Scribd
Upload
408 views5 pages

Chinstrap Penguin Population Decline

The passage discusses recent surveys finding large declines in chinstrap penguin populations in Antarctica, particularly at Elephant Island where numbers dropped by 60%. Climate change is reducing sea ice and warming oceans, leading to less krill which is the main component of the penguins' diet. Gentoo penguin populations, however, have increased in neighboring colonies. The passage calls for establishing sanctuaries to protect penguin colonies from human impacts amidst concerns over climate change effects rippling through Antarctic ecosystems.

Uploaded by

WOW
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
408 views5 pages

Chinstrap Penguin Population Decline

The passage discusses recent surveys finding large declines in chinstrap penguin populations in Antarctica, particularly at Elephant Island where numbers dropped by 60%. Climate change is reducing sea ice and warming oceans, leading to less krill which is the main component of the penguins' diet. Gentoo penguin populations, however, have increased in neighboring colonies. The passage calls for establishing sanctuaries to protect penguin colonies from human impacts amidst concerns over climate change effects rippling through Antarctic ecosystems.

Uploaded by

WOW
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
  • Reading Practice: Chinstrap Penguin Population In The Last 50 Years
  • Reading Questions and Solutions

Reading Practice

Chinstrap Penguin Population In The Last 50 Years


A. The chinstrap penguin has a cap of black plumage, a white face, and a continuous
band of black feathers extending from one side of the head to the other, the
“chinstrap.” The northern part of the Antarctic Peninsula, several Antarctic and
subantarctic islands, and the uninhabited Balleny Islands between Antarctica and
New Zealand are the habitats of the species.
B. Antarctic penguin colonies in some parts of the Antarctic have declined over the last
50 years, mostly because of climate change, researchers say. The colonies of
chinstrap penguins, also known as ringed or bearded penguins, have dramatically
dropped since they were last surveyed almost 50 years ago, scientists discovered.
The findings became surprising because, until now, the chinstraps have been
deemed of “least concern” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature
(IUCN). “We really didn’t know what to expect, and then we found this huge decline
on Elephant Island,” Noah Strycker, an ornithologist and penguin researcher at Stony
Brook University, told CNN from Greenpeace’s Esperanza ship in the Antarctic. “It’s a
little bit worrying as it means that something is shifting in the ecosystem and the fall in
penguin numbers is reflecting that shift.”
C. Every colony of Elephant Island, which is a crucial penguin habitat northeast of the
Antarctic Peninsula, when surveyed, experienced a population fall, as per the
independent researchers who joined a Greenpeace expedition to the region.
Elephant Island was last surveyed in 1971, and there were 122,550 pairs of penguins
across all colonies. However, the recent count revealed just 52,786 pairs with a drop
of almost 60%. On Elephant Island, the size of the population change varied from
colony to colony, and the most significant decline was recorded at a colony known as
Chinstrap Camp, which is 77%.
D. Just the days after temperatures hit an all-time high in the Antarctic with 18.3 Celsius
(64.94 Fahrenheit) recorded on February 6, the latest study is published. The
previous high 17.5 C (63.5 F) was recorded in March 2015. Scientists recorded the
temperature at Argentina’s Esperanza research station, according to the
meteorological agency of the country.
E. The reduced sea ice and warmer oceans due to climate change have led to less krill,
the main component of the penguins’ diet. “Climate change is probably the underlying
factor, and the effects are rippling through the food chain,” Strycker said. “Penguins,
seals, and whales all depend on krill, which depends on ice. So if climate change
affects the ice, that impacts on everything else.” Heather J. Lynch, associate
professor of ecology and evolution at New York’s Stony Brook University and one of
the expedition’s research leads, said: “Such significant declines in penguin numbers
suggest that the Southern Ocean’s ecosystem has fundamentally changed in the last
50 years and that the impacts of this are rippling up the food web to species like
chinstrap penguins.” She added that “while several factors may have a role to play, all
the evidence we have pointed to climate change as being responsible for the
changes we are seeing.”

Access [Link] for more practices 1


F. However, some good news was also there, as the researchers reported an increase
in gentoo penguins population in neighbouring colonies, beyond Elephant Island. “It’s
interesting, as a tale of two penguins on the Antarctic Peninsula,” said Strycker.
“Gentoo is a species from further north and they appear to be colonizing the area and
are actually increasing in numbers.”
G. The Greenpeace ship Esperanza has been documenting the threat to the oceans
worldwide and taking the scientists for travelling abroad. For the first time, the Low
Island in the South Shetland Islands, north of the Antarctic Peninsula, has been
surveyed properly. The manual and drone techniques are used by the researchers,
from Stony Brook and Northeastern University in Boston, to survey a series of
significant but relatively unknown colonies of chinstrap penguin here. The results are,
however, not yet available. Greenpeace has been campaigning for the three Antarctic
sanctuaries that it would establish to offer protection to many of the colonies
surveyed. These would be off-limits to humans.
H. Louisa Casson, Greenpeace Oceans Campaigner, said in a statement: “Penguins are
an iconic species, but this new research shows how the climate emergency is
decimating their numbers and having far-reaching impacts on wildlife in the most
remote corners of Earth. This is a critical year for our oceans. “Governments must
respond to the science and agree on a strong Global Ocean Treaty at the United
Nations this spring that can create a network of ocean sanctuaries to protect marine
life and help these creatures adapt to our rapidly changing climate.”

