FILE PHOTO: A colony of gentoo penguins stand on Snow Island, Antarctica, January 31, 2020. REUTERS/Ueslei Marcelino
ABOARD THE MV ARCTIC SUNRISE, Antarctica (Reuters) - Peering through binoculars from an inflatable motorboat bobbing in frigid waters, polar ecology researchers Michael Wethington and Alex Borowicz scan a rocky outcrop on Antarctica's Andersson Island for splatterings of red-brown guano that might signal a colony of penguins nearby.
The birds have become far more than an iconic symbol of the earth’s frozen south. Scientists now use them as key indicators for understanding climate change near the South Pole – with certain western regions like the Antarctic Peninsula having undergone rapid warming, while East Antarctica remains cold and capped in ice.
Win a prize this Mother's Day by subscribing to our annual plan now! T&C applies.
