Critical review on anthropogenic environmental changes and the effects that this may have had on Emperor penguin populations in Antarctica.

This literature review takes into consideration of different aspects of reporting, which include the use of; books, journals, online articles and published scientific articles, to get the overall feeling on people's attitudes on environmental change and its effect on Emperor penguin populations in Antarctica. Emperor penguins (Aptenodytes forsteri) are the largest of all penguins and it is thought that these ice-obligate species are particularly susceptible to environmental changes in the southern ocean conditions. The Emperor penguins due to specialised adaptations is able to survive the extreme weather conditions of Antarctica, and there are concerns that with a rise in atmospheric temperatures the sea-ice is melting and will cause extinction to many colonies reducing their total population. There has been a report of an Emperor penguin colony utilising floating ice shelves during years when sea-ice formed much later than usual. This new habit would appear to be the answer, excepting the rising atmospheric temperature combined with rising sea water temperatures has already claimed part of the Larsen Ice Shelf. Another oppressing factor is their food source mainly in the form of krill becoming subject to be seriously affected by rise in temperature, which is causing limitations of the available surface area of the underside of the sea-ice for algae. Commercial fisheries are now targeting the Emperor penguins food source the krill and squid, putting extra pressures on their survival