Guardian Reports Elimination Of Penguin Surveys In Antarctic Programs: Funding Abruptly Restored

[hatrack]

The federal government has reversed its decision to cancel surveys of rapidly declining penguin populations in Antarctica and will send more scientists south this summer. The decision comes after Guardian Australia revealed the Australian Antarctic Division planned to cancel, delay or restrict dozens of science projects, according to a leaked planning document.

The list of restricted science projects, which included studies of record low sea ice, triggered a Senate inquiry into the impact of the division’s need to find $25m of savings in 12 months. In a statement, a spokesperson for the division said “monitoring and population surveys of penguins and flying seabirds near Mawson station is an additional project that has now been supported for travel this summer”.

This means scientists can now study a severe decline in Adélie penguin numbers off the east Antarctic coast. Long-term monitoring has revealed a 43% drop over a decade in the number of birds that breed across 52 islands near the Mawson research station. Scientists believe the rapid decline is due to a change in environmental conditions including fast ice, which is attached to the coast of the islands.

The spokesperson said other science climate science projects would be restored, with four extra scientists approved to travel south on the icebreaking research vessel RSV Nuyina. “This science relates to krill and krill ecosystems, whale acoustic monitoring and Southern Ocean ecosystems,” the spokesperson said. The internal document revealed a project to help conserve the Antarctic krill population – which help reduce carbon and provide food for the entire ecosystem – was not initially supported due to budget cuts.

EDIT

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/sep/09/australian-government-backflips-on-cancellation-of-antarctica-penguin-surveys

[Think. Again.]

1. My Deepest Gratitude to Guardian Australia.