New Emperor Penguin Colonies Found in Antarctica While about
2500 chicks of emperor penguins were raised this year at the
colony close to the French Dumont d'Urville Station, two new
colonies totalling 6000 chicks have just been observed about 250
km away, near Mertz Glacier by the scientists Dr André Ancel and
Dr Yvon Ancel, from the Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert
Curien in Strasbourg (CNRS and Université de Strasbourg). Since
a pair of emperor penguins may only successfully raise one chick
a year, the population of breeding emperor penguins in this area
of the Antarctic can therefore be estimated to more than about
8500 pairs, about three fold that previously thought. The two
new colonies have been revealed on 1st and 2nd November, during
the late winter season trip of the MSS Astrolabe1 towards Dumont
d'Urville. They are located on the winter sea ice. This ice
surrounds the remains of the Mertz Glacier, from which a large
ice wall, 80 km long, 40 km wide and 300-400 m thick has
separated. These may be