Penguin oasis depends on marine plants
In Antarctica, penguins thrive in polynyas, small patches of open water surrounded by sea ice. The marine plants in the polynya feed tiny shrimp-like krill, which feed the penguins. (NSF)
Satellite data have revealed oasis-like areas in the Antarctic where penguins thrive. They’re called polynyas, areas of open water surrounded by sea ice. Microscopic ocean plants called phytoplankton soak up the sunlight in these ice-free waters and grow quickly.
Earth & Sky spoke with oceanographer Kevin Arrigo of Stanford University. Arrigo’s team studied over 10 years of Antarctic data on the size and locations of the open water polynyas, the abundance of phytoplankton, and penguin populations.
Kevin Arrigo: _We found that there was a very good relationship between how productive these polynyas were and how large of a penguin colony could be supported by the productivity going on in that polynya. And so without the polynyas, there would be very many fewer penguins in the Antarctic then you have now. _
The marine plants in the polynya feed tiny shrimp-like krill, which feed the penguins.
Kevin Arrigo: These coastal polynyas are where they tend to aggregate, particularly during their breeding season. But even in non-breeding seasons, they come out and rest on ice floes, and they need ice all year round. If there’s no ice, you don’t have the Adelie penguin.
Arrigo said he’s observed that Antarctic ice cover has changed little from Earth’s warming climate so far, except on the peninsula side.
Thanks today to NASA: explore, discover, understand.
Our thanks to:
Kevin Arrigo
Associate Professor
Stanford University
Stanford, California
Additional Teacher Resources
NASA: Antarctic Penguins Thrive In Ocean Oasis
NASA satellite data was used for the first time to analyze the biology of hot spots along the coast of Antarctica. The biological oases are open waters, called polynyas, where blooming plankton support the local food chain.
NASA: Earth Observatory: Life in Icy Waters
Aided by high-resolution satellite data, Kevin Arrigo conducted an inventory of the polynyas surrounding the coast of Antarctica. The five-year study showed that during a typical year, many polynyas are not very productive, while others are teeming with life for just a few short months, providing a feeding ground for animals like the Adéile penguin.
NASA: Earth Observatory – Polynyas, CO2 and Diatoms in the Southern Ocean
Learn how scientist Kevin Arrigo is combining modeling, field work, and the use of satellite data to study the Southern Ocean.
