On South Georgia Island, penguins feed their cubs. GSGSSI2015
– There is an island in the South Atlantic called’Penguin Paradise’. It is the British island of South Georgia.
[애니띵]Why Iceberg Crash Threatens Penguin’s Survival
– But something huge is approaching that threatens the animals on this island. It’s an ice island that fell off Antarctica. What will happen to the penguins if the two islands collide?
#You can check the detailed story through the video.
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A giant iceberg and South Georgia Island photographed by the European Space Agency on the 17th. ESA
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A super-giant iceberg from Antarctica
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Iceberg A68a photographed by the RAF. RAF
– Recently, scientists around the world are watching the movement of an ice island. Iceberg A68a drifting in the South Atlantic.
The RAF recently filmed an iceberg from the sky, and it was so huge that it couldn’t fit on a single screen.
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Icebergs separating from the Antarctic Larsen C ice shelf in 2017. ESA
– This iceberg fell from the Antarctic’s Larsen C ice shelf three years ago. At that time, it was twice the size of Luxembourg, a European country, and it was recorded as the largest iceberg floating on the sea in history.
Approaching near the island… Get off some
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The path of the giant iceberg. After separation from Antarctica, he reached South Georgia Island over three years. ESA
– Since then, the iceberg has been floating in the sea for three years, and it has reached the front of the island of South Georgia, more than 1500 km away.
According to NASA, the iceberg has already reached a point less than 100km from the island. Although part of the iceberg fell off during the long trip, it is still said to be twice the size of Jeju Island.
According to the satellite image taken by the European Space Agency (ESA) on the 17th (local time), the iceberg approached a depth of less than 200m near the island, and the northern tip of the iceberg was scratched off the sea floor and fell off. It is said that this new chunk of ice alone is large enough to reach 18 kilometers in length. Currently, icebergs stay around the island while spinning.
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A giant iceberg approaching South Georgia Island. As it reached shallow water, it rotated clockwise, while the northern tip was scraped off the sea floor. ESA
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Block the penguin hunt… Fear of death
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Penguins inhabiting South Georgia Island. Reuters = Yonhap News
– The problem is that this iceberg threatens the survival of many animals on the island. Compared to the Galapagos Islands, this island is considered one of the most abundant species on Earth. Five million seals and 30 species, 65 million birds live on the island. Krill is abundant around the island, making it a very important habitat for whales.
Especially, this island is also called Penguin Island because there are 2 million penguins, including the Emperor Penguin. Usually, during the breeding season, penguins go out to sea and hunt for food for their young. However, when icebergs block the shore, it becomes difficult for penguins or seals to go hunting in the sea and find food.
In fact, something similar happened in the early 2000s. A huge iceberg blocked the habitat of an Adelie penguin in Antarctica, isolating the penguins, and the number of penguins, which became difficult to obtain food, failed to reproduce and died in swarms, according to reports. Scientists are worried that the same tragedy will happen on the island of South Georgia.
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Iceberg A68a photographed by the RAF. RAF
– That’s not all the problem. Scientists warn that cold icebergs can destroy the sea ecosystem around the islands by reducing the temperature of the surrounding ocean by two degrees and releasing massive amounts of water. Scientists are using drone submersibles to analyze the impact of icebergs on the island’s ocean environment.
“Unlike temperate and tropics, which have a complex food chain, South Georgia Island has a short food chain from plankton to krill, and krill to penguins, sea leopards and whales. Therefore, if there is a change in plankton, it will inevitably have more than that leading to the upper part.” -Poble Abrahamsen, Ph.D., British Antarctic Investigations
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Penguins and seals are declining in numbers due to climate change. Is there any way to protect them from the threat of a giant iceberg?
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A seal is resting on the island of South Georgia. GSGSSI2015
– Reporter Chun Kwon-pil [email protected]
Video = Wang Junyeol
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