How Adélie And Gentoo Penguins Avoid Food Fights In Antarctica

Plants and Animals





Photo credit:

Adélie penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae) meets gentoo penguin (Pygoscelis papua) on Antarctica. Wcpmedia/shutterstock

Adélie penguins have been breeding on the West Antarctic Peninsula for centuries, but the region is one of the fastest warming places on Earth. Over the last couple of decades, this changing climate has ushered in a newcomer: gentoo penguins, who enjoy the same krill. Now, researchers studying why Adélie populations have abruptly dropped reveal that increased competition with gentoo penguins hasn’t exacerbated their declines.