The Polar Retrospective - A stop to drilling, an ice-free Arctic and a non-white penguin | Polarjournal
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The Polar Retrospective – A stop to drilling, an ice-free Arctic and a non-white penguin

Administrator 10. December 2024 | Antarctica, Arctic, Science

The Polar Retrospective looks at recent events around the world’s polar regions. This week, we share a video of an all-black king penguin. We also look at a bleak prediction for the future of Arctic ice-coverage, but a good piece of news for the Arctic seafloor.

The Polar Retrospective is a collaborative effort by the Polar Journal team. Each writer chooses a topic they found interesting and important in the past week. The intitials at the end of each section indicate the author. We hope you enjoy it.

A black king in South Georgia

Footage shot on the beaches of South Georgia shows an all-black king penguin. Video: Compass Media / YouTube

No, these are not images generated by artificial intelligence. The all-black king penguin recently spotted in South Georgia is real. Observed last November by guides on board a ship, it was immortalized by Belgian photographer Yves Adams. 

This is not the first time such a phenomenon has been observed. In 2010, an all-black penguin was spotted in Fortuna Bay, also on South Georgia. Another black emperor penguin was also spotted and filmed by a BBC team in 2019. This individual was observed in a colony in Queen Maud Land. More recently, in December 2022, a Gentoo penguin was spotted by scientists in a colony in Antarctica. 

Although there have been several sightings, this remains extremely rare. The all-black plumage is actually linked to a case of melanism. It is a genetic mutation that leads to an abnormally high production of melanin, the pigment responsible for feather colors. Conversely, (almost) all-white penguins have also been observed. One example is a Gentoo observed earlier this year whose pale plumage was the result of leucism, a genetic mutation caused by a recessive gene. 

Whether their coloring is darker or lighter than the usual phenotype of their species, individuals with melanism, leucism or albinism may be more vulnerable in their natural environment. In the case of king penguins, along with other penguin species, the white belly allows the animal to blend in with the surface when swimming. If a predator swims underneath, it won’t see it. Hence, a black belly could make the animal more visible. In any case, the observed king penguin seemed to be doing well among his peers. M.B.

Could the Arctic be ice-free in just a few years?

With less sea ice, less solar radiation is reflected back into space. Instead, the darker ocean absorbs the sunlight, causing the water to warm further and accelerating the melting of remaining sea ice—a self-reinforcing cycle. Photo: Julia Hager

A new study published in Nature Communications on December 3 warns that the Arctic could experience its first ice-free summer day as early as 2027. However, out of the hundreds of computer simulations conducted by the study’s authors, Céline Heuzé from the University of Gothenburg and Alexandra Jahn from the University of Colorado Boulder, this scenario represents the most extreme outcome.  

The highest likelihood for the first ice-free summer day falls between 2030 and 2043. The researchers found that such early ice-free events are linked to periods of rapid ice loss driven by unusually warm temperatures during the preceding winter and spring.  

The Arctic Ocean is considered ice-free when its sea ice extent falls below one million square kilometers. In September this year, the minimum ice cover measured 4.28 million square kilometers—significantly lower than the 1979-1992 average minimum of 6.85 million square kilometers.  

Such a dramatic decline in sea ice would have far-reaching consequences. With less sea ice, incoming sunlight would be absorbed by the darker ocean surface instead of being reflected back into space, causing temperatures in the Arctic and across the globe to rise further. Additionally, changes in wind patterns and ocean currents could trigger more extreme weather events worldwide.  

“Any reductions in emissions would help preserve sea ice,” says Alexandra Jahn, associate professor in the Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences and fellow at the Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research at CU Boulder. J.H.

Link to the study: Heuzé, C., Jahn, A. The first ice-free day in the Arctic Ocean could occur before 2030. Nat Commun 15, 10101 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-54508-3

Norway halts Arctic Ocean drilling

For many years, Norway has been drilling for offshore oil. It has mostly been centered in the North Sea to the west of the country, but also further north in the Arctic Ocean. This photo shows one of its many oil rigs, Transocean Spitsbergen. Photo: Wikimedia Commons
For many years, Norway has been drilling for offshore oil. The drilling has mostly been centered in the North Sea to the west of the country, but also further north in the Arctic Ocean. This photo shows one of its many oil rigs, the Transocean Spitsbergen. Photo: Wikimedia Commons

In January, Norway sparked outrage among proponents of a clean Arctic Ocean. Its government had decided that it would expand its oil and gas drilling operations, including areas in the Barents Sea to the northeast of the country.

Last week, however, those against the expansion were celebrating. The government announced that, for now, their plans would not be implemented. The change of plans was caused by the small Socialist Left Party. The party, which is vital to the center-left governments hold on power, had threatened to vote against the 2025 state budget.

But it was only a temporary sigh of relief for the conservationists. The government’s decision was practical, not moral. The plans remain on the table, although now paused for at least a year. Or as Norwegian prime minister Jonas Gahr Stoere of the Labour party told Norwegian TV2:

“This will be a postponement.” O.E.

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