Satellite images show how penguins’ diets are changing in response to Antarctic climate change

Researchers used roughly 4,000 satellite images, some dating to the 1980s, to study the color of Adélie penguin guano across Antarctica, since pink guano signals a krill-heavy diet and paler guano signals more fish. They found penguins near abundant sea ice eat more fish, while those with less sea ice rely more on krill, and fish-eating colonies are more likely to hold or grow their populations.

Since the 2010s, sea ice around Antarctica has dropped sharply, pushing more colonies toward krill-heavy diets linked to population decline. The researchers also note rebounding whale populations, southward-shifting gentoo penguins, and commercial krill fishing are adding further competition for the same food.

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