Access [Link] for more practices 2


Question 1 - 7
The Reading Passage has 8 paragraphs labelled A-H.

Which paragraph contains the following information?

Write the correct letter A-H in boxes.

NB You may use any letter more than once.

1..................... the highest temperatures ever.

2..................... the difference between current and past records on penguin


population.

3..................... places where people cannot go to.

4..................... places where chinstrap penguins live.

5..................... measures to protect ocean species.

6..................... factors contributing to the decline in the amount of food available.

7..................... description of a specific species.

Question 8-10
Choose TRUE if the statement agrees with the information given in the text,

choose FALSE if the statement contradicts the information,

or choose NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this.

8..................... The IUCN showed little concern about the fall in penguin numbers.

9..................... Climate change is a reason for the changes in the food chain of
chinstrap penguins.

10..................... Gentoo penguins are not affected by climate change.

Question 11 - 13
Complete the note below.

Choose ONLY ONE WORD from the passage for each answer.

The Greenpeace ship has been used to:

- record the 11..................... to marine life over the world.


-carry the 12..................... overseas.

Access [Link] for more practices 3


- Build 13..................... to protect many surveyed colonies.

Access [Link] for more practices 4


Solution:
1. D 8. NOT GIVEN
2. C 9. TRUE
3. G 10. NOT GIVEN
4. A 11. threat
5. H 12. scientists
6. E 13. sanctuaries
7. A

Access [Link] for more practices 5

Common questions

Powered by AI

Proposed ocean sanctuaries could effectively mitigate climate change impacts by restricting human activities, preserving crucial habitats, and maintaining ecological balance within these protected areas . By securing environments with stable food sources and breeding grounds, sanctuaries can enhance resilience against climate-driven changes, offering a buffer for maintaining populations like chinstraps against further declines .

The decline in chinstrap penguin numbers suggests a fundamental change in the Southern Ocean's ecosystem over the last 50 years . This decline is an indicator of the broader environmental impacts of climate change, including shifts in available food resources like krill, which have a cascading effect throughout the food web, affecting numerous marine species' survival and distribution .

Researchers might face extreme weather conditions, accessibility issues, and potential disturbance to wildlife during population surveys. Addressing these challenges involves using drones to gather data from hard-to-reach areas without intruding physically, and conducting expeditions during milder weather periods to ensure both safety and data accuracy . Additionally, collaborations with organizations like Greenpeace can provide logistical support .

Unlike chinstrap penguins, gentoo penguins have shown an increase in population in colonies neighboring Elephant Island . This could indicate that gentoo penguins are better adapting to new environmental conditions, possibly due to their more northern origin, which might have equipped them to thrive as they move into new habitats affected by climate change .

Krill, a primary food source for chinstrap penguins, depend on sea ice for their life cycle. Climate change has led to reduced sea ice, thus diminishing krill populations and directly impacting penguins reliant on them . This relationship is critical; as climate change further disrupts krill availability, it imperils the survival of chinstrap penguins, whose populations have declined noticeably as their food source dwindles .

Greenpeace supports penguin conservation by facilitating scientific research aboard their ship Esperanza, which documents ocean threats worldwide. They use manual and drone techniques to survey lesser-known colonies . Greenpeace campaigns for establishing Antarctic sanctuaries to shield wildlife from human interference, aiming to protect marine life and help species like penguins adapt to climate changes .

Climate change has led to reduced sea ice and warmer oceans, resulting in less krill, which is a crucial part of the chinstrap penguins’ diet . Consequently, penguins, seals, and whales depending on krill are affected as ice conditions change due to global warming. These ecosystem changes are suggested to fundamentally alter the Southern Ocean’s environment, significantly impacting chinstrap penguin numbers .

Manual and drone techniques complement each other by combining the detailed, close-range observational advantages of manual techniques with the broad, comprehensive aerial coverage capabilities of drones. This combination allows for effective surveying of significant but sparsely populated penguin colonies, capturing accurate data on population size and distribution while minimizing human disturbance .

The increase in recorded temperatures, notably the all-time high of 18.3°C in Antarctica , serves as a strong proxy indicating changes in penguin habitats by suggesting a warming trend. This warming contributes to sea ice reduction, critical for krill populations and by extension, for species like the chinstrap penguin that depend on krill as a primary food source. Consequently, habitat changes are mirrored in declining penguin populations .

The difference between past surveys revealing 122,550 pairs of penguins and current counts showing only 52,786 pairs indicates a nearly 60% decline . This stark reduction reflects broader climate changes, such as reduced sea ice and rising temperatures, suggesting significant shifts in Antarctic ecological conditions over nearly five decades .

Reading Practice Chinstrap Penguin Population In The Last 50 Years The chinstrap penguin has a cap of black plumage, a wh
However, some good news was also there, as the researchers reported an increase in gentoo penguins population in neighbouring
Question 1 - 7 The Reading Passage has 8 paragraphs labelled A-H. Which paragraph contains the following information? Write t
Build 13..................... to protect many surveyed colonies. - Access http://mini-ielts.com for more practices 4
Solution: 1. D 8. NOT GIVEN 2. C 9. TRUE 3. G 10. NOT GIVEN 4. A 11. threat 5. H 12. scientists 6. E 13. sanctuaries 7. A Acc

You might also like