Global Warming Freezes Penguin Chicks
全球变暖冻坏企鹅宝宝
More rain related to a warming climate soaks Magellanic penguin chicks to the skin before their waterproof feathers grow in, killing them from hypothermia. Allie Wilkinson reports
由于气候变暖而增加的降雨,浇在了还没长出防水羽毛的麦哲伦企鹅宝宝身上,许多小企鹅因此死于低温症。艾利•威尔金森报道。
撰文/播音 艾利•威尔金森(Allie Wilkinson)
翻译 程孙雪子
Life isn’t easy for a penguin chick. There’s a lot to worry about: predators, having enough food, and now the changing climate.
企鹅宝宝的生活一点都不容易,它们要操心很多事情——天敌、食物,现在多了气候变化。
Researchers spent nearly thirty years tracking chicks at Punta Tombo, the world’s largest colony of Magellanic penguins. They found that increased rainfall and extreme heat due to climate change are killing chicks. The study is in the journal PLoS ONE. [P. Dee Boersma and Ginger A. Rebstock, Climate Change Increases Reproductive Failure in Magellanic Penguins]
研究人员花了近三十年,跟踪监测旁塔汤布岛(Punta Tombo)的企鹅宝宝,那是世界上最大的麦哲伦企鹅栖息地。他们发现,气候变化引起的气温过热以及降水量增加,正在戕害小企鹅的生命。此项研究发表在《公共科学图书馆•综合》(PLoS ONE)杂志上。
Down-covered chicks are too big to receive parental protection from the elements, but are not old enough to have grown protective waterproof feathers. So they get soaked to the skin during rainstorms and die of hypothermia. Their downy feathers do them a disservice during heat waves too, since they can't go for a swim to cool off until their waterproof feathers grow in.
全身布满绒毛的小企鹅已经长得太大,所以无法再栖身于父母的羽翼之下。但是,它们还没有长出能够保护自己的防水羽毛。暴风雨会穿透它们的皮肤,侵入它们的骨髓,使它们患上致命的低温症。这些小家伙同样无法适应炎热的气候,因为在长出防水羽毛之前,它们无法下水游泳降温——全身柔软的绒毛仍然是一种伤害。
Chicks not getting enough food are even more susceptible to the elements, as they lack the fuel to maintain their body temperature.
在这样的条件下,由于缺少维持体温的能量,那些吃不饱的企鹅宝宝对环境的反应更为敏感。
Storms during breeding season are already on the rise, and are expected to keep increasing. So climate change will likely pose a challenge not only in Magellanic penguins, but other seabirds as well. It’ll be sink or swim.
繁殖季节的暴雨已经愈来愈多,而且这种趋势还将继续。因此,气候变化很可能不仅会挑战麦哲伦企鹅的生存能力,其他的海鸟也将面临生存危机。
(题图来源:Robert Heil, My Shot)