s largest colony of king penguins has declined by nearly 90% in three decades, researchers have warned. The last time scientists set foot on France’s remote Île aux Cochons – roughly half way between the tip of Africa and Antarctica – the island was blanketed by 2m of the penguins, which stand about a metre tall.
But recent satellite images and photos taken from helicopters show the population has collapsed, with barely 200,000 remaining, according to a study published in Antarctic Science.
EDIT
Indeed, Weimerskirch and colleagues showed in an earlier study that climate change, on its current trajectory, will probably make the Crozet islands – the archipelago that contains Île aux Cochons – unviable for king penguins by mid-century. Migration is not an option because there are no other suitable islands within striking range.
Other factors may be contributing to the decline of the Île aux Cochons colony, including overcrowding. “The larger the population, the fiercer the competition between individuals,” noted a statement from France’s National Centre for Scientific Research, which funded the study. “The repercussions of lack of food are thus amplified and can trigger an unprecedented rapid and drastic drop in numbers.”
EDIT
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/jul/30/worlds-largest-king-penguin-colony-has-declined-by-